cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Anisotropy in Thermoacoustic Imaging of Single Crystals

The origins of the contrast observed in thermoacoustic imaging of material microstructure has received attention since the first such images were presented by CARGILL [1]. Two types of contrast are typically observed in images showing grain structure in metals — the contrast at the grain boundaries and the contrast between the grain interiors. Other possible sources of contrast in thermoacoustic images of microstructure include second phase structures such as martensite [2] and the presence of plastic deformation [3]. The contrast at the grain boundaries has been shown to be dependent on the thermal diffusion length in the material [4], but there has been much discussion as to whether the origin of the contrast between grain interiors has a thermal or an elastic origin. Observations by DAVIES and HOWIE [5] showed that bright grains (large thermoacoustic signal) in an electron-acoustic image of a Cu-Zn-Al specimen tended to have orientations close to [110] and [111] in the standard stereographic triangle while the dark grains (smaller signal) tended towards a [100] orientation. ROSENCWAIG and OPSAL [6] developed an expression for the ratio of the thermoelastic displacements in the [100] and [110] directions in a cubic single crystal and find that this ratio is dependent on the degree of elastic anisotropy and predict a greater displacement in the [100] direction.
Tales of Three Tigers: A 50-Year Career-Shaping Journey Chasing Swallowtail Butterflies

Having retired (in 2010) as professor emeritus at Michigan State University, Mark Scriber’s time is now spent on recollections of a research career in entomology, with a focus on swallowtail butterflies of the world. For this purpose, a lighthouse was constructed at his family’s lakeside home on Waikiki Street in Aloha, MI. Here, the study of historical and currently emerging aspects of the North American tiger swallowtail butterfly evolution could be continued in retirement. According to a local authority (Harold Fox, an 88-year-old neighbor, living in a nearby log cabin), all lighthouses need a name. The name that emerged was “Papa-Leo” (for Grandpa Mark and his birth sign, Leo), which in conjunction is pronounced “Papilio” (the genus of many swallowtail butterflies, including the North American tiger swallowtails). The 3-story, 36-ft high lighthouse was actually a compromise from Mark’s lifelong “dream tree house,” largely because the emerald ash borer had just reached these Northern Michigan forests, and the 120-ft high ash trees in the yard were in serious jeopardy. This construction also put the foundation under his “Castle in the sky….”
Study of network QoS

It is important for the Internet to provide QoS guarantee. This paper introduces the main QoS technologies in current networks, including IntServ, DiffServ, MPLS and traffic engineering. These technologies are correlative with each other and need to work together to provide the end to end QoS.
Effect of the Imagination Library on caregiver–child literacy interactions and school readiness: findings from two quasi-experimental propensity score studies

ABSTRACTThe paper reports findings of two quasi-experimental, propensity score matched (PSM) studies on the effects of Imagination Library (IL). IL is a community book-distribution program targeting improved caregiver–child literacy interactions, which are hypothesized to lead to increased school readiness – consisting of improved emergent literacy skills and social-emotional school readiness. In Study One, interviews were used to examine proximal increases in the quality of child–caregiver literacy interactions with 112 PSM families (IL = 56; non-IL = 56). Small effects were observed in Study One favoring IL families on reading interactions (d = .043). In Study Two, 378 PSM kindergarten students (IL = 189; non-IL = 189) were compared with regard to standardized tests of emergent literacy skills and social-emotional school readiness – distal outcomes of IL. No effects were observed in Study Two. Taken together, these two studies run counter to prior reports on the effects of IL and suggest that more must ...
Characterizing Focused-Ultrasound Mediated Drug Delivery to the Heterogeneous Primate Brain In Vivo with Acoustic Monitoring

Focused ultrasound with microbubbles has been used to noninvasively and selectively deliver pharmacological agents across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) for treating brain diseases. Acoustic cavitation monitoring could serve as an on-line tool to assess and control the treatment. While it demonstrated a strong correlation in small animals, its translation to primates remains in question due to the anatomically different and highly heterogeneous brain structures with gray and white matteras well as dense vasculature. In addition, the drug delivery efficiency and the BBB opening volume have never been shown to be predictable through cavitation monitoring in primates. This study aimed at determining how cavitation activity is correlated with the amount and concentration of gadolinium delivered through the BBB and its associated delivery efficiency as well as the BBB opening volume in non-human primates. Another important finding entails the effect of heterogeneous brain anatomy and vasculature of a primate brain, i.e., presence of large cerebral vessels, gray and white matter that will also affect the cavitation activity associated with variation of BBB opening in different tissue types, which is not typically observed in small animals. Both these new findings are critical in the primate brain and provide essential information for clinical applications.
Do androgens contribute to the extent of genotoxic damage within the prostate

