cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The antiprogestin RU38 486: receptor-mediated progestin versus antiprogestin actions screened in estrogen-insensitive T47Dco human breast cancer cells

Despite the theoretical promise of synthetic antiprogestational agents as anticancer agents, experimental tools, midcycle contraceptives, and implantation inhibitors, none has been available for either basic or clinical studies. However, a candidate antiprogestin, RU38 486 [17β-hydroxy-11β-(4-dimethylaminophenyl) 17α-(1-propynl)estra-4,9-dien-3-one], has recently been described that has antiprogestational and antiglucocorticoid activities in early clinical trials. Its mechanisms of action are unclear. Furthermore, development of this drug underscores an old bioassay problem: that biological screening of progestins and antiprogestins is complex because of the physiological requirement that progestational effects must be superimposed upon an estrogenized system. This has made it difficult to distinguish among progestational, antiprogestational, and antiestrogenic properties of unknown agents. Here we describe the use of T47Dco human breast cancer cells to circumvent these problems. T47Dco cells are rich in ...
Police scholarship in China

Currently there is no systematic investigation into police scholarship in China. This is a first attempt to provide one. Specifically, this paper reports on the historical development, current status, and emerging issues of police research studies and research in China. It finds that police scholarship in China suffers from long neglect and has only recently started to take off with the establishment of Public Security Studies as an academic discipline.
Arithmetic for a high-speed adaptive learning network element

This paper presents a novel arithmetic scheme for a high-speed adaptive learning network (ALN) element. An ALN is a self-organizing scheme for implementing the Kolmogorov-Gabor (K-G) polynomial which maps an input vector X into an output scalar Y. In the first layer of an ALN there are n(n-l) / 2 elements. In the next layer the number of elements needed depends upon the number of outputs that are propagated from the first layer. In this paper only the design of a single element is considered. An array of memories (RAMs) and a parallel adder are used to perform multinomial arithmetic for the element. The memory array contains subfunction values which are calculated by an external host computer and downloaded to the memory array. All the memories operate on the input variables concurrently via a common address bus. The subfunction values from the memory array are then summed by a parallel adder to obtain the output of the element. A complete ALN implemented with the proposed ALN elements has advantages in operation speed and less hardware.
In vivo disposition of the natural anti-carcinogen indole-3-carbinol after po administration to rainbow trout.

Abstract Indole-3-carbinol (I3C), a compound found naturally as a glucosinolate in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage, has been shown to modulate the carcinogenic process in a number of animal species. The lack of detailed information on the disposition of I3C in vivo provided the main impetus for the study reported here, in which the distribution and metabolic fate of I3C was assessed in selected tissues and excreta after po administration to rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri). Animals were fasted for 3 days and given [5-3H]I3C either in the diet or by single oral gavage (40 mg/kg body weight; 15 μCi/kg body weight). Following administration, 75% of the initial 3H-dose was detected within the stomach between 0.5 and 12 hr, after which it was released to distal regions of the gut for subsequent uptake, distribution and elimination. At the end of the study (72 hr) 25% of the administered dose was recovered from the water which reflected excretion through the gills and urinary tract. Significant excretion also occurred in the bile, with approximately 5% of the initial 3H-dose recovered from the bile sacs at 72 hr. Further analyses of the radioactive components in the bile indicated that one or more derivatives of I3C, but not the parent compound itself, are excreted as glucuronide conjugates using this route. Radioactivity accumulated in the liver throughout most of the study, reaching levels of 1–1.5% between 48 and 72 hr of the administered dose. High-performance liquid chromatography analyses indicated the presence of four main radiolabelled species in these livers, one of which co-eluted with the parent compound, I3C. The major radiolabelled species recovered from the liver was tentatively identified as the dimer, 3,3′-diindolylmethane (I33′), which comprised 40% of the total hepatic radiolabel. This dimer, I33′, was also found to accumulate in the diet containing I3C, which reflected a time-dependent dimerization of the parent compound in vitro. These findings are discussed in view of recent postulates of a role for I3C condensation products such as I33′ in the mechanism of I3C anti-carcinogenesis.
Video categorization using semantics and semiotics

