cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract LB-211: Phenotypic change specific to tumor-infiltrating regulatory T cells by LFPRLR knockdown

The clinical relevance and prognostic significance of tumor-infiltrating Tregs in different types of cancers makes them appealing therapeutic targets. However, targeting all Tregs initiates autoimmune disease. In the current study, we have found that knockdown of the long form of the prolactin receptor (LFPRLR) inhibits the function of tumor Tregs with no functional change in peripheral Tregs. Knockdown of the LFPRLR was by splice modulating oligomer (SMO), tested in the syngeneic 4T1-Balb/c immune-competent breast cancer model. Similar effects would be predicted to occur in prostate and ovarian cancer. Knockdown reduced tumor output of CCL17, a chemokine regulated by the major LFPRLR signaling Jak2/Stat5 pathway. Reduced CCL17 output in turn resulted in impaired Treg recruitment into tumors, allowing enhanced CD4+ and CD8+ T cell activities within the tumor and reducing metastasis to distal organs. Also observed was a reduction in Tregs at metastatic sites. RNAseq transcriptomic analysis of LFPRLR SMO-treated tumor Tregs revealed that among immune-suppressive cytokines, expression of IL-10 and TGF-β was not affected, but EBI3, a component of IL-35, became undetectable. Of cytokines known to promote metastasis, IL-6, IL23a and IL34 were reduced. When tumor Tregs, isolated from LFPRLR SMO-treated animals, were co-cultured with 4T1 breast cancer cells, they failed to drive epithelial to mesenchymal transition, while tumor Tregs isolated from control SMO-treated animals did transform 4T1 cells into a more mesenchymal phenotype. Although tumor T regs were reduced by treatment, other major components of the tumor microenvironment, including B cells, CD8+ T cells, macrophages, NK T cells, dendritic cells, myeloid-derived suppressor cells, and fibroblasts were not changed by LFPRLR knockdown, while effector CD4+ T cells were increased and tumor endothelial cells were decreased. Although the population of CD8+ T cells was not changed, their activity was enhanced, as determined by their production of IL-2 and IFN-γ when stimulated. Examination of splenic Tregs from animals treated with LFPRLR- or control SMO for 28 days showed normal suppressive activity of anti-CD3-stimulated T cell proliferation. In conclusion, systemic LFPRLR knockdown has direct and indirect effects on tumor Tregs that modify their cytokine profile and reduce their suppressive capability and ability to drive epithelial to mesenchymal transition of tumor cells. Citation Format: Kuan-Hui E. Chen, Ameae Walker. Phenotypic change specific to tumor-infiltrating regulatory T cells by LFPRLR knockdown [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-211. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-LB-211
An evaluation of sorting algorithms for common-bus local networks

Abstract Evaluating the performance of local area networks is a major concern of the research community and organizations that install this type of network. In data processing applications, sorting is one of the most important and frequently performed operations, because database operations can be performed efficiently on sorted files. The efficiency of sorting algorithms in local networks, therefore, plays a significant role in determining overall network performance. This paper evaluates four alternate methods of performing external sort in common-bus local networks. Each method has five steps: interrupt and synchronization, network data transfer by packets, local sorting, global sorting, and output. The execution time for each method is calculated for four cases using different overlaps among the time components. Each method is evaluated by observing its behavior at different network speeds, file sizes, network sizes, page sizes, I/O times, and interrupt and synchronization times. This paper shows how changing the value of these variables affects the performance of the sorting algorithms. These observations are useful in designing sorting algorithms and other general, parallel algorithms for common-bus local networks.
Urological Imaging in the Newborn

In today’s practice of pediatric urology, imaging of the abnormal urinary tract usually begins in utero, as a result of abnormal findings on a screening prenatal ultrasound (US) examination. Many abnormal fetuses are then imaged by fetal MRI, where available, for genetic counseling or in those centers where fetal surgeons can intervene prenatally. In the newborn period, imaging is performed with as little radiation exposure as is reasonably achievable (ALARA). Usually, this is easily achieved since the mainstay of imaging the newborn urinary tract is US. Voiding cystourethrography (VCUG) and radionuclide renography, with or without a diuretic, are relatively low-radiation-dose techniques when modified for pediatric patients and are utilized for specific indications. Sometimes neonatal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be very helpful to further evaluate complex urinary tract anomalies but is not used unless other techniques are insufficient to define the abnormality or to evaluate extent of disease, such as in neonatal neoplasms.
Fundamental Issues of Smeared Crack Models

