cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Wigner functions in the Higher-Spin Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen-Bohm Experiment

The spin-$j$ extension of Bohm's version of the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen experiment is is analysed in terms of the Wigner function when the two spins are in a singlet state. This function is calculated for all $j$, and it is shown that just as Bell inequalities are violated with undiminished range and magnitude for arbitarirly large $j$, this function does not become less negative. On the contrary, the oscillations between positive and negative values grow both in frequency and amplitude. It is argued that this is an alternative way to grasp the approach to classical behavior with increasing quantum number.
Eye-tracking reveals agency in assisted autistic communication

About one-third of autistic people have limited ability to use speech. Some have learned to communicate by pointing to letters of the alphabet. But this method is controversial because it requires the assistance of another person—someone who holds a letterboard in front of users and so could theoretically cue them to point to particular letters. Indeed, some scientists have dismissed the possibility that any nonspeaking autistic person who communicates with assistance could be conveying their own thoughts. In the study reported here, we used head-mounted eye-tracking to investigate communicative agency in a sample of nine nonspeaking autistic letterboard users. We measured the speed and accuracy with which they looked at and pointed to letters as they responded to novel questions. Participants pointed to about one letter per second, rarely made spelling errors, and visually fixated most letters about half a second before pointing to them. Additionally, their response times reflected planning and production processes characteristic of fluent spelling in non-autistic typists. These findings render a cueing account of participants’ performance unlikely: The speed, accuracy, timing, and visual fixation patterns suggest that participants pointed to letters they selected themselves, not letters they were directed to by the assistant. The blanket dismissal of assisted autistic communication is therefore unwarranted.
Analysis of time-series regulatory networks

Abstract The vast majority of biological processes are dynamic, changing over time. Several studies profile high-throughput time-series data and use it for analyzing and modeling various biological processes. In this review, we focus on data, methods, and analysis for reconstructing dynamic regulatory network models from high-throughput time-series data sets. We discuss methods focused on a single data type, methods that integrate several omics data types, methods that integrate static and time-series data, and methods that focus on single-cell data. For each of these categories, we present some of the top methods and discuss their underlying assumptions, advantages, and potential shortcomings. As the quantity and types of time-series omics data continue to increase, we expect that these methods, and additional methods extending and improving them, would play an increasingly important role in our ability to accurately model biological processes.
Impact of cerebral edema on diffuse optical spectroscopy quantification during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is an important therapy for critically ill children but survivors have neurodevelopmental impairments. Cerebral inflammatory response resulting in brain edema is observed on ECMO. This pathologic response may adversely impact the quantitative accuracy of diffuse optical spectroscopy (DOS) neuromonitoring (including commercial NIRS) which commonly assumes a 75% water fraction. Using fresh brain tissue desiccation, we directly quantified the severity of cerebral edema in pediatric swine following cardiac arrest, CPR and 22-24 hours of ECMO therapy. The fractional error in DOS quantification of cerebral hemodynamics from assuming 75% water fraction was determined to be <5%.
A New Parameterized Family of Stochastic Particle Flow Filters

We derive a parameterized family of stochastic particle flows driven by a nonzero diffusion process for nonlinear filtering, Bayesian inference, or target tracking. This new family of stochastic flows takes the form of a linear combination of prior knowledge and measurement likelihood information. It is shown that several particle flows existing in the literature are special cases of this family. We prove that the particle flows are unbiased under the assumption of linear measurement and Gaussian distributions, and examine the consistency of estimates constructed from the stochastic flows. We further establish several finite time stability concepts for this new family of stochastic particle flows.
How much information on precipitation is contained in satellite infrared imagery

Abstract Satellite infrared (IR) brightness temperature providing information on the characteristics of cloud tops is one of the primary input data used for estimating precipitation from satellites. Thus, the natural questions to ask are: Does IR imagery contain more information about precipitation in some regions more than others? What are the factors that lead to such differences? Should we expect the amount of information provided by IR imagery to change with respect to temporal or spatial aggregation? Comprehensive analysis of the accuracy of satellite-based precipitation estimates obtained from any given algorithm may provide qualitative answers to the above questions. However, such an approach only offers conclusions within the limited context of the algorithm used to obtain precipitation estimates; that is, patterns caused by the inherent information content of IR imagery are inextricable from those induced by assumptions embedded in the precipitation estimation algorithm. Here, we address the abovementioned questions from a different perspective using an information-theoretic measure, free of structural assumptions and general to a wide range of relationships, to characterize the average and seasonal dependence between IR imagery provided by satellite sensors in the spectral range (10.7–11.5 μm) and precipitation rates in the contiguous United States (CONUS) across distinct temporal and spatial scales. We analyze a total of more than 1.3 billion pairs of IR and precipitation observations over CONUS, and we observe interesting patterns. First, we show that there is a strong inverse relationship (ρ = − 0.73) between the information content of IR data and the number of no-rain observations; however, its robustness varies regionally and seasonally with less significant correlation during the warm season. Second, we demonstrate that the intuitive relationship of increasing dependence between IR and precipitation as a result of temporal or spatial aggregation exhibits a diminishing returns behavior. For instance, temporal aggregation from 1 to 3 h increases the dependence approximately 7 times as much as temporal aggregation from 12 to 24 h. Furthermore, we quantitatively examine and re-confirm several statements previously reported in the literature such as the strong association between IR and precipitation in convective storms and the low association in orographic rainfall. Finally, we conclude by illustrating the potential of the analysis in diagnosis of operational algorithms for estimating precipitation from IR brightness temperature. The findings of this study pinpoint spatial domains and time scales at which IR is not an adequate proxy for estimating precipitation. Thus, they can potentially guide the development of operational algorithms that utilize satellite Infrared imagery for estimating, downscaling and data fusion of precipitation. Furthermore, the analysis presented here opens up the possibility of developing new methodologies for diagnosis of satellite-based precipitation estimation algorithms.
Which medical schools produce the most neurosurgery residents? An analysis of the 2014-2020 cohort.

