cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identification of functional cis‐acting sequences involved in regulation of narK gene expression in Escherichia coli

Summary Expression of the narK gene of Escherichia coli, like the narGHJI operon, is positively regulated by two trans-acting factors: Fnr, which is activated by anaerobic conditions, and NarL, which is activated by the presence of nitrate. Unlike the narGHJI operon, the 5′ untranslated region of the narK gene contains two putative Fnr-binding-site sequences and two putative NarL-binding-site sequences. To define the role of these putative cis-acting regions, transcription start sites were identified and the effects of promoter region modifications on transcription were determined. Primer extension analysis identified several transcripts for the narK gene expressed from plasmids. Expression from the major promoter, P1, was induced by anaerobic growth conditions and further elevated in the presence of nitrate, while that from a weaker promoter, P2, appeared to be constitutive. The position of the major transcription start site placed one of the putative Fnr-binding sites (Fnr1 box) and one of the NarL-binding sites (NarL2 box) at positions analogous to those previously established for the narGHJI operon promoter region, while the other two binding sites were located in the non-homologous 150 bp sequence which separates the Fnr1 and NarL2 boxes. Based on the effects of selective 5′ deletions and site-directed modifications, Fnr-dependent expression was dependent only on the Fnr1 box and nitrate stimulation was dependent on the presence of the NarL2 box. In the absence of the NarL2 box, the NarLI box did not promote stimulation by nitrate. The Fnr2 box was not required for anaerobic induction of expression but its modification appeared to reduce the level of stimulation by nitrate.
Robust regression for high throughput drug screening

Effective analysis of high throughput screening (HTS) data requires automation of dose-response curve fitting for large numbers of datasets. Datasets with outliers are not handled well by standard non-linear least squares methods, and manual outlier removal after visual inspection is tedious and potentially biased. We propose robust non-linear regression via M-estimation as a statistical technique for automated implementation. The approach of finding M-estimates by Iteratively Reweighted Least Squares (IRLS) and the resulting optimization problem are described. Initial parameter estimates for iterative methods are important, so self-starting methods for our model are presented. We outline the software implementation, done in Matlab and deployed as an Excel application via the Matlab Excel Builder Toolkit. Results of M-estimation are compared with least squares estimates before and after manual editing.
Indigent breast cancer patients among all racial and ethnic groups present with more advanced disease compared withnationally reported data

Abstract Background This study examines the epidemiologic and pathologic characteristics of indigent breast cancer patients followed up in a public city hospital in comparison to national standards. Methods A prospective oncology database was queried to identify all patients presenting with primary breast cancer. Medical records of 188 patients identified between March 1997 and May 2002 were retrospectively reviewed. Pathologic and epidemiologic data were compared with 1998 data reported by the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program. Results Among the patient population 10% were Caucasian, 13% African-American, 49% Hispanic, 25% Chinese, and 6% were of other background. The majority of patients were uninsured. Indigent patients within each ethnic group presented with more advanced disease when compared with patients reported by SEER. Conclusions Indigent patients among all ethnic and racial backgrounds present with more advanced disease when compared with national statistics reported by SEER. The majority of these patients is uninsured and would benefit from more aggressive education, screening, detection methods, and follow-up.
Pathophysiological events leading to the end-organ effects of acute hypertension

The term "hypertensive crisis" refers to a group of acute hypertensive disorders that have, in common, evidence of end-organ dysfunction. From a pathophysiological viewpoint, these disorders may be classified into two major categories. In primary hypertensive disorders, the predominant pathophysiological events and subsequent end-organ failure are directly attributable to the uncontrolled hypertension. Secondary hypertensive crises have many similar features; however, the ultimate progression from onset of hypertension to end-organ failure tends to be modified by concurrent target-organ disease. The chain of events leading to the progression from benign to malignant hypertension centers around two general theories--the pressure hypothesis and the humoral hypothesis--both of which suggest that when a critical imbalance of pressure and/or humoral factors occurs, depending variously on etiological factors, rapidity, and degree and duration of blood pressure elevation, a series of pathological events ensue leading to myointimal proliferation and fibrinoid necrosis. The primary target-organ effects of severe hypertension generally affect the central nervous, renal, and cardiovascular systems and occur when the normal compensatory mechanisms are exceeded either by a breakthrough in autoregulation, as in the central nervous system, or by an imbalance in myocardial supply and demand. To a certain extent the pathophysiological events and target-organ susceptibility will determine the manner in which the hypertensive event presents. Although effective therapy is optimally tailored to the specific underlying disease process, in the acute setting, where important clinical data may be lacking, an appreciation of these underlying mechanisms will aid in the selection of a regimen that is both safe and effective.
Interaction between Chrysomya rufifacies and Cochliomyia macellaria (Diptera: Calliphoridae): the possible consequences of an invasion

Four Old World blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae), Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann), C. putoria Wiedemann, C. megacephala (Fabricius), and C. rufifacies (Macquart), have recently invaded the New World. The interaction of Chrysomya rufifacies (Macquart) with native carrion flies in Texas, USA, was investigated by reducing oviposition by the invader on rabbit carcasses outdoors. These carcasses produced significantly more Cochliomyia macellaria (Fabricius) adults compared to carcasses on which the invader was not reduced. The results suggest that C. macellaria populations will decline where the two species co-occur. They also support the hypothesis that the carrion community is saturated with species, and provide a mechanism for the possible elimination of Lucilia caesar (Linnaeus) in Madeira and the reduction of C. macellaria in South America by Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann).
Role of magnesium in the dietary cation-anion balance equation for ruminants.