For numerical simulation of fracture in concrete and rock the “smeared crack approach” is receiving increasing attention. On one hand renewed attempts in terms of the fixed and rotating crack models resort to fracture mechanics in order to refine the traditional orthotropic crack formulation. Along this approach the original concept involving Mode I type cracking is being broadened to include mixed mode fracture interpretation of the shear retention factor, if the crack memory is fully retained. On the other hand, fracture energy-based plasticity models are advocated by the authors, as well as other investigators, which describe the degradation of strength due to tensile cracking and decohesion in shear in terms of isotropic and anisotropic strain-softening concepts.
Free Will, Allotment, and Inborn Characteristics

In this chapter, I discuss the problem of free will and determinism as it arises in early Chinese Philosophy and in Wang Chong’s Lunheng in particular. In the first section, I argue that there was a problem of free will in early China, arising in most early texts but tackled most directly in Daoist/Zhuangist and early Han texts. I discuss the differences between the “problem of free will” as it arises in many Western contexts and the problem of free will in early China. I then outline Wang’s views on de 德 (potency) and xiu 修 (cultivation) and their connection to the distinction between spontaneous (ziran 自然) and intentional (zhi 志) activity. I argue that Wang’s conception of three kinds of allotment (ming 命) is meant to solve the problem of free will as it arises in the context of his thought, but that his solution is ultimately unsuccessful.
In Praise, In Praise of the Radio Autoethnography1: A Radio Collage2:

This piece explores radio’s potential as a space and form for autoethnography. Radio offers the possibility of random encounters and of reaching a wider (and non-academic) audience. Radio isolates ...
Vegetation Health-Based Modeling Crop Yield and Food Security Prediction

A major world task is to produce enough food to feed Earth’s fast-growing population. Currently, the world population is growing faster than agriculture can produce. A lack of agricultural production compared to the demands for food is normally intensified in years with weather-related disasters, especially drought. Therefore, weather-driven crop losses have always been a big concern for farmers, traders, governments, policy makers, and international organizations for the purpose of balanced food supply/demands, trade, and distribution of aid to the nations in need, especially in the years with food security problems. Recent tendencies with agricultural production have not been favorable since almost every other year of the twenty-first century has experienced large-scale crop losses due to a bad weather, accompanied by droughts. Among the different types of agricultural production, grain is a major source of food supply. The amount of grain produced by agriculture depends on yield and planted area. While crop area is relatively stable, yield fluctuates considerably with weather changes from year to year. Among weather disasters, drought plays a major role in large-scale crop losses. In the most recent two to three decade, drought-related crop losses have been reported to increase due to climate change. Therefore, it is very important to estimate crop yield and production in advance of harvest. There are currently two known methods for modeling an advanced estimation of crop yield. These estimates are based on weather variables (precipitation, temperature, and others), their indices, and sometimes satellite data and indices. The new satellite-based vegetation health (VH) method introduced at the end of the twentieth century showed very good results for modeling and accurate monitoring of crop yield well in advance of harvest. The VH method is working well because the parameters of this method composited are based on biological laws of characterizing vegetation condition. Besides, these parameters are distributed frequently over space compared to weather data. This chapter introduces the method for yield modeling with operational satellites’ VH indices and provides modeling results for grain crops in major grain-producing countries such as the USA, China, Russia, Argentina, Australia, Ukraine, India, and others. Some examples are also shown for other crops and pasture.
Expanding Responsibility for the Just War: A Feminist Critique

As demonstrated in any conflict, war is violent and causes grave harms to innocent persons, even when fought in compliance with just war criteria. In this book, Rosemary Kellison presents a feminist critique of just war reasoning, with particular focus on the issue of responsibility for harm to noncombatants. Contemporary just war reasoning denies the violence of war by suggesting that many of the harms caused by war are necessary, though regrettable, injuries for which inflicting agents bear no responsibility. She challenges this narrow understanding of responsibility through a feminist ethical approach that emphasizes the relationality of humans and the resulting asymmetries in their relative power and vulnerability. According to this approach, the powerful individual and collective agents who inflict harm during war are responsible for recognizing and responding to the vulnerable persons they harm, and thereby reducing the likelihood of future violence. Kellison's volume goes beyond abstract theoretical work to consider the real implications of an important ethical problem.
Effect of whole-grain consumption on changes in fecal microbiota: a review of human intervention trials.

Whole-grain (WG) consumption is known to have beneficial effects on human health. However, the influence of WGs on the microbiota is not well understood. To evaluate how WG intake modulates the gut microbiota composition, a literature review of human intervention studies was conducted. Whole grain, whether a mixed WG food or diet (n = 5) or specific WG intervention (WG wheat [n = 5], barley [n = 2], rye [n = 2] or rice, corn, or oats [n = 1 for each]), generally modified microbiota composition but did so inconsistently across measurements of microbial diversity and taxa. Interventions used both parallel and crossover designs and varied from single product substitutions to fully controlled diets with WG exposures of 3-12 weeks. The effect of amount of WG was difficult to capture due to variable reporting of WG. Methods used to measure microbiota varied in ability to resolve changes at different taxonomic levels, and comparisons of interventions using similar methods was lacking. Because many dietary components besides WGs alter gut microbiota, further research is needed, particularly in linking microbiota changes to health outcomes, and study design recommendations for future research on WGs and microbiota are warranted.
Piezoelectricity and Pyroelectricity