B151 Previously, we have reported the utility of two non-invasive predictors of prostatic DNA damage: toenail selenium concentration and the sensitivity of peripheral blood lymphocytes to oxidative stress challenge. To further understand what factors contribute to the accumulation of DNA damage within the prostate, we tested the hypothesis that intraprostatic androgens are strongly associated with the extent of prostatic DNA damage. This hypothesis was tested in a population of 69 elderly male beagle dogs that had completed a 7-month randomized feeding trial to achieve the broad range of dietary selenium status observed in U.S. men. At the end of the treatment period, prostatic DNA damage was measured using alkaline Comet assay and dogs were subdivided into tertiles: low, medium, and high prostatic damage. Intraprostatic concentration of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) as well as serum testosterone were determined for each dog using radioimmunoassay. Stepwise logistic regression was used to determine the relationship between intraprostatic testosterone and DHT concentration, and high prostatic damage. Dogs in the highest tertile of intraprostatic DHT were 4.6 times more likely to have high prostatic DNA damage than dogs in the lowest tertile of intraprostatic DHT (95% confidence interval = 0.96-21.9). When intraprostatic DHT was fit into a multivariate model including toenail selenium concentration and sensitivity of lymphocytes to oxidative stress challenge, it yielded the strongest predictive result (area under ROC curve = .82). In contrast, serum testosterone was not a significant predictor of high prostatic DNA damage. Moreover, serum testosterone was only weakly correlated with intraprostatic concentration of testosterone (r2 = .036) and DHT (r2 = .086). In conclusion, our data are consistent with the idea that intraprostatic androgens contribute to genotoxic damage within the prostate. However, serum testosterone does not provide a reliable non-invasive predictor of prostatic DNA damage.
Assessment of the inheritance of resistance and tolerance in cherry (Prunus sp.) to Blumeriella jaapii, the causal agent of cherry leaf spot

Cherry leaf spot (CLS), caused by Blumeriella jaapii, is a serious fungal disease of sour cherry (Prunus cerasus) where ‘Montmorency’, the major cultivar grown in the United States, is highly susceptible. As many as 10 fungicide sprays can be required each growing season to combat this disease; therefore, developing CLS-resistant cultivars is a top breeding priority. Germplasm previously reported to be resistant or tolerant to CLS was acquired and incorporated into the sour cherry breeding program at Michigan State University (MSU) and includes three cherry species: sour cherry, sweet cherry (P. avium), and the wild species P. canescens. This study aimed to (i) compare the CLS disease progression profile of the susceptible cultivar ‘Montmorency’ with those of the resistant and tolerant germplasm, and (ii) gain an understanding of the inheritance of these resistance and tolerance traits by evaluating the host response of progeny individuals belonging to families derived from this germplasm. Significant differences were observed between the susceptible ‘Montmorency’ and the tolerant and resistant accessions in their response to CLS and its progression during the growing season. Evaluation of the CLS host responses of progeny individuals derived from this germplasm supported a dominant two gene model for P. canescens derived resistance and a recessive gene model for sweet cherry derived tolerance. These insights into disease progression and trait inheritance improve the efficiency and potential success of breeding sour cherry cultivars with durable resistance to CLS. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Environmental correlates of urban dog bites: A spatial analysis

ABSTRACTTo be able to design effective urban public health programs to reduce the risk of dog bites and transmission of disease, the very complex factors that lead to bites need to be considered holistically. This research focuses specifically on the role of spatial and environmental factors as urban public health risks. In doing this, it addresses the following research questions:(1) What are the relative powers of traditional demographic versus environmental variables in explaining dog bites?(2) Do different areas of the city evidence different correlates of bites?The answer to the first is that despite a long tradition in the literature, demographic variables do a relatively poor job of explaining variation in the rates of emergency room visits due to dog bites. Rather, environmental and spatial variables, particularly crime, vacancy, and blight, are better predictors of dog bites than traditional demographic variables such as age and gender. However, even the best-fitting regression model leaves dog b...
Head and Neck Ultrasound

Using point-of-care ultrasound to evaluate head and neck pathology is a relatively new and evolving entity. One of the more routine but common indications to perform this exam is to assess for and assist with incision and drainage of a peritonsillar abscess. However, there are other areas of interest such as the thyroid gland, parotid gland, and carotid artery. In addition, assessing for proper endotracheal tube location can now be done immediately following intubation using ultrasound techniques. While head and neck ultrasound may be intimidating to the novice sonographer, the technical skills needed to obtain and interpret these images are quite simple due superficial and easy-to-identify structures. Therefore, with minimal practice, one can become an expert in head and neck ultrasound. This chapter will review indications to perform a head or neck ultrasound, basic anatomy, image acquisition, normal ultrasound anatomy, and interpretation of pathology.
Tangible Performance Management of Grid-based Laptop Orchestras.

