cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Immune response of the blue gourami, Trichogaster trichopterus, to infectious pancreatic necrosis (IPN) virus

Abstract The immune response of a tropical fish (blue gourami - Trichogaster trichopterus ) to IPN virus was studied. The fish serum protein was found to have similar fractions as rat serum, namely gamma, beta, alpha and albumin. No significant differences were detected between the per cent of serum protein of the IPN-injected experimental fish and the HBSS-injected controls. However, the gamma fraction of the IPN-injected experimental fish had anti-IPN anti-bodies which successfully protected RTG-2 cells from IPN virus for 120 hours.
Architecture of Intracoronary Thrombi in ST-Elevation Acute Myocardial Infarction

Patient 1, a 46-year-old man, and patient 2, a 53-year-old man, both current smokers, were admitted to our center 60 minutes and 6 hours, respectively, after the onset of a first episode of ST-elevation inferior wall acute myocardial infarction. Neither of the patients had a prior history of heart disease or any risk factor for coronary artery disease other than a history of smoking. Both underwent coronary angiography with a transradial approach, revealing single-vessel disease consisting of a TIMI grade 0 occlusion of the proximal right coronary artery (Figure 1A and Figure 2A). Both patients received 500 mg IV aspirin, 300 mg …
The Physics of the Atmosphere

The study of air pollution begins with an understanding of the physical principles. The laws of thermodynamics and motion are introduced in this chapter. The atmosphere's energy comes from the sun and the earth's rotation. Incoming solar radiation is absorbed or reflected by the earth; as such the air moves and transports air pollutants. The troposphere's stability, mixing, heat exchange, horizontal movement, and circulation determine the extent and severity of air pollution.
Isoscalar E 0 , E 1 , E 2 , and E 3 strength in Mo 94

Isoscalar giant resonances in $^{94}\mathrm{Mo}$ have been studied with inelastic scattering of 240 MeV \ensuremath{\alpha} particles at small angles including 0\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}. All of the expected energy-weighted sum rule (EWSR) for the isoscalar $E0$ resonance was found (112%). A significant portion of the EWSR was found for the isoscalar $E1$ (83%), $E2$ (61%), and the high-energy octupole $E3$ (46%) resonances. The strength distributions are compared with the predictions from Hartree-Fock random-phase-approximation calculations with the KDE0v1 Skyrme-type interaction.
Towards a Reliable Detection of Covert Timing Channels over Real-Time Network Traffic

Inter-packet delays (IPD) of legitimate network traffic can be exploited for information hiding purposes and distribution of secret and sensitive data. This process is known as Covert Timing Channel (CTC), which is usually used for malicious purposes. In this paper we propose a novel approach, CTC Real-Time Detection (CTCRTD) to detect such activities based on IPD distributions of network traffic. We present and leverage three different non-parametric statistical tests that can be used to generate distinct statistical test scores for overt and covert traffic IPDs. Our new detection approach is designed around two major benefits: First, the new detection approach can detect various CTC algorithms that have similar impact on network traffic IPD distributions. Second, our detection approach reliably detects covert communication over real-time network traffic with minimal lag between the start of covert activity and the point of detection. We have evaluated and verified the reliability and effectiveness of our detection approach utilizing a large number of overt and covert traffic streams and various scenarios of the proposed detection technique. The obtained results show that the new detection approach can precisely differentiate between overt and covert network traffic and detect covert communication activities over 90 percent of time on average.
Origins and applications of the Montroll-Weiss continuous time random walk

The Continuous Time Random Walk (CTRW) was introduced by Montroll and Weiss in 1965 in a purely mathematical paper. Its antecedents and later applications beginning in 1973 are discussed, especially for the case of fractal time where the mean waiting time between jumps is infinite.
What Makes Research Useful for Public School Educators

In this study, we explored the extent to which educators discuss and prioritize Rogers' (Diffusion of innovations, The Free Press: New York, 1995) five attributes of innovations-relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, observability, and trialability-in the context of research use. Using a directed content analysis of 54 semi-structured interviews and exemplar quotes, we describe how educators mentioned compatibility most frequently, but also commonly invoked observability and complexity in their discussions of research use. Our results also revealed key differences between educators in executive and non-executive roles. We discuss the implications of our findings for closing the research-practice gap in school-based mental health services and psychosocial interventions.
Linear self-assembly formation between gold nanoparticles and aminoglycoside antibiotics.