Abstract Eight midlactation Holstein cows (four primiparous) were assigned to replicated 4 × 4 Latin squares with a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. The basal diet was formulated to contain 0 milliequivalents (Na + K) - C1/100 g of diet DM. Treatment diets of high and low dietary cation-anion balance were achieved by adding appropriate amounts of supplemental Na + K (added on an equivalent basis) or Mg to the basal diet. Milk and protein yield were increased as well as DMI and FCM for Na + K diets. The high concentration of cation increased milk fat percentage. The cation-anion balance (using Mg as a cation) had no effect on any of the production parameters observed. The higher cation-anion balances increased blood bicarbonate levels and plasma Na. Urinary Ca excretion was increased for the Mg diets. Urinary pH increased with both the source of cation (Na + K) and the concentration of cation (high) in the diet. Other minerals were unaffected in milk, plasma, or urine. Responses measured in this trial reflect treatments calculated using the equation milliequivalents (Na + K) - C1/100 log diet DM or (Na + K) - (C1 + S)/100 g diet DM, suggesting that Mg plays a minor role in dietary cation-anion balance.
Pesca del bacalao de profundidad (Dissostichus eleginoides), efectuada por la flota chilena en torno a la isla Georgia del Sur (1991/1992)

En este estudio se analizan faenas de pesca de la flota espinelera chilena, orientada a la extraccion del bacalao de profundidad (Dissostichus eleginoides) en la subarea administrativa 48.3 de la Convencion para la Conservacion de los Recursos Vivos Marinos Antarticos (CCRVMA) (Isla Georgia del Sur). La flota capturo alrededor del 80% de la cuota total establecida en esa subarea, desde fines de diciembre de 1991 hasta el cierre de la pesqueria, el 10 de marzo de 1992. A traves del posicionamiento de los lances, se distinguen dos caladeros claramente diferenciables: uno al norte de la isla Georgia del Sur, que incluye los islotes Black y Shag Rocks, y otro al sur de esa isla, concentrandose los lances entre los 1.100 y los 1.450 m de profundidad. El esfuerzo total aplicado por la flota fue de 2,71 millones de anzuelos, la captura de 2.883 ton y la CPUE promedio alcanzo a 1,06 kg/anzuelo. En ese periodo se midio la longitud estandar a 8.340 ejemplares, efectuados a intervalos de 5 cm, los que fueron convertidos a longitud total. El rango de tallas en las capturas fue de 40-145 cm en machos y de 40-200 cm en hembras. Los valores promedios fueron 96,7 cm y 108,8 cm, respectivamente en machos y hembras. La evaluacion del stock se efectuo mediante dos aproximaciones metodologicas: analisis de seudocohorte y aplicacion del metodo de DeLury. Se definieron Capturas Totales Permisibles (CTP), utilizando diferentes combinaciones de F0,1, longitud de primera captura y mortalidad natural. Con el metodo de DeLury, se obtuvieron capturas totales permisibles entre 1.085 y 5.768 ton, mientras que a traves del analisis de cohorte, la CTP fluctua entre 7.832 y 8.210 ton
Mother-stranger face discrimination by the newborn

Newborn infants discriminate their mother's face from the face of a stranger shortly after birth. The neonates (M age=45 hours) showed an initial preference for their mother's face. The mother's face (or face and voice) was then presented to the neonates for repeated trials until the infant reached an habituation criterion. In a subsequent discrimination test the infants looked significantly longer at the stranger's face, suggesting that the mother's face was discriminated after very limited experience. Although voice cues were not required for this discrimination, the possibility remains that other cues, such as the mother's odor, may facilitate the discrimination of her face.
Faculty Salary Equity Cases: Combining Statistics with the Law

Researchers have used many statistical models to determine whether an institution's faculty pay structure is equitable, with varying degrees of success. Little attention, however, has been given to court interpretations of statistical significance or to what variables courts have acknowledged should be used in an equity model. This article discusses the differences between statistics and the law, using prominent faculty salary court decisions as an aid in fine-tuning an institutional faculty salary study.
Computed radiograpy printing problems: A quantitative, observer-independent solution

Even though facilities using computed radiography (CR) operate in an electronic environment, the production of hard-copy films is still necessary during the transition period, as well as for particular needs following complete implementation. We have implemented a quantitative technique to match the response of printed CR film with that of previous screen/film combinations. A stepwedge is radiographed using the conventional system. The same stepwedge is then radiographed (same geometry and technique) using the CR system. Following processing and printing, the plot of optical density versus step for the CR system is compared with that of the screen/film system. Adjustments are made to the printing parameters until the response curves are identical. All other translation tables in the system are set to be linear. This has proven to be a valuable technique for us and provides CR printed image quality that is equivalent to that of our previous screen/film combinations.
The fixation of knowledge: the general shape of information and its practical consequences for information design