OBJECTIVE In this study, the authors sought to determine which US medical schools have produced the most neurosurgery residents and to evaluate potential associations between recruitment and medical school characteristics. METHODS Demographic and bibliometric characteristics were collected for 1572 residents in US-based and Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited neurosurgery programs over the 2014 to 2020 match period using publicly available websites. US medical school characteristics were collected, including class size, presence of a home neurosurgery program, number of clinical neurosurgery faculty, research funding, presence of a neurosurgery interest group, and a top 10 ranking via U.S. News & World Report or Doximity. Correlations and associations were then evaluated using Pearson's correlation coefficient (PCC), independent-samples t-test, and univariable or stepwise multivariable linear regression, as appropriate. RESULTS Vanderbilt University produced the most neurosurgery residents as a percentage of medical graduates at 3.799%. Case Western Reserve University produced the greatest absolute number of neurosurgery residents (n = 40). The following factors were shown to be associated with a higher mean percentage of graduates entering neurosurgery: number of clinical neurosurgery faculty (PCC 0.509, p < 0.001), presence of a neurosurgery interest group (1.022% ± 0.737% vs 0.351% ± 0.327%, p < 0.001) or home neurosurgery program (1.169% ± 0.766% vs 0.428% ± 0.327%, p < 0.001), allopathic compared with osteopathic school (0.976% ± 0.719% vs 0.232% ± 0.272%, p < 0.001), U.S. News top 10 ranking for neurology and neurosurgery (1.923% ± 0.924% vs 0.757% ± 0.607%, p < 0.001), Doximity top 10 residency program ranking (1.715% ± 0.803% vs 0.814% ± 0.688%, p < 0.001), and amount of NIH funding (PCC 0.528, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS The results of this study have delineated which medical schools produced the most neurosurgery residents currently in training, and the most important independent factors predicting the percentage of graduates entering neurosurgery and the preresidency h-index.
Some examples using the interval data type in the relational database model

This paper is devoted to the idea of using interval data in relational databases. We show, on several simple examples, that interval data can be added to the query language SQL and used with a great effect in business applications of relational databases. Since the examples are simple, they do not require any new mathematical results or non-trivial algorithms, only standard formulas of interval arithmetic. The intended audience includes both interval researchers and specialists in relational databases. For researchers who are not well familiar with interval computations, we have included the detailed description of interval arithmetic (that can be skipped by other readers).
Harmonic Progression in Magnus Lindberg’s Twine

In the 1980s and early 1990s, Magnus Lindberg (b. 1958) developed a sophisticated harmonic system to organize progressions of dodecaphonic chords centering on his innovative use of chaconne. This article delves into Lindberg’s harmonic system by analyzing an early work in which it is fully developed: Twine (1988) for solo piano. I will discuss the construction of the composer’s dodecaphonic chords, show the inventive techniques by which he applies chaconne to systematically arrange these harmonies into progressions, and demonstrate how these progressions define the large-scale formal structure of Twine. Received January 2009
Efficacy and safety of topical nadifloxacin and benzoyl peroxide versus clindamycin and benzoyl peroxide in acne vulgaris: A randomized controlled trial

Background : Topical therapy with comedolytics and antibiotics are often advocated for mild and moderate severity acne vulgaris. Nadifloxacin, a new fluoroquinolone with anti-Propionibacterium acnes activity and additional anti-inflammatory activity, is approved for use in acne. This randomized controlled assessor blind trial compared the clinical effectiveness and safety of eight weeks therapy of nadifloxacin 1% versus clindamycin 1% as add-on therapy to benzoyl peroxide (2.5%) in mild to moderate grade acne. Materials and Methods : The efficacy parameters were changes in the total, inflammatory and non-inflammatory lesion counts, Investigator Global Assessment (IGA), and Cardiff Acne Disability Index (CADI) scales from baseline to study end (eight weeks). All treatment emergent dermatological adverse events were evaluated for safety assessment. Results : Out of 84 randomized subjects (43-nadifloxacin arm) and (41-clindamycin) 42 in nadifloxacin group, 37 in clindamycin group completed the study. Reduction from baseline of total, inflammatory and non-inflammatory lesion counts were highly significant in both the groups (P Conclusions: Topical nadifloxacin, a new fluoroquinolone is effective, tolerable, and safe for mild o moderate facial acne. Its clinical effectiveness is comparable to clindamycin when used as add-on therapy to benzoyl peroxide.
Can interbreeding of wild and artificially propagated animals be prevented by using broodstock selected for a divergent life history