In the previous chapters on transduction we have concentrated on those mechanisms which depend on changes in the energy stored in magnetic and electric fields. Virtually all of the constitutive relations linking mechanical and electrical or magnetic variables have been nonlinear (generally quadratic). In addition to these mechanisms there are linear transduction processes, some of which are capacitive and some of which are inductive. Of these processes, the most common and well studied is piezoelectricity, a phenomenon exhibited by some materials in which application of a strain causes the establishment of an electric field and vice versa. In this chapter we focus on piezoelectricity and piezoelectric transducers. The related phenomenon of pyroelectricity is also presented.
Impact of Ash Disposal in Coal-Based Thermal Power Plant on Groundwater Quality and Availability

Ash disposal in particular and environment management in general has become a second important activity after generation of power by thermal method. A typical coal-based thermal power plant in taluka of Umred, Vidarbha is selected, generating power around 2 × 35 MW/day. Total ash bund area is around 4.5 ha. Daily Coal consumption is around 650 TPD to generate 35 MW/day. Daily water consumption is around 380 cum/day. Optimum daily power generation is around 32–34 MW/day. Per day slurry bottom ash pumped into Ash Pond is 52 TPD. Ash bund slurry samples, overflow from ash bund and groundwater samples were collected in December 2017 and May 2018. This study reveals that ash water is expected to recharge shallow aquifer around the bund and ash water channel.
Automatic Segmentation of Retinal Capillaries in Adaptive Optics Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscope Perfusion Images Using a Convolutional Neural Network.

Purpose Adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscope (AOSLO) capillary perfusion images can possess large variations in contrast, intensity, and background signal, thereby limiting the use of global or adaptive thresholding techniques for automatic segmentation. We sought to develop an automated approach to segment perfused capillaries in AOSLO images. Methods 12,979 image patches were extracted from manually segmented AOSLO montages from 14 eyes and used to train a convolutional neural network (CNN) that classified pixels as capillaries, large vessels, background, or image canvas. 1764 patches were extracted from AOSLO montages of four separate subjects, and were segmented manually by two raters (ground truth) and automatically by the CNN, an Otsu's approach, and a Frangi approach. A modified Dice coefficient was created to account for slight spatial differences between the same manually and CNN-segmented capillaries. Results CNN capillary segmentation had an accuracy (0.94), a Dice coefficient (0.67), and a modified Dice coefficient (0.90) that were significantly higher than other automated approaches (P 0.05). Conclusions Close agreement between the CNN and manual segmentations enables robust and objective quantification of perfused capillary metrics. The developed CNN is time and computationally efficient, and distinguishes capillaries from areas containing diffuse background signal and larger underlying vessels. Translational Relevance This automatic segmentation algorithm greatly increases the efficiency of quantifying AOSLO capillary perfusion images.
Ramp Metering for a Distant Downstream Bottleneck Using Reinforcement Learning with Value Function Approximation

Ramp metering for a bottleneck located far downstream of the ramp is more challenging than for a bottleneck that is near the ramp. This is because under the control of a conventional linear feedback-type ramp metering strategy, when metered traffic from the ramp arrive at the distant downstream bottleneck, the state of the bottleneck may have significantly changed from when it is sampled for computing the metering rate; due to the considerable time, these traffic will have to take to traverse the long distance between the ramp and the bottleneck. As a result of such time-delay effects, significant stability issue can arise. Previous studies have mainly resorted to compensating for the time-delay effects by incorporating predictors of traffic flow evolution into the control systems. This paper presents an alternative approach. The problem of ramp metering for a distant downstream bottleneck is formulated as a Q-learning problem, in which an intelligent ramp meter agent learns a nonlinear optimal ramp metering policy such that the capacity of the distant downstream bottleneck can be fully utilized, but not to be exceeded to cause congestion. The learned policy is in pure feedback form in that only the current state of the environment is needed to determine the optimal metering rate for the current time. No prediction is needed, as anticipation of traffic flow evolution has been instilled into the nonlinear feedback policy via learning. To deal with the intimidating computational cost associated with the multidimensional continuous state space, the value function of actions is approximated by an artificial neural network, rather than a lookup table. The mechanism and development of the approximate value function and how learning of its parameters is integrated into the Q-learning process are well explained. Through experiments, the learned ramp metering policy has demonstrated effectiveness and benign stability and some level of robustness to demand uncertainties.
Wavelength censoring for spectroscopy in optical functional neuroimaging