Though professional communication theorists typically borrow from other disciplines (linguistics, rhetoric, cognitive or social psychology, etc.) we might develop a freestanding theory of information design, related perhaps to other disciplines, but still independent, in the way that organic chemistry is a freestanding discipline separate in many ways from general chemistry. I propose a base for such a theory in C.S. Peirce's general model of inquiry (1877). Useful information is shaped by a definitive question (topic) which moves an audience to search information for answers. Professional communication theory can be independently driven by the kinds of questions it seeks answers to.
Non-diffusive sub-grid modeling of turbulence

Abstract A non-diffusive sub-grid model is introduced where modes with wavenumbers greater than and near the cutoff are retained, as a part of closure, to provide stochastic sub-grid interactions of non-diffusive nature for the large scale modes. Low resolution driven numerical simulations using this sub-grid model produce Kolmogoroff power law spectra.
Lower mantle heterogeneity beneath Eurasia imaged by parametric migration of shear waves

Abstract Lower mantle structure beneath central Eurasia is examined using a recently developed technique for migrating parametric representations of shear waves from teleseismic events. The migration method of Lay and Young [Lay, T., Young, C.J., 1996. Imaging scattering structures in the lower mantle by migration of long period shear waves. J. Geophys. Res., 101: 20 023–20 040.] assumes isotropic scattering from discrete heterogeneities to account for S wave coda arrivals, and provides resolution at scale lengths of about 500 km. The migration is applied to 15 s period shear wave data from 21 western Pacific earthquakes recorded in Europe and the Middle East that exhibit extra arrivals between S and ScS on the transverse components. Migrations are performed using PREM as well as model SGLE [Gaherty, J.B., Lay, T., 1992. Investigation of laterally heterogeneous shear velocity structure in D″ beneath Eurasia. J. Geophys. Res., 97: 417–435.], which has a discontinuity at 2605 km, 286 km above the core–mantle boundary. The migration images for the most coherent coda arrival (Scd) resemble those expected for a lower mantle discontinuity model and simulations are performed for models with discontinuities at various depths. Quantitative correlation of the images for the data and synthetic migrations show the optimal average depth of the discontinuity to be 2605 km. Migrations of subsets of the data suggest that the discontinuity depth varies from 2605 km in the northern end of the study area to 2620 km in the southern end. An additional intermediate arrival (Scd2) is observed in a limited portion of the dataset, and migrations indicate this phase is generated by localized discrete scatterers located at depths of 2750 to 2770 km under north–central Eurasia. These results are generally consistent with previous forward modeling studies, but the migration approach allows lateral variations to be modeled more systematically. The heterogeneous structure near the base of the mantle appears to be a manifestation of a complex boundary layer.
The Fate of Genetic Markers in Populations of Boll Weevils

The genetic markers, pearl and ebony, were introduced into populations of Anthonomus grandis Boheman in the laboratory in 25.4-cm-diameter plastic cages and also in the field in 20×6×6-ft Saran®-covered cages at 2 levels of gene frequency, 0.90 and 0.10. At both levels the mutations persisted in competition with their wild-type alleles. When the ebony mutant was released in a small-field test, the mutant persisted in competition with large numbers of wild-type field weevils. Also, weevils heterozygous for the mutant were found in fields situated 1½-2 miles from the release point. Some applicable population genetics theories are discussed.
Subpixel Anomalous Change Detection in Remote Sensing Imagery

A machine-learning framework for anomalous change detection is extended to the situation in which the anomalous change is smaller than a pixel. Although the existing framework can be applied to (and does have power against) the subpixel case, it is possible to optimize that framework for the subpixel case when the size of the anomalous change is known. The limit of intesimally small anomaly turns out to be well- defined, and provides a new parameter-free anomalous change detector which is effective over a range of subpixel anomalies, and continues to have reasonable power against the full-pixel case.
Surface integrals and harmonic functions

Using the notion of inferior mean due to M. Heins, we establish two inequalities for such a mean relative to a positive harmonic function defined on the open unit ball or half-space in .
Dynamics of contracts-based organizations: a formal approach based on institutions

An organization comprises a group of collaborating agents (individual agents or nested organizations) that exhibit complex behaviors. Of particular interest are dynamic organizations that form and dissolve as their members' needs change. Such organizations are important in many applications, including scientific and business computing. Contracts among autonomous agents have long been used to facilitate their collaboration. This paper provides a contracts-based approach for managing organizations. The proposed approach places organizations within institutions, themselves modeled as specialized organizations. Commitments form the basis of contracts and this paper establishes some important dynamic aspects by providing a commitment life cycle analysis. This approach has been applied in a prototype tool to manage organizations.
Two different gene elements are required for glucose regulation of S14 transcription.