Abstract Ribostamycin is a broad-spectrum aminoglycoside antibiotic with a molecular weight of 454.5 g/mol. Under neutral pH conditions, ribostamycin is highly positive charged because it carries multiple amino groups in its structure. Negatively charged citrate ligand capped-gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been studied extensively for their interactions with a wide range of biomolecules including proteins, carbohydrates, and small drug compounds. These studies are aimed at developing new therapeutics and diagnostics by exploiting the unique properties of gold nanoparticles. Under this general aim, we studied the interaction between ribostamycin and AuNPs. Using a suite of analytical techniques including dynamic light scattering (DLS), UV–vis absorption spectroscopy, and dark field optical microscope imaging (DFM), we analyzed the mixture products of AuNPs with various sizes and ribostamycin under different concentrations. Our study revealed for the first time that ribostamycin has a tendency to self-assemble into linear oligomers at increased concentrations (above 250–500 μM). Such self-assembled oligomers then interact with negatively charged AuNPs to produce rod-like AuNP assemblies. Similar findings were observed from another structurally related aminoglycoside antibiotic, amikacin. It is technically challenging to detect and characterize oligomer formation of small molecules. It is especially challenging when the interactions that are holding the oligomers are not very strong. Through their interaction with gold nanoparticles that have exceptionally strong light scattering properties, we were able to observe the self-assembling of ribostamycin and amikacin in solution using various spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. This concentration-dependent self-assembling behavior of ribostamycin and amikacin may have direct relevance to the antibiotic effect of ribostamycin, amikacin and other structurally similar antibiotics.
Tumor-Specific Rejection Associated with Killed Corynebacterium parvum

Undoubtedly, the injection of immunostimulant adjuvants, such as the living attenuated strain of Mycobacterium bovis (commonly known as BCG) and killed Corynebacterium parvum vaccine, has been known to protect experimental animals against tumor growth subsequent to the inoculation of tumor cells. Subsequent studies by Zbar et al. (1970) revealed that BCG totally prevented tumor cells from growing in recipients, provided the BCG was admixed with the living tumor cells prior to their intradermal inoculation in the recipients. BCG was also observed to result in the destruction of tumor cells if it was infiltrated directly into established growing intradermal [at a site that promotes tumor growth, as well as rejection (Gross, 1943)] nodules (Zbar et al.,1971). However, BCG was ineffective if the microorganisms were killed prior to injection or if they were injected into the host at sites other than the transplanted tumor itself. (Bartlett et al., 1972). Reproducible results were obtained only in intradermal tumors which had not involved more deeply, nor formed metastases. Efficacy also required well-functioning and responsive immune systems in the host (Zbar, 1972).
Obstruction of the Large and Small Intestine

This article provides an overview of mechanical small and large bowel obstruction with emphasis on newer diagnostic and therapeutic surgical techniques. Small and large intestinal pseudo-obstruction is discussed with reference to its diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
Best practice management of CINV in oncology patients: II. Antiemetic guidelines and rationale for use

Antiemetic guidelines for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) are important to provide a framework for evidence-based care. Attention and adherence to guidelines can help to close the gap between practitioner prediction and patient experience of CINV. Recent updated recommendations have provided guidance on appropriate use of standard-of-care antiemetics--aprepitant, palonosetron, and other serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) type 3 (5-HT3) receptor antagonists and dexamethasone. Guidelines are also important, in that their use is often tied to Medicare or other third-party payment. Limitations of guidelines include an absence of provisions for moving patients up the risk ladder for CINV when they have a poor response to recommended antiemetic treatment, as well as an absence of recommendations for treatment beyond the first cycle of antiemetic therapy. Further work is needed to improve evidence-based care in CINV, including studies focusing on delayed CINV and studies in the palliative-care setting.
Viscosity Measurements of Fresh and Heat Stressed Frying Oil at High Temperatures

A capillary viscometer and a computer controlled, convective air bath were used to examine the kinematic viscosity of four frying oils at various levels of degradation. Viscosity was measured at 170, 180, and 190°C after 0, 12, 24, and 36 hours of frying. All oil samples showed an increase in viscosity with increased time of frying. A decrease in viscosity was seen with increasing temperature, within each degradation time. Free fatty acid (FFA) content and total polymer content were tested as a means of measuring the levels of oil degradation. FFA values were highly correlated with viscosity.
Ultrafast Ellipsometry of Coherent Processes and Exciton-Exciton Interactions in Semiconductors

The femtosecond time-resolved polarization state of the four-wave-mixing signal from a multiple quantum well exhibits a continuously varying ellipticity and a real-time rotation of the polarization ellipse at negative time delays that are dramatically different from those observed at positive delays and that are consistent with the inclusion of both many-body interactions and biexcitonic effects.
The Finite-Element Method Applied to a Time-Dependent Flowband Model

The finite-element technique as applied to a 1-D flowband model of an ice sheet is described, as well as several modeling experiments to demonstrate the power of this technique.
Membrane Ca2+ Permeability and Calcium Antagonistic Effects in Resistance Vessels of Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

