cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A practical method to quantify knowledge-based DVH prediction accuracy and uncertainty with reference cohorts.

The adoption of knowledge-based dose-volume histogram (DVH) prediction models for assessing organ-at-risk (OAR) sparing in radiotherapy necessitates quantification of prediction accuracy and uncertainty. Moreover, DVH prediction error bands should be readily interpretable as confidence intervals in which to find a percentage of clinically acceptable DVHs. In the event such DVH error bands are not available, we present an independent error quantification methodology using a local reference cohort of high-quality treatment plans, and apply it to two DVH prediction models, ORBIT-RT and RapidPlan, trained on the same set of 90 volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plans. Organ-at-risk DVH predictions from each model were then generated for a separate set of 45 prostate VMAT plans. Dose-volume histogram predictions were then compared to their analogous clinical DVHs to define prediction errors Vclin,i-Vpred,i (ith plan), from which prediction bias μ, prediction error variation σ, and root-mean-square error RMSEpred≡1N∑iVclin,i-Vpred,i2≅σ2+μ2 could be calculated for the cohort. The empirical RMSEpred was then contrasted to the model-provided DVH error estimates. For all prostate OARs, above 50% Rx dose, ORBIT-RT μ and σ were comparable to or less than those of RapidPlan. Above 80% Rx dose, μ < 1% and σ < 3-4% for both models. As a result, above 50% Rx dose, ORBIT-RT RMSEpred was below that of RapidPlan, indicating slightly improved accuracy in this cohort. Because μ ≈ 0, RMSEpred is readily interpretable as a canonical standard deviation σ, whose error band is expected to correctly predict 68% of normally distributed clinical DVHs. By contrast, RapidPlan's provided error band, although described in literature as a standard deviation range, was slightly less predictive than RMSEpred (55-70% success), while the provided ORBIT-RT error band was confirmed to resemble an interquartile range (40-65% success) as described. Clinicians can apply this methodology using their own institutions' reference cohorts to (a) independently assess a knowledge-based model's predictive accuracy of local treatment plans, and (b) interpret from any error band whether further OAR dose sparing is likely attainable.
Mitochondrial DNA-Laden Extracellular Vesicles are Associated with Toll-Like Receptor 9 Activation and Disease Progression in Scleroderma Associated Interstitial Lung Disease

Background: The pathogenesis of scleroderma associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD) involves the uncontrolled differentiation of normal human lung fibroblasts (NHLFs) to alpha-smooth muscle actin (αSMA) expressing myofibroblasts mediated by transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1). SSc-ILD has a highly variable clinical trajectory as some patients experience rapid deterioration in their ventilatory function while others remain stable. The association between the toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) ligand mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and fibroblast activation and clinical outcomes in SSc-ILD has yet to be explored. Methods: NHLFs grown in the absence and presence of TGFβ1, CpG DNA, and chloroquine were assayed for αSMA expression and extracellular mtDNA release using qPCR for the human MT-ATP6 gene. This approach was then used to detect plasma mtDNA concentrations in two SSc-ILD cohorts, Boston and Yale, and demographically matched controls. TLR9 activation was quantified using commercially available human TLR9-expressing HEK 293 cells. Isolation of extracellular vesicles (EVs) were performed in the plasma from controls and Yale SSc-ILD subjects, and EVs were analyzed for mtDNA content and proteomics via mass spectrometry. Findings: TLR9 activity modulates αSMA expression and extracellular mtDNA release. Plasma mtDNA concentrations are increased in two independent SSc-ILD cohorts and activates TLR9. Longitudinal analysis reveals that plasma mtDNA predicts ventilatory decline and is cargoed by EVs. Proteomic analysis reveals a multicellular origin of EVs that involves cellular pathways that could act as mediators of the SSc-ILD state. Interpretation: These findings demonstrate an unrecognized connection with TLR9 activation mediated by extravesicular mtDNA and myofibroblast differentiation and clinical outcomes in SSc-ILD. Further study into the interactions between TLR9 and mtDNA could lead to novel mechanistic and therapeutic insights in this difficult to manage disease. Funding Statement: Parker B. Francis Foundation, Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research, Scleroderma Foundation, American Thoracic Society, National Institutes of Health, Gabriel and Alma Elias Research Fund, and Greenfield Foundation. Declaration of Interests: The authors have no relevant conflicts of interest to disclose. Ethical Approval Statement: All human studies were performed with informed consent on protocols approved by the Institutional Review Board at each institution.
An Empirical Study on the Roles of Affective Variables in User Adoption of Search Engines

The current study is built upon prior research and is an attempt to explore the roles of affective variables in user technology adoption. Two different affective variables, computer playfulness and perceived enjoyment, were examined and their relationships with each other and with cognitive and behavioral variables were hypothesized. An empirical study using survey method was conducted. Analyses with the PLS technique confirmed most of the hypotheses. Our findings suggest that perceived enjoyment has a significant impact on perceived ease of use, but no direct effect on behavioral intention. Perceived enjoyment mediates the impact of computer playfulness on PEOU, which has not been studied before.
Modeling business contexture and behavior using business artifacts

