cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Androgen receptor variant shows heterogeneous expression in prostate cancer according to differentiation stage.

Quantitation of androgen receptor variant (AR-V) expression in circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) has great potential for treatment customization. However, the absence of a uniform CTC isolation platform and consensus on an analytical assay has prevented the incorporation of these measurements in routine clinical practice. Here, we present a single-CTC sensitive digital droplet PCR (ddPCR) assay for the quantitation of the two most common AR-Vs, AR-V7, and AR-v567es, using antigen agnostic CTC enrichment. In a cohort of 29 mCRPC patients, we identify AR-V7 in 66% and AR-v567es in 52% of patients. These results are corroborated using another gene expression platform (NanoStringTM) and by analysis of RNA-Seq data from patients with mCRPC (SU2C- PCF Dream Team). We next quantify AR-V expression in matching EpCAM-positive vs EpCAM-negative CTCs, as EpCAM-based CTC enrichment is commonly used. We identify lower AR-V prevalence in the EpCAM-positive fraction, suggesting that EpCAM-based CTC enrichment likely underestimates AR-V prevalence. Lastly, using single CTC analysis we identify enrichment for AR-v567es in patients with neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) indicating that AR-v567es may be involved in lineage plasticity, which warrants further mechanistic interrogation. Ada Gjyrezi et al. show that ddPCR can be used to accurately measure androgen receptor variant (AR-V) expression levels in single circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from prostate cancer patients. They show that current methods for isolating CTCs tend to underestimate the prevalence of AR-V and that a specific variant, AR-v567es, could be potentially used as a biomarker for an aggressive subtype of prostate cancer.
MO-FG-303-01: FEATURED PRESENTATION and BEST IN PHYSICS (THERAPY): Automating LINAC QA: Design and Testing of An Image Acquisition and Processing System Utilizing a Combination of Radioluminescent Phosphors, Embedded X-Ray Markers and Optical Measurements

Purpose: The recent development of phosphors to visualize radiation beams from linear accelerators (LINAC) offers a unique opportunity for evaluating radiation fields within the context of the treatment space. The purpose of this study was to establish an automated, self-calibrating prototype system for performing quality assurance (QA) measurements. Methods: A thin layer of Gd₂O₂S:Tb phosphor and fiducial markers were embedded on several planar faces of a custom-designed phantom. The phantom was arbitrarily placed near iso-center on the couch of a LINAC equipped with on-board megavoltage (MV) and kilovoltage (kV) imagers. A plan consisting of several beams and integrated image acquisitions was delivered. Images of the phantom were collected throughout the delivery. Salient features, such as fiducials, crosshairs and beam edges were then extracted from these images used to calibrate the system, adjust for variations in phantom placement, and perform measurements. Beam edges were visualized by imaging the light generated by the phosphor on the phantom enabling direct comparison with the light field and laser locations. Registration of MV, kV and optical image data was performed using the embedded fiducial markers, enabling comparison of imaging center locations. Measurements specified by TG-142 were calculated and compared with those obtained from a commercially available QA system. Results: The system was able to automatically extract the location of the fiducials, lasers, light field and radiation field from the acquired images regardless of phantom positioning. It was also able to automatically identify the locations of fiducial markers on kV and MV images. All collected measurements were within TG-142 guidelines. The difference between the prototype and commercially available system were less than 0.2 mm. Conclusion: The prototype system demonstrated the capability of accurately and autonomously evaluating various TG-142 parameters independent of operator input and phantom setup.
Management of oil windfalls in Mexico : historical experience and policy options for the future

The macroeconomic impact of commodity windfalls has provided fertile ground for research since the 1970s. Particularly affected are developing countries that rely heavily on commodity exports. in the case of oil windfalls, cross-country experience is vast: Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Nigeria, the Russian Federation, and Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela have all been buffered by such windfalls. The authors investigate Mexico's experience. They provide an overview of oil's impact on the Mexican economy and of the management of oil rents engineered by the government from the 1970s to date. A third of government revenues come from the hydrocarbon sector--especially oil exports. The reliance of public finance on a single commodity means that shocks threaten the economy's fiscal balance and stability. Policy options for protecting the economy from volatility in oil revenues without eliminating the benefits from rising prices include a stabilization fund and hedging strategies on international markets, which the authors discuss. The stabilization fund smoooths consumption and reduces the costs associated volatile spending. The fund and hedging strategies can complement each other--the fund working as the main recipient of revenues, and the hedging strategies managing short-lived movements in prices. This joint strategy would also reduce the size of the fund and the probability of its going bankrupt.
Integrating microbiological, microsensor, molecular, and physiologic techniques in the study of coral disease pathogenesis