This study compares resting and stimulated 45Ca entry in vitro in mesenteric resistance vessels (MRV) of Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). The stimulating agent used was norepinephrine (NE). The results show clearly that Ca2+ influx into smooth muscle cells from resistance vessels was much higher in the SHR than in the WKY rats. Potential sensitive Ca2+ channels (PSC) and receptor-operated Ca2+ channels (ROC) may possibly be involved, although there is as yet no evidence for the existence of ROC in MRV in the rat. Further investigations are now needed to establish whether the enhanced stimulated Ca2 + entry is related causally to increased peripheral resistance, i.e., whether it occurs in vivo and what temporal relation it has to the onset of hypertension. Mechanistically, it remains to be established which aspect of channel function is involved in the enhanced Ca2 + entry, and how this is connected with cation stabilization of smooth muscle plasmalemmae in hypertensive individuals.
Laws, Regulations, and Organizations

Compliance with licensing rules plays an important role in the operation of any nuclear facility. A number of other organizations have evolved to provide technical information, develop standards, protect against diversion of nuclear materials, improve nuclear power operations, and perform private research and development. This chapter discusses the Atomic Energy Acts. The first law in the U.S. dealing with control of nuclear energy was the Atomic Energy Act of 1946. Issues of the times were involvement of the military, security of information, and freedom of scientists to do research. The federal government through the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has the authority to license and regulate nuclear facilities of all types, from a multireactor power station down to isotope research in an individual laboratory. The Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation of the NRC requires applicants for a reactor license to submit a detailed safety analysis report and an environmental report. These documents provide the basis for issuance of a construction permit, and later when the plant is completed, an operating license. The process involves several steps. Once a plant is licensed, the Office of Inspection and Enforcement has oversight. The nuclear operations are subject to continual scrutiny by the resident inspector and periodic inspection by teams from the regional NRC office. Training of operating personnel goes on continuously, with one shift in training while the other shifts running the plant. The chapter also discusses The Energy Policy Act of 1992, which provides comprehensive national goals and requirements on energy efficiency and generation.
Select Advances in Infectious Disease Chemotherapy: Review for Emergency Department Practitioners

We provide an overview of new chemotherapy agents for the treatment of bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic infections with indications, contraindications, and side effects for each. Some of them have been restricted for use only by subspecialists, possibly limiting emergency physicians’ comfort with prescribing these medications. We also review some new and promising agents that have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration as of this writing. As new antibiotics are approved and widely used, postmarketing surveys uncover important findings with respect to the drugs’ efficacy, drug interactions, and side effects. The fact that these agents are intended to definitively cure diseases which may in some cases prove lethal makes it imperative for clinicians to stay abreast of developments in infectious disease. Conversely, the fact that these medications are prescribed for limited periods of time in order to prove curative and to prevent the development of resistance poses financial challenges to the pharmaceutical industry. This article provides the emergency department clinicians with a summary of novel antimicrobials and their relevance to the practice of clinical and emergency medicine, as well as highlighting recent research into the topic.
Visual crowding effect in the parvocellular and magnocellular visual pathways.

The crowding effect, defined as the detrimental effects of nearby items on visual object recognition, has been extensively investigated. Previous studies have primarily focused on finding the stage(s) in the visual hierarchy where crowding starts to limit target processing, while little attention has been focused on potential differences between the parvocellular (P) and magnocellular (M) pathways in crowding mechanisms. Here, we investigated the crowding effect in these parallel visual pathways. In Experiment 1, stimuli were designed to separately engage the P or M pathway, by tuning stimulus and background features (e.g., temporal frequency and color) to activate the targeted pathway and saturate the other pathway, respectively. Results showed that at the same eccentricity and with the same tasks, targets processed in the M pathway appeared to be more vulnerable to crowding effect. In Experiment 2, crowding effects were studied using three different types of stimuli and visual tasks (form, color, and motion), presumably with different degrees of dependence on the P and M pathways. Results revealed that color, motion, and form discrimination were increasingly more affected by crowding. We conclude that processing in the M and P pathways are differentially impacted by crowding; and importantly, crowding seems to affect processing of spatial forms more than other stimulus properties.
Post Kidney Transplant: Malignancies

Post kidney transplant cancer occurrence is widely recognized. Effect of viral infections, induction and immunosuppressive maintenance regimen remains controversial. Cancer remains one of the main leading causes of death with functioning allograft. This chapter highlights epidemiology, pathogenesis and most common cancers after kidney transplantation.
Impaired Neutrophil Mechanoregulation by Fluid Flow: A Potential Contributing Factor for Microvascular Dysfunction in Obesity

In this chapter, we discuss evidence that potentially implicates impaired neutrophil responses to shear stress as a putative factor in obesity-related cardiovascular disease. We do so by presenting evidence connecting obesity with microvascular disorders due to chronic inflammation and highlighting this link in the setting of hypertension and hypercholesterolemia. Furthermore, the potential impact of neutrophils on these obesity-related disease processes is discussed. Notably, both hypertension and hypercholesterolemia are associated with a deficiency in the neutrophil responsiveness to fluid shear stress. In this regard, we define the neutrophil responses to shear stress exposure and how these responses may play a role in microvascular function under physiological conditions as well as how their impairment may result in microcirculatory dysfunction. Finally, we point to data consistent with an impaired neutrophil shear sensitivity being a manifestation of obesity, particularly as it relates to hypertension and hypercholesterolemia. In this regard, we aim to suggest a novel perspective; specifically, that impaired neutrophil shear sensitivity precedes a chronic inflammatory state and serves as a putative source of obesity-related pathobiology.
Differential Responsiveness of Monocyte and Macrophage Subsets to Interferon.