Abstract Carbohydrate feeding increases the transcriptional activity of the hepatic S14 gene. The region of the S14 promoter between −1384/−1275 contributes to the transcriptional regulation by carbohydrate. A previously identified element (−1303/−1289) within this region is required but is not sufficient for the carbohydrate effect. Therefore, we ligated −1384/−1275 to a heterologous promoter and created mutants in this region to identify other potential responsive sequences. We found that mutation within −1365/−1350 eliminated the response to high glucose (27.5 mM). However, three copies of this element ligated to a mouse mammary tumor virus-luciferase vector did not respond to glucose indicating the −1365/−1350 element is insufficient to confer a glucose response in isolation. Nevertheless, mutating the −1365/−1350 element in the native promoter led to a loss of response to glucose, proving this element is necessary. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) using three copies of the element showed significant binding to rat hepatic nuclear extracts, but no difference between the dietary states. Competition EMSA studies showed that the previously identified element at −1303/−1289 was unable to compete for proteins that bind to the −1365/−1350 element. Therefore, we have demonstrated two separate elements within the −1384/−1275 region of the S14 gene that bind different proteins and interact to elicit the carbohydrate effect.
Handedness of a motor program in C. elegans is independent of left-right body asymmetry.

Complex animals display bilaterally asymmetric motor behavior, or “motor handedness,” often revealed by preferential use of limbs on one side. For example, use of right limbs is dominant in a strong majority of humans. While the mechanisms that establish bilateral asymmetry in motor function are unknown in humans, they appear to be distinct from those for other handedness asymmetries, including bilateral visceral organ asymmetry, brain laterality, and ocular dominance. We report here that a simple, genetically homogeneous animal comprised of only ∼1000 somatic cells, the nematode C. elegans, also shows a distinct motor handedness preference: on a population basis, males show a pronounced right-hand turning bias during mating. The handedness bias persists through much of adult lifespan, suggesting that, as in more complex animals, it is an intrinsic trait of each individual, which can differ from the population mean. Our observations imply that the laterality of motor handedness preference in C. elegans is driven by epigenetic factors rather than by genetic variation. The preference for right-hand turns is also seen in animals with mirror-reversed anatomical handedness and is not attributable to stochastic asymmetric loss of male sensory rays that occurs by programmed cell death. As with C. elegans, we also observed a substantial handedness bias, though not necessarily the same preference in direction, in several gonochoristic Caenorhabditis species. These findings indicate that the independence of bilaterally asymmetric motor dominance from overall anatomical asymmetry, and a population-level tendency away from ambidexterity, occur even in simple invertebrates, suggesting that these may be common features of bilaterian metazoans.
Application of high-temperature hyperfiltration to unit textile processes for direct recycle

Abstract The recycle of industrial effluents achieves (1) resource recovery, (2) pollution abatement, and (3) control of toxic emissions. The United States textile industry uses about 3.7 × 106 m3/d of water. The water pollution is largely the residual of process chemicals, e.g., detergents, salts, and dyes. About 50% of the energy is discharged as hot water, i.e., 1014 Btu/yr. High-temperature hyperfiltration and ultrafiltration are being evaluated for recycle of both water and chemicals with operating manufacturing processes: (1) an atmospheric dye beck, (2) a pressure beck, (3) an open-width preparation range, (4) a dye range, and (5) a rope preparation range. The reuse of the (hot) permeate has been demonstrated in every instance. Thus, up to 9 × 1013 Btu/yr may be conserved in the US textile industry by direct recycle of the hot wastewater. Control of toxic emissions by membranes has been evaluated by examining data existing in the literature. A very limited amount of data with textile wastewaters indicates feasibility of control of organic compounds of molecular weights ≥ 90. The potential economic payout is good with recovery of specific chemicals and energy being paramount factors. A conceptual layout for closed-cycle operation of a continuous range indicates that some chemicals in the waste and a majority of the energy can be conserved by recycle.
Trade Union Strategies and the Enterprise Culture in Britain

Trade union elites in Britain found their organizations scorned, isolated and embattled in the 1980s. The combined impact of mass unemployment, the policies of the Thatcher government, and global capitalist restructuring had a profound impact on the position of trade unions both in the workplace and in the wider society. The effort of the Thatcher government to implant an "enterprise culture" led to the expulsion of union elites from the policy-making process. At the same time, underlying schisms within the union movement were intensified as alternative approaches emerged in response to the impasse of labourist strategies.
Modular equations for cubes of the Rogers–Ramanujan and Ramanujan–Göllnitz–Gordon functions and their associated continued fractions

Abstract In this paper, we prove modular identities involving cubes of the Rogers–Ramanujan functions. Applications are given to proving relations for the Rogers–Ramanujan continued fraction. Some of our identities are new. We establish analogous results for the Ramanujan–Gollnitz–Gordon functions and the Ramanujan–Gollnitz–Gordon continued fraction. Finally, we offer applications to the theory of partitions.
Putting ATR performance on an equal basis: the measurement of knowledge base distortion and relevant clutter