Two strategies have been proposed to avoid negative genetic effects of artificially propagated individuals on wild populations: (i) integration of wild and captive populations to minimize domestication selection and (ii) segregation of released individuals from the wild population to minimize interbreeding. We tested the efficacy of the strategy of segregation by divergent life history in a steelhead trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, system, where hatchery fish were selected to spawn months earlier than the indigenous wild population. The proportion of wild ancestry smolts and adults declined by 10–20% over the three generations since the hatchery program began. Up to 80% of the naturally produced steelhead in any given year were hatchery/wild hybrids. Regression model selection analysis showed that the proportion of hatchery ancestry smolts was lower in years when stream discharge was high, suggesting a negative effect of flow on reproductive success of early-spawning hatchery fish. Furthermore, proportions of hybrid smolts and adults were higher in years when the number of naturally spawning hatchery-produced adults was higher. Divergent life history failed to prevent interbreeding when physical isolation was ineffective, an inadequacy that is likely to prevail in many other situations.
micF antisense RNA has a major role in osmoregulation of OmpF in Escherichia coli.

Abstract micF RNA, produced from a multicopy plasmid, was originally shown to be a major factor in negative osmoregulation of the OmpF outer membrane protein in Escherichia coli. However, subsequent experiments with a micF deletion strain suggested that chromosomal micF RNA was not a key component in this process. We report here that micF RNA is essential for the reduction in OmpF levels in cells grown in media of low-to-intermediate levels of osmolarity. Under these conditions, the amount of OmpF was reduced up to 60% in the parent strain while OmpF levels were not altered in the micF deletion mutant. In medium of higher osmolarity, OmpF synthesis was strongly inhibited in both strains. RNA measurements showed that micF RNA levels rose rapidly in cells grown in low-to-intermediate levels of osmolarity concomitant with the reduction in OmpF protein, while ompF mRNA decreased strongly only during high-osmolarity conditions. Taken together, these results strongly suggest that the negative osmoregulation of OmpF at low-to-intermediate osmolarity levels requires micF RNA and that this is masked at higher osmolarity by the known strong inhibition of OmpF transcription by OmpR. Results consistent with this model were also obtained by using procaine, a compound reported to inhibit ompF expression by a mechanism very similar to that involved in osmoregulation.
Multiphasic fetal monitoring: A preliminary evaluation

Abstract In an effort to improve our ability to determine the state of fetal health and behavior, 13 biophysical techniques seldom used in obstetrics were evaluated in either antenatal clinics or labor wards. Fetal reponse to sound, systolic time intervals, arterial pulse propagation, and recording of fetal activity patterns were found to be the most promising techniques. Since no fetal monitoring method has been demonstrated to conclusively be of clinical benefit, a plea is made for regional plans in which many different promising biophysical techniques are evaluated by different institutions. Perhaps certain techniques will then be found to be helpful and thus justify the cost and effort that monitoring requires.
A Case Series of Buprenorphine/Naloxone Treatment in a Primary Care Practice

ABSTRACT Physicians’ adoption of buprenorphine/naloxone treatment is hindered by concerns over feasibility, cost, and lack of comfort treating patients with addiction. We examined the use of buprenorphine/naloxone in a community practice by two generalist physicians without addiction training, employing a retrospective chart review. From 2006–2010, 228 patients with opiate abuse/dependence were treated with buprenorphine/naloxone using a home-induction protocol. Multiple co-morbidities including diabetes (23% of patients), hypertension (36%), Hepatitis C (43%), and depression (74%) were concurrently managed. In this diverse sample, 1/228 experienced precipitated withdrawal during induction. Of the convenience subsample analyzed (n = 28), 82% (+/−10%) had negative urine drug tests for opioids; 92% (+/−11%) were negative for cocaine; 88% (+/−12%) were positive for buprenorphine. This case series demonstrated feasibility and safety of a low-cost buprenorphine/naloxone home induction protocol employed by gene...
The observational consequences of proton-generated waves at shocks

In the largest solar energetic particle (SEP) events, acceleration takes place at shock waves driven out from the Sun by fast coronal mass ejections. Protons streaming away from strong shocks generate Alfven waves that trap particles in the acceleration region, limiting outflowing intensities but increasing the efficiency of acceleration to higher energies. Early in the events, with the shock still near the Sun, intensities at 1 AU are bounded and spectra are flattened at low energies. Elements with different charge-to-mass ratios, Q/A, differentially probe the wave spectra near shocks, producing abundance ratios that vary in space and time. An initial rise in He/H, while Fe/O declines, is a typical symptom of the non-Kolmogorov wave spectra in the largest events. Strong wave generation can cause cross-field scattering near the shock and unusually rapid reduction in anisotropies even far from the shock. At the highest energies, shock spectra steepen to form a "knee." For protons, this spectral knee can vary from approx. 10 MeV to approx. 1 GeV depending on shock conditions for wave growth. In one case, the location of the knee scales approximately as Q/A in the energy/nucleon spectra of other species.
A configurable computing approach towards real-time target tracking