OBJECTIVE Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients exhibit a gene expression program (interferon [IFN] signature) that is attributed to overproduction of type I IFNs by plasmacytoid dendritic cells. Type I IFNs have been thought to play a role in the pathogenesis of SLE. This study was undertaken to examine an unexpected influence of monocyte/macrophages on the IFN signature. METHODS Proinflammatory (classic) and antiinflammatory (nonclassic) monocyte/macrophages were sorted from mice and analyzed by RNA sequencing and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Type I IFN-α/β/ω receptor (IFNAR-1) expression was determined by qPCR and flow cytometry. Macrophages were stimulated in vitro with IFNα, and pSTAT1was measured. RESULTS Transcriptional profiling of peritoneal macrophages from mice with pristane-induced SLE unexpectedly indicated a strong IFN signature in classic, but not nonclassic, monocyte/macrophages exposed to the same type I IFN concentrations. Ifnar1 messenger RNA and IFNAR surface staining were higher in classic monocyte/macrophages versus nonclassic monocyte/macrophages (P < 0.0001 and P < 0.05, respectively, by Student's t-test). Nonclassic monocyte/macrophages were also relatively insensitive to IFNα-driven STAT1 phosphorylation. Humans exhibited a similar pattern: higher IFNAR expression (P < 0.0001 by Student's t-test) and IFNα-stimulated gene expression (P < 0.01 by paired Wilcoxon's rank sum test) in classic monocyte/macrophages and lower levels in nonclassic monocyte/macrophages. CONCLUSION This study revealed that the relative abundance of different monocyte/macrophage subsets helps determine the magnitude of the IFN signature. Responsiveness to IFNα signaling reflects differences in IFNAR expression in classic (high IFNAR) compared to nonclassic (low IFNAR) monocyte/macrophages. Thus, the IFN signature depends on both type I IFN production and the responsiveness of monocyte/macrophages to IFNAR signaling.
The Evolving Role of Brentuximab Vedotin in Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma

The arrival of the CD30 directed antibody-drug conjugate, brentuximab vedotin (BV), has altered the approach to patients with classical Hodgkin lymphoma. Since initial approval in 2011, BV has been extensively studied in previously untreated and relapsed/refractory patients. Treatment indications for the antibody-drug conjugate have been expanded from the previously treated population to include maintenance therapy after autologous stem cell transplantation and recently, combination with chemotherapy in newly diagnosed advanced stage patients. This article will review the evolution of BV in classical Hodgkin lymphoma, detailing the studies that led to the approved indications and discussion of recent trials in combination with chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
Separation of Spin and Charge Transport in Pristine π-Conjugated Polymers.

We have experimentally tested whether spin-transport and charge-transport in pristine $\ensuremath{\pi}$-conjugated polymer films at room temperature occur via the same electronic processes. We have obtained the spin diffusion coefficient of several $\ensuremath{\pi}$-conjugated polymer films from the spin diffusion length measured by the technique of inverse spin Hall effect and the spin relaxation time measured by pulsed electrically detected magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The charge diffusion coefficient was obtained from the time-of-flight mobility measurements on the same films. We found that the spin diffusion coefficient is larger than the charge diffusion coefficient by about 1--2 orders of magnitude and conclude that spin and charge transports in disordered polymer films occur through different electronic processes.
Binary/Ternary Logic Applications for Systems Programming and Reversible Computing

A binary/ternary system differs from a pure or standard ternary system by emphasizing the interplay between binary and ternary data. In this paper we use binary/ternary constructs in three ways: first, to efficiently construct reversible two-valued binary gates, second, to define machine-level operations that may be used in systems or low-level programming applications, and thirdly, to arithmetic circuits. These separate points combine to give a multi-faceted view of possible applications of the binary/ternary approach.
Eccentric Sensing: Exploring Ubiquity, Distribution, and Autonomy in Everyday Sensing Technologies