Optical neuromonitoring provides insight into neurovascular physiology and brain structure and function. These methods rely on spectroscopy to relate light absorption changes to variation of concentrations of physiologic chromophores such as oxy- and deoxyhemoglobin. In clinical or preclinical practice, data quality can vary significantly across wavelengths. In such situations, standard spectroscopic methods may perform poorly, resulting in data loss and limiting field-of-view. To address this issue, and thereby improve the robustness of optical neuromonitoring, we develop, in this manuscript, novel methods to perform spectroscopy even when data quality exhibits wavelength-dependent spatial variation. We sought to understand the impact of spatial, wavelength-based censoring on the physiologic accuracy and utility of hemoglobin spectroscopy. The principles of our analysis are quite general, but to make the methodology tangible we focused on optical intrinsic signal imaging of resting-state functional connectivity in mice. Starting with spectroscopy using four sources, all possible subset spectroscopy matrices were assessed theoretically, using simulated data, and using experimental data. These results were compared against the use of the full spectroscopy matrix to determine which subsets yielded robust results. Our results demonstrated that accurate calculation of changes in hemoglobin concentrations and the resulting functional connectivity network maps was possible even with censoring of some wavelengths. Additionally, we found that the use of changes in total hemoglobin (rather than oxy- or deoxyhemoglobin) yielded results more robust to experimental noise and allowed for the preservation of more data. This new and rigorous image processing method should improve the fidelity of clinical and preclinical functional neuroimaging studies.
Professional Identity Development of Foreign-Born Counselors in U.S. Counselor Education.

In a world that is more interconnected than ever, the counseling profession has continued in its efforts to train more foreign-born counselors. The process of professional identity development of this population remains an understudied topic in the literature. The current study examined the experiences of foreign-born counselors navigating the professional identity development process in U.S. counselor education. A phenomenological qualitative research design was used to explore the experiences of six foreign-born counselors. Several themes arose that include barriers, assets, and counseling profession limitations. Implications for counselor education are discussed.
The correlation between substance abuse and crime in the United States

Substance abuse is an established precursor to violent and non-violent crimes. Typical violent crimes are usually related to narcotics and alcohol sale, while non-violent crimes are related to the purchase. This study investigates correlations between substance abuse and crime rate in the United States. Data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) Program was used in the study to compare drug usage, alcohol consumption, and crime rate. The researchers used Tableau (Visualization Application) to analyze the data and visual the comparison between the three entities. The main goal of the study was to seek a correlation that could provide insight to the increase in crime rate when people abuse substances.
Psychometrics of the Pragmatic Rating Scale for School-Age Children With a Range of Linguistic and Social Communication Skills

Purpose Social communication or pragmatic skills are continuously distributed in the general population. Impairment in these skills is associated with two clinical disorders, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and social (pragmatic) communication disorder. Such impairment can impact a child's peer acceptance, school performance, and current and later mental health. Valid, reliable, examiner-rated observational measures of social communication from a semistructured language sample are needed to detect social communication impairment. We evaluated the psychometrics of an examiner-rated measure of social (pragmatic) communication, the Pragmatic Rating Scale-School Age (PRS-SA). Method The analytic sample consisted of 130 children, ages 7-12 years, from five mutually exclusive groups: ASD (n = 25), language concern (LC; n = 5), ASD + LC (n = 10), social communication impairment only (n = 22), and typically developing (TD; n = 68). All children received language and autism assessments. The PRS-SA was rated separately using video-recorded communication samples from the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule. Assessment data were employed to evaluate the psychometrics of the PRS-SA. Analysis of covariance models were used to assess whether the PRS-SA would detect differences in social communication functioning across the five groups. Results The PRS-SA demonstrated strong internal reliability, concurrent validity, and interrater reliability. PRS-SA scores were significantly higher in all groups compared to the TD group and differed significantly in most pairwise comparisons; the ASD + LC group had the highest (more atypical) scores. Conclusions The PRS-SA shows promise as a measure of social communication skills in school-age verbally fluent children with a range of social and language abilities. More research is needed with a larger sample, including a wider age range and geographical diversity, to replicate findings. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.15138240.
Interaction of the opiate and NMDA systems in a spatial learning task

Two experiments were done to determine whether opiate and NMDA systems interact to influence learning in rats. Experiment 1 examined the effects of coadministration of naloxone with MK-801 on acquisition of a radial maze task. MK-801 produced an acquisition impairment extending beyond drug administration. Naloxone, alone or in combination with MK-801, had no effect. Experiment 2 tested the influence of coadministration of naltrexone with MK-801 on a plus-maze task. MK-801 produced an acquisition impairment extending beyond drug administration. Naltrexone alone had no effect. A three-way interaction (MK-801 × naltrexone × days) was found, whereby naltrexone antagonized the effects of MK-801 during the period of drug administration but had no influence on the deficit following this period. This suggests that NMDA receptors are important for acquisition, and the influence of opiates is either time limited or secondary to effects of NMDA receptors on acquisition.
Defining Re-usable Composite Aspect Patterns: An FDAF Based Approach