The study of coral diseases requires an integrated approach that includes a combination of field and laboratory methods. By combining and building upon information available from multiple disciplines, within both field and laboratory applications, we have been successful in characterizing a number of coral diseases. To illustrate the utility of the integrative approach two very different coral diseases, black band disease and plague, are discussed in detail. Comparison of our ongoing characterization of each disease demonstrates that, within the integrative approach, different combinations of microbiological, microsensor, molecular, and physiologic techniques are required. The pathobiology of black band disease, which consists of a complicated, synergistic microbial consortium functioning around a dynamic sulfur cycle, is slowly being unraveled using a combination of methods. Our study of plague, on the other hand, has progressed in a very different manner that is controlled by the fact that this disease has, to date, emerged in three forms on reefs of the Florida Keys. The study of plague types I, II, and III will be detailed to illustrate the difficulty of characterizing a disease that rapidly evolves in the natural environment of the reef. Our ongoing study of additional (also very different) coral diseases will be summarized from the perspective of combined methodologies to illustrate the range and magnitude of questions that must be addressed and answered in order to understand coral disease pathogenesis and thus coral disease etiology.
Integrating Animal Interests into Our Legal System

This article explores the obstacles to obtaining legal rights for animals, both within the animal rights movement and within the broader political context. The author examines in which arena legal change might best be sought - the courts, the legislature, state governments, or the federal government. Finally, it makes a number of suggestions as to what type of laws would be the most successful in advancing the interests of animals.
Developing and validating learning hierarchies

SOME DEFINITIONS The idea that learning is cumulative or hierarchical is a commonsense notion. Intuitively one feels that a learner must master arithmetic before tackling algebra or must learn to distinguish certain letter sounds before learning to read. As a result, certain school courses may be listed as prerequisites for other courses. A group of topics may be ordered in sequence within courses under the assumption that one topic should be studied before another. Efforts have been made also at sequencing instruction on a level more detailed than courses or topics within a course. The aim has been to develop sequences of learning tasks at a level of single performance outcomes.
Serum immunoglobulin M levels between weeks 22 and 37 of gestation.

Abstract Immunoglobulin M (IgM) levels were determined on 129 cord sera; 54 cord sera were obtained from infants delivered between the twenty-second and thirty-seventh weeks of gestation, from 54 term deliveries, and from 21 low-birth-weight, multiple-birth infants. The data show that cord IgM levels are influenced by gestational age and that in evaluating the significance of a given IgM level in a premature-by-dates, low-birth-weight infant this factor must be taken into consideration.
Structure Learning and Statistical Estimation in Distribution Networks - Part I

Limited placement of real-time monitoring devices in the distribution grid, recent trends notwithstanding, has prevented the easy implementation of demand-response and other smart grid applications. Part I of this paper discusses the problem of learning the operational structure of the grid from nodal voltage measurements. In this work (Part II), the learning of the operational radial structure is coupled with the problem of estimating nodal consumption statistics and inferring the line parameters in the grid. Based on a Linear-Coupled(LC) approximation of AC power flows equations, polynomial time algorithms are designed to identify the structure and estimate nodal load characteristics and/or line parameters in the grid using the available nodal voltage measurements. Then the structure learning algorithm is extended to cases with missing data, where available observations are limited to a fraction of the grid nodes. The efficacy of the presented algorithms are demonstrated through simulations on several distribution test cases.
The Corporation as a Community: Stakeholder Theory

Corporations - the term brings to mind the profit-making ones - are not constituted in way that make communities. However, to the extent that they adopt the concept of stakeholders, they can move in a communitarian direction.
Tumor's other immune targets: dendritic cells.

The induction of apoptosis in T cells is one of several mechanisms by which tumors escape immune recognition. We have investigated whether tumors induce apoptosis in dendritic cells (DC) by co-culture of murine or human DC with different tumor cell lines for 4-48 h. Analysis of DC morpho- logical features, JAM assay, TUNEL, caspase-3-like and transglutaminase activity, Annexin V binding, and DNA fragmentation assays revealed a time- and dose-dependent induction of apoptosis in DC by tumor-derived factors. This finding is both effector and target specific. The mechanism of tumor- induced DC apoptosis involved regulation of Bcl-2 and Bax expression. Double staining of both mu- rine and human tumor tissues confirmed that tumor- associated DC undergo apoptotic death in vivo .D C isolated from tumor tissue showed significantly higher levels of apoptosis as determined by TUNEL assay when compared with DC isolated from spleen. These findings demonstrate that tumors induce apoptosis in DC and suggest a new mechanism of tumor escape from immune recognition. DC protec- tion from apoptosis will lead to improvement of DC-based immunotherapies for cancer and other immune diseases. J. Leukoc. Biol. 66: 336-344; 1999.
Predictors of survival in periampullary cancers following pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Background Cancers of the ampulla of Vater, distal common bile duct, and pancreas are known to have dismal prognosis. It is often reported that ampullary cancers are less aggressive relative to the other periampullary carcinomas. We sought to evaluate predictors of survival for periampullary cancers following pancreaticoduodenectomy to identify biologic behavior.
Some Thoughts on the Voting Process

Since the rational voter model was first introduced, the issue of voting determinants has been the subject of extensive study. Moreover, the significance of the democratic process has long been a subject of extensive study and controversy. This study addresses a related pair of issues and offers some challenges for students of voting, the voting process, and the nature of democracy to ponder. The two issues are: (1) what does democracy mean? and (2) which is the best or least bad of these various choices.
Tranche Pricing in Subordinated Loan Securitization