There is a great need to automatically segment, categorize, and annotate video data, and to develop efficient tools for browsing and searching. We believe that the categorization of videos can be achieved by exploring the concepts and meanings of the videos. This task requires bridging the gap between low-level content and high-level concepts (or semantics). Once a relationship is established between the low-level computable features of the video and its semantics, the user would be able to navigate through videos through the use of concepts and ideas (for example, a user could extract only those scenes in an action film that actually contain fights) rather than sequentially browsing the whole video. However, this relationship must follow the norms of human perception and abide by the rules that are most often followed by the creators (directors) of these videos. These rules are called film grammar in video production literature. Like any natural language, this grammar has several dialects, but it has been acknowledged to be universal. Therefore, the knowledge of film grammar can be exploited effectively for the understanding of films. To interpret an idea using the grammar, we need to first understand the symbols, as in natural languages, and second, understand the rules of combination of these symbols to represent concepts. In order to develop algorithms that exploit this film grammar, it is necessary to relate the symbols of the grammar to computable video features. In this dissertation, we have identified a set of computable features of videos and have developed methods to estimate them. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
Convergence of Theories of Alcohol Administration Postanabolic Stimulation on mTOR Signaling: Lessons for Exercise Regimen

The conscientiousness of health, exercise, and muscle development has been desired by humans, but so has the intoxicating and recreational usage of alcohol (ethanol [EtOH]) been prevalent. The recent study by Steiner and Lang (2015) analyzed the effects of EtOH administered postanabolic stimulation and its effect on muscle protein synthesis. The experimental decorum of EtOH research in animal models has adhered to EtOH insemination prior to anabolic stimulation of muscle and other tissue. An obvious dissolution of this theory lies in the high probability with which EtOH would be consumed by humans prior to exercise is low. Albeit animal models hope to replicate and study stimulations of signaling pathways in response to EtOH stimuli, observations made after EtOH administration would be counterproductive models. Postexercise regimens of intake of leucine-rich protein sources activate independent but complementary signaling responses that converge at the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) to stimulate protein translation by enhancing protein synthesis, increasing anabolic response of the skeletal muscles (Parr et al., 2014). However, the cultural environment surrounding team sports involves recreational drinking after training, with athletes in several team sports at risk for binge drinking practices (Parr et al., 2014). We are interested in bridging the gaps of thought on the role of mTOR in protein synthesis postexercise and the elements influencing the balance of compensated recovery versus decomposition as a result of EtOH use after exercise.
Farm Capital Formation as a Use of Farm Labor in the United States, 1850–1910

This article brings together some estimates of labor inputs in capital formation in American agriculture, compares the various forms of capital as uses of farm labor, and relates the labor input to the size of the labor force in agriculture in the period 1850â€“1910. Two major items of farm-formed capitalâ€”land clearing and farm constructionâ€”have been discussed in earlier articles. The present article adds to these estimates the material on the lesser forms of farm capitalâ€”fencing, drainage, and irrigationâ€”and discusses the significance of the totals arrived at.
Matrix metalloproteinases in brain development and remodeling: synaptic functions and targets.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play critical roles in egg fertilization, embryonic development, wound repair, cancer, and inflammatory and neurologic diseases. This subfamily of metzincin peptidases can cleave extracellular matrix (ECM) and pericellular proteins that have profound effects on cell behavior. Among known MMP substrates are several proteins that play important roles in synaptogenesis, synaptic plasticity, and long-term potentiation (LTP). In this Mini-Review we discuss how MMP-directed cleavage of these proteins can impact the formation and function of synapses within the brain. Pyramidal neurons in the hippocampus, and other large neurons, are surrounded by perineuronal nets that are composed of brevican, tenascin-R, and laminin, each of which is subject to proteolytic cleavage by MMPs. Tenascin-R knockout mice show deficits in learning and memory and LTP, as do at least two MMP knockouts. Impaired LTP is also seen in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) knockout mice, which is interesting in that pro-BDNF can be processed into mature BDNF by several MMPs and thereby regulate activation of the high-affinity BDNF receptor TrkB. At the synaptic level, MMP substrates also include ephrins, Eph receptors, and cadherins, which are also involved in synapse development and plasticity. MMPs can also process membrane-bound tumor necrosis factor-α into a potent soluble cytokine that is increasingly implicated in neuron–glial signaling, particularly in neurologic disease. Finally, we discuss how the development of therapeutics to attenuate MMP activity in neurodegenerative disorders may become powerful tools for future studies of synaptic formation and function within the developing and mature brain. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Tripartite neutrino mass matrix