Traditionally, tracking systems require dedicated hardware to handle the computational demands and input/output rates imposed by real-time video sources. An alternative presented in this paper uses configurable computing machines, which use interconnected FPGAs to provide fine-grain parallelism and reconfigurability so that high-speed performance is possible for many different applications. The efficacy of such architectures to image-based computing is illustrated here through the implementation of a tracking system that consists of two parts: a Gaussian pyramid generator and a correlation-based tracker. The pyramid generator converts each input image to a hierarchy of images, each representing the original image at a different resolution. An object is tracked on successive frames by a coarse-to-fine search through this image hierarchy, using the sum of absolute differences as the matching criterion. Splash 2 performs these operations at rates of 15 or 30 frames per second. Its performance therefore rivals that of application-specific systems, although the architecture is inherently general-purpose in nature.
Heparan Sulfate Glycosaminoglycans as Primary Cell Surface Receptors for Herpes Simplex Virus

The purposes of this communication are (i) to summarize the evidence that heparan sulfate moieties of proteoglycans serve as cell surface receptors for herpes simplex virus (HSV) and (ii) to describe the heparin-binding viral glycoproteins that mediate the binding of virus to cells. These topics are discussed in the context of the molecular interactions required for entry of HSV into cells and, also, the pathology of HSV infections.
Utility of magnetization prepared GRE MRI for the detection of focal liver lesions.

Abstract We compared the efficacy of rapidly acquired magnetization prepared gradient-echo (MP-GRE) sequences with CT and standard MRI pulse sequences for the detection of focal liver lesions. Fourteen patients with 28 focal liver lesions were scanned. TI times of 300, 450, and 600 ms were used. MP-GRE lesion conspicuity was compared to corresponding CT, T 1 , T 2 , T 2 -postsuperparamagnetic-iron-oxide (SPIO), and STIR images. It was found that the differences between MP-GRE and CT and MP-GRE and T 1 MRI were not significant. However, overall anatomic detail was better with CT and T 1 MRI than MP-GRE. Lesion conspicuity was significantly worse with the MP-GRE than with the T 2 , T 2 -post-SPIO, and STIR sequences (all p values = 0.00). Maximal liver signal nulling occurred at TI = 300 ms in 13 out of 14 patients. However, the TI for optimal focal liver lesion conspicuity varied widely and could not be predicted before scanning. No new lesions were seen on the MP-GRE sequence that could not be seen on the CT or standard MRI sequences. As currently implemented, MP-GRE imaging offers no advantage in the detection of focal liver lesions over CT and standard MRI pulse sequences.
Use of three-dimensional computed tomography for the analysis of the glenoid anatomy.

Preoperative evaluation for a total shoulder arthroplasty includes 2-dimensional analysis of the glenoid through either standard radiographs or computed tomography (CT) images. Recent evidence suggests that these 2-dimensional images may actually misrepresent the 3-dimensional (3D) anatomy of the glenoid. Because 3D reconstructions of CT images allow 3D visualization and analysis of the scapula as a free body, we hypothesized that they can reflect the true anatomy of the glenoid more accurately. To test this hypothesis, we obtained various glenoid morphometric measurements from excised cadaveric scapulae as well as their respective 3D CT images. On average, the glenoid version angles measured from the 3D CT images were within 1.0° ± 0.7° (mean ± SD) of those from the actual specimen (95% confidence limit, 2 and 11.86 ± 5.06 cm 3 , respectively. The mean glenoid vault volume with respect to its surface area was 1.35 ± 0.24 cm 3 /cm 2 (range, 1.06–1.91 cm 3 /cm 2 ). These data suggest that 3D CT images can accurately reflect the true anatomy of the glenoid and that they can provide valuable information regarding the glenoid surface and vault. As such, 3D CT images may prove to be a useful tool during the preoperative evaluation for a total shoulder arthroplasty, particularly in patients with significant glenoid bone loss.
An Insect's Life in a Scented World

Whether searching for food or a partner — scent plays an important role for insects. How scents are processed in their brain is answered by studies on the olfactory system in honeybees and robber ants
UV photoelectron studies of biological pyrimidines: the electronic structure of uracil.