Because of both inconsistencies in the regulatory definition of capital adequacy for credit risk and the quest for more efficient refinancing sources through asset-backed securitization (ABS), collateralized loan obligations (CLOs) have become a prominent fixture in structured finance. However, the inherent risks in leveraged investments in times of stress have only recently received much attention by regulators and investors alike. This article presents a single-factor, loss-based asset pricing model for the valuation of constituent tranches within a CLO-style security design. The model specifically examines how tranche subordination transposes securitized credit risk into investment risk of CLO tranches as asset-backed debt securities. We simulate the tranche-specific default term structure based on the aggregate loss-given-default of an equally-weighted, perfectly diversified credit portfolio of identical exposures with an i.i.d. sequence of pairwise correlated defaults under both robust statistical analysis and extreme value theory (EVT). In this way, we are able to decompose the securitized default-generating asset process into a collection of state-contingent debt claims with divergent mean-variance profiles. We find a dichotomous effect of asset subordination, which engenders distinctly different default term structures of CLO tranches, whose leveraged exposure escapes notional size-based risk measurement. The most junior tranche (“first loss position”) carries large amounts of expected loss, whereas all the more senior tranches are mainly exposed to loss volatility (unexpected loss). This finding might explain why issuers retain the most junior tranche as credit enhancement to attenuate asymmetric information between issuers and investors. Offloading unexpected risk also constitutes implicit risk transfer and makes more senior investment very risk-sensitive to only marginal increases of default correlation. Hence, regulatory oversight should be vigilant of the risk impact of loss subordination on senior tranches. Anecdotal evidence of market practitioners indicates that the majority of improvident investment occurs in these low-yielding risk slices of CLO transactions.
Comparison of the effects of treatment with the polyamine analogue N1,N8bis(ethyl)spermidine (BESpd) or difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) on the topoisomerase II mediated formation of 4′-(9-acridinylamino) methanesulfon-m-anisidide (m-AMSA) induced cleavable complex in the human lung carcinoma line NCI H157

Abstract The positively charged polyamines putrescine, spermidine, and spermine are thought to be important in the maintenance of chromosomal structure. Polyamine depletion by the ornithine decarboxylase inhibitor, 2-difluoromethyl-ornithine (DFMO) is known to alter the effect of several DNA active agents, presumably resulting from the altered conformation of the polyamine depleted DNa. Here we compare the polyamine depletion effects of DFMO and the spermidine analogue N 1 ,N 8 bis(ethyl)spermidine (BESpd) on the formation of Topoisomerase II mediated, 4′-(9-acridinylamino) methane-sulfon-m-anisidide (m-AMSA) induced cleavable complex formation in human large cell undifferentiated lung carcinoma NCI H157 cells. This human cell line responds in the normal cytostatic manner to DFMO, whereas it responds in an unusual cytotoxic manner to treatment with BESpd. Here we report that neither DFMO nor BESpd alone affects the formation of cleavable complex. However, both compounds significantly enhance the m-AMSA induced formation of cleavable complex, each by approximately 1.6 fold. These results indicate that both DFMO and BESpd lead to a similar depletion of nuclear polyamines. Additionally, although BESpd closely resembles the natural polyamine spermidine, it appears that it cannot substitute for Spd at the level of DNA.
Role of HERV-W envelope protein ERVWE1 and receptors ASCT1 and ASCT2 in syncytial trophoblast fusion

ASCT2 IN SYNCYTIAL TROPHOBLAST FUSION BRIAN WAGNER, JACK LENZ, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Obstetrics & Gynecology and Women’s Health, Bronx, New York, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Department of Molecular Genetics, Bronx, New York OBJECTIVE: Endogenous retroviruses are complete or degenerate retroviral DNA sequences that are a normal part of the human genome. Evidence has suggested that the envelope protein ERVWE1, of one endogenous retrovirus (HERV-W), is involved in the fusion of cytotrophoblasts to form the syncytial layer of the placenta. Our objective was to determine the roles of its target receptors, the amino acid transporters ASCT1 and ASCT2, in membrane fusion. STUDY DESIGN: We developed a syncytium formation assay where 293T cells labeled with GFP were included in cultures of BeWo choriocarcinoma cells. The latter can be induced to differentiate into fused cells resembling syncytiotrophoblasts by treatment with the cAMP analog forskolin which induces expression of ERVWE1 or by transfection of a plasmid that constitutively expresses ERVWE1. 293T cells express the Env receptors, and thus fuse with the BeWo cells. Since the 293T cells express GFP, fusion was measured by fluorescence microscopy and nuclear DAPI staining. The importance of ASCT1, ASCT2, and ERVWE1 were assessed by transfecting plasmids encoding shRNAs prior to forskolin induction. RESULTS: Addition of forskolin to the BeWo cells or transfection with the ERVWE1 plasmid resulted in cell fusion. Syncytia could be easily distinguished from unfused choriocarcinoma cells due to the presence of GFP. Transfection of the cell lines encoding RNAi targeted to the ERVWE1 glycoprotein resulted in significantly less fusion when compared to cells induced to fuse with forskolin. RT-PCR confirmed a reduction in the HERVW Env transcript. Additionally, RNAi transfection with ASCT1 and ASCT2 resulted in decreased syncytia formation. CONCLUSION: The ERVWE1 glycoprotein is necessary for the ability of BeWo choriocarcinoma cells to form syncytia. RNAi directed at either ASCT1 or ASCT2 reduced syncytium formation suggesting that either both receptors are necessary or that the total level of ASCT1 plus ASCT2 is limiting for syncytium formation.
A Look at Academic Anthropology: Through a Graph Darkly