Abstract The 3×3 Majorana neutrino mass matrix is written as a sum of 3 terms, i.e., M ν = M A + M B + M C , where M A is proportional to the identity matrix and M B,C are invariant under different Z3 transformations. This M ν is very suitable for understanding atmospheric and solar neutrino oscillations, with sin22θatm and tan2θsol fixed at 1 and 0.5 respectively, in excellent agreement with present data. It has in fact been proposed before, but only as an ansatz. This Letter uncovers its underlying symmetry, thus allowing a complete theory of leptons and quarks to be constructed.
Large-scale simulations of advanced materials and nanoscale devices

Recent advances in theoretical methods and parallel supercomputing allow for reliable ab initio simulations of the properties of complex materials. We describe two current applications: pyro- and piezoelectric properties of BN nanotubes and optical signatures of organic molecules on Si(001) surface. BN nanotubes turn out to be excellent piezoelectrics, with response values significantly greater than those of piezoelectric polymers. However, their symmetry leads to exact cancellation of the total spontaneous polarization in ideal, isolated nanotubes. Breaking of this symmetry induces spontaneous polarization comparable to those wurtzite semiconductors. Turning to organics on Si(100), we calculated the atomic structure and the optical signatures of a cyclopentene overlayer on Si(001). Cyclopentene can be used to attach a variety of organic molecules to Si devices, including DNA, and can therefore form a basis of a sensor structure. The spectra turn out to be highly structure-dependent and can therefore be used to monitor interface formation.
α-allylated chiral thioxanones : diastereoselective preparation by an S-alkylation/[2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement sequence

Abstract Diastereoselective S -allylation of thioxanone 6 and subsequent ylid formation/[2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement delivers excellent Cα-induction. Non-stereospecific Cβ-induction results from scrambling of olefin geometry in the S -allylation step.
Neural Mechanisms of Object-Based Attention

What neural mechanisms underlie the ability to attend to a complex object in the presence of competing overlapping stimuli? We evaluated whether object-based attention might involve pattern-specific feedback to early visual areas to selectively enhance the set of lowlevel features corresponding to the attended object. Using fMRI and multivariate pattern analysis, we found that activity patterns in early visual areas (V1–V4) are strongly biased in favor of the attended object. Activity patterns evoked by single faces and single houses reliably predicted which of the 2 overlapping stimulus types was being attended with high accuracy (80–90% correct). Superior knowledge of upright objects led to improved attentional selection in early areas. Across individual blocks, the strength of the attentional bias signal in early visual areas was highly predictive of the modulations found in high-level object areas, implying that pattern-specific attentional filtering at early sites can determine the quality of objectspecific signals that reach higher level visual areas. Through computational modeling, we show how feedback of an average template to V1-like units can improve discrimination of exemplars belonging to the attended category. Our findings provide a mechanistic account of how feedback to early visual areas can contribute to the attentional selection of complex objects.
Two new techniques for unit-delay compiled simulation

The potential change (PC)-set method and the parallel technique for generating compiled unit-delay simulators for acrylic circuits are discussed. The PC-set method analyzes the network, determines the set of potential change times for each net, and generates gate simulations for each potential change. The parallel technique, which is based on the concept of bit-parallel simulation is faster and generates less code than the PC-set method, but it is not amenable to data-parallel simulation of multiple input vectors. Both techniques are based on the well-known levelization algorithm used to generate zero-delay levelized compiled code simulation. Two optimizations of the basic parallel technique are presented, called bit-field trimming and shift elimination. Performance results using the ISCAS 85 benchmarks show a factor-of-four improvement for the PC-set method and a factor-of-ten improvement for the parallel technique. The optimization schemes show an average performance improvement of 47% over the unoptimized simulations. >
Stereo pairs of bright-field micrographs via Wiener-type inverse filtering.