This project presents a series of objects that use commercially available smart products to speculatively explore opportunities, limitations, and concerns with future everyday sensing technologies. Through the creation of eccentric sensing devices that anchor speculation in existing consumer IoT devices [1,2], this projects extrapolates three key trends in data-driven interaction design: ubiquity, distribution, and autonomy of everyday sensing devices. The following pages provide an overview of three sets of ecentric sensing experiments. The exhibition will present a combination of visual proposals and operational devices exploring several themes including intimacy, concealment, intrusion, dispersion, and unpredictability with smart sensing systems. The exhibition of operational devices will focus on the theme of "unpredictable autonomy"-a theme aligned with the DIS 2020 conference theme of "more than human centered design."
Abstract P206: Improvement Of Autonomic Function, Sleep, Depression, Anxiety, And Stress In Military Personnel With Traumatic Stress After Use Of A Closed Loop Neurotechnology

Introduction: Symptoms associated with military-related traumatic stress (MTS) include insomnia, depression, anxiety, and impaired autonomic control. High-resolution, relational, resonance-based, e...
The computer science of molecular programming

Computer science has its historical roots in mathematical logic and electrical engineering. However it quickly evolved into a separate discipline with its own methods for describing and controlling aspects of reality not addressed by its predecessors. This talk will examine ways in which computer science concepts-including abstraction, modularity, state, universality, concurrency, safety, specifications, verification, complexity, and randomness-are contributing to the development of molecular programming.
First-Mover Advantage

First-mover advantage, or pioneering advantage, refers to the notion that being the first firm to pursue an opportunity is associated with long-term competitive advantage. This discussion explores the concept of first-mover advantage from economic, behavioral, and empirical perspectives. Arguments and counterarguments offered by each perspective are examined. The review suggests that despite being accepted as conventional wisdom, evidence in support of first-mover advantage is inconclusive. However, a nuanced approach examining contingency effects on the pioneering–performance relationship might be able to resolve some of the past inconsistencies, and add clarity to the issue of first-mover advantage in the future. Keywords: first-mover advantage; pioneering advantage; pioneering; late entrants; order of entry
A new formulation of relativistic quantum field theory

Quantum field theory is reformulated in sucha manner that a complete set of ocillators for modes with both positive and negative energies are introduced. The theory leads to the proper connection between spin and statistics as in the standard formulation, but it implements the time reversal transformation and the TCP transformation as linear unitary transformations. Negative energy particles in the initial states are identified with antiparticles in the final state with reversed motion (andvice versa) as far as scattering amplitudes are concerned. A covariant perturbation theory is developed which yields scattering amplitudes which are essentially the same as in the usual theory.
Smart CARS: optimized development of a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell targeting epidermal growth factor receptor variant III (EGFRvIII) for glioblastoma.

In a recent issue of the journal Science Translational Medicine , Dr. Johnson and our colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania reported on the rational development and characterization of humanized anti-epidermal growth factor receptor variant III (EGFRvIII) chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells for glioblastoma (1). In this article, the authors describe the successful preclinical validation of a highly-selective humanized anti-EGFRvIII CAR T cell product that is currently employed in a phase I trial open at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California San Francisco for patients with glioblastoma (NCT02209376).
MITOCHONDRIAL DNA EVOLUTION IN MICE

ABSTRACT This study extends knowledge of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) diversity in mice to include 208 animals belonging to eight species in the subgenus Mus. Highly purified mtDNA from each has been subjected to high-resolution restriction mapping with respect to the known sequence of one mouse mtDNA. Variation attributed to base substitutions was encountered at about 200 of the 300 cleavage sites examined, and a length mutation was located in or near the displacement loop. The variability of different functional regions in this genome was as follows, from least to most: ribosomal RNA, transfer RNA, known proteins, displacement loop and unidentified reading frames.—Phylogenetic analysis confirmed the utility of the Sage and Marshall revision of mouse classification, according to which there are at least four species of commensal mice and three species of aboriginal mice in the complex that was formerly considered to be one species. The most thoroughly studied of these species is Mus domesticus , the house mouse of Western Europe and the Mediterranean region, which is the mitochondrial source of all 50 of the laboratory strains examined and of the representatives of wild house mice introduced by Europeans to North and South America during the past few hundred years.—The level of mtDNA variation among wild representatives of ( M. musculus ) and several other mammalian species. By contrast, among the many laboratory strains that are known or suspected to stem from the pet mouse trade, there is little interstrain variation, most strains having the "old inbred" type of domesticus mtDNA, whose frequency in the 145 wild mice examined is low, about 0.04. Also notable is the apparent homogeneity of mtDNA in domesticus races that have fixed six or more fused chromosomes and the close relationship of some of these mtDNAs to those of karyotypically normal mice.—In addition, this paper discusses fossil and other evidence for the view that in mice, as in many other mammals, the average rate of point mutational divergence in mtDNA is 2-4% per million years. From this, it is estimated that the commensal association between mice and our ancestors began more than a million years ago, i.e. , at an early stage in the evolution of Homo erectus .
Role of intracellular free Ca(II) and Zn(II) in dexamethasone‐induced apoptosis and dexamethasone resistance in human leukemic CEM cell lines