Abstract The photoelectron spectrum of uracil has been measured in the gas phase. A qualitative interpretation of the spectrum indicates that the first and third highest occupied orbitals in uracil are π orbitals, while the second and fourth highest orbitals are lone-pair orbitals associated with oxygen atoms. This ordering is consistent with that predicted by CNDO and INDO molecular orbital calculations.
Metabolism of 17α-hydroxyprogesterone caproate by hepatic and placental microsomes of human and baboons

Recent data from our laboratory revealed the formation of an unknown metabolite of 17 hydroxyprogesterone caproate (17-HPC), used for treatment of preterm deliveries, during its perfusion across the dually perfused human placental lobule. Previously, we demonstrated that the drug is not hydrolyzed, neither in vivo nor in vitro, to progesterone and caproate. Therefore, the hypothesis for this investigation is that 17-HPC is actively metabolized by human and baboon (Papio cynocephalus) hepatic and placental microsomes. Baboon hepatic and placental microsomes were investigated to validate the nonhuman primate as an animal model for drug use during pregnancy. Data presented here indicate that human and baboon hepatic microsomes formed several mono-, di-, and tri-hydroxylated derivatives of 17-HPC. However, microsomes of human and baboon placentas metabolized 17-HPC to its mono-hydroxylated derivatives only in quantities that were a fraction of those formed by their respective livers, except for two metabolites (M16' and M17') that are unique for placenta and contributed to 25% and 75% of the total metabolites formed by human and baboon, respectively. The amounts of metabolites formed, relative to each other, by human and baboon microsomes were different suggesting that the affinity of 17-HPC to CYP enzymes and their activity could be species-dependent.
Reactivity of isolated rat and canine pulmonary blood vessels to synthetic prostaglandin endoperoxide (PGH2) analogs.

Abstract Reactivity and contractility of isolated pulmonary blood vessels of rats and dogs to two synthetic prostaglandin endoperoxide (PGH2) analogs were studied. Canine pulmonary arteries were found to be insensitive to PGH2 analogs ( i.e. U-46619 and U-44069 that were tested. In contrast, rat main pulmonary artery (EC50's = 4 x 10−10 and 3.4 x 10−9M, respectively) and canine intrapulmonary veins (EC50's = 3.3 x 10−11 and 1. 1 x 10−10M, respectively) responded to the endoperoxide analogs with potent and concentration-dependent contractile responses. This study demonstrates regional and species-related variability in the reactivity of pulmonary vascular smooth muscles to biologically, highly potent vasoactive agents. Endogenously generated and released PG-endoperoxides (PGH2) may play important roles in the patho-physiology of the pulmonary vasculature.
The promise of agricultural biotechnology for human health

Summarizes the meeting report of the Keystone Symposium “Plant foods for human health: manipulating plant metabolism to enhance nutritional quality”. A number of papers were presented, outlining the various ways in which recombinant DNA technologies are currently being developed to improve the nutritional quality and other health benefits of food crops. The value of such research is emphasized given the high existing levels of human malnutrition and diseases associated with poor diet.
Solubility of Anthracene in Ternary 2,2,4-Trimethylpentane + Propanol + 1-Pentanol and 2,2,4-Trimethylpentane + Butanol + 1-Pentanol Mixtures

Experimental solubilities are reported for anthracene dissolved in ternary 2,2,4-trimethylpentane + 1-propanol + 1-pentanol, 2,2,4-trimethylpentane + 2-propanol + 1-pentanol, 2,2,4-trimethylpentane + 1-butanol + 1-pentanol, and 2,2,4-trimethylpentane + 2-butanol + 1-pentanol solvent mixtures at 298.15 K and atmospheric pressure. For each of the four ternary solvent systems, 19 compositions were studied. Results of these measurements are used to test the predictive ability of the ternary solvent form of the Jouyban−Acree model (also referred to in the literature as the combined NIBS/Redlich–Kister model). Computations showed that the model predicted the observed solubility behavior to within an overall average absolute relative percentage deviation of about 1.5.
Influence of SRAF size on main feature CD variation on advanced node

The mask error budget continues to shrink with device pitch. In advance node, mask error enhancement factor (MEEF) will increases up to over 4. The impact of assistant feature size on main feature CD variation becomes more obvious than before. Generally, sub-resolution assist feature (SRAF) use is an indispensable technique to provide adequate depth of focus (DOF) for larger pitches on layers with lithography settings that are optimized for denser pitches. But, SRAF width will be critical issue with shrinking design rule. We investigated the impact of the assist feature size on through pitch patterns. Using M3D (mask 3Dimension) model of Prolith simulation tool, we simulate the main pattern variation by adjusting assistant feature size [1]. SRAF printability also be concerned through simulation and be verified by real wafer printing result. We show that the wafer CD impact that come form mask CD variation of main feature and the influence of assistant feature size on dense main feature become more and more.
FEL simulations for the LCLS

A first Design Study Report has recently been completed [1] for the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS), a proposal to build an x-ray Free Electron Laser (FEL) at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) as a single pass SASE (Self-Amplified Spontaneous Emission) amplifier. The proposal includes the use of a very low emittance electron beam accelerated up to 15 GeV by the last third of the SLAC linac to produce sub-picosecond x-ray pulses with high brightness and full transverse coherence in a 112-meter long undulator. Many aspects of the FEL design have been analyzed with FEL simulation codes. The paper discusses some of the results of these aspects, i.e. temporal x-ray pulse structure and power sprectrum, trajectory errors and effects of undulator beam tube wakefields.
Statistical issues in the validation of prognostic, predictive, and surrogate biomarkers