Architecting secure systems is an important and challenging problem. Solutions to model individual, or atomic, security capabilities have been proposed, including security patterns, component based, aspect-oriented, and service-oriented approaches. However, little work is available on how to model reusable compositions of security capabilities, where the security capabilities interact with each other and other parts of the system design. Here, an aspect-oriented approach to modeling composite aspects is presented. The approach is defined as an extension to the Formal Design Analysis Framework (FDAF). The FDAF metamodel is extended to support the static representation of composite aspects and an approach to defining the compositions is introduced. A composite aspect that provides Account Lockout with Selective Event Logging (ALSEL) capabilities is used as an example.
Gender, race, and aggression in television commercials that feature children

Television commercials in programming aimed at young children were content analyzed. Over one-third of the commercials that featured children contained aggression. More than half of the aggressive incidents occurred in commercials that featured only White children, thus offering them many models for possible imitation or for later use in cognitive scripts. The predominant type of aggression was “fortuitous,” i.e., aggression not caused by a character. These unmotivated acts of aggression may cultivate in children fear of a “scary world.” Further, this level of aggression may desensitize children to aggression in their own lives.
Gas chromatographic analysis of chlorpromazine and its metabolites formed by hepatic microsomes. I. Influence of magnesium.

Abstract The metabolism of chlorpromazine has been studied using rat and rabbit liver microsomal preparations and the Curry extraction and gas Chromatographic technique for the compounds involved, namely chlorpromazine, chlorpromazine N -oxide, monodemethyl chlorpromazine, didemethyl chlorpromazine, chlorpromazine sulfoxide and monodemethyl chlorpromazine sulfoxide. In both liver systems, chlorpromazine N -oxide and monodemethyl chlorpromazine were found to be the major metabolites. The former accounted for 38–62 per cent of the chlorpromazine disappearing under various experimental conditions, while the latter amounted to 28–77 per cent in the same experiments. The 92–104 per cent of the CPZ disappearing could be accounted for by the appearance of the metabolites measured. The addition of Mg 2+ to the microsomal drug oxidase experimental suspensions caused an increase in the disappearance of chlorpromazine in both the rat and rabbit. In the rat. Mg 2+ caused little or no increase in chlorpromazine N -oxiae appearance but increased the formation of monodemethyl chlorpromazine by a factor of 2 to 3. In the rabbit the opposite was true.
Automatic anatomical labelling of magnetic resonance brain images

The authors describe their method for automatic anatomic labelling of cortical regions in magnetic resonance (MR) brain images. Their procedure consists of preprocessing head images with a three dimensional (3-D) Marr-Hildreth edge detector and a series of morphological filtering operations. The authors then label brain regions by matching a deformable atlas model to the processed images. They demonstrate an application of this technique to automatically labelling the lobes of the brain from a volume MR image. >
Effect of caffeine on the birefringence signal in single skeletal muscle fibers and mammalian heart. Possible mechanism of action.

Effects of caffeine on single fibers of frog (Rana pipiens) toe muscle and rabbit atrial trabeculae were investigated by measuring action potential, tension and the E-C coupling-related birefringence signal.
An audiovisual patient identification system for rehabilitation

Exercising is an essential part of the rehabilitation. Patients that suffer from chronic diseases, such as Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) or fibromyalgia, must be committed to a daily exercise routine that helps them to eventually return to their normal daily activities. However, rehabilitation programs can be expensive and time- consuming. The patient must be in contact with their therapist on a frequent basis and follow a really demanding routine. Therapist must always be able to track each patient's progress and activity and make personalized decisions. This work describes a tele-rehabilitation system which facilitates the initiation and monitoring of rehabilitation exercises. We propose a patient identification system that logs the user in this rehabilitation system, based on audiovisual feature extraction. The context of our system assumes that patients are able to perform their scheduled activities prescribed by the therapist either with their therapist or even alone at home. The therapist can remotely keep track of the progress of each patient. The above scenario requires that our system guarantees safety, accuracy and private data security.
A model of plant-to-plant movement of aphids: A new approach

1. A stochastic model was applied to the changes in the distribution of aphids on plants in a field determined by their plant-to-plant movements. 2. The expected numbers of aphids on plants were calculated for the 5 days of an experiment reported byShiyomi (1967) and compared with observed frequencies at these times.
Need for law enforcement in cases of intimate partner violence in a university ED

The purpose of this study was to quantify the proportion of men and women seen in a university emergency department (ED) for treatment of injuries resulting from intimate partner violence (IPV) that require reports to law enforcement authorities. A total of 1,516 adult ED patients were asked to complete a written survey instrument; 1,003 patients (66.2%) completed the survey. Two percent of patients reported they presented to the ED for treatment of injuries resulting from IPV. Three percent reported IPV within the last year, and 10% reported that they had ever been physically abused by a partner. Six percent of respondents reported that they had ever been threatened with a gun or knife by a partner, 2% within the past year. Only the lifetime prevalence of IPV was significantly greater among female patients, 15% versus 6% (P < .001). Approximately 2% of our ED patients require law enforcement intervention for IPV.
Increased levels of free serotonin in plasma of symptomatic asthmatic patients.