Laptop Orchestras (LOs) have recently become a very popular mode of musical expression. They engage groups of performers to use ordinary laptop computers as instruments and sound sources in the performance of specially created music software. Perhaps the biggest challenge for LOs is the distribution, management and control of software across heterogeneous collections of networked computers. Software must be stored and distributed from a central repository, but launched on individual laptops immediately before performance. The GRENDL project leverages proven grid computing frameworks and approaches the Laptop Orchestra as a distributed computing platform for interactive computer music. This allows us to readily distribute software to each laptop in the orchestra depending on the laptop’s internal conguration, its role in the composition, and the player assigned to that computer. Using the SAGA framework, GRENDL is able to distribute software and manage system and application environments for each composition. Our latest version includes tangible control of the GRENDL environment for a more natural and familiar user experience.
A phase II study of TR105 in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who have progressed on sorafenib.

e15177 Background: CD105, also known as endoglin, is an endothelial cell membrane receptor that is highly expressed on tumor vasculature, including HCC. CD105 is essential for angiogenesis and its ...
Diop and the African Origin of Civilization An Afrocentric Analysis

This article provides an Africalogical examination of the central thesis of Cheikh Anta Diop's (1974) African Origin of Civilization: Myth or Reality: that "ancient Egypt was a Negro civilization" (p. xiv). This thesis, which has upset the world of Egyptology, constitutes one of the bases of the epistemological differences between Africalogists and Africanists. Diop's work belongs to the growing body of research that attests to the African origin of Egyptian civilization. The understandable anger that this has provoked among some Western scholars and the ambivalence of some African scholars are hardly surprising, for Diop's work raises profound questions about the integrity of Western Egyptology. It makes us wonder if those who are now crying wolf about the "political tone" of Africalogy are actually the ones whose scholarship has been tainted by politics from the very beginning. Was Western Egyptology a political construct in many respects, or was it the product of value-free research? How does Western "truth," as it applies to Egyptology, differ from other "truths"? Maybe we can fall back on Napoleon, who defined Western truth as "a set of myths upon which we all agree" (Hilliard, 1990). To what extent was Western Egyptology tainted by Napoleon's brand of truth? We cannot help asking these questions in the face of Diop's work and other findings, especially given the fact that today we can still identify, in academic circles, reflections of Napoleon's definition of Western truth.
Liquid Milk Products | Liquid Milk Products: UHT Sterilized Milks

In-container sterilized milk products have been available since the late 19th Century, and sterilized concentrated milk was very popular in the first half of the 20th Century; it is still produced fairly widely for certain applications. Sterilization of unconcentrated milk at ultra-high temperatures (UHT) was commercialized around 1960 and the product is produced widely, especially in southern Europe. The quality and stability of in-container or UHT-sterilized milk are affected by several compositional, processing, and storage factors, the principal ones of which are described in this article.
Effect of the administration of an ovulatory dose of HCG on the subcellular distribution of follicular protein kinase.

Most protein hormones initate a biological response in their target cells by initially binding to a membrane-localized receptor, thereby activating adenylyl cyclase and raising intracellular levels of cAMP. Currently, the only known manner in which cAMP can mediate cellular function is through cAMP-dependent protein kinases (PK). cAMP has been shown to activate cAMP-dependent PK by binding to the regulatory subunit of the inactive holoenzyme, thereby releasing the active, cAMP-insensitive catalytic subunit which can catalyze the transfer of phosphate form ATP to cellular protein (1). Presumably, the phosphorylation of specific cellular protein(s) regulates cellular activity in such a way that the known hormonal response ensues.
Effectiveness of Environmentally Friendly Retting Techniques on Industrial Hemp

With the passage of the federal 2014 Farm Bill, which allows state department of agriculture and land grant universities conduct industrial hemp related research, more than 20 states around the U.S. have passed legislation regarding this. Interests have been growing from various stakeholders in understanding more about the planting and applications of industrial hemp. Due to the lack of research on fiber extraction processes that separate fibers from binding material in the stem and produce fibers with high cellulose content, hemp fibers have not been utilized in apparel industry as widely as other natural cellulose fibers. In this study, three environmentally friendly retting techniques on industrial hemp fibers were investigated for their effectiveness. They were enzyme, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), and enzyme/EDTA combination. Treated hemp fibers were evaluated by weight, chemical composition, thermal properties, and surface morphology.
Investigation of turbulence thermal blooming interaction using the split-step beam propagation method