Traditional process modeling approaches focus on the activities needed to achieve a business goal. However, these approaches often pose obstacles in consolidating processes across an organization because they fail to capture the informational structure pertinent to the business context or contexture. In this paper, we discuss business artifact-centered operational modeling. Artifacts capture the contexture of a business and operational models describe how a business goal is achieved by acting upon the business artifact. Business artifacts, such as Purchase Order or Insurance Claim, provide business analysts an additional dimension to model their business. With operational models, they can describe how a business operates by processing business artifacts and adding business value to the artifacts. This approach has been successfully employed in a variety of customer engagements. We summarize our best practices by describing nine operational patterns. Furthermore, we develop a computational model for operational models based on Petri Nets to enable formal analysis and verification thereof.
The Social Requisites of Democracy Revisited

The recent expansion of democracy, what Samuel Huntington (1991) has called „the third wave,“ started in the mid-1970s, first in southern Europe, then throughout Latin America and Asian countries like Korea, Thailand and the Philippines in the early and mid-1980s, as well as in eastern Europe and the Soviet Union in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and parts of sub-Saharan Africa in the same period. Not long ago, the overwhelming majority of the members of the United Nations had authoritarian systems. As of 1993 over half, 99 out of 186 countries, have competitive elections and various guarantees of political and individual rights, over twice the number two decades earlier in 1970 (Freedom Review, 1993, 3–4, 10). Democracy is weakest in Islamic countries, where, as will be discussed later, few nations are democratic, and in parts of Africa. However, through not fully democratic, „more than 30 African countries are in the process of transition from an authoritarian civilian or military government to one that is more pluralistic“ (Schneidman, 1992, 1; Diamond, 1992b, 38–39; Diamond, 1993b 3–4).*
A theory of thin films of martensitic materials with applications to microactuators

A direct derivation is given of a theory for single crystal thin films, starting from three dimensional nonlinear elasticity theory augmented by a term for interfacial energy. The derivation involves no a priori choice of asymptotic expansion or ansatz. It yields a frame-indifferent Cosserat membrane theory with one Cosserat vector field. The theory is applied to multi-well energy functions appropriate to martensitic materials. It is found that, unlike in bulk materials, which generally only support finely twinned austenite/martensite interfaces as energy minimizing states, the thin film theory predicts the existence of exact, untwined austenite/martensite interfaces. These are used to construct some simple energy minimizing deformations—”tents” and “tunnels”—that could possibly be the basis of simple large-deformation microactuators. Explicit results are given for martensitic materials in the systems NiMnGa, NiTi,NiTiCu, and NiAl. A certain alloy of precise composition Ni_(30.5) Ti_(49.5) Cu_(20.0) is predicted to support a four-sided “tent” on an (001) film, which furthermore is predicted to collapse to the substrate upon heating. A formal derivation is given of higher order theories, which yields two additional Cosserat vectors and an explicit form of the bending energy. The derivation indicates an approach to plate-shell-thin film theories that is rather different from the ones usually followed.
Moral Reasoning in Judicial Decisions on Same-Sex Marriage

This paper explores the relevance of the morality of homosexuality in judicial decisions written in cases challenging laws that limit marriage to heterosexual couples. That study shows that judges ruling in favor of same-sex marriage eschew moral opprobrium as a legitimate basis for legal decisionmaking in favor of a traditional liberal vision of the neutral state. By contrast, judges who support the exclusion of same sex couples from marriage unapologetically endorse the majority's preference for heterosexual procreative sex to legitimate legal barriers to marriage for same-sex couples. Despite this superficial difference, neither pro-marriage nor traditional marriage judges remain morally neutral in their decisionmaking. Even judges who claim to bracket morality do not remain morally neutral toward homosexual relationships when they justify the grant of marriage rights. Instead, they make the case that same-sex relationships are normatively valuable for the very reasons that heterosexual marriages are normatively valuable. It is only the judges who take the middle ground - condemning discriminatory laws without granting the affirmative right to marriage itself - who come close to achieving moral neutrality toward homosexuality and same-sex relationships in their opinions.
Heterochronic parabiosis: allowing the dissection of the aged immune system (LYM2P.723)

Parabiosis is the surgical union of two organisms resulting in the development of a single, shared circulatory system. When animals of different ages are conjoined (i.e. heterochronic parabiosis), blood-borne factors from the younger animal can often beneficially affect the older animal and recapitulate the youthful phenotype & function in target tissues. However, the effects of heterochronic parabiosis on the aged immune system remain unexplored. An important question to be answered is whether the cellular defects involved in the aged immune system are due to intrinsic deficiencies or if they can be rescued by extrinsic factors. Also, T cell ontogenesis is known to diminish with age due to thymic involution as well as defects in lymphopoiesis that affect pre-T cells. The heterochronic parabiosis model allows testing of contributions of the aged thymus, pre-T cells and of systemic environment in immune aging. The preliminary data demonstrate differential migration patterns of T cells, B cells & dendritic cells as a function of age. Of interest, pre-T cells from either animal adequately seed the opposing thymus and undergo thymopoiesis and other data suggest that there are no intrinsic defects in old thymocytes, but rather of the old thymic environment. That latter defect may not be corrected by heterochronic parabiosis.
Changes in fat and skeletal muscle with exercise training in obese adolescents: Comparison of whole-body MRI and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry

Objective We examined skeletal muscle (SM) and fat distribution using whole-body MRI in response to aerobic (AE) versus resistance exercise (RE) training in obese adolescents and whether DXA provides similar estimates of fat and SM change as MRI. Design and Methods Thirty-nine obese boys (12-18 years) were randomly assigned to one of three 3-month interventions: AE (n = 14), RE (n = 14), or a control (n = 11). Results At baseline, MRI-measured total fat was significantly greater than DXA-measured total fat [△ = 3.1 kg (95% CI: −0.4 to 7.4 kg, P 0.05)], but DXA tended to overestimate MRI fat losses in those with larger fat losses. MRI-measured SM and DXA-measured lean body mass were significantly correlated, but as expected the absolute values were different at baseline [△ = −28.4 kg (95% CI: −35.4 to −21.3 kg, P < 0.05)]. Further, DXA overestimated MRI gains in SM in those with larger SM gains. Conclusions Although DXA and MRI-measured total and regional measures tended to be correlated at baseline and changes with exercise, there were substantial differences in the absolute values derived using DXA versus MRI. Further, there were systemic biases in the estimation between the methods wherein DXA tended to overestimate fat losses and SM gains compared to MRI. Thus, the changes in body composition observed are influenced by the method employed.
Microscopic Model of Quasiparticle Wave Packets in Superfluids, Superconductors, and Paired Hall States

We study the structure of Bogoliubov quasiparticles, bogolons, the fermionic excitations of paired superfluids that arise from fermion (BCS) pairing, including neutral superfluids, superconductors, and paired quantum Hall states. The naive construction of a stationary quasiparticle in which the deformation of the pair field is neglected leads to a contradiction: it carries a net electrical current even though it does not move. However, treating the pair field self-consistently resolves this problem: in a neutral superfluid, a dipolar current pattern is associated with the quasiparticle for which the total current vanishes. When Maxwell electrodynamics is included, as appropriate to a superconductor, this pattern is confined over a penetration depth. For paired quantum Hall states of composite fermions, the Maxwell term is replaced by a Chern-Simons term, which leads to a dipolar charge distribution and consequently to a dipolar current pattern.
Tag-Free Microfluidic Separation of Cells against Multiple Markers

Conventional cell separation against multiple markers generally requires the attachment of antibody tags, typically fluorescent or magnetic, to selected cell types in a heterogeneous suspension. This work describes how such separation can be accomplished in a series of microfluidic systems without the need for such tags. Two capture stages containing antibody-functionalized alginate hydrogels are utilized for the isolation of CD34+ and Flk1+ cells from untreated, whole human blood. The capture-release capability of these degradable coatings is harnessed by a mixing chamber and a simple valving system such that the suspension emerging from the first capture stage is prepared for the second capture stage for further enrichment. With this configuration, we demonstrate the isolation of CD34+/Flk1+ endothelial progenitor cells from blood enabled by the depletion of CD34+/Flk1-hematopoietic stem cells population. This ability to achieve isolation of cells against multiple markers in an untagged separation metho...
Effects of a bacterial polysaccharide (piromen) on the pituitary-adrenal axis: further aspects of hypophyseal-mediated control of response.

THE bacterial polysaccharide complex, Piromen®, has afforded clinical relief in a number of allergic conditions (1-5). Part of this therapeutic usefulness may be credited to a capacity for activating the pituitary axis and increasing adrenocortical secretion (6–10). From the standpoint of metabolism, the pattern of stimulation of the pituitary-adrenal system by this preparation has been shown to have certain individual characteristics (11). For example, the significant positive nitrogen balance which follows intravenous injection of larger amounts (100 μg.) of Piromen is not easily reconcilable with the more typical cortical-metabolic sequelae which also accompany it (eosinopenia, increased corticoid excretion). Similar changes in the endocrine system have been observed in the animal; the response, reflected in the pattern of adrenal ascorbic acid, cholesterol content and cellular alterations in the adrenal cortex of the rat, has been described in an earlier report (12). Some aspects in these indices of c...
Bending and twisting of cylindrical solder interconnections with creep

An exact analysis is presented of the creep deformation of cylindrical solder interconnects subjected to the actions of bending moments, twisting moments, and axial forces. Dimensionless interaction curves and charts are also provided for engineering practice convenience. These charts show the interactions of the relevant variables, i.e. interconnect geometry; solder material properties; axial force; bending moment; twisting moment; bending stress; shearing stress; curvature rate; and twist rate. In the results presented the Garofalo‐Arrhenius steady‐state creep equation is used to provide the constitutive relationship for SnPb36Ag2 solder interconnects.
437: Angiogenic factors as biomarkers for preeclampsia: The final story?