An “external,” nomothetic perspective that has been formulated by some historians of science (e.g., Kuhn 1968) is used to examine the history of anthropology in the United States. Regularities that characterize the growth of the physical sciences and the production and use of literature associated with them are shown to be characteristic of anthropology as well. Implications for the way anthropology will be done in the future are discussed. [anthropology, future of, growth of, history of]
Tissue Characterization Using Intrinsic NMR Parameters and a Hierarchical Processing Algorithm

The multiparametric nature of NMR imaging allows the same section to be displayed in many different ways by either adjusting acquisition parameters or calculating additional images, creating a possibly overwhelming data set. The need for this many images may be reduced by creating tissue type maps where each tissue is identified according to its characteristic NMR parameters and painted using a color code. Although T1 and T2 values for normal tissue are reproducible, variability among patients, the wide range of T1,T2 and N(H) values for abnormal tissue and partial volume averaging make the determination of tissue signatures difficult without significant operator intervention. A hierarchical processing algorithm, pyramidal segmentation, allowing simultaneous analysis at multiple levels of spatial resolution provides the basis for a tissue mapping algorithm with significantly reduced operator supervision.
Tissue Engineered Abdominal wall repair of Cloacal Exstrophy

Abstract Purpose Cloacal exstrophy (CE) patients have severe abdominal wall reconstructive problems due to pelvic skeletal malformation, deficiency of abdominal wall tissue, and a small shallow abdominal cavity. This can result in would dehiscence, hernias, stomal prolapse, and abdominal compartment syndrome. In order to close the abdominal wall defect and to internalize the GI and urinary tracts these tissues must be removed from the abdominal wall leaving a significant tissue shortage. We present a novel approach to safely close the abdominal cavity using tissue engineered fascial substitute and a rectus muscle flap. Material and Methods Nine CE patients were reconstructed in a variety of methods. Once the bladder and gut were closed all had a severe deficiency of abdominal wall tissue. Three patients were treated with fascial replacement and rectus muscle flaps designed to add tissue to the abdominal wall. Results Eight patients had 9 episodes of wound dehiscence or bladder prolapse, 5 large incisional hernias, and 8 significant ostomy prolapses. One suffered life threatening abdominal compartment syndrome. 21 of 25 attempts to close the abdominal wall were unsuccessful due to inadequate abdominal wall tissue and despite the use of pelvic osteotomies, rectus muscle flaps, relaxing incisions, and in one case a small SIS graft. Only three procedures were successful (no dehiscence, no prolapse, no incisional hernia, no necrosis) and all utilized extensive commercially available tissue engineered fascial substitutes (Alloderm) and pedicle rectus muscle flaps to provide blood supply to the graft. Conclusions CE patients benefit from having uneventful and early internalization of their abdominal viscera. Large abdominal wall defects resulting from closing viscera continue to be a major source of morbidity. Repair with commercially available tissue engineered fascial substitutes and rectus muscle flaps seems to be an efficient and safe method of reconstructing the abdominal wall in children with cloacal exstrophy.
the madman and the migrant: work and labor in the historical consciousness of a South African people

This essay explores the nature of historical consciousness, and its relation to culture, among the Tshidi-Barolong, a South African Tswana people. On the basis of the imagery of two informants—a “madman” and a former migrant laborer—it examines not merely the content of Tshidi consciousness, but also its expressive forms. These differ from the narrative modes of representation associated with “history” in Western contexts, and build on various poetic devices—most strikingly, on the rhetoric of contrast. Thus the opposed concepts of work and labor, one associated with setswana (Tswana ways) and the other with sekgoa (European ways), are major tropes through which Tshidi construct their past and present. Such rhetorical forms appear, on examination, to occur widely in situations of rapid change. As a result, this excursion into the poetics of history illuminates very general questions concerning the connection between consciousness, culture, and representation. [South Africa, Tswana, culture, consciousness, history, poetics, representation]
Photocatalytic oxidation of chlorinated hydrocarbons in water