The levels of intracellular free Ca(II) and Zn(II) during dexamethasone (dex)-induced apoptosis in CEM cell lines were determined by 19F nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), using the fluorinated intracellular chelator 1,2-bis-(2- amino-5-fluorophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (5-FBAPTA). The effects of these divalent metal ions on growth rate and DNA degradation were evaluated. Measurements were done on one dex-sensitive (CEM-C7) and three different dex-resistant variants (CEM-C1, CEM-4R4, and CEM-ICR27). Dex caused a continuous increase in the Ca(II) level in dex-sensitive CEM-C7 cells, while in CEM-C1 cells dex caused an initial increase in the Ca(II) level which in approximately 36 h was restored to its normal value. The intracellular Ca(II) level in CEM-4R4 cells was not significantly affected by dex, while that of CEM-ICR27 cells decreased after dex incubation. Only the dex-sensitive CEM-C7 cells showed dex-induced DNA degradation. An intracellular free Zn(II) level of approximately 1 nM was measured for the dex-resistant CEM-C1 cells. No detectable level of intracellular Zn(II) was found in the other cell lines. Incubation with < 100 microM Zn(II) did not inhibit dex-induced apoptosis in CEM-C7 cells (e.g., DNA degradation). Treatment with approximately 250 microM Zn(II) caused significant decrease in growth rate in all cell lines and prevented dex-induced DNA degradation in CEM-C7 cells. A calibrated amount of Ca(II) ionophore (A23187), used to increase Ca(II) concentrations up to the dex-induced levels, did not induce DNA degradation in CEM-C7 or CEM-C1 cells. While elevation of intracellular Ca(II) by itself is not sufficient to initiate apoptosis in CEM-C7 cells, the results reported here suggest that Ca(II) is involved in the killing mechanism as a secondary factor. The combination of dex and ionophore caused significant DNA degradation in CEM-C1 cells, which normally showed resistance to each compound individually. The combination of dex and the Zn(II) chelator phenanthroline also caused extensive DNA degradation in the normally dex-resistant CEM-C1 cells, suggesting that Zn(II) plays a role in the dex resistance of these cells.
THE LONG-TERM LIGHT CURVE OF THE CATACLYSMIC VARIABLE V794 AQUILAE

The 1990-2012 light curve of the nova-like (NL) cataclysmic variable V794 Aql is studied in order to characterize and better understand the transitions to and from the faint state, and the variations within the bright state. Investigations of earlier portions of this data had concluded that the transitions to the low state were much slower than the rapid recovery, giving a sawtoothed appearance to the light curve. This behavior differs from that of most other VY Scl stars, which led to an interpretation of the large amplitude sawtooths as being due to an accretion disk (AD) instability. However, more recent photometry strongly suggests that the bright state itself has transitions of 1-1.5 mag, and that earlier studies had intermixed these bright state variations with the transitions to the low state. These newly recognized variations within the bright state sometimes appear as small outbursts (OBs) with typical amplitudes of 0.5-1.5 mag and spacings of ~15-50 days. The rise times of the OBs are 2-3 times faster than the decline times. We argue that the V794 Aql bright state variations are due to AD behavior similar to that seen in dwarf novae, but with varying degrees of stability. Similar regular small OBs have also been reported in other NL CVs, which we compare with V794 Aql. The true deep low states in V794 Aql appear to be normal, having transition speeds and shapes very similar to the transitions in other VY Scl stars.
From Attributions to Dispositional Inferences: Patterns of Korean Students

Abstract The research reported here evaluated from a self-presentional perspective the cultural norms concerning attributional accounts of college students in Korea, then used these norms to predict the attributional patterns of a similar group of Korean college students. The combined results of two studies demonstrated the potential of a self-presentational perspective to explain cross-cultural variations in attributional patterns by incorporating empirical information on cultural norms in the prediction process. In Study 1, a field experiment, students were asked to make dispositional inferences about a person who had filled out an Attributional Style Questionnaire (ASQ; Peterson et al., 1982) in one of four patterns: egotistic, self-effacing, internal, or external. From the results of this study, it was predicted that the mean attributional style of Korean students would be relatively internal and neither strongly egotistic nor self-effacing. These hypotheses were supported in Study 2 with a new sample...
Prior and Posterior Robust Stochastic Predictions for Dynamical Systems using Probability Logic