This study uses the split-step beam propagation method (BPM) to look at the Monte Carlo statistics associated with increasing strengths of turbulence and steady state thermal blooming (SSTB). To help quantify the strength of the turbulence and SSTB, the analysis makes use of two parameters: the analytical log-amplitude variance and the distortion number. These parameters simplify greatly given horizontal-propagation paths with constant index-of-refraction structure coefficients and extinction coefficients. As such, the goal throughout is to characterize the impact of turbulence thermal blooming interaction (TTBI) in terms of multiple metrics of interest. These metrics include the spatial-structure function, magnitude of the complex degree of coherence, and log-amplitude variance. The results show that the presence of thermal blooming causes the log- amplitude variance to increase significantly from the theoretical value. This outcome leads to an interesting trade-space analysis with respect to TTBI.
Mark J. Bruhn, Wordsworth Before Coleridge: The Growth of the Poet’s Philosophical Mind, 1785-1797

Review by Adam Potkay (The College of William & Mary) of Mark J. Bruhn, Wordsworth Before Coleridge: The Growth of the Poet’s Philosophical Mind, 1785-1797 . New York: Routledge, 2018. Pp. 179. £115. ISBN 9781138486447.
Supporting the on‐call primary care physician with community paramedicine

Prior to being referred to the emergency department (ED), patients such as the frail elderly often call their primary care physician. However, the on-call primary care physician or covering provider does not always have the tools to make an accurate and safe assessment over the phone or to treat patients remotely. This often results in preventable transport to an ED, avoidable admissions and iatrogenic events. An opportunity exists to reduce unnecessary ED referrals by enhancing the capabilities of the on-call primary care physician. In this communication, we describe the development of a community paramedicine programme that supports on-call primary care providers managing a high-risk patient population with the goal of reducing avoidable ED referrals.
A Progressive Web Application on Ancient Roman Empire Coins and Relevant Historical Figures with Graph Database

In the past years, information and computer technologies have radically changed cultural heritage sceneries. Cultural heritage institutions have faced challenges: extracting from heterogeneous data sources, requiring techniques for system improvements and designing better functions and interfaces to promote user experiences. To enhance user experience, many organizations and researchers engage in merging advanced technologies to cultural heritage digitization to leverage knowledge both with their organization and external users. In this report, we describe a process beginning from refining datasets of Roman coins and historical figures to a final progressive web application. We present the main technologies that support the digital cultural heritage system to presents a collection of interesting information to users.
Evapotranspiration depletes groundwater under warming over the contiguous United States

A warmer climate increases evaporative demand. However, response to warming depends on water availability. Existing earth system models represent soil moisture but simplify groundwater connections, a primary control on soil moisture. Here we apply an integrated surface-groundwater hydrologic model to evaluate the sensitivity of shallow groundwater to warming across the majority of the US. We show that as warming shifts the balance between water supply and demand, shallow groundwater storage can buffer plant water stress; but only where shallow groundwater connections are present, and not indefinitely. As warming persists, storage can be depleted and connections lost. Similarly, in the arid western US warming does not result in significant groundwater changes because this area is already largely water limited. The direct response of shallow groundwater storage to warming demonstrates the strong and early effect that low to moderate warming may have on groundwater storage and evapotranspiration. New hydrological simulations show for the first time how sensitive groundwater and surface water connections are to systematic warming across the continental United States. The authors here show a clear reduction in subsurface water storage under a warming climate and intensified aridification of north America.
Authoritarianism, Authority, and Representation

Representation is always a dynamic relation, a tatonnement, in which the represented adjust their preferences on the basis of beliefs induced by the representatives. All rulers—those selected in clean elections, those who hold such ceremonies without putting their power at stake, and those who do not even bother to hold them—claim to have reasons to be followed, and people are willing to follow them if they believe these are good reasons. Thus, individual preferences, “wills,”are influenced by the relation of representation. The controversial issue is whether the relation of representation can be assessed when preferences are endogenous, in particular when people are not exposed to a plurality of reasons.
David Blanchflower, Not Working: Where Have All the Good Jobs Gone?

Abstract. David Blanchflower, a leading international labor economist, challenges the prevailing view that there is robust economic recovery and provocatively illustrates that many workers remain underemployed. Not Working takes the novel approach to examine conditions in the labor market. Blanchflower considers both economic and non-economic aspects of the Great Recession. Keywords. Labor economics, Labor Policy, Labor teories. JEL. C92, E20, J00, J01, J08.
Probability and Statistical Modeling: Ti-6Al-4V Produced via Directed Energy Deposition

Additive manufacturing is a complex multi-parameter process. Electron beam additive manufacturing of titanium (Ti-6Al-4V), which consists of a multitude of layers of deposited metal, exhibits significant variability in many key aspects including composition, microstructure, and mechanical properties. When establishing methods to predict material properties of these builds, it is necessary to consider both geometry and microstructure. Specifically, the material property of interest is the yield stress. The constitutive equation that is used to predict the yield stress of specimens subjected to stress relief annealing in the α+β phase field has been developed previously. The yield stress equation contains random variables which are modeled with appropriate cumulative distribution functions that characterize their statistical observations. Subsequently, these distributions functions are incorporated into the physically based model using standard simulation techniques. The main purpose of this integrated modeling and statistical analysis is to begin to characterize the yield stress, especially in the extreme lower tail which is critical for high reliability estimation and prediction. To manage uncertainty and improve the estimation of the yield stress, an established methodology for calibration of the distribution function for the yield stress using experimental data is applied.
Partner influences on ICT use variety among middle-aged and older adults: The role of need for cognition