Abstract The impact of surface modification on the photocatalytic activity of two different commercial TiO2 catalysts is studied using different impregnation methods with platinum, silver and iron oxide. The Degussa P-25 TiO2 as received is more active than Aldrich TiO2, but the photocatalytic activity of Aldrich TiO2 can be greatly increased by surface modification with platinum or silver. No improvement in the photocatalytic activity has been observed for the Degussa P-25 TiO2 impregnated with platinum. The most active photocatalyst for the trichloroethylene (TCE) destruction is Aldrich TiO2 loaded with 1.0 wt% platinum using a photoreduction method. Similar destruction efficiency was obtained for the destruction of para-Dichlorobenzene (p-DCB) using platinized Aldrich TiO2 as catalyst. A kinetic model developed in this study can quantitatively describe the effect of light intensity and catalyst dosage on the photocatalytic oxidation of TCE. The reaction rate is proportional to the half-order of incident light intensity for the light intensity within the range studied (83.2–743.3 mW/L). The optimum catalyst dosage increases as the incident light intensity increases.
Thrombospondin 2 Deficiency in Pregnant Mice Results in Premature Softening of the Uterine Cervix

The gradual disorganization of collagen fibers in the stromal connective tissue of the uterine cervix is characteristic of progressive cervical softening during pregnancy. A lack of thrombospondin (TSP) 2 has been shown to be associated with altered collagen fibril morphology of connective-tissue-rich organs such as skin and tendon. The goal of this study was to determine the role of TSP2 in cervical softening by studying a TSP2-null mouse line. Creep testing showed that, in the nonpregnant animal and on Day 10 of pregnancy, there was no difference between the cervical extensibility of the wild-type and the TSP2-deficient mice. However, by Day 14 of pregnancy, the TSP2-null mice showed 4.5-fold increase in cervical extensibility, and by Day 18, a 6.1-fold increase, when compared with wild-type mice. A further indicator of compromised cervical integrity was that, on Days 14 and 18 of pregnancy, the cervix of TSP2-null mice broke rapidly under standard loading conditions that did not break the cervix of wild-type mice. Western blotting showed that TSP2 was expressed in the cervix of mice on Days 14 and 18 of pregnancy but not on Day 10 or in the nonpregnant animal. As determined by immunohistochemistry, the amount of matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) in the cervix of TSP2-null mice increased 11-fold on Day 14 of pregnancy and 19-fold on Day 18. Thus, TSP2-null mice provide an animal model to assist in the understanding of the molecular basis of spontaneous, premature softening of the uterine cervix.
Studies of the axoplasmic transport of somatostatin in the vagus nerve of the rat.

These studies were performed to examine the axoplasmic transport of somatostatin (SS) in the cervical vagus nerve of the rat. As a preliminary step, the immunoreactive SS (IR-SS) obtained from extracts of the vagal nodose ganglion and the vagus nerve was subjected to chromatographic analysis. On a Bio-Gel P-10 column, 92% of the nodose ganglion IR-SS and 98% of the vagal IR-SS coeluted with synthetic SS-14. The remaining immunoreactivity in both areas coeluted with synthetic SS-28. Vagal IR-SS demonstrated migratory characteristics identical to those of synthetic SS-14 on high performance liquid chromatography. A larger molecular weight form of IR-SS, which may correspond to prosomatostatin, was not identified in either site. When the vagus nerve was ligated distal to the nodose ganglion, the content of IR-SS increased in a time-dependent manner in the 3-mm segment of nerve proximal to the ligature. No increase in IR-SS was observed in an equal segment of nerve distal to the ligation or in the unligated c...
Algorithms for dynamic multicast key distribution

We study the problem of multicast key distribution for group security. Secure group communication systems typically rely on a group key, which is a secret shared among the members of the group. This key is used to provide privacy by encrypting all group communications. Because groups can be large and highly dynamic, it becomes necessary to change the group key in a scalable and secure fashion when members join and leave the group. We present a series of algorithms for solving this problem based on key trees. The algorithms attempt to minimize the worst-case communication cost of updates by maintaining balanced key tree structures. We focus on the trade-off between the communication cost because of the structure of the tree and that due to the overhead of restructuring the tree to maintain its balanced structure. The algorithms are analyzed for worst-case tree structure bounds and evaluated empirically via simulations.
Enterprise Computing Systems as Information Factories

The analysis, and eventual approval or rejection, of new enterprise information technology (IT) initiatives often proceeds on the basis of informal estimates of return on investment. Investment in new IT initiatives includes the costs of hardware, software licenses, application development tailored to the enterprise, and maintenance. Returns are typically estimated informally in terms of cost savings or revenue increases. This paper makes the case for evaluating certain IT investments in the same way as investments in factories and other resources have been evaluated for decades. Just as industrial factories create value by transforming raw materials into finished products, some IT investments, which we call "information factories", create value by transforming raw information (events) into structured data (and possibly actions based on that data). The return on investment is estimated by the difference between the economic value of the structured data and concomitant actions (the "finished product") and that of the data available within the enterprise, from its partners and customers, and from the Internet (the "raw materials"). This paper introduces the concept of the information factory, and explores design considerations for maximizing the economic efficiency of information factories.
Handling the Unethical Request.

A favorable operating style and appropriate strategies can ward off or resolve many ethical conflicts.
TREATMENT OF ASYSTOLE OR HEART BLOCK DURING ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION WITH ELECTRODE CATHETER PACING.