An overview is given of a powerful unifying probabilistic framework for treating modeling uncertainty, along with input uncertainty, when using dynamic models to predict the response of a system during its design or operation. This framework uses probability as a multivalued conditional logic for quantitative plausible reasoning in the presence of uncertainty due to incomplete information. The fundamental probability models that represent the system’s uncertain behavior are specified by the choice of a stochastic system model class: a set of input–output probability models for the system and a prior probability distribution over this set that quantifies the relative plausibility of each model. A model class can be constructed from a parametrized deterministic system model by stochastic embedding which utilizes Jaynes’ principle of maximum information entropy. Robust predictive analyses use the entire model class with the probabilistic predictions of each model being weighted by its prior probability, or if response data are available, by its posterior probability from Bayes’ theorem for the model class. Additional robustness to modeling uncertainty comes from combining the robust predictions of each model class in a set of competing candidates weighted by the prior or posterior probability of the model class, the latter being computed from Bayes’ theorem. This higher-level application of Bayes’ theorem automatically applies a quantitative Ockham razor that penalizes the data-fit of more complex model classes that extract more information from the data. Robust predictive analyses involve integrals over high-dimensional spaces that usually must be evaluated numerically by Laplace’s method of asymptotic approximation or by Markov chain Monte Carlo methods. These computational tools are demonstrated in an illustrative example involving the vertical dynamic response of a car being driven along a rough road.
A merry-go-round decoding scheme for non-binary quasi-cyclic LDPC codes

This paper presents a reduced-complexity iterative scheme and an algorithm for decoding non-binary quasi-cyclic (QC) LDPC codes of a specific type. The proposed decoding scheme and the algorithm together significantly reduce the hardware implementation complexity of a decoder with no performance degradation. Also presented in the paper is a simple method for constructing a class of non-binary QC-LDPC codes.
Pathological complete response in breast cancer patients following neoadjuvant chemotherapy at a Comprehensive Cancer Center: The natural history of an elusive prognosticator

Given the prognostic significance of pathological complete response (pCR) to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, we sought to chronicle the clinical course of breast cancer patients whose tumors exhibited pCR at our institution. We retrospectively reviewed 5,533 cancer center patients treated for a first primary breast cancer between March, 1999 and September, 2010 to identify those who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy that resulted in pCR (i.e., no residual invasive malignancy in the breast or axilla). The descriptive statistics of treatments received, recurrence, morbidity and mortality as of October, 2013 were reported. Of the 5,533 patients reviewed, 86 met the inclusion criteria. The mean age at diagnosis was 48 years [standard deviation (SD), 9.4 years] and the mean length of follow-up was 68 months (SD, 27 months). The majority of the patients underwent axillary lymph node dissection (ALND; n=60, 69.8%), received adjuvant radiation therapy (XRT; n=72, 83.7%), had poorly differentiated (grade 3) tumors (n=74, 86.1%) and had pure ductal histology (n=74, 86.1%). A total of 5 patients (5.8%) developed disease recurrence. All the patients who recurred had grade 3 tumors with ductal histology and underwent ALND for known pre-neoadjuvant-treatment lymph node metastases; none received adjuvant chemotherapy. A total of 4 patients (4.7%) succumbed to the disease, 3 due to breast cancer recurrence <18 months following the initial diagnosis. Recurrence following pCR was rare, but when it did occur, time- to-recurrence was short at <18 months. All the patients who recurred and eventually succumbed to breast cancer had axillary metastases at diagnosis, indicating that axillary disease is a major negative prognostic factor in patients who achieve pCR following neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
New soybean oil–styrene–divinylbenzene thermosetting copolymers. v. shape memory effect

A series of new shape memory polymers are synthesized by the cationic copolymerization of regular soybean oil, low saturation soybean oil (LoSatSoy oil), and/or conjugated LoSatSoy oil with styrene and divinylbenzene, norbornadiene, or dicyclopentadiene initiated by boron trifluoride diethyl etherate or related modified initiators. The shape memory properties of the soybean oil polymers are characterized by the deformability (D) of the materials at temperatures higher than their glass-transition temperatures (Tg), the degree to which the deformation is subsequently fixed at ambient temperature (FD), and the final shape recovery (R) upon being reheated. It is found that a Tg well above ambient temperature and a stable crosslinked network are two prerequisites for these soybean oil polymers to exhibit shape memory effects. Good shape memory materials with high D, FD, and R values are prepared by controlling the crosslink densities and the rigidity of the polymer backbones. The advantage of the soybean oil polymers lies in the high degree of chemical control over the shape memory characteristics. This makes these materials particularly promising in applications where shape memory properties are desirable. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 84: 1533–1543, 2002; DOI 10.1002/app.10493
Efficacy of N-methanocarbathymidine in treating mice infected intranasally with the IHD and WR strains of vaccinia virus.