Abstract This exploratory study examined individual and dyadic predictors of variety of ICT use. Need for cognition is associated with engaging in a variety of intellectually stimulating practices and a prominent individual difference predictor of the types of ICTs people use. Participants were a subset of 542 heterosexual couples (N = 1084 individuals; 50% women; Mage = 63.65; 83.9% Caucasian) from the Health and Retirement Study with access to the internet. Individuals high in need for cognition were more likely to use ICTs for a variety of reasons. Being married to someone high in need for cognition was associated with a greater variety of ICT ownership, use of ICTs for financial/transactional activities, and use of ICTs for miscellaneous reasons (e.g., research), although these effects were relatively small and the evidence for partner effects was relatively weak according to the distribution of p-values. Partner effects were not significant for social technology or internet-enabling ICTs; cross-partner interactions provided suggestive evidence for compensatory partner effects of need for cognition. Findings are discussed with respect to the relational and contextual determinants of ICT use in older adulthood.
Using Meta-reasoning to Improve the Performance of Case-Based Planning

Case-based planning CBP systems are based on the idea of reusing past successful plans for solving new problems. Previous research has shown the ability of meta-reasoning approaches to improve the performance of CBP systems. In this paper we present a new meta-reasoning approach for autonomously improving the performance of CBP systems that operate in real-time domains. Our approach uses failure patterns to detect anomalous behaviors, and it can learn from experience which of the failures detected are important enough to be fixed. Finally, our meta-reasoning approach can exploit both successful and failed executions for meta-reasoning. We illustrate its benefits with experimental results from a system implementing our approach called Meta-Darmok in a real-time strategy game. The evaluation of Meta-Darmok shows that the system successfully adapts itself and its performance improves through appropriate revision of the case base.
Desensitization of contact allergy to DNFB in mice. III. Characteristics of immediate desensitization induced by haptenated spleen cells.

Abstract The immediate effects and mechanisms of desensitization of contact sensitivity to dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB) were investigated. Intravenous injection of dinitrophenol (DNP)-labeled syngeneic spleen cells caused significant antigen-specific inhibition (>40%) of the contact response within 24 hr in mice that had been sensitized 2 weeks prior to desensitization. With low concentrations of the hapten used for labeling, allogeneic spleen cells were found to be more efficient than syngeneic ones in inducing the down-regulation of the contact response. The most efficient desensitization was produced by DNP-cells that differed from the recipient at the MLS locus. Haptenated spleen cells induced the production of suppressor mechanisms, as spleen cells from animals desensitized with DNP-cells were able to down-regulate recipients in adoptive transfer and could block the passive transfer of contact sensitivity. Procedures that interfere with the development of suppressor cells e.g., cyclophosphamide and adult thymectomy, interfered with desensitization by DNP-cells. These results are in contrast to desensitization with soluble dinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (DNBS), where suppressor mechanisms have not been shown. The mechanisms for desensitization depend upon the form of the desensitizing antigen.
How CEOs, CIOs and CMOs see the technology future of corporate openness, customer individualization and innovation partnerships

Purpose – The authors have analyzed IBM surveys on evolving C-suite technology priorities over several years to find fresh opportunities for Chief Executive Officers (CEOs), Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) and Chief Information Officers (CIOs) to work closely together. Design/methodology/approach – This new study of evolving technology priorities is based on conversations with thousands of private and public sector C-suite executives participating in a series of IBM surveys over the past decade. Findings – The authors found that the major technology challenges facing corporations are how to manage openness across the organization, individualize customer relationships and invest in the partnership ecosystem for innovation. Research limitations/implications – This is a meta analysis based on a series of reports on IBM interviews with top executives starting in 2004. Practical implications – To achieve significant innovation, outperforming organizations are pursuing external partnerships. Increasingly partne...
The pedagogy of Short-Term Study-Abroad Programs

This paper focuses on establishing guidelines on the pedagogy of short term study abroad programs. This study follows 33 students who participated in a short-term study-abroad program to India with the researcher from 2006 through 2011. The study relies heavily on the student reflections and expressions as they experienced them. It is qualitative in nature. Focus groups were the main method of data collection, where participants were invited to reflect, express, and share their experiences with one another. This provided an opportunity for the participants to come together, relive their experiences, and help provide information as to how and what type of an influence this short-term study-abroad program provided.
Trading off solution cost for smaller runtime in DCOP search algorithms