Background Previous research has shown that symptomatic asthmatic patients have increased levels of norepinephrine, epinephrine, dopamine, free serotonin, and cortisol in plasma when compared with asymptomatic patients. Objective We investigated the relationship between plasma levels of catecholamines, free serotonin, and cortisol and clinical status and pulmonary function in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients with asthma. Methods We compared clinical severity, spirometry, and neuroendocrine factors at weeks 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 in 57 symptomatic (forced expiratory volume in one second [FEV 1 ] 1 > 80%) asthmatic patients. We used multiple analyses of variance (repeated measures) to interpret the data. In addition, we used the Pearson Product Moment Test to investigate correlations among the different variables. Results The clinical severity rating and levels of free serotonin, norepinephrine, epinephrine, dopamine, and cortisol were significantly higher in symptomatic asthmatic patients (P 1 was significantly lower in symptomatic patients than in asymptotic patients. In symptomatic patients, the level of free serotonin correlated positively with the clinical severity rating (r = .564, P 1 (r = −.959, P 1 (r = −.359, P Conclusion Our finding that free serotonin was the only neuroendocrine factor closely associated with clinical severity and pulmonary function suggests that this factor plays an important role in the pathophysiology of acute asthma.
Object permanence in lemurs

Object permanence, the ability to mentally represent objects that have disappeared from view, should be advantageous to animals in their interaction with the natural world. The objective of this study was to examine whether lemurs possess object permanence. Thirteen adult subjects representing four species of diurnal lemur (Eulemur fulvus rufus, Eulemur mongoz, Lemur catta and Hapalemur griseus) were presented with seven standard Piagetian visible and invisible object displacement tests, plus one single visible test where the subject had to wait predetermined times before allowed to search, and two invisible tests where each hiding place was made visually unique. In all visible tests lemurs were able to find an object that had been in clear view before being hidden. However, when lemurs were not allowed to search for up to 25-s, performance declined with increasing time-delay. Subjects did not outperform chance on any invisible displacements regardless of whether hiding places were visually uniform or unique, therefore the upper limit of object permanence observed was Stage 5b. Lemur species in this study eat stationary foods and are not subject to stalking predators, thus Stage 5 object permanence is probably sufficient to solve most problems encountered in the wild.
Can soil phytolith analysis and charcoal be used as indicators of historic fire in the pinyon-juniper and sagebrush steppe ecosystem types of the Great Basin Desert, USA?:

Wildland fire intensity and area are increasing across the Intermountain West, USA, in a variety of ecosystem types including the pinyon-juniper woodlands and sagebrush steppe of the Great Basin Desert. Unfortunately, we do not know if there were historic analogues for these high-intensity stand-replacing fires because of the lack of fire scars that record evidence of them. Soil-charcoal and phytolith analyses have been successfully employed in other regions to garner information about fire regimes through the Holocene. We studied the utility of these methodologies and related taphonomic issues in soils in the Great Basin Desert. Our results showed that both microscopic charcoal and burned phytoliths can be found in soils with radiocarbon ages from modern to late Holocene. Microscopic charcoal abundance was more useful than size class as an indicator of recent local fire. Its abundance declined rapidly and remained low at 2.8 to 4.8 km from the edge of the fire. A Burned Phytolith Index shared a similar p...
Amino acid metabolism in DDT-poisoned American cockroaches

Abstract Amino acids were quantitatively compared in haemolymph from DDT-poisoned and DDT-treated, but symptom-free, American cockroaches. Symptoms were induced by holding insects at a lower temperature in accordance with the negative temperature coefficient of DDT action. While most amino acids were unchanged, proline was depleted in paralysed insects. As the duration of paralysis increased, proline progressively decreased to one-fourth the normal blood concentration. Relief of symptoms resulted in restoration of proline to the normal concentration. Identical effects were observed with TDE-poisoned cockroaches and tobacco hornworms, but other insecticides failed to produce this reversible depletion. Injection of C14- l -proline (U) into cockroaches followed by induction of DDT symptoms revealed that three times as much oxidation of proline carbon to carbon dioxide occurred in insects with symptoms as in the controls. An increase in C14-glutamine was observed in the blood and central nerve of poisoned insects. It was postulated that symptoms of DDT shift the demand for oxidizable carbon to proline. This could result from the inhibition of one or more oxidative enzymes above the level of alpha-ketoglutaric acid.
Quercetin and heat shock response.