STORY? JACOB LARKIN, SINDHU SRINIVAS, MARY SAMMEL, ELLA OFORI, MICHAL ELOVITZ, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, University of Pennsylvania, Biostatistics, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania OBJECTIVE: Increased sFlt1 and Endoglin (ENG), and decreased Placental Growth Factor (PGF), have been associated with preeclampsia (PEC). A recent publication showed high sensitivity (sens)/specificity (spec) using sFlt1 & ENG to predict PEC. These studies sought to confirm this association and develop a predictive model for PEC using angiogenic factors. STUDY DESIGN: Cases (108) are prospectively identified with PEC or gestational HTN. Controls (160) were admitted at term. Clinical data and serum were collected. ELISAs measured levels of sFlt1, ENG and PGF. Multivariate analyses were performed comparing cases to controls and severe PEC to controls controlling for confounders (race, GA at delivery, age, history of PEC, CHTN). ROC curves were developed using best models. RESULTS: Protein levels for all factors were different in cases vs. controls (TABLE). Analytes were different between controls and severe PEC. CHTN significantly modifies the association with PGF (interaction P 0.03); in the absence of CHTN, the lowest quartile of PGF increases the odds of being a case by 5.5 (P .001). In the presence of CHTN, decreased PGF is not associated with PEC. The best model had 80% spec and 53% sens. CONCLUSION: This study confirms that angiogenic factors are associated with PEC, but that maternal disease modulates the association. Unlike recent reports (AJOG July, 2007), this larger study suggests that these factors may have limited diagnostic utility in predicting PEC for all populations.
Protein surface mapping using diethylpyrocarbonate with mass spectrometric detection

The reliability and information content of diethylpyrocarbonate (DEPC) as a covalent probe of protein surface structure has been improved when used appropriately with mass spectrometric detection. Using myoglobin, cytochrome c, and β-2-microglobulin as model protein systems, we demonstrate for the first time that DEPC can modify Ser and Thr residues in addition to His and Tyr residues. This result expands the capability of DEPC as a structural probe because about 25% of the sequence of the average protein can now be covered using this covalent labeling reagent. In addition, we establish a new approach based on mass spectrometry to ensure the structural integrity of proteins during amino acid-specific covalent labeling reactions. This approach involves monitoring the extent of modification as a function of reagent concentration and allows any small-scale or local perturbations caused by the covalent label to be readily identified and avoided. Results indicate that these dose−response plots are much more re...
Tenascin-C in rat lung : distribution, ontogeny and role in branching morphogenesis

Extracellular matrix is important to organogenesis and may function by modifying cellular adhesion, motility, proliferation, and differentiation. Tenascin-C (TN-C) is a matrix molecule reported to bind some cell lines and to inhibit adhesion of some cell types to fibronectin. This report describes the ontogeny and possible functions of TN-C expression in fetal and newborn rat lung. There was a moderate concentration of TN-C protein at the epithelial-mesenchymal interface during fetal lung development in the period of branching morphogenesis. There was a remarkable accumulation of TN-C during the first postnatal week when alveolarization peaked, followed by a decline to barely detectable levels after the third postnatal week when alveolarization was essentially completed. Loss of TN-C protein followed quickly the loss of TN-C mRNA, suggesting a rapid turnover of TN-C in the extracellular matrix. By light microscopy, immunoreactive TN-C was present in early postnatal lung at the epithelial-mesenchymal interface and was distributed throughout lung mesenchyme. Electron microscopic immunocytochemistry showed TN-C was not a part of the basal lamina and that its lung localization was punctate and different from the uniform distribution of laminin. Antiserum to TN-C significantly inhibited branching morphogenesis of fetal lung explants but did not block their growth. Three bacterially expressed segments of TN-C comprising different fibronectin type III domains inhibited branching morphogenesis as effectively as did antiserum, but an expression protein of the carboxyterminal fibrinogen-like segment had no effect. We conclude that TN-C is expressed in a spatio-temporal pattern consistent with a role in lung development and our in vitro studies indicated a functional role for TN-C during lung branching morphogenesis.
Contributions of efference copy to limb localization: Evidence from deafferentation

Previous research with deafferented subjects suggests that efference copy can be used to update limb position. However, the contributions of efference copy to limb localization are currently unclear. We examined the performance of JDY, a woman with severe, longstanding proprioceptive deficits from a sensory peripheral neuropathy, on a reaching task to explore the contribution of efference copy to trajectory control. JDY and eight healthy controls reached without visual feedback to a target that either remained stationary or jumped to a second location after movement initiation. JDY consistently made hypermetric movements to the final target, exhibiting significant problems with amplitude control. Despite this amplitude control deficit, JDY's performance on jump trials showed that the angle of movement correction (angle between pre- and post-correction movement segments) was significantly correlated with the distance (but not time) of movement from start to turn point. These data suggest that despite an absence of proprioceptive and visual information regarding hand location, JDY derived information about movement distance that informed her movement correction on jump trials. The same type of information that permitted her to correct movement direction on-line, however, was not available for control of final arm position. We propose that efference copy can provide a consistent estimate of limb position that becomes less informative over the course of the movement. We discuss the implications of these data for current models of motor control.
Inorganic nitrogen removal in a combined tertiary treatment—marine aquaculture system—I. Removal efficiences