Distributed Constraint Optimization (DCOP) is a key technique for solving multiagent coordination problems. Unfortunately, finding minimal-cost DCOP solutions is NP-hard. We therefore propose two mechanisms that trade off the solution costs of two DCOP search algorithms (ADOPT and BnB-ADOPT) for smaller runtimes, namely the Inadmissible Heuristics Mechanism and the Relative Error Mechanism. The solution costs that result from these mechanisms are bounded by a more meaningful quantity than the solution costs that result from the existing Absolute Error Mechanism since they both result in solution costs that are larger than minimal by at most a user-specified percentage. Furthermore, the Inadmissible Heuristics Mechanism experimentally dominates both the Absolute Error Mechanism and the Relative Error Mechanism for BnB-ADOPT and is generally no worse than them for ADOPT.
Spongiform encephalopathies. Breech-birth prions.

The neurodegeneration characteristic of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies is caused by changes in the metabolism of the prion protein (PrPC). In most cases, PrPC is converted to an abnormal protease-resistant form, PrPSc. But in some genetically inherited forms of the disease another abnormal form — CtmPrP — accumulates. A new study shows that CtmPrP may be a neurotoxic molecule that is common to both the genetic and acquired forms of prion diseases.
Correlation of tumor O6 methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase levels with survival of malignant astrocytoma patients treated with bis- chloroethylnitrosourea: a Southwest Oncology Group study

PURPOSEPrior studies show that increased levels of the DNA repair protein O6 methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT), also referred to as O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (AGT) correlate with the resistance of glioma cell lines to nitrosoureas. The observed nitrosourea sensitivity of MGMT-deficient lines (methyl excision repair negative [MER-]) and those repair-proficient lines pretreated with MGMT-specific inhibitors (eg, O6 benzylguanine) has raised the possibility that tumor MGMT levels may be an important predictor of survival in patients with gliomas.PATIENTS AND METHODSWe correlated the MGMT level in malignant astrocytoma tissues, obtained from patients treated with radiotherapy and bis-chloroethylnitrosourea (BCNU) on a prior prospective trial (Southwest Oncology Group [SWOG] 8737), with overall and failure-free survival.RESULTSOf 64 assessable patients with malignant astrocytoma (63% glioblastoma, 37% anaplastic astrocytoma), 64% had high (> 60,000 molecules/nucleus) MGMT levels. The overal...
Electrospun fibers as a scaffolding platform for bone tissue repair.

The purpose of the study is to investigate the effects of electrospun fiber diameter and orientation on differentiation and ECM organization of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs), in attempt to provide rationale for fabrication of a periosteum mimetic for bone defect repair. Cellular growth, differentiation, and ECM organization were analyzed on PLGA-based random and aligned fibers using fluorescent microscopy, gene analyses, electron scanning microscopy (SEM), and multiphoton laser scanning microscopy (MPLSM). BMSCs on aligned fibers had a reduced number of ALP+ colony at Day 10 as compared to the random fibers of the same size. However, the ALP+ area in the aligned fibers increased to a similar level as the random fibers at Day 21 following stimulation with osteogenic media. Compared with the random fibers, BMSCs on the aligned fibers showed a higher expression of OSX and RUNX2. Analyses of ECM on decellularized spun fibers showed highly organized ECM arranged according to the orientation of the spun fibers, with a broad size distribution of collagen fibers in a range of 40–2.4 μm. Taken together, our data support the use of submicron-sized electrospun fibers for engineering of oriented fibrous tissue mimetic, such as periosteum, for guided bone repair and reconstruction. © 2013 Orthopaedic Research Society Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 31:1382–1389, 2013
The Effect of Ignoring Classroom-Level Variance in Estimating the Generalizability of School Mean Scores.

Contemporary educational accountability systems, including state-level systems prescribed under No Child Left Behind as well as those envisioned under the “Race to the Top” comprehensive assessment competition, rely on school-level summaries of student test scores. The precision of these score summaries is almost always evaluated using models that ignore the classroom-level clustering of students within schools. This paper reports balanced and unbalanced generalizability analyses investigating the consequences of ignoring variation at the level of classrooms within schools when analyzing the reliability of such school-level accountability measures. Results show that the reliability of school means cannot be determined accurately when classroom-level effects are ignored. Failure to take between-classroom variance into account biases generalizability (G) coefficient estimates downward and standard errors (SEs) upward if classroom-level effects are regarded as fixed, and biases G-coefficient estimates upward and SEs downward if they are regarded as random. These biases become more severe as the difference between the school-level intraclass correlation (ICC) and the class-level ICC increases. School-accountability systems should be designed so that classroom (or teacher) level variation can be taken into consideration when quantifying the precision of school rankings, and statistical models for school mean score reliability should incorporate this information.
Attention training for reading impairment in mild aphasia: a follow-up study.