SUMMARY In a three-dimensional (3-D) image data set obtained through optical sectioning, each two-dimensional (2-D) segment is blurred by out-of-focus information from neighbouring focal planes superimposed on the in-focus segments from that plane. Instead of attempting to remove this redundant information over the full 3-D data set, we have developed a technique for restoring stereoscopic views. In this paper we describe the implementation of a Wiener-type inverse filtering method for generating stereo pairs of bright-field micrographs. A theoretical optical transfer function valid under certain simplifying approximations has been used in implementing this filtering technique. In developing this method the slice theorem of computed tomography is used. In this way the image reconstruction problem is reduced to one of processing 2-D arrays rather than 3-D arrays and the problem of restoring missing Fourier components within the missing-cone region is circumvented. Limited experimentation with real micrographs shows that the approach provides images that display an effective increased depth of field and 3-D attributes of the specimen, even though some of the underlying assumptions on which this method is based are difficult to verify explicitly. The method can be implemented with a relatively fast execution time on 386-SX computers.
CARE-CPS: Context-Aware Trust Evaluation for Wireless Networks in Cyber-Physical System Using Policies

A Cyber-Physical System (CPS) involves a tight coupling between the physical and computational elements. Security is a key challenge for the deployment of CPS. Therefore, it is highly desirable to extract correct information from a large volume of noisy data and properly evaluate the reputation of reporting devices in CPS. In this paper, we propose a Context-Aware tRust Evaluation scheme for wireless networks in CPS (CARE-CPS), and a set of policy rules are declared to accurately describe how we determine the reputation of each reporting device based on these factors. To validate the CARE-CPS scheme, we have conducted experiments in terms of both simulation and real deployment on smart phones. Experimental results show that the CARE-CPS scheme can properly evaluate the trustworthiness of the report devices in CPS.
Mutational Analysis of the N-Terminal DNA-Binding Domain of Sleeping Beauty Transposase: Critical Residues for DNA Binding and Hyperactivity in Mammalian Cells

The N-terminal domain of the Sleeping Beauty (SB) transposase mediates transposon DNA binding, subunit multimerization, and nuclear translocation in vertebrate cells. For this report, we studied the relative contributions of 95 different residues within this multifunctional domain by large-scale mutational analysis. We found that each of four amino acids (leucine 25, arginine 36, isoleucine 42, and glycine 59) contributes to DNA binding in the context of the N-terminal 123 amino acids of SB transposase, as indicated by electrophoretic mobility shift analysis, and to functional activity of the full-length transposase, as determined by a quantitative HeLa cell-based transposition assay. Moreover, we show that amino acid substitutions within either the putative oligomerization domain (L11A, L18A, L25A, and L32A) or the nuclear localization signal (K104A and R105A) severely impair its ability to mediate DNA transposition in mammalian cells. In contrast, each of 10 single amino acid changes within the bipartite DNA-binding domain is shown to greatly enhance SB’s transpositional activity in mammalian cells. These hyperactive mutations functioned synergistically when combined and are shown to significantly improve transposase affinity for transposon end sequences. Finally, we show that enhanced DNA-binding activity results in improved cleavage kinetics, increased SB element mobilization from host cell chromosomes, and dramatically improved gene transfer capabilities of SB in vivo in mice. These studies provide important insights into vertebrate transposon biology and indicate that Sleeping Beauty can be readily improved for enhanced genetic research applications in mammals. Class II transposons are discrete segments of DNA that have the ability to move within genomes. These elements have been used extensively as genetic tools to explore gene function in different model organisms and have contributed significantly to our understanding of biological systems. The simplest DNA transposons are framed by terminal inverted repeats (IRs), and contain a single gene encoding a transposase that catalyzes the excision of the element from its original DNA context and reintegration into a new locus. This cut-and-paste transposition process can be arbitrarily divided into four major stages: (i) transposase binding to its sites within the transposon IRs, (ii) synaptic complex formation through stable pairing of the transposon ends by transposase subunits, (iii) excision from the donor site, and (iv) reinsertion into a new target site. Members of the Tc1/mariner family of transposable elements
The Youth Bulge in Egypt: An Intersection of Demographics, Security, and the Arab Spring