Abstract The increasing awareness that nitrogen is often a key nutrient controlling algal growth in coastal marine waters has led to a concerted effort to find ways to remove ammonia and nitrate from wastewaters. A novel approach to this problem involves the combining of algal and seaweed nutrient stripping processes with a marine aquaculture. Not only is nitrogen removed from wastewater, but important commercial shellfish and seaweeds are produced. A prototype process consisting of growth systems for marine algae, oysters and seaweed, joined in series, was fed secondarily treated wastewater, diluted 1:4 with seawater, for 11 weeks during the Summer of 1972. During this time 95 per cent of the influent inorganic nitrogen was removed by algal assimilation. The oysters in turn removed 85 per cent of the algae, but regenerated as soluble ammonia 16–18 per cent of the nitrogen originally bound in the algal cells. All of the regenerated nitrogen was removed in the seaweed system so that the total inorganic nitrogen removal efficiency of the system was 95 per cent. Phosphorus removal on the other hand was not nearly as complete as only 45–60 per cent was removed. The process has the capability of being expanded to include additional trophic levels in an integrated and highly controlled food chain system to serve the dual function of tertiary wastewater treatment and waste recycling through the production of shellfish and seaweeds.
Recurrent Attacks of Facial Nerve Palsy as the Presenting Sign of Leukemic Relapse

Objective: To present an unusual case of recurrent facial palsy resulting from acute leukemic infiltration of the parotid gland. Study Design: Case report. Methods: An 11-year-old boy who had been treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) from 3 to 6 years of age presented with intermittent left facial nerve palsy with concurrent ipsilateral parotid fullness. The initial findings at diagnosis and workup are presented, and the disease progression and resolution with therapy are documented. Results: The patient had been off therapy when this finding developed. A workup for central and viral etiologies for the facial palsy was unrevealing. Biopsy of the parotid gland demonstrated a lymphoblastic leukemic infiltrate. The patient was placed on a chemotherapy protocol for relapsed leukemia, resulting in complete resolution of the facial palsy. Conclusion: Isolated facial nerve dysfunction, albeit rare, has been documented as a sign of central nervous system involvement in leukemia, but until now this presentation has not been described in the setting of leukemic relapse presenting with acute infiltration of the parotid gland.
Electronic properties from analysis of the harmonic content of the de Haas-van Alphen effect: Application to dilute magnetic alloys

A new technique, third harmonic de Haas-van Alphen (dHvA) wave shape analysis, is described for measurement of the spin-dependent interactions between conduction electrons and local moments in dilute alloys. We derive expressions for the harmonic content of the dHvA effect in a general case, including simultaneous contributions due to (1) magnetic interaction (MI or Shoenberg effect), (2) the spin-dependent scattering (SDS) of conduction electrons, and (3) exchange energy shifts in their Landau levels due to local moments, in addition to the usual Lifshitz-Kosevich harmonic content. The effects of MI and SDS mix nonlinearly in determining the observable amplitude and phase of each resultant dHvA harmonic. One important consequence of this mixing is that the observation of a spin splitting zero of the dHvA amplitude is not indicative of equal scattering rates for spin-up and spin -down electrons, in the presence of MI. These techniques are then illustrated by applying them to studies of the dilute alloy systems Au(Fe) and au (Co), both of which are found to exhibit local magnetic moments, though apparently of quite different origin. For Au(Fe) the exchange energy shift (exchange field) and the spin-dependent scattering rates were determined as functions of (H, T). A 3:1 anisotropy of spin-up and spin-down electron scattering rates was observed for the 〈111〉 neck orbit. For Au (Co) we report the first dHvA observations of interaction effects between impurities, via measurements of the spin-dependent scattering of conduction electrons by magnetic pairs of Co impurities. We conclude that the dHvA effect appears to be a sensitive probe for determining impurity spin behavior in a magnetic field, and for measuring cyclotron orbitally averaged values of the exchange constant J orbit, in very dilute local moment systems. Similarly, the ability to resolve spin-dependent information allows the onset of solute interactions leading to magnetism to be observed at very low solute concentrations.
E3 Ligase Subunit Fbxo15 and PINK1 Kinase Regulate Cardiolipin Synthase 1 Stability and Mitochondrial Function in Pneumonia

Acute lung injury (ALI) is linked to mitochondrial injury, resulting in impaired cellular oxygen utilization; however, it is unknown how these events are linked on the molecular level. Cardiolipin, a mitochondrial-specific lipid, is generated by cardiolipin synthase (CLS1). Here, we show that S. aureus activates a ubiquitin E3 ligase component, Fbxo15, that is sufficient to mediate proteasomal degradation of CLS1 in epithelia, resulting in decreased cardiolipin availability and disrupted mitochondrial function. CLS1 is destabilized by the phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN)-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1), which binds CLS1 to phosphorylate and regulates CLS1 disposal. Like Fbxo15, PINK1 interacts with and regulates levels of CLS1 through a mechanism dependent upon Thr219. S. aureus infection upregulates this Fbxo15-PINK1 pathway to impair mitochondrial integrity, and Pink1 knockout mice are less prone to S. aureus-induced ALI. Thus, ALI-associated disruption of cellular bioenergetics involves bioeffectors that utilize a phosphodegron to elicit ubiquitin-mediated disposal of a key mitochondrial enzyme.
IL-33–activated dendritic cells induce an atypical TH2-type response