Abstract 1. 1. Clinical experience with the use of a bipolar catheter electrode pacemaker is reported in 7 patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated by Adams-Stokes attacks due to asystole or complete heart block. 2. 2. The use of a bipolar catheter electrode for 2 to 6 days resulted in spontaneous return of normal sinus rhythm in 6 patients, whereas another patient had a permanent pacemaker implanted surgically 6 weeks later. 3. 3. Mortality was reduced to 14 per cent; the one fatality occurred in the single patient who was catheterized twice, but who died unexpectedly on the thirteenth day. Survivors have returned to work after recovery from infarction. 4. 4. Problems in management, especially with unstable cardiac mechanisms and conduction during a transition period in recovery, have been cited.
Periterminal synaptology of dorsal root glomerular terminals in the substantia gelatinosa of the spinal cord in the rhesus monkey.

The synaptic glomerular complexes surrounding dorsal root terminals in the substantia gelatinosa were reconstructed from six sets of 50–140 gapless ultrathin serial sections prepared in the transverse plane of the spinal cord in adult rhesus monkeys. All three types of glomeruler terminals described in the preceding paper (Knyihar-Csillik et al., 1982) were identified: (1) DSA (endings of superificial collaterals); (2) LDCV (endings of marginal collaterals); and (3) RSV (endings of deep collaterals). Each type of terminal forms a glomerular complex which invariably includes presynaptic dendrites which are intercalated between primary terminals and the postsynaptic (conventional) dendrite. Since the latter also receives direct input from the primary sensory terminal the synaptic organization assumes triadic arrangements, suggesting that primary afferent impulses my be subjected to a postsynaptic modulation through inhibitory action of presynaptic dendrites. In glomeruli with DSA as the central element, several triadic systems are usually interrelated, possibly as a structural basis for prolonged retardation of impulses. Adjacent glomeruli, containing DSA and LDCV terminals, are coupled together by a series of triadic systems fed by DSA terminals enabling association between superficial and marginal collaterals. RSV terminals are presynaptic to somata and dendrites of substantia gelatinosa cells that presumably exert inhibition upon terminals of all three kinds of primary sensory collaterals. In addition RSV terminals are postsynaptic to numerous F boutons which presumably derive mainly from axons of substantia gelatinosa cells; similar F boutons impinge upon presynaptic and other dendrites surrounding DSA terminals. The Complicated but orderly synaptic architecture of these three types of primary afferents may be regarded as a structural basis for first-order analysis and modulation of the nociceptive information within the primate central nervous system.
Democratization of Next-Generation Imaging, Diagnostics and Measurement Tools through Computational Photonics

My research focuses on the use of computation/algorithms to create new optical microscopy, sensing, and diagnostic techniques, significantly improving existing tools for probing micro- and nano-objects while also simplifying the designs of these analysis tools. In this presentation, I will introduce a new set of computational microscopes which use lens-free on-chip imaging to replace traditional lenses with holographic reconstruction algorithms. Basically, 3D images of specimens are reconstructed from their “shadows” providing considerably improved field-of-view (FOV) and depth-of-field, thus enabling large sample volumes to be rapidly imaged, even at nanoscale. These new computational microscopes routinely generate >1-2 billion pixels (giga-pixels), where even single viruses can be detected with a FOV that is >100 fold wider than other techniques. At the heart of this leapfrog performance lie self-assembled liquid nano-lenses that are computationally imaged on a chip. The field-of-view of these computational microscopes is equal to the active-area of the sensor-array, easily reaching, for example, >20 mm⊥2 or >10 cm⊥2 by employing state-of-the-art CMOS or CCD imaging chips, respectively.In addition to this remarkable increase in throughput, another major benefit of this technology is that it lends itself to field-portable and cost-effective designs which easily integrate with smartphones to conduct giga-pixel tele-pathology and microscopy even in resource-poor and remote settings where traditional techniques are difficult to implement and sustain, thus opening the door to various telemedicine applications in global health. Some other examples of these smartphone-based biomedical tools that I will describe include imaging flow cytometers, immunochromatographic diagnostic test readers, bacteria/pathogen sensors, blood analyzers for complete blood count, and allergen detectors. Through the development of similar computational imagers, I will also report the discovery of new 3D swimming patterns observed in human and animal sperm.
A new conceptual model on the fate and controls of fresh and pyrolized plant litter decomposition

In recent years, litter decomposition stud- ies have begun to move beyond the concept of mass loss to consider the fate of fresh and pyrolized decomposing plant material in the ecosystem. How- ever, these concepts have yet to be incorporated into conceptual models of litter decomposition. Under- standing how fresh and pyrolized plant litter chemical traits control the partitioning of mass loss to dissolved organic carbon (DOC) leaching and respiration to CO2 would help to inform models of litter-soil-atmosphere carbon (C) cycling. To test these controls, we incu- bated five fresh and one pyrolized leaf litters with differing chemistry and measured DOC and CO2 fluxes as well as changes in substrate and dissolved organic matter (DOM) chemistry over time using Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy and wet chemistry. We found that the amount of hot water extractable C was a strong predictor of initial DOC leaching, while the lignocellulose index (Lignin/ (Lignin ? a-Cellulose)) was a strong inverse predic- tor of later stage DOC:CO2 partitioning. Changes in substrate and DOM chemistry indicated a progression of substrate availability for leaching: from soluble plant components, to partially decomposed cellulose and lignin, to microbial products. Based on these results we developed a new conceptual model that demonstrates how chemical traits of fresh and py- rolyzed plant litter can be used to predict the fate of aboveground organic matter decomposition and form a better linkage between aboveground decomposition and terrestrial ecosystem C cycling.
Effects of elevated magnesium and substrate on neuronal numbers and neurite outgrowth of neural stem/progenitor cells in vitro.