Many different automatic target recognition (ATR) approaches have had their performance quantified for over twenty years typically by plotting a receiver operating curve (ROC) of probability of detection and/or recognition versus some measure of false alarm or false alarm rate. These ROCs have been generated on static sets of test and training data. This data, in some cases, has had significantly varying levels of difficulty, however, the quantification of the data set difficulty has typically only been coarsely partitioned based on the time of day, the target operational state, the meteorological environment, and sometimes the terrain or location. In addition, there has been no generally useful comparative measure of the target signature knowledge base provided for ATR system 'training' versus the signatures of the same targets in the data used for test. In this paper, we illustrate the quantification of two 'information content' data metrics with an associated ATR performance. The first metric is a signal to clutter measure (SC), and the second is a knowledge base signature distortion measure (KBSD) of the 'closest' target training signature versus the target test signature. These metrics provide a new basis for truly objective ATR performance comparison.
Relationship Between Insulin Resistance and Hypertension

Patients with hypertension have been shown to be resistant to insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and to be both hyperinsulinemic and hypertriglyceridemic compared with matched normotensive control groups. These abnormalities are present before the institution of antihypertensive therapy and do not necessarily improve when blood pressure is effectively lowered. Insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and high blood pressure can be produced in fructose-fed Sprague-Dawley rats, but the development of these changes is inhibited by exercise training or somatostatin infusion. Furthermore, insulin-stimulated glucose uptake is lower in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) than Wistar-Kyoto rats, and this is associated with higher plasma triglyceride concentrations and blood pressure. In addition, a defect in insulin-stimulated glucose uptake can be shown in adipocytes isolated from SHRs, and the greater the degree of in vitro insulin resistance, the higher the plasma insulin concentration and blood pressure. These data strongly support the view that abnormalities of insulin and lipid metabolism are associated with high blood pressure in both patients and rodent models of experimental hypertension. In the latter context, endogenous hyperinsulinemia and hypertriglyceridemia are risk factors for coronary heart disease. The fact that antihypertensive treatment has not focused on correcting these metabolic abnormalities may explain why it has been difficult to show that lowering blood pressure decreases the risk of coronary heart disease. It can be argued that abnormalities of carbohydrate and lipoprotein metabolism play a role in both the etiology of hypertension and the clinical course of hypertensive patients.
A Thyroxine-Binding Protein in Human Breast Milk Similar to Serum Thyroxine-Binding Globulin

A thyroid hormone-binding substance (TBGw) similar to serum T4-binding globulin (TBG) has been identified in the whey fraction of human breast milk. TBGw coeluted with serum TBG, as determined by Bio-Gel P-100 chromatography, and has an isoelectric point of 4.2-4.8, similar to that of serum TBG. The affinity constant of TBGw for T4 was similar to that of serum TBG(Ka, 1.54 +/- 0.38 X 10(9) M-1). Marked inhibition of TBGw binding of [125I]T4 was achieved by the addition of 1.5 X 10(-3) M 8-anilino-1-naphthalene-sulfonic acid. An albumin-like low affinity site (Ka, greater than 10(7) M-1) was also found. RIA of whey concentrates serially diluted in TBG-depleted serum indicated nearly identical binding curves for TBGw and TBG, with slopes of 2.33 (n = 15; r = 0.947) and 2.54 (n = 7; r = 0.996), respectively. Using a specific TBG RIA, a TBGw concentration of 0.29 +/- 0.08 microgram/ml (mean +/- SD) in breast milk (n = 26) was determined. Paired serum and whey specimens from individuals between 6 and 20 weeks of lactation were analyzed by TBG RIA; in these individuals, mean serum TBG concentrations were 25.0 +/- 3.4 micrograms/ml (n = 7); corresponding TBGw levels were 0.26 +/- 0.08 micrograms/ml (n = 7), i.e. approximately 1% of serum levels. Nonetheless, linear regression analysis of the data revealed no significant correlation between serum and whey TBG concentrations in these individuals.
Chemical hysteresis in phase transitions in the terbium oxide-oxygen system

A thermogravimetric study of hysteresis in the TbO/sub x/--O$sub 2$ system has provided insight into phase transitions occurring among the fluorite- related rare earth oxides. A series of isobaric scanning loops at 380 torr have been made. The scans were between TbO$sub 1$.$sub 5$(phi) and TbO$sub 1$.$sub 714$(l) at higher temperatures and between TbO$sub 1$.$sub 714$(l) and TbO$sub 1$.$sub 81$$sub 8$(delta) at lower temperatures. Corresponding isobaric studies were made utilizing high temperature x-ray powder diffraction to augment the TGA experiments. It was confirmed that sections of the lower temperature loop were dependent on the rate of temperature change while the higher temperature loop was entirely reproducible. Interior scanning loops made within the lower hysteresis loop showed univariant behavior typical of a single phase when reversed in the delta'delta pseudophase region, otherwise it exhibited bivariant behavior. The upper hysteresis loop showed bivariant behavior throughout the interior of the loop. Some thermodynamic aspects and the microdomain concept as applied to hysteresis are also considered. (auth)
Analysis of fat necrosis after adjuvant high-dose-rate interstitial brachytherapy for early stage breast cancer