Background IL-33, a recently discovered IL-1 family cytokine, is implicated in the development of T H 2-type responses in vivo . However, the cellular targets for IL-33 are poorly understood. Objective We tested the hypotheses that dendritic cells (DCs) respond to IL-33 and that IL-33–activated DCs prime naive CD4 + T cells to produce T H 2-type cytokines. Methods Dendritic cells were derived from mouse bone marrow, and their expression of the IL-33 receptor, ST2, was examined by fluorescence-activated cell sorting and real-time RT-PCR. The DCs' responses to IL-33 were examined by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (MHC-II and CD86 expression) and by ELISA (IL-6 and IL-12 production). The ability of IL-33–activated DCs to prime naive T cells was assessed by coculture with isolated CD4 + T cells and by measuring cytokines in the supernatants. Results ST2 mRNA was detectable in highly purified DCs. ST2 protein was abundant within DCs, but was barely detectable on their cell surfaces. Incubation of DCs with IL-33 increased their expression of MHC-II and CD86 and production of IL-6, but IL-12 was not produced. Anti-ST2 antibody inhibited IL-6 production from IL-33–activated DCs by approximately 60%; anti-ST2 did not affect IL-6 production from LPS-activated DCs. When incubated with naive CD4 + T cells alone, IL-33 failed to stimulate cytokine production. In contrast, naive CD4 + T cells incubated with IL-33–activated DCs showed robust production of IL-5 and IL-13, but IL-4 and IFN-γ were undetectable. Conclusion Dendritic cells respond directly to IL-33 through ST2. The IL-33 and DC interaction may represent a new pathway to initiate T H 2-type immune responses.
The Self-Emancipated Africans of Florida: Pan-African Nationalists in the "New World"

Determined to no longer be held against their will, untold numbers of stalwart Africans emancipated themselves from their enslavers living predominantly in the areas now known as Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, and Louisiana: They headed for the abandoned or remote areas in Florida to establish communities or take up residence in one of the autonomous settlements established by Africans who had previously fled. The flight of Africans seeking freedom and autonomy in Florida began in the mid-17th century when the Spaniards began offering asylum to Africans escaping from British plantations in North America. Africans continued to flee there during the brief reign of the British from 1763 to 1783, the subsequent return of the Spaniards in 1784, and well into the mid-19th century even after Spain had sold Florida to the United States. However, the Spaniards' granting asylum to enslaved Africans had little connection with altruism.' Rather, the Spanish government's proffers were motivated by greed and their desire to retain control of territory in North America. The Spanish Floridian government calculatedly provided a refuge for Africans escaping enslavement in return for their military, diplomatic, linguistic, and life skills. Two African communities began to evolve: those who lived under the purview of the Spaniards in places such as Pensacola, St. Augustine, and the African settlement called Gracia Real de Santa
Experience with desmoid tumor in a community teaching hospital

Desmoid tumors are rare fibroblastic proliferations that occur primarily in the abdomen and extremities. They have an estimated incidence in the United States of two to four per million inhabitants per year. A recent case of desmoid tumor prompted us to review past medical records for previous cases with the same diagnosis. Since 1985, our institution has treated five patients with a total of eight desmoid tumors. Four patients (80%) were female with ages ranging from 24 to 32 years. The other patient was a 22-year-old male with a history of Gardner's syndrome and recurrent desmoid tumors. The majority of our patients were females in the fertile age group, substantiating the hormonal effects believed to play a role in the development of these lesions. In addition, it became obvious that more investigations must be done in appropriate treatment of desmoid tumors and the documentation of these tumors in registries would be of significant benefit.
Synthetic oligosaccharides as tools to demonstrate cross-reactivity between polysaccharide antigens.

Escherichia coli O148 is a nonencapsulated enterotoxigenic (ETEC) Gram negative bacterium that can cause diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis, and hemolytic uremic syndrome in humans. The surface-exposed O-specific polysaccharide (O-SP) of the lipopolysaccharide of this bacterium is considered both a virulence factor and a protective antigen. It is built up of the linear tetrasaccharide repeating unit [3)-α-l-Rhap-(1→2)-α-d-Glcp-(1→3)-α-d-GlcNAcp-(1→3)-α-l-Rhap-(1→] differing from that of the O-SP of Shigella dysenteriae type 1 (SD) only in that the latter contains a d-Galp residue in place of the glucose moiety of the former. The close similarity of the O-SPs of these bacteria indicated a possible cross-reactivity. To answer this question we synthesized several oligosaccharide fragments of E. coli O148 O-SP, up to a dodecasaccharide, as well as their bovine serum albumin or recombinant diphtheria toxin conjugates. Immunization of mice with these conjugates induced anti-O-SP-specific serum IgG antibody responses...
Plant Communities and Associated Soil and Water Factors of Shale‐Derived Soil in Northeastern Montana