Dr Chirumbolo commented on the lack of inhibitory effect of quercetin on heat stress response shown in our study [1]. We concluded that a single moderate dose of quercetin is sufficient to alter redox status but not heat stress response in mice. The effects of quercetin were observed as a result of its single-dose application. The findings do not suggest that quercetin itself should not affect the body’s ability to respond to heat-generated stressors, especially at other dosage levels and application procedures. The pharmacokinetics of quercetin after oral administration to rodents have been reported previously [2]. Plasma levels of quercetin were expected to be very low at the time of sample collection and, thus, were not addressed in our study. The orally administered quercetin likely reached effective concentrations during heat stress, as evidenced by alterations in systemic redox homeostasis of quercetin-treated mice. Thus, our results support our conclusion. We agree with Dr Chirumbolo that it would be very interesting to assess heat stress or quercetin effectiveness using plasma T-reg–derived cytokines. In addition, we know that the form of quercetin is very important to the observed responses in that the dihydrated form—dihydroquercetin, unlike quercetin alone—does not inhibit the heat shock protein response under cellular stress [3]. Many questions remain with regard to the form, the timing, and the doses of quercetin. (Supported by the Office of Naval Research Grant N0001411MP20025 and Uniformed Services University Intramural Grant R091EH).
Image theory: Principles, goals, and plans in decision making

Abstract A descriptive theory of decision making is proposed in which decision makers represent information as images. One image consists of principles that recommend pursuit of specific goals. A second image represents the future state of events that would result from attainment of those goals. A third image consists of the plans that are being implemented in the attempt to attain the goals. A fourth image represents the anticipated results of the plans. Decisions consist of (1) adopting or rejecting potential candidates to be new principles, goals, or plans, and (2) determining whether progress toward goals is being made, i.e., whether the aspired-to future and the anticipated results of plan implementation correspond. Decisions are made using either (1) the compatibility between candidates and existing principles, goals and plans, and the compatibility between the images of the aspired-to and the anticipated states of events, or (2) the potential gains and losses offered by a goal or plan.
Molecular orbital models of strained tetrahedral edge shared active sites on dehydroxylated silica: an AM1 and PM3 study

Abstract Reactive strained defect sites created on the surface of dehydroxylated silica show two characteristic infrared bands at 888 and 908 cm −1 . Infrared spectra predicted by AM1 and PM3 molecular orbital calculations on cyclo-disilicic acid and tricyclo-tetrasilicic acid support suggestions that these surface defects are edge shared tetrahedra. The equilibrium geometry of these models has been compared to similar known molecules and compares favorably. Computed IR spectra with 18 O labeling of the model structures predict shifts in vibrational frequencies and intensity consistent with experiment.
Realizing the Promise: Delivering Pulmonary Continuing Medical Education Over the Internet

Study objectives Continuing medical education (CME) is meant to bridge the gap between new scientific observations and clinical practice. However, traditional CME has not been effective at altering the behaviors of physicians. One reason for this failure of traditional CME programs may be their inflexibility. In traditional CME, the clinician does not choose the topic, the pace of the program, or the place of learning, and the CME material cannot be easily delivered to the point of care where the clinician needs the information. Computers and computer networks have the potential to accomplish these goals. CME has begun to appear on the Internet; however, there have been few evaluations of its usefulness, acceptance, and effectiveness. Over the last 18 months, we have developed three on-line pulmonary CME programs, and we have delivered them on the Virtual Hospital, the University of Iowa's digital health sciences library on the Internet. We report our initial experience with this CME material. Design We measured the frequency with which the Internet-delivered CME is accessed by monitoring page accessions and by using a log file analysis program (Analog 1.2.3; University of Cambridge Statistical Laboratory; Cambridge, UK). In addition, we collected all completed CME examinations and evaluation forms submitted by registered users. Measurements and results We have found that the frequency with which the Internet-delivered CME is accessed has continued to increase with time (2.3-fold increase over 18 months), that evaluations of technical and content issues are strongly favorable, and that some clinicians have been willing to pay to receive CME through the medium of the Internet. Conclusions We feel that with adequate peer review and quality control, physicians will use the Internet-delivered CME. However, several obstacles to wide use remain. These obstacles include issues regarding training in using the Internet for physicians, reluctance of physicians to participate in on-line commerce, and the current unavailability of CME to be delivered in small-grained quantities to the point of care. As these issues are addressed, we feel that on-line CME will represent an increasingly important CME medium for clinicians.
Twisted amides inferred from QSAR analysis of hydrophobicity and electronic effects on the affinity of fluoroaromatic inhibitors of carbonic anhydrase.