Abstract Because a potential treatment for brain injuries could be elevating magnesium ions (Mg 2+ ) intracerebrally, we characterized the effects of elevating external Mg 2+ in cultures of neonatal murine brain-derived neural stem/progenitor cells (NSCs). Using a crystal violet assay, which avoids interference of Mg 2+ in the assay, it was determined that substrate influenced Mg 2+ effects on cell numbers. On uncoated plastic, elevating Mg 2+ levels to between 2.5 and 10 mM above basal increased NSC numbers, and at higher concentrations numbers decreased to control or lower levels. Similar biphasic curves were observed with different plating densities, treatment durations and length of time in culture. When cells were plated on laminin-coated plastic, NSC numbers were higher even in basal medium and no further effects were observed with Mg 2+ . NSC differentiation into neurons was not altered by either substrate or Mg 2+ supplementation. Some parameters of neurite outgrowth were increased by elevated Mg 2+ when NSCs differentiated into neurons on uncoated plastic. Differentiation on laminin resulted in increased neurites even in basal medium and no further effects were seen when Mg 2+ was elevated. This system can now be used to study the multiple mechanisms by which Mg 2+ influences neuronal biology.
Full-scale demonstration of hyperfiltration for closed-cycle textile dyeing facility

Abstract A membrane system, employing both ultrafiltration and hyperfiltration, is being prepared for the closed-cycle operation of a textile dyeing operation. The direct recycle of both the chemicals and hot process water will make the installation profitable; projected is a 4.3 year return on investment after taxes. This demonstration project is the culmination of a series of EPA - textile industry projects that from 1972 through 1977 have evaluated many configurations of ultrafiltration and hyperfiltration with both composite and unit process effluents in both field and laboratory tests. The demonstration project is a jointly sponsored project of the US Environmental Protection Agency, the Energy Research and Development Agency, and the OWRT of the Department of the Interior. Results of membrane performance are presented. Rejections of salts, organics, and toxic metals are often found to increase significantly during the first ∼lOO hours of processing wastewater or process effluents. This apparent formation of a “dynamic” membrane from constituents in the feed water usually results in flux declines different from those expected due to fouling layer buildup.
Voltammetric sensor for determination of water in liquids

Thin film perfluorosulfonate ionomer (PFSI) sensors overcoated with cellulose triacetate, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-H 3 -PO 4 , or PVA-PFSI-H 3 PO 4 composite films operated in a pulsed voltammetric mode are described
Percutaneous Cryoablation of the Prostate: Preliminary Results After 95 Procedures

AbstractPurpose: We examined the role of percutaneous cryoablation of the prostate in the treatment of prostate cancer.Materials and Methods: We performed 95 percutaneous cryoablations of the prostate on 87 patients with prostate cancer. Of the patients 6 had positive lymph nodes preoperatively, radiation failed in 9 and 9 began postoperative hormonal therapy because of treatment failure. Mean patient age, prostate specific antigen (PSA) level (ng./ml.) and Gleason score were 65.4, 12.60 and 6.03, respectively. Median followup was 12 months (mean 9.3, range 1 to 24). In 49 of the 87 patients (56 percent) the lymph nodes were evaluated before cryoablation based on the treatment protocol.Results: Median PSA level at 12 months was 0.55 ng./ml. (mean 1.73) with a 17 percent positive biopsy rate at 3 months. When the positive lymph node, radiation failure and postoperative hormonal therapy groups were removed from analysis, the median PSA level was 0.80 ng./ml. (mean 1.86) with a 5 percent positive biopsy rate...
Chromatography and biological stains. V. Isolation and spectral analysis of the orange fat-staining component of Sudan III.

A sample of the orange fat-staining compound present in commercial Sudan III was isolated and purified by chromatographic methods. This material showed the presence of no other contaminating colored compounds when analyzed by paper chromatographic methods. Spectrographic analysis in the visible and ultra-violet ranges shows a strong absorption maximum at 481 mμ, a shoulder at approximately 425 mμ, and a weak absorption maximum at 315 mμ.
Moderating effects of travel purpose and past experience on the relationship between product performance and lodging repurchase.