Sites on different strata of Bearpaw shale and on alluvium derived from the shale in a small basin in northeastern Montana supported strikingly different plant communities, including three Nuttall saltbush, three big sagebrush, two greasewood, one western wheatgrass, one blue grama, one silver sagebrush, one foxtail, one buckwheat, and a community of mixed shrubs. Several soil factos were measured, but only total soil—moisture stress and soil—moisture volume gave rational ordinations of the communities studied. Total soil—moisture stress at the average root depth ranged from a high of 96 bars for a Nuttall saltbush community to only 19 bars for a mixed shrub community. The Nuttall saltbush community was found on soils having a high soluble salt content, high soluble sodium percentages, high total soil—moisture stress, and low infiltration rates. Soils at the big sagebrush site had low soluble salt content, relatively high soluble sodium, and intermediate total soil—moisture stress values. The wettest site, subject to spring flooding, was occupied by western wheatgrass. Quantities of water evapotranspired from each habitat (calculated as maximum soil moisture minus minimum plus increments added to soils by summer storms) when related to precipitation provided approximations of runoff from, or run—in moisture for, each habitat.
High-Resolution Spectral Analysis of Individual SERS-Active Nanoparticles in Flow

Nanoparticle spectroscopic tags based on surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) are playing an increasingly important role in bioassay and imaging applications. The ability to rapidly characterize large populations of such tags spectroscopically in a high-throughput flow-based platform will open new areas for their application and provide new tools for advancing their development. We demonstrate here a high-resolution spectral flow cytometer capable of acquiring Raman spectra of individual SERS-tags at flow rates of hundreds of particles per second, while maintaining the spectral resolution required to make full use of the detailed information encoded in the Raman signature for advanced multiplexing needs. The approach allows multiple optical parameters to be acquired simultaneously over thousands of individual nanoparticle tags. Characteristics such as tag size, brightness, and spectral uniformity are correlated on a per-particle basis. The tags evaluated here display highly uniform spectral signatures, but with greater variability in brightness. Subpopulations in the SERS response, not apparent in ensemble measurements, are also shown to exist. Relating tag variability to synthesis parameters makes flow-based spectral characterization a powerful tool for advancing particle development through its ability to provide rapid feedback on strategies aimed at constraining desired tag properties. Evidence for single-tag signal saturation at high excitation power densities is also shown, suggesting a role for high-throughput investigation of fundamental properties of the SERS tags as well.
Evidence that broader processing facilitates delayed retention

After rating words on one to three of either three highly-correlated dimensions (concreteness, imagery, and categorizability) or three relatively uncorrelated dimensions (concreteness, pleasantness, and number of word features), 48 college students were tested without warning for 48-h delayed recall and recognition of the 36 words. The latter broad-processing group showed significantly better recognition than the former narrow-processing group. Group differences in recall, however, were nonsignificant, and the narrow group was slightly superior on words rated for all three dimensions. The results indicate delayed recognition, if not recall, to be better for words which have been processed more broadly or elaborately. Memory is further suggested to be more closely dependent upon breadth or elaboration than depth of semantic processing.
Utility of millipore filter and cell block in thyroid needle aspirates: which method is superior?

The main goal of thyroid fine-needle aspiration (FNA) is to distinguish nodules that require surgery from those that do not, thereby decreasing the number of diagnostic thyroidectomies. Several cytologic preparations are used to reach a definitive diagnosis, including smears using conventional stains, such as Diff-Quik (DQ) and Papanicolaou (Pap), millipore filters (MF), and cell blocks (CB). This study is undertaken to study the efficacy and adequacy to reach a definitive diagnosis of two cytologic preparations, MF and CB, in thyroid aspirates. All thyroid needle aspirates performed at Emory University Hospitals from January 2003 to April 2005 that had both MF and CB preparations for microscopic evaluation were studied. Conventional stains (DQ and Pap) were prepared. An initial aliquot of the specimen was divided for MF, and the remaining specimen submitted for CB preparation. All MF and CB slides were reviewed blindly. Adequacy criteria were assessed as 6–8 groups of follicular cells, with each containing 10 or more cells. Patient demographics, cytologic diagnoses, and follow-up information were retrieved. A total of 218 cases met our criteria; 21 of these cases were excluded due to lack of available diagnostic slides. Thus, a total of 197 cases were studied. Approximately two-third of the cases (57.9%) were diagnosed on DQ- and Pap-stained smears only, in which both CB and MF were inadequate. About 4.6% of the cases were diagnostic on both CB and MF; 36.0% on MF only, and 1.5% on CB preparation only. In more than half the cases (57.9%), diagnosis of thyroid FNA was rendered only on conventional stained smears. MF smears appeared to be superior for diagnostic yield (40.6%) than CB (6.1%), which is dependent on specimen cellularity. Therefore, MF rather than CB should be added to conventional stained smears (DQ and Pap) to supplement the diagnostic yield, especially in specimens of low cellularity. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2007;35:34–38. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Physical Exercise Habits Correlate with Gray Matter Volume of the Hippocampus in Healthy Adult Humans