QSAR has been used to elucidate the origin of the hydrophobicity and binding affinity of a small library of fluoroaromatic inhibitors of F131V carbonic anhydrase II. Our analysis predicted the presence of a twisted amide conformation for several bound inhibitors, which we confirmed crystallographically. We also determined that the hydrophobicity of the inhibitors as a whole results from the fragment hydrophobicities of their fluorobenzyl rings, corrected for field effects and the presence of an intramolecular F.H contact in solution. The loss of this interaction on binding to the enzyme makes the affinity sensitive to the same terms, but with the opposite dependence on the F.H contact. In the case of the four inhibitors bound as twisted amides, this F.H contact must be retained to some extent in the bound state in order for their affinities to be consistent with our QSAR analysis of the entire set of 17 molecules.
Early clinical detection of ovarian cancer : a review of the evidence

Subjective and objective evidence suggest that a third to half of patients developing ovarian cancer report symptoms at 3 or more months prior to diagnosis. Early ovarian cancer-associated symptoms constitute a constellation of mostly nongynecological complaints, suggesting a visceral disturbance, which do not point immediately to a pelvic origin. Abdominal bloating and pain predominate with recent onset and multiple symptomatic episodes. Gastrointestinal and urinary symptoms and fatigue/malaise may be part of the symptom complex. Women aged 50 years and older with this constellation of symptoms should have medical evaluation and, if symptoms are unexplained or persist, should undergo pelvic imaging (e.g., transvaginal ultrasound) and serum CA125.
SILURIAN DEPOSITS OF THE NORTHERN SLOPE OF THE DZHUNGARIAN ALATAU

Silurian deposits were first identified on the northern slope of the Dzhungarian Alatau by F. A. Makarenko on the basis of fauna collected in the Aksu river basin. In 1938, Silurian deposits, 400 kilometers in length, were mapped by M. M. Yudichev. Later investigations have shown that these beds are Devonian in age. It seems obvious that Paleozoic sediments uncomformably overlying the Precambrian (?) crystalline foundation began accumulating in the Lower Devonian. The principal Paleozoic structures are the result of Hercynian folding, not the final phase of Caledonian folding, as assumed by Makarenko.
Metabolic cooperation in cell culture: studies of the mechanisms of cell interaction.

Metabolic cooperation is a form of cell communication in which the mutant phenotype of enzyme deficient cells, as determined by incorporation of labeled substrates, is corrected in culture by contact with normal cells. Previous studies showed that metabolic cooperation between normal and hypoxanthine phosphoribosyl transferase deficient cells (HPRT−) was the result of transfer of product of the enzyme, nucleotide or nucleotide derivative, from normal to mutant cells rather than transfer of enzyme or informational macromolecules leading to the synthesis of the enzyme. In the present study the nature and mechanisms involved in these cell interactions were investigated. Effective communication is observed within one hour of cell contact. Modifications of the extracellular environment including changes in osmolarity, concentration of sodium and divalent ions failed to interfere significantly with transfer. Changes of cell shape induced by cyclic nucleotides, hormones and urea also did not affect communication. Cytochalasin B which dissociates microfilaments and binds to cell membranes reduced metabolic cooperation while colcemide which dissociates microtubules had little effect. Enzymatic oxidation and iodination of cell surface structures abolished metabolic cooperation. The subcellular localization of label in donor cells is important in determining efficiency of transfer. Metabolic cooperation is efficient when radioactive label is primarily located in the nucleus and inefficient if the label is cytoplasmic. Cell lines previously classified as “non-communicating” because they lack gap junctions, ionic coupling and metabolic cooperation were shown in the present study to communicate when incubated with labeled substrates for 20 hours rather than 3. Cell communication is a more generalized phenomenon among cells in contact than previously appreciated.
Amorphorized tantalum-nickel binary films for metal gate applications

Amorphous metal gates have the potential to eliminate the work function variation due to grain orientation for poly-crystalline metal gate materials, which is a leading contributor to threshold voltage variation for small transistors. Structural and electrical properties of TaNi alloys using co-sputtering with different compositions and multilayer structures with different thicknesses are investigated in this work. It is found that TaNi films are amorphous for a wide range of compositions as deposited, and the films stay amorphous after annealing at 400 °C in RTA for 1 min and up to at least 700 °C depending on the composition. The amorphous films eventually crystallize into Ni, Ta, and TaNi3 phases at high enough temperature. For multilayer Ta/Ni structures, samples with individual layer thickness of 0.12 nm and 1.2 nm are amorphous as deposited due to intermixing during deposition, and stay amorphous until annealed at 500 °C. The resistivity of the films as-deposited are around 200 μΩ·cm. The work funct...