BackgroundBiomarkers have many distinct purposes, and depending on their intended use, the validation process varies substantially.PurposeThe goal of this article is to provide an introduction to the topic of biomarkers, and then to discuss three specific types of biomarkers, namely, prognostic, predictive, and surrogate.ResultsA principle challenge for biomarker validation from a statistical perspective is the issue of multiplicity. In general, the solution to this multiplicity challenge is well known to statisticians: pre-specification and replication. Critical requirements for prognostic marker validation include uniform treatment, complete follow-up, unbiased case selection, and complete ascertainment of the many possible confounders that exist in the context of an observational sample. In the case of predictive biomarker validation, observational data are clearly inadequate and randomized controlled trials are mandatory. Within the context of randomization, strategies for predictive marker validation...
Chemoprevention of pancreatic cancer using solid-lipid nanoparticulate delivery of a novel aspirin, curcumin and sulforaphane drug combination regimen

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth largest cause of cancer deaths in the Unites States and the prognosis is grim with <5% survival chances upon diagnosis. The objective of this study was to assess the combined chemopreventive effect of solid lipid nanoparticle (SLN) encapsulated drugs aspirin (ASP), curcumin (CUR) and free sulforaphane (SFN) for the chemoprevention of pancreatic cancer. Experiments were carried out (1) to evaluate the feasibility of encapsulation of these chemopreventive agents within solid lipid systems and (2) to measure the synergistic effects of a combination of ASP with CUR in SLNs mixed with free SFN against cell proliferation and apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells, MIA PaCa-2 and Panc-1. The SLNs were prepared using a modified solvent evaporation technique and were characterized for particle sizing, encapsulation efficiency and drug release. ASP and CUR SLNs were formulated within the particle size range of 150‑250 nm and were found to have an encapsulation efficiency of 85 and 69%, respectively. Sustained release of drugs over a 96 h period from SLNs was observed. The SLNs were stable over a 3-month storage period at room temperature. Cell viability studies demonstrated that combinations of low doses of ASP SLN (25 µM), CUR SLN (2.5 µM) and free SFN (5 µM) significantly reduced cell viability by 43.6 and 48.49% in MIAPaca-2 and Panc-1 cell lines, respectively. Furthermore, increased apoptosis of 61.3 and 60.37% was found in MIA Paca-2 and Panc-1 cell lines, respectively, in comparison to the individual doses administered. Synergistic effects were demonstrated using MTS and apoptosis assays. Thus, this study successfully demonstrated the feasibility of using a solid lipid nanoparticulate system for the first time to deliver this novel combination chemoprevention regimen, providing valuable evidence for the usability of nanotechnology-based drug regimens towards pancreatic cancer chemoprevention.
Mitochondrial localization of μ-calpain

Abstract Calcium-dependent cysteine proteases, calpains, have physiological roles in cell motility and differentiation but also play a pathological role following insult or disease. The ubiquitous calpains are widely considered to be cytosolic enzymes, although there has been speculation of a mitochondrial calpain. Within a highly enriched fraction of mitochondria obtained from rat cortex and SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells, immunoblotting demonstrated enrichment of the 80 kDa μ-calpain large subunit and 28 kDa small subunit. In rat cortex, antibodies against domains II and III of the large μ-calpain subunit also detected a 40 kDa fragment, similar to the autolytic fragment generated following incubation of human erythrocyte μ-calpain with Ca2+. Mitochondrial proteins including apoptosis inducing factor and mitochondrial Bax are calpain substrates, but the mechanism by which calpains gain access to these proteins is uncertain. Mitochondrial localization of μ-calpain places the enzyme in proximity to its mitochondrial substrates and to Ca2+ released from mitochondrial stores.
Density and Viscosity of Several Aldehydes Fragrance Compounds in Their Binary Mixtures with Ethanol at (298.15 K, 308.15 K, and 318.15 K)

Density and viscosity for binary mixtures of hexanal, octanal, nonanal, and decanal with ethanol over the whole composition range have been measured at three different temperatures (298.15, 308.15, and 318.15) K and atmospheric pressure. Redlich−Kister-type polynomial equations were fitted to the calculated excess molar volumes and viscosity deviations.
King of the Queen City: The Story of King Records

Jon Hartley Fox, Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2009, ISBN: 9780826429650, 280 pp, $29.95 (cloth) In the haunting blues ballad “I Can't Make You Love Me,” Bonnie Raitt ruefully acknowledges ...
Neurotrophin receptors in the geniculate ganglion.