Abstract Purpose To report the incidence and potential predictors of fat necrosis in women with early stage breast cancer treated with adjuvant high-dose-rate (HDR) multicatheter interstitial brachytherapy. Methods and Materials Between 2003 and 2010, 238 treated breasts in 236 women were treated with accelerated partial breast irradiation using HDR interstitial brachytherapy. Selection criteria included patients with Tis–T2 tumors measuring ≤3 cm, without nodal involvement, who underwent breast-conserving surgery. Ninety-nine percent of treatments were to a total dose of 34 Gy. The presence and severity of fat necrosis were prospectively recorded during followup. Cosmesis was qualitatively scored in all patients. Cosmesis was quantitatively measured via the percentage breast retraction assessment in 151 cases. Results Median followup was 56 months. The crude rate of fat necrosis was 17.6%. The rate of symptomatic fat necrosis was 10.1%. In univariate analysis, acute breast infection and anthracycline-based chemotherapy, number of catheters, volume encompassed by the prescription isodose, volume encompassed by the 150% isodose (V150), volume encompassed by the 200% isodose, and integrated reference air kerma were significantly associated with fat necrosis. There was significant collinearity between the brachytherapy-related factors; of these, V150 was most predictive. In multivariate analysis, only V150 was significantly associated with fat necrosis. At 3 years, patients with fat necrosis were more likely to have a fair or poor cosmetic outcome and a larger percentage breast retraction assessment. Conclusions Mammary fat necrosis is a common adverse event after breast-conserving surgery and HDR interstitial brachytherapy. Fat necrosis is associated with worse qualitative and quantitative cosmetic outcomes. Minimizing exposure volumes, such as V150, may decrease the incidence of fat necrosis and improve cosmesis.
Environmental Enrichment Reverses Histone Methylation Changes in the Aged Hippocampus and Restores Age-Related Memory Deficits

A decline in long-term memory (LTM) formation is a common feature of the normal aging process, which corresponds with abnormal expression of memory-related genes in the aged hippocampus. Epigenetic modulation of chromatin structure is required for proper transcriptional control of genes, such as the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf) and Zif268 in the hippocampus during the consolidation of new memories. Recently, the view has emerged that aberrant transcriptional regulation of memory-related genes may be reflective of an altered epigenetic landscape within the aged hippocampus, resulting in memory deficits with aging. Here, we found that baseline resting levels for tri-methylation of histone H3 at lysine 4 (H3K4me3) and acetylation of histone H3 at lysine 9 and 14 (H3K9,K14ac) were altered in the aged hippocampus as compared to levels in the hippocampus of young adult rats. Interestingly, object learning failed to increase activity-dependent H3K4me3 and di-methylation of histone H3 at lysine 9 (H3K9me2) levels in the hippocampus of aged adults as compared to young adults. Treatment with the LSD-1 histone demethylase inhibitor, t-PCP, increased baseline resting H3K4me3 and H3K9,K14ac levels in the young adult hippocampus, while young adult rats exhibited similar memory deficits as observed in aged rats. After environmental enrichment (EE), we found that object learning induced increases in H3K4me3 levels around the Bdnf, but not the Zif268, gene region in the aged hippocampus and rescued memory deficits in aged adults. Collectively, these results suggest that histone lysine methylation levels are abnormally regulated in the aged hippocampus and identify histone lysine methylation as a transcriptional mechanism by which EE may serve to restore memory formation with aging.
A physicalist rejoinder to some problems with omniscience; or, how God could know what we know

A certain objection to belief in God is based on the intrinsic incoherence of the concept of Divine Being or God. In particular, it questions the major traditional characteristic, notably omniscience, and its relation to omnipotence, moral unassailability, and absence of embodiment on the part of the Divine Being. In this paper, an attempt is made to counter this objection by an appeal, not to natural theology, but rather to physicalism in its application to human beings, and by extension to the possible consistency of God’s omniscience with the other divine attributes, which philosophers such as Michael Martin have found to be mutually inconsistent and therefore wanting.
Ganglioside GM1-mediated transcytosis of cholera toxin bypasses the retrograde pathway and depends on the structure of the ceramide domain.

Cholera toxin causes diarrheal disease by binding ganglioside GM1 on the apical membrane of polarized intestinal epithelial cells and trafficking retrograde through sorting endosomes, the trans-Golgi network (TGN), and into the endoplasmic reticulum. A fraction of toxin also moves from endosomes across the cell to the basolateral plasma membrane by transcytosis, thus breeching the intestinal barrier. Here we find that sorting of cholera toxin into this transcytotic pathway bypasses retrograde transport to the TGN. We also find that GM1 sphingolipids can traffic from apical to basolateral membranes by transcytosis in the absence of toxin binding but only if the GM1 species contain cis-unsaturated or short acyl chains in the ceramide domain. We found previously that the same GM1 species are needed to efficiently traffic retrograde into the TGN and endoplasmic reticulum and into the recycling endosome, implicating a shared mechanism of action for sorting by lipid shape among these pathways. Background: Mechanisms for intracellular lipid sorting remain poorly understood. Results: Polarized epithelial cells sort ganglioside GM1, the receptor for cholera toxin, into distinct retrograde and transcytotic pathways, provided that GM1 contains ceramide domains with short or unsaturated fatty acid chains. Conclusion: Sphingolipid sorting depends on ceramide structure, implicating a mechanism for lipid sorting by lipid shape. Significance: The results identify a lipid-sorting pathway across epithelial barriers with clinical applications.
An Optomechanical Oscillator on a Silicon Chip