Non-linguistic cognitive skills have recently become an area of focus in aphasia research. One skill that has received in-depth investigation is the role of attention in language tasks. In applying the resource allocation theory to aphasic language deficits, researchers have described performance variablity in language tasks that may result from insufficient capacity, inefficient allocation, or inappropriate allocation of attentional resources (16). The present study was designed as a follow-up to a recent study examining direct attention training as a treatment for reading impairment in mild aphasia (3). A treatment program was implemented to target complex attention skills for an individual with mild reading difficulties secondary to aphasia. Results revealed modest gains in reading rate and comprehension. A decrease in the variability of comprehension of longer complex reading passages was noted, suggesting a more efficient allocation of the participant's attentional resources. The positive gains noted for this individual's reading skills were felt to be the result of improvement in allocation of attentional resources rather than improvement in linguistic skills. The findings of this study add to the growing body of literature pertaining to the value of expanding assessment and treatment protocols for individuals with aphasia to include both linguistic and cognitive measures.
Calculations of outage probabilities due to PMD using importance sampling

We have shown how importance-sampled Monte-Carlo simulations provide an efficient method for computing the tails of the differential group delay (DGD) probability distribution due to polarization-mode dispersion (PMD). We have also applied this technique to study PMD compensators with an arbitrarily rotatable polarization controller and a single, fixed DGD element, demonstrating that for realistic power penalties the optimal DGD value used in the compensator can be two to three times larger than the mean DGD.
Mechanisms for GroEL/GroES-mediated folding of a large 86-kDa fusion polypeptide in vitro

Our understanding of mechanisms for GroEL/GroES-assisted protein folding to date has been derived mostly from studies with small proteins. Little is known concerning the interaction of these chaperonins with large multidomain polypeptides during folding. In the present study, we investigated chaperonin-dependent folding of a large 86-kDa fusion polypeptide, in which the mature maltose-binding protein (MBP) sequence was linked to the N terminus of the alpha subunit of the decarboxylase (E1) component of the human mitochondrial branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase complex. The fusion polypeptide, MBP-alpha, when co-expressed with the beta subunit of E1, produced a chimeric protein MBP-E1 with an (MBP-alpha)2beta2 structure, similar to the alpha2 beta2 structure in native E1. Reactivation of MBP-E1 denatured in 8 M urea was absolutely dependent on GroEL/GroES and Mg2+-ATP, and exhibited strikingly slow kinetics with a rate constant of 376 M-1 s-1, analogous to denatured untagged E1. Chaperonin-mediated refolding of the MBP-alpha fusion polypeptide showed that the folding of the MBP moiety was about 7-fold faster than that of the alpha moiety on the same chain with rate constants of 1.9 x 10(-3) s-1 and 2.95 x 10(-4) s-1, respectively. This explained the occurrence of an MBP-alpha. GroEL binary complex that was isolated with amylose resin from the refolding mixture and transformed Escherichia coli lysates. The data support the thesis that distinct functional sequences in a large polypeptide exhibit different folding characteristics on the same GroEL scaffold. Moreover, we show that when the alpha.GroEL complex (molar ratio 1:1) was incubated with GroES, the latter was capable of capping either the very ring that harbored the 48-kDa (His)6-alpha polypeptide (in cis) or the opposite unoccupied cavity (in trans). In contrast, the MBP-alpha.GroEL (1:1) complex was capped by GroES exclusively in the trans configuration. These findings suggest that the productive folding of a large multidomain polypeptide can only occur in the GroEL cavity that is not sequestered by GroES.
Arsenite and Ferrous Iron Oxidation Linked to Chemolithotrophic Denitrification for the Immobilization of Arsenic in Anoxic Environments

The objective of this study was to explore a bioremediation strategy based on injecting NO3− to support the anoxic oxidation of ferrous iron (Fe(II)) and arsenite (As(III)) in the subsurface as a means to immobilize As in the form of arsenate (As(V)) adsorbed onto biogenic ferric (Fe(III)) (hydr)oxides. Continuous flow sand filled columns were used to simulate a natural anaerobic groundwater and sediment system with co-occurring As(III) and Fe(II) in the presence (column SF1) or absence (column SF2) of nitrate, respectively. During operation for 250 days, the average influent arsenic concentration of 567 μg L−1 was reduced to 10.6 (±9.6) μg L−1 in the effluent of column SF1. The cumulative removal of Fe(II) and As(III) in SF1 was 6.5 to 10-fold higher than that in SF2. Extraction and measurement of the mass of iron and arsenic immobilized on the sand packing of the columns were close to the iron and arsenic removed from the aqueous phase during column operation. The dominant speciation of the immobilized ...
Nonspecific cytotoxic cells of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) kill YAC-1 targets by both necrotic and apoptic mechanisms.