We examined the distribution of the high affinity neurotrophin receptors (trkA, trkB, and trkC) in the rat geniculate ganglion. Previous work had shown that during early (prenatal) development, trkB and its two ligands, BDNF and NT-4/5, were most important for survival of almost all neurons. Using nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR), we showed that trkA, trkB, and trkC transcripts were expressed, and the mRNAs for trkB and trkC were more abundant than that for trkA. We modified and improved the method for direct reverse transcription in situ PCR and localized trkB mRNA in approximately one third of the neurons in the ganglion. Immunohistochemical data confirmed that approximately the same fraction of neurons was immunoreactive with antibody vs. trkB, and an approximately equal fraction was immunoreactive with trkC antibody. These results are consistent with the notion that both BDNF/trkB and NT-3/trkC play important roles in maintenance of the geniculate ganglion neurons and possibly the peripheral taste system in the young postnatal rat.
Do spending comparisons affect spending and satisfaction

Abstract We investigate the effect of spending comparisons with a new survey approach that asks respondents about satisfaction and expenditure decisions, both before and after they receive hypothetical information about what others in their communities are spending. We ask about four goods which vary in observability—wine served at a dinner party, an uncle's funeral, life insurance, and a donation to a non-profit organization. Compared to respondents who were told that others in their community were spending more than they, respondents told that others were spending less tended both to reduce their spending and increase their satisfaction.
A temperature controller for in vitro recording chambers

Abstract An inexpensive, electrically quiet temperature controller designed to provide biological temperatures in chambers used to maintain tissue slices for in vitro recording is described. The circuit incorporates several advantageous features: 1. (1) an integrated circuit temperature sensor is used which produces a linear output and is immune to self-heating error; 2. (2) a single + 12–18 V, 1 A DC supply will power the unit; 3. (3) the output regulator cannot be damaged by overheating or shortcircuiting; 4. (4) the temperature of the preparation is displayed.
Three Fundamental Concepts in Second Language Acquisition and Their Relevance in Multilingual Contexts.

This article considers how 3 fundamental concepts of second language acquisition (SLA), the native speaker, interlanguage, and the language learner have fared since Firth and Wagner (1997). We review the ascendancy of these concepts and their relationship to the traditional dichotomies of language learning versus language use and individual mind versus social-context-as-environment. We discuss geopolitical changes of the 1990s and the related theoretical shifts from structuralist theories to discourse-based and constructionist social theories, which paved the way for Firth and Wagner. We examine subsequent efforts to reframe SLA as social process and knowledge as social action, arguing that such notions as collaborative dialogue, affordance, and investment have reconceptualized the concepts of output, input, and motivation without, however, escaping their structuralist roots. Looking at data from multilingual exchanges between immigrants recorded in shops in California, we suggest that 3 fundamental concepts be treated as discursive, socially, and historically relative categories, with the subject position of the researcher factored in.
584 EVALUATION OF THE SAFETY AND IMMUNOGENICITY OF A NEW DTP VACCINE CONTAINING AN ACCELULAR PERTUSIS COMPONENT IN 4–6 YEAR OLD CHILDREN

Thirty-one children aged 4-6 years were given in an open label study a single dose of an experimental DTP vaccine containing an accelular pertusis component. All subjects had received their primary immunization series. Informed consent was obtained from a parent or guardian. Subjects were observed for 1 hour post dosing and examined 24 hours and 1 month following the dose. Temperatures were taken at home by the parent 3, 6, and 24 hours post dosing. Antibody titers were drawn pre and 1 month following dosing. All subjects were seen at 24 hours but three were lost to 1 month follow-up. Eighteen subjects were white, the remainder black. There were 19 females and 12 males. The median age was 5.3 years (range 4.0-6.3 years). Two subjects developed T° ≥ 100°F during the 24 hours post dosing. Eleven subjects had mild local reactions reported by the parent or observed at the 24 hour visit. One subject developed a small sterile abcess. 26/28 subjects exhibited a rise in pertusis antibody titer while 26/28 and 27/28 subjects showed increases in tetanus and dyptheria titers respectively. All subjects showed a rise in anti-FHA titer (range 1.6-86.4) as measured by ELISA assay while 27/28 subjects showed a rise in anti-LPF titers (range 1.1-21.9). The experimental vaccine appears to have been safe and effective in the subjects studied.
Fiber-optic four-detector polarimeter

Abstract A novel design for a fiber-optic four-detector polarimeter (FO-FDP) is presented. It consists of four externally induced incore fiber gratings together with four photodetectors. The device is compact, light-weight, avoids the otherwise needed specially coated reflectors or beam-splitters, and lends itself much more conveniently to various applications such as distributed fiberoptic sensing.
Images of Strategy

The article presents a review of the book “Images of Strategy,” edited by Stephen Cummings and David Wilson.
The Pavement Enterprise at Michigan Technological University

A project-based student Enterprise program was established at Michigan Technological University as part of a National Science Foundation effort related to reform of engineering education. The Enterprise program represents a separate degree track available in all departments of the College of Engineering. The Pavement Design, Construction, and Materials (Pavement) Enterprise was established in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in conjunction with the Thompson Scholars program. The Thompson Scholars program is an asphalt paving industry supported scholarship program. The Pavement Enterprise is composed of a team of students that work in a businesslike setting on projects related to the asphalt paving industry. In addition to their project activities, students are required to participate in paid summer internships in associated industries and organizations. An Advisory Board composed of industry and government leaders meets 3 times/year to provide advice, guidance, and feedback to students and associated faculty. The team project activities of the Pavement Enterprise prepares graduates for careers in the pavement engineering field with knowledge and skills well beyond their peers in the traditional civil engineering curriculum. These team projects incorporate "active learning" techniques into the program. Performance of the Pavement Enterprise is demonstrated using student attrition as well as a peer review. Lessons learned in program's operation are presented for those institutions considering such a program.
Arguing on the computer