Abstract N -Methanocarbathymidine [( N )-MCT] is a newly identified inhibitor of orthopoxvirus replication in cell culture and in mice. Limited published animal studies indicated the compound is effective by intraperitoneal (i.p.) route at 10–100 mg/(kg day). More extensive studies using different treatment regimens in intranasally infected mice were conducted in order to further explore the potential of this compound compared to cidofovir in treating vaccinia virus infections. ( N )-MCT was given twice a day for 7 days, whereas cidofovir was administered once a day for 2 days, each starting 24 h after virus exposure for most experiments. ( N )-MCT was not toxic up to 1000 mg/(kg day) by the i.p. treatment route. Oral and i.p. treatment regimens with ( N )-MCT were directly compared during a vaccinia virus (IHD strain) infection, indicating that the nucleoside has good oral bioavailability in mice. Treatments by i.p. route with ( N )-MCT (100 mg/(kg day)) reduced lung, nasal, and brain virus titers during an IHD virus infection, but not nearly to the same extent as i.p. cidofovir (100 mg/(kg day)). Treatment with both compounds decreased liver, spleen, and kidney virus titers, as well as reduced lung consolidation scores and lung weights. Onset of treatment could be delayed by 2 days with ( N )-MCT and by 3 days with cidofovir, providing significant survival benefit during the IHD virus infection. Against a vaccinia virus (WR strain) infection in mice, i.p. ( N )-MCT treatment prevented death at 500 mg/(kg day), which was comparable in activity to i.p. cidofovir (100 mg/(kg day)). Significant reductions in tissue virus titers occurred with both treatment regimens. ( N )-MCT could be further pursued for its potential to treat orthopoxvirus infections in humans.
Physical observations in the plume region of the Amazon River during peak discharge—III. Currents

Abstract Current measurements from an array of moored current meters at 15 and 32 m water depths in the Amazon plume region at 4°N during the period of peak discharge are described. Principal variability occurred at semi-diurnal (tidal), 1–2 day (event), and week to 10 day periods. Interpretation within the context of observed hydrographic gradients and identified water masses indicates an offshore flow regime with a mean current along-shelf northwestward and an inshore flow regime with a mean current component across-shelf seaward. Surface plume mixing events and minimal tidal modulation are characteristic of the inshore regime and the upper water column offshore. Upwelling and significant tidal modulation are associated with the lower water column offshore. Current meandering and/or development effect longer period (week to 10 day) fluctuations in both regimes. In the frontal zone between regimes, interleaving and mixing are important processes.
Traumatic bilateral renal artery thrombosis: Pitfalls in computed tomographic diagnosis

Traumatic bilateral renal artery thrombosis (BRAT) is a rare injury that requires rapid recognition to optimize the chances for successful revascularization. The computed tomographic (CT) findings of BRAT may not be readily appreciated, since the injury potentially results in symmetrically diminished nephrograms. When CT is performed in the setting of acute trauma, particularly when using fast or spiral scanning techniques, bilateral renal contrast excretion into the collecting systems must be documented to ensure renal perfusion. When the CT diagnosis is equivocal, CT-angiography or conventional renal angiography is indicated.
Non-negative residual matrix factorization: problem definition, fast solutions, and applications

Matrix factorization is a very powerful tool to find graph patterns, e.g. communities, anomalies, etc. A recent trend is to improve the usability of the discovered graph patterns, by encoding some interpretation-friendly properties (e.g., non-negativity, sparseness, etc) in the factorization. Most, if not all, of these methods are tailored for the task of community detection.We propose NrMF, a non-negative residual matrix factorization framework, aiming to improve the interpretation for graph anomaly detection. We present two optimization formations and their corresponding optimization solutions. Our method can naturally capture abnormal behaviors on graphs. We further generalize it to admit sparse constrains in the residual matrix. The effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed algorithms are analyzed, showing that our algorithm (i) leads to a local optima; and (ii) scales to large graphs. The experimental results on several data sets validate its effectiveness as well as efficiency. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Statistical Analysis and Data Mining 5: 3–15, 2012, © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Research was sponsored by the Army Research Laboratory and was accomplished under Cooperative Agreement Number W911NF-09-2-0053. It is continuing through participation in the Anomaly Detection at Multiple Scales (ADAMS) program sponsored by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) under Agreement Number W911NF-11-C-0200. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the Army Research Laboratory or the U.S. Government. The U.S. Government is authorized to reproduce and distribute reprints for Government purposes notwithstanding any copyright notation here on.)
Low Sensitivity for the Metabolic Syndrome to Detect Uric Acid Elevations in Females and Non-Hispanic-Black Male Adolescents: An Analysis of NHANES 1999-2006

Background Uric acid is tightly linked to the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and among adults higher uric acid levels are associated with future risk for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and renal disease.
Photochemical dynamics of Mg + -acetaldehyde: C-H vs. C-C bond activation pathways

Abstract We have investigated the chemical dynamics of Mg + -acetaldehyde bimolecular complexes following Mg + -centered (3p←3s) excitation. Non-reactive dissociation to Mg + is the dominant decay channel. However, excitation in the 3pσ(A ′ )←3sσ(A ′ ) band also results in reactive dissociation to MgH + , MgCHO + , and MgCH 3 + products, showing a clear σ-like electronic orbital alignment preference for chemical quenching. Isotope substitution shows reaction involves a direct attack on the aldehydic C–H or C–C bonds; the relative product branching indicates that the probabilities for C–H and C–C bond cleavage are comparable.