Nonspecific cytotoxic cells (NCC) have been identified in a number of fish species and are thought to be evolutionary progenitors of mammalian natural killer cells. We show here that trout NCC are functionally similar to cytotoxic cells of higher vertebrates in that they mediate cytotoxicity through both mechanisms of apoptosis and necrosis. To demonstrate that trout NCC inflict apoptic and necrotic lesions in tumor target cells, DNA fragmentation and 51chromium release assays were conducted using leukocytes isolated from peripheral blood, spleen, and anterior kidney. At effector-target ratios of 25:1, 50:1, 100:1, and 200:1, the release of thymidine-labeled DNA fragments and the release of 51chromium from YAC-1 target cells paralleled one another. Percent chromium release and DNA fragmentation increased when effector:target incubation times were extended from 4 to 18 h. As evidenced in agarose gels, the pattern of fragmentation induced by trout effector cells was identical to that produced by BALB/c NK cells. Similar to human and murine NK cells, trout NCC were maximally inhibited by 50 mM mannose-6-phosphate. Morphologic characteristics of rainbow trout NCC were examined using light and electron microscopy. Photomicrographs of effector:target cell mixtures after a 1 h incubation show NCC binding to target YAC-1 cells. Transmission electron micrographs of the conjugates revealed that the cells responsible for killing are small (4.2–4.5 μm), agranular mononuclear leukocytes.
Genetics of allergy and asthma.

Learning Objectives This article summarizes the latest information regarding the role of genetic influences in the development of allergic disorders and asthma and reviews our current information on some of the most likely genes responsible for these conditions. After reading this article, the reader will have a better understanding of the current molecular biologic techniques that are being used to understand complex genetic disorders such as allergies and asthma. The reader should understand the value of how this genetic insight will lead to the recognition of the presence of specific subtypes of these disorders that require unique therapeutic interventions. This information can also be used to identify genetically at risk children and thereby offer earlier intervention. Finally, understanding the genetic causes of allergies and asthma will lead to the development of the next-hopefully curative-generation of asthma and allergy therapeutics. Data Sources A detailed literature search was conducted. Studies considered relevant, well performed, and appropriately controlled were used. Only human studies are included and only the English language literature was reviewed. Some of the information presented is based on the author's own research experience. Study selection Material was only taken from peer-reviewed journals and appropriate reviews. Results and Conclusions Asthma and allergic diseases are examples of disorders having an unmistakable genetic predisposition, but in the absence of a classic Mendelian inheritance pattern. These "complex" genetic disorders are caused by the interactions of multiple interacting genes some having protective value and some contributing to disease development and with each gene having its own variable tendency to be expressed. In addition, these disorders require the presence of appropriate environmental triggers for their expression. One approach to identifying the genetic basis for these conditions is to perform a genome-wide search in which the location of the disease-causing gene on a human chromosome is identified and nearby genes that may be responsible are subsequently identified. An alternative approach to identifying heritable components to asthma and allergy is to evaluate disordered structure or regulation within genes known to be involved in these disorders. Using these approaches, studies have suggested that genes within the cytokine gene cluster on chromosome 5 (including interleukins-3, -4, -5, -9, and -13), chromosome 11 (the β chain of the high affinity IgE receptor), chromosome 16 (the IL-4 receptor), and chromosome 12 (stem cell factor, interferon-γ, insulin growth factor, and Stat 6 [IL-4 Stat]) may contribute to asthma and allergy development. In addition, data support involvement of genes involved in antigen-presentation (MHC class II genes) and T cell responses (the T cell receptor α chain). Finally, disease-contributing alleles may be present on genes for the β-adrenergic receptor, 5-lipoxygenase, and leukotriene C4 synthase.
Diffuse Support, Specific Support and Attentiveness: Components of the Public's Assessment of the Supreme Court

Political scientists have identified two principal dimensions of support for the Supreme Court, namely, “diffuse” and “specific” support. This paper examines the relationship between diffuse and specific in the context of a model of overall evaluation of the Court. Using data from a national survey, the paper demonstrates that specific support, which is in effect a policy-based evaluation, and diffuse support, which is more of a normative evaluation, are both important components of the public's assessment of the Court's overall performance. However, the paper shows that the impact of diffuse and specific support on overall evaluation of the Court varies according to levels of attentiveness to the Court. Specifically, the more attentive segment of the population relies heavily on the normative criteria that underlie diffuse support and to a lesser extent on the policy-based criteria that underlie specific support. The least attentive segment of the population is less able to utilize both normative and policy-based criteria and consequently relies mainly on its general attitudes about government.
Tricyclics vs SSRIs for postpartum depression

Background: We investigated whether differential responsivity to tricyclics (TCA) compared to serotonin specific reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) occurred in our clinical population of women with postpartum depression.