ABSTRACT Travel purpose (i.e., business vs. pleasure) has been known to create different lodging demands and, thus, has critical implications for lodging marketers. Using a secondary corporate database, this study reexamined such a conventional belief in the context of market retention. Within the same framework, this study also explored the roles played by customers' previous brand- or property-specific lodging experience in an attempt to offer directions for customer retention efforts. Results indicated that both travel purpose and property-specific past experience significantly moderated the relationship between lodging performance and customers' repurchase intention.
Indocyanine Green is a Voltage-Sensitive Fluorescent Dye

Indocyanine green (ICG) is an infrared fluorescent dye with widespread use in clinical applications, including hepatic function tests, cardiac output monitoring, and ophthalmic angiography. Using Xenopus laevis oocytes under voltage clamp, we have found that ICG is voltage-sensitive and capable of responding to changes in cellular membrane potential with a roughly linear voltage dependency. ICG's voltage response does not display the sub-millisecond kinetics characteristic of electrochromic dyes; however, it is faster than many so-called slow-response voltage probes. Tests of oocytes performed under current clamp-like conditions show that ICG can clearly follow action potentials produced at approximately 70 Hz. ICG has low expected cytotoxicity; an infrared wavelength amenable to deep tissue imaging; and the ability to label excitable cells, including cardiac myocytes and neurons. Consequently, the voltage-sensitivity of ICG presented here may have significant implications for novel applications in research and the clinic. Support: NIH GM030376.
Effect of Molecular Structure on Mesomorphism 22.1 Liquid Crystalline1-Alkanol Derivatives

Abstract Several 1-alkanols having a mesogenic unit attached to the omega-carbon have been prepared. Manyof these are liquid crystalline. The nematic mesophase is predominant for these materials. This ispresumably due to intermolecular hydrogen-bonding between polar terminal groups such as cyano ornitro and the primary hydroxyl functionality of a proximal molecule. The resulting end-to-end associationfavors a nematic mesophase.
Presynaptic Activity and CaMKII Modulate Retrograde Semaphorin Signaling and Synaptic Refinement

Establishing synaptic connections often involves the activity-dependent withdrawal of off-target contacts. We describe an in vivo role for temporally patterned electrical activity, voltage-gated calcium channels, and CaMKII in modulating the response of Drosophila motoneurons to the chemorepellent Sema-2a during synaptic refinement. Mutations affecting the Sema-2a ligand, the plexin B receptor (plexB), the voltage-gated Ca(v)2.1 calcium channel (cac), or the voltage-gated Na(v)1 sodium channel (mle(nap-ts);tipE) each result in ectopic neuromuscular contacts. Sema-2a interacts genetically with both of the channel mutations. The cac phenotype is enhanced by the Sema-2a mutation and is suppressed by either plexB overexpression or patterned, low-frequency (0.01 Hz) bouts of electrical activity in the embryo. The calcium-dependent suppression of ectopic contacts also depends on the downstream activation of CaMKII. These results indicate a role for patterned electrical activity and presynaptic calcium signaling, acting through CaMKII, in modulating a retrograde signal during the refinement of synaptic connections.
Assessment of computational methods for simulating AC plasma display panels

Summary form only given. This paper compares fluid and particle simulations for configurations typical of double-substrate AC plasma display panels. The purpose is to test the validity of various approximations used in fluid simulation codes. For fluid simulations, assumptions are usually made regarding the dependence of the electron transport and rate coefficients on, for example, the local and instantaneous value of the electric field. The use of the local field approximation is tested by comparing with a fully-kinetic code based on a particle-in-cell/Monte-Carlo collision simulation. We observe that the local field approximation fails to describe the electron and ion kinetics in the presence of large field non-uniformities in the cathode fall region. This leads to large discrepancies in the voltage transfer curve and the sustaining voltage margin. The comparison to the particle simulations is significantly improved by adding the energy and momentum relaxation equations in the fluid description of the electron and ion kinetics, respectively. The level of sophistication used to describe the dynamics of the discharge in plasma display panels will determine how computationally intensive and how practical the model is.
QUANTITATIVE RELATIONS OF A PROSTATIC COMPONENT (ACID PHOSPHATASE) OF HUMAN SEMINAL FLUID

ASPECIFIC acid phosphatase with optimum activity in the approximate range pH 4.0 to 6.0 is present in high concentration in human prostate tissue (1, 2) and in the caudal lobe of the Rhesus prostate gland (3). The enzyme normally appears in the prostate gland after puberty (4) (precociously however in prostate glands of prepubertal Rhesus monkeys treated with testosterone propionate (3)) in amounts ranging from roughly 500 to 2000 u per gm. wet prostate tissue; phosphatase concentrations far greater than are found in any other tissue (4). Prostate acid phosphatase is secreted externally in the prostatic fluid1 and constitutes a chemically identifiable prostatic component of the semen (1). Since other glands of the male genital tract secrete no significant acid phosphatase into the seminal fluid (1),it is possible to estimate the prostatic contribution to the semen by determining the acid phosphatase activity of whole and fractionated ejaculates.
Computed tomographic characteristics of pleural empyema

The computed tomographic characteristics of the pleural empyema were illustrated in three patients. A typical empyema is characterized by lower thorax location, oblong and round contour in cross-section, homogeneous content with or without air spaces or air-fluid levels, regularly thin wall opposing the chest wall (a rim sign), irregularly thick wall opposing the lung parenchyma, and smooth inner and outer margins. By application of such computed tomographic criteria, a pleural empyema can be readily distinguished from a peripheral lung abscess.