Physical activity facilitates neurogenesis of dentate cells in the rodent hippocampus, a brain region critical for memory formation and spatial representation. Recent findings in humans also suggest that aerobic exercise can lead to increased hippocampal volume and enhanced cognitive functioning in children and elderly adults. However, the association between physical activity and hippocampal volume during the period from early adulthood through middle age has not been effectively explored. Here, we correlated the number of minutes of self-reported exercise per week with gray matter volume of the hippocampus using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) in 61 healthy adults ranging from 18 to 45 years of age. After controlling for age, gender, and total brain volume, total minutes of weekly exercise correlated significantly with volume of the right hippocampus. Findings highlight the relationship between regular physical exercise and brain structure during early to middle adulthood.
Multiple actions of adenosine 5'‐triphosphate on chick skeletal muscle.

1. Extracellularly applied adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) is known to have an excitatory action on chick skeletal muscle. By making intracellular recordings from cultured chick myotubes bathed with blockers of several types of voltage-dependent channels, the direct action of ATP could be observed. 2. When muscle cells were studied near their resting potential, ATP usually produced a biphasic response. There was a rapid initial depolarization, followed by a slower repolarization. The repolarization could drive cells negative to their initial resting potential, indicating that it was not due simply to desensitization of the process that produced the depolarization. Thus there are at least two distinct responses to ATP. 3. At room temperature the early response to ATP activated within 20 ms, and the second response activated with a latency of approximately 1 s. In our standard blocking solution, the average reversal potential of the early response was -17 mV, while the late response had a reversal potential that was negative to -70 mV. In a few cells the second response appeared to be absent. 4. The amplitude and time course of the late response were substantially decreased by low temperature (12 degrees C) and increased by high temperature (37 degrees C). In contrast, temperature had much smaller effects on the early response. Both the time course and temperature dependence of the late response suggest that an intracellular second messenger system may be involved in its activation. 5. Ion-substitution experiments were performed to determine the type of conductance changes that evoke each response. These indicated that the early response was due to an increased membrane permeability to sodium, potassium and chloride, but not to large cations or anions, and that the late response was due to an increased permeability to potassium. 6. Measurement of the responses of muscle cells to acetylcholine supported the conclusion that both anions and cations are permeable during the early ATP response. Under conditions in which there was a large negative reversal potential for all cations, and a large positive reversal potential for all anions, the early ATP response reversed approximately 50 mV positive to the acetylcholine response. 8. The possibility that the early ATP response is due to a channel selective for size, but not charge, is discussed.
Plasmodesmata signaling: many roles, sophisticated statutes

Recent advances have increased our understanding of plasmodesmata function, their architecture as it relates to signaling capacity, the temporal and spatial regulation of their permeability, and their roles in systemic transport of macromolecules, non-cell autonomous development, and, potentially, plant defense.
Combined brachytherapy with external beam radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer: Reduced morbidity with an intraoperative brachytherapy planning technique and supplemental intensity-modulated radiation therapy

Abstract Purpose To report the acute and late treatment-related toxicities of combined permanent interstitial 125I implantation delivered via real-time intraoperative planning and supplemental intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for patients with clinically localized prostate cancer. Methods and materials One hundred twenty-seven patients were treated with a combined modality (CM) regimen consisting of 125I implantation (110 Gy) using a transrectal ultrasound-guided approach followed 2 months later by 50.4 Gy of IMRT directed to the prostate and seminal vesicles. Late toxicity was scored according to the NCI Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events toxicity scale. The acute and late toxicities were compared to a contemporaneously treated cohort of 216 patients treated with 125I alone to a prescribed dose of 144 Gy. Results The incidence of Grade 2 acute rectal and urinary side effects was 1% and 10%, respectively, and 2 patients developed Grade 3 acute urinary toxicities. The 4-year incidence of late Grade 2 gastrointestinal toxicity was 9%, and no Grade 3 or 4 complications have been observed. The 4-year incidence of late Grade 2 gastrourinary toxicities was 15% and 1 patient developed a Grade 3 urethral stricture, which was corrected with urethral dilatation. The percentage of patients who experienced resolution of late rectal and urinary symptoms was 92% and 65%, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that in addition to higher baseline International Prostate Symptom Score, those patients treated with implant alone compared to CM were more likely to experience Grade 2 acute urinary symptoms. Increased Grade 2 late rectal toxicities were noted for CM patients (9% vs. 1%; p = 0.001) as well as a significant increase for late Grade 2 urinary toxicities (15% vs. 9%; p = 0.004). Conclusions Adherence to dose constraints with combination real-time brachytherapy using real-time intraoperative planning and IMRT is associated with a low incidence of acute and late toxicities. Acute urinary side effects were signficantly less common for CM patients compared to those treated with implantation alone. Late Grade 2 rectal and urinary toxicities were more common for patients treated with CM compared to implant alone.
Exercise-Associated Hyponatremia: Role of Cytokines

Abstract Exercise-associated hyponatremia (EAH) has emerged in recent years as a life-threatening complication of endurance sports that may lead to fatal cerebral and pulmonary edema. Defined as a serum sodium concentration