We describe a collaborative computer-based activity as a means of developing argumentive discourse skills in middle-school students. The rationale for use of this technology is that it heightens the opportunity, and indeed demand, for metacognitive reflection on the communication, relative to direct verbal exchange. This demand is further heightened procedurally in two ways: (a) each dialog takes place among four participants, two who collaborate in producing and transmitting one side of the dialog and two who collaborate in producing and transmitting the other; subsequently, the respective pairs engage in analysis of a written transcript of it, with the aim of identifying how it might be improved.
Using a Product Manifold distance for unsupervised action recognition

This paper presents a method for unsupervised learning and recognition of human actions in video. Lacking any supervision, there is nothing except the inherent biases of a given representation to guide grouping of video clips along semantically meaningful partitions. Thus, in the first part of this paper, we compare two contemporary methods, Bag of Features (BOF) and Product Manifolds (PM), for clustering video clips of human facial expressions, hand gestures, and full-body actions, with the goal of better understanding how well these very different approaches to behavior recognition produce semantically relevant clustering of data. We show that PM yields superior results when measuring the alignment between the generated clusters and the nominal class labeling of the data set. We found that while gross motions were easily clustered by both methods, the lack of preservation of structural information inherent to the BOF representation leads to limitations that are not easily overcome without supervised training. This was evidenced by the poor separation of shape labels in the hand gestures data by BOF, and the overall poor performance on full-body actions. In the second part of this paper, we present an unsupervised mechanism for learning micro-actions in continuous video streams using the PM representation. Unlike other works, our method requires no prior knowledge of an expected number of labels/classes, requires no silhouette extraction, is tolerant to minor tracking errors and jitter, and can operate at near real-time speed. We show how to construct a set of training ''tracklets,'' how to cluster them using the Product Manifold distance measure, and how to perform detection using exemplars learned from the clusters. Further, we show that the system is amenable to incremental learning as anomalous activities are detected in the video stream. We demonstrate performance using the publicly-available ETHZ Livingroom data set.
Colony Formation by Isolated Convolvulus Cells Plated on Defined Media

15. SOLOMON, A. K. 1960. Measurements of equivalent pore radius in cell membranes. In: Membrane Transport and Metabolism. A. Kleinzeller and A. Katyk, eds. Academic Press, New York, p 94-99. 16. TANADA. T. 1962. Localization and mechanism of calcium stimulation of rubidium absorption in the mung bean root. Am. J. Botany 49: 1068-72. 17. VIETS, F. G. 1944. Calcium and other polyvalent ions as accelerators of ion accumulation by excised barley roots. Plant Physiol. 19: 466-80. 18. WAISEL, Y. 1962. Effect of calcium upon uptake of monovalent ions by excised barley roots. Physiol. Plantarum 15: 709-24. 19. WHITTEMBURY, G., N. SUGINO, AND A. K. SOLOMON. 1960. Effect of antidiuretic hormone and calcium on the equivalent pore radius of kidney slices from Nectutrits. Nature 187: 699-701.
Pulmonary toxicity in patients treated with gemcitabine and a combination of gemcitabine and a taxane: investigation of a signal using postmarketing data

Pulmonary toxicity in patients treated with gemcitabine and a combination of gemcitabine and a taxane: investigation of a signal using postmarketing data
Die Entwicklung der Eingriffsregelung

Traditionell wurden Natur und Landschaft durch die Ausweisung von Schutzgebieten und Schutzobjekten erhalten und entwickelt. Dieser Schutz kann auf eine 150jahrige Tradition zuruckblicken. Die Eingriffsregelung ist hingegen das Instrument des Naturschutzes zur Erhaltung von Natur und Landschaft in der nicht durch Schutzanordnungen geschutzten Flache. Sie solle dafur sorgen, dass der Zustand von Natur und Landschaft sich durch nachteilige Masnahmen in der Bilanz nicht verschlechter. Als rechtliches Institut wurde sie erst 1976 installiert. Die Eingriffsregelung, die rahmenrechtlich gemas § 40 BNatSchG 1976 ab dem 24.12.1996 gilt, ist gerade 30 Jahre alt. Anlasslich des Geburtstages des Jubilars Claus Carlsen soll auf die Entwicklung der Eingriffsregelung zuruckgeschaut werden, nicht zuletzt weil der Jubilar drei Jahre nach Einfuhrung der Eingriffsregelung diese Zeitschrift gegrundet und damit wesentlich zum Verstandnis und zur Anwendung dieser Regelungen beigetragen hat.