The recent observation on radiation-pressure-driven self-sustained oscillation in high- Q optical microresonators has created new possibilities for development of photonic devices that benefit from unique functionalities offered by these ?optomechanical oscillators? (OMOs). Here, we review the physics, fundamental characteristics, and potential applications of OMOs using the silica microtoroidal OMO as an example.
Cellular localization of activated N-WASP using a conformation-sensitive antibody

The main regulators of Arp2/3 activity appear to be N-WASP and the other members of the Scar/WAVE family of proteins. We show here that after EGF stimulation, N-WASP is recruited to the nucleation zone of the dynamic leading edge compartment of carcinoma cells, with maximal recruitment of N-WASP within 1 min after EGF stimulation. The timing of N-WASP recruitment mirrors the timing of barbed-end formation at the leading edge. To determine the cellular activation of N-WASP after EGF stimulation, we made a conformation-sensitive antibody (CSA) against the CRIB domain of N-WASP that is predicted to recognize N-WASP in its open, active conformation, but not in its closed, inactive conformation. The ability of CSA to detect only active N-WASP was demonstrated by in vitro experiments using immunoprecipitation of active N-WASP from EGF-stimulated cells and Cdc42 activation of N-WASP activity. In cell staining experiments, N-WASP is maximally accessible to CSA 40 sec after EGF stimulation and this activated N-WASP is in the nucleation zone. These results indicate that active N-WASP is present at the leading edge of lamellipods, an unexpected finding given its reported involvement in filopod formation. This work establishes the feasibility of using antibodies directed against specific conformations or epitopes with changing accessibilities as a window on the status and localization of activity. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 59:141–152, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Netherton syndrome: report of two Taiwanese siblings with staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome and mutation of SPINK5

Summary Netherton syndrome (NS) is a severe autosomal recessive ichthyosis. It is characterized by congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma, trichorrhexis invaginata, ichthyosis linearis circumflexa, atopic diathesis and frequent bacterial infections. Pathogenic mutations in SPINK5 have recently been identified in NS. SPINK5 encodes lymphoepithelial Kazal-type-related inhibitor (LEKTI), a new type of serine protease inhibitor involved in the regulation of skin barrier formation and immunity. We report two Taiwanese brothers with NS. The patients had typical manifestations of NS with an atopic diathesis and recurrent staphylococcal infections, including staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome (SSSS) since birth. Horny layers were obtained by skin surface biopsy for electron microscopy from lesional skin of both patients and from normal controls. All 33 exons and flanking intron boundaries of SPINK5 were amplified for direct sequencing. The ultrastructure of the stratum corneum (SC) was characterized by premature degradation of corneodesmosomes (CDs) with separation of corneocytes. A homozygous 2260A T (K754X) mutation of SPINK5 was found in both patients. Staphylococcal exfoliative toxin A (ETA) is a serine protease capable of cleaving desmoglein 1, an important adhesive molecule of CDs, and can cause separation of the SC, resulting in SSSS. The premature degradation of CDs found in our patients may be attributable to insufficient LEKTI, and possibly also to colonization/infection of ETA-producing Staphylococcus aureus. Mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of the skin barrier defect in NS are proposed. Further study is needed to prove this hypothesis.
Single-cycle collective communication over a shared network fabric

In the multicore era, on-chip network latency and throughput have a direct impact on system performance. A highly important class of communication flows traversing the network is collective, i.e., one-to-many and many-to-one. Scalable coherence protocols often leverage imprecise tracking to lower the overhead of directory storage, in turn leading to more collective communications on-chip. Routers with support for message forking/aggregation have been previously demonstrated, supporting such protocols. However, even with the fastest possible designs today (1-cycle routers), collective flows on a k×k mesh still incur delays proportional to k since all communication is across the entire chip. As k increases across technology generations, the latency of these flows will also go up. However, the pure wire delay to cross the chip is just 1–2 cycles today, and is expected to remain roughly invariant. The dependence of message delays on k arises due to the requirement to latch messages at every router. In this work, we remove this requirement.We design a network fabric that enables messages to (1) dynamically create virtual 1-to-Many (multicast) and Many-to-1 (reduction) tree routes over a physical mesh, (2) get forked/aggregated at nodes on the tree, and (3) traverse the tree - all within a single-cycle across each dimension. For synthetic 1-to-Many/Many-to-1 flows, we demonstrate 76/82% reduction in latency, and 1.6/2X improvement in throughput over a state-of-the-art NoC with 1-cycle routers and support for collective communication. Across a suite of SPLASH-2 and PARSEC benchmarks, full-system runtime and energy is reduced by 14% and 50% for a limited-directory protocol.
Detection beyond the Debye screening length in a high-frequency nanoelectronic biosensor.

Nanosensors based on the unique electronic properties of nanotubes and nanowires offer high sensitivity and have the potential to revolutionize the field of Point-of- Care (POC) medical diagnosis. The direct current (dc) detection of a wide array of organic and inorganic molecules has been demonstrated on these devices. However, sensing mechanism based on measuring changes in dc conductance fails at high background salt concentrations, where the sensitivity of the devices suffers from the ionic screening due to mobile ions present in the solution. Here, we successfully demonstrate that the fundamental ionic screening effect can be mitigated by operating single-walled carbon nanotube field effect transistor as a high-frequency biosensor. The nonlinear mixing between the alternating current excitation field and the molecular dipole field can generate mixing current sensitive to the surface-bound biomolecules. Electrical detection of monolayer streptavidin binding to biotin in 100 mM buffer solution is achieved at a frequency beyond 1 MHz. Theoretical modeling confirms improved sensitivity at high frequency through mitigation of the ionic screening effect. The results should promise a new biosensing platform for POC detection, where biosensors functioning directly in physiologically relevant condition are desired.
A Theory of Interdecadal Climate Variability of the North Pacific Ocean–Atmosphere System*

Abstract A linear coupled model for the atmosphere–upper-ocean system is proposed to highlight the mechanisms of decadal to interdecadal climate variability in the North Pacific. In this model, wind stress anomalies over the North Pacific are related to anomalies in the meridional temperature gradient of the upper ocean. The latter depends upon air–sea thermodynamical feedbacks and meridional heat transport by upper-ocean currents. Slow adjustment of the oceanic gyre circulation to the change in wind stress is accomplished by the forced baroclinic oceanic Rossby waves, which carry out the meridional heat transport. Uncoupled ocean dynamic adjustment can produce a weak decadal to interdecadal peak in the power spectrum of the meridional transport under temporal white noise wind stress forcing with organized spatial structure. Coupled dynamics produce a basin-scale interdecadal oscillatory mode. This mode arises from the dynamic coupling and the memory of the system, residing in the slow gyre circulation ad...
Phase equalisation of analogue magnetic recorders by transversal filtering

The `time-reversed-impulse-response? method of phase equalisation is explained theoretically. Experimental results are presented, showing the impulse response of an analogue magnetic recorder before and after phase equalisation. The transversal-filter equaliser (32-tap analogue delay line of 320 ?s length) is adjusted in the time domain so that actual phase-response measurements are not necessary.
Decline in pesticide poisonings in the United States from 1995 to 2004.

Background. Trends in rates of unintentional pesticide illnesses and injuries by type were estimated for the United States from 1995 to 2004. Methods. Poison Control Center data were examined for the years 1995 through 2004. Rates were calculated for pesticide type and selected pesticide classes based on estimated total United States population and proportion of population served. Pesticides as a proportion of poisonings to all substances over the years and vital statistics on deaths were examined to validate trends. Results. Incidence rates of serious pesticide poisonings and injuries have declined 42% from 1995 to 2004 and death rates declined 62% over the same period. Selected, more toxic pesticides such as organophosphate and carbamate insecticides, strychnine rodenticides, and paraquat herbicides have shown greater declines, ranging 63% to 79%. Conclusions. Pesticide poisonings and injuries appear to have declined in the past decade.
Reviews of Books and Reports

Book reviewed in this article: Aaron J, Strasser M: Driving Task Instruction. Samuels H: Mental Health. Wortis J: Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Gilchrist R, Roberts B: Curriculum Development: A Humanized Systems Approach. Piper T: Classroom Management and Behavioral Objectives. Rhodes CR, Head S: A Study of Child Variance. Siegler M, Osmond H: Models of Madness, Models of Medicine. The Volta Review. Numbers M: My Words Fell on Deaf Ears.
Dynamics of a helium repetitively pulsed nanosecond discharge

Empirical study of repetitively pulsed nanosecond discharges (RPNDs) on time scales relevant to their formation is notably difficult. Here, we present measurements of the metastable dynamics in a helium RPND with a time resolution of 5 ns at 1.0, 4.0 and 8.0 Torr. A detailed global model is developed in which the applied electric field is chosen to match the measured metastable densities. This approach results in predictions of the local electric fields and the evolution of the electron densities and temperatures. The estimated electric fields in the bulk of plasma range from 150–350 Td, and the peak electron temperatures range from 11–75 eV. The large temperatures necessary for the simulations to match the observed metastable densities may indicate a distribution function far from equilibrium. Experimental and simulation results indicate a delay between the applied field and the peak excitation and ionization rates, likely a consequence of the finite rate coefficients. Finally, evidence is provided to suggest that that optimization of electron production is mutually exclusive with that of the metastables.