During the Arab Spring, Egyptians revolted against decades of poor governance and failed institutions. A wide range of grievances contributed to the eventual fall of the Mubarak regime, and most of these grievances were influenced by the demographic composition of the Egyptian population. This paper argues that the youth bulge in Egypt played a major role in the political transition and as such serves as the prime example of the intersection of demographics, security, and the Arab Spring. This article is available in Journal of Strategic Security: http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/jss/vol5/iss2/9 Journal of Strategic Security Volume 5 Issue 2 2012, pp. 65-80 DOI: 10.5038/1944-0472.5.2.4 Journal of Strategic Security (c) 2012 ISSN: 1944-0464 eISSN: 1944-0472 65 The Youth Bulge in Egypt: An Intersection of Demographics, Security, and the Arab Spring Dan LaGraffe Department of Defense1
Simulation Model of IBM-Watson Intelligent System for Early Software Development

IBM-Watson is among the leading intelligent systems available today. It is extremely complex, employing multiple processors, peripherals, interconnects, along with specialized software and applications. Developing software for this architecture, in absence of target platform, is an extremely error-prone affair. Bringup of software once the hardware is available detects large amount of bugs, throwing the project cost and schedule out of control. This paper introduces a methodology based on IBM-Watson system-level simulation, developed using high-level simulation models of all the components of the target architecture. This methodology helps to debug, verify and fine-tune the IBM-Watson software much before the availability of the target hardware. Use of this methodology enables detecting the bugs much earlier in the development cycle. Majority of the defects are removed much earlier and software bringup-time on actual hardware has reduced from months to days !
Proteomic‐based approach for biomarkers discovery in early detection of invasive urothelial carcinoma

Identification of reliable non-invasive markers for the detection of invasive phenotype of urothelial carcinoma is needed. This study characterizes and compares protein expression profiles of adjacent non-neoplastic urothelium and invasive urothelial carcinoma to identify biomarkers for early detection of de novo bladder cancer. Differences in protein expression between adjacent non-neoplastic and high-grade, stage T4, grade 3 invasive urothelial carcinoma tissues were investigated using 2-DE, MALDI-TOF-MS, and data processing. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) was applied to examine the biological mechanisms represented by the altered proteins. The 2-DE of the adjacent non-neoplastic urothelium and invasive urothelial carcinoma showed reproducibly similar proteomic mapping for each group distinguishing adjacent non-neoplastic urothelium from invasive urothelial carcinoma. Twenty-one proteins were altered in expression and one of these proteins, Choroideremia-like protein (CHML) was significantly overexpressed (p<0.005) and therefore was analyzed further using IHC and Western blot. Urothelial carcinoma presented an elevated expression of CHML but not adjacent non-neoplastic or normal bladder tissues. IPA revealed the involvement of CHML in cell morphology, cellular assembly, and organization. Further investigation is warranted to elucidate the biological significance of CHML and to validate its role as a biomarker for early detection of invasive urothelial carcinoma de novo.
VV&A I: verification, validation, and accreditation in the life cycle of models and simulations

Verification, validation, and accreditation (VV&A) activities should be an on-going process throughout the life cycle of models and simulations (M&S). It is important to note that there is no single set of VV&A tasks, events, or methods that would apply every time to every situation. The VV&A emphasis and methods used vary depending on the particular life cycle phase it is in, previous VV&A and use, the risks and uncertainty, its size and complexity, and of course, the resources available. For simplification, this paper discusses the activities and tasks during the early stages of model development and addresses each of the VV&A efforts separately, along with its associated activities. It outlines the specific VV&A activities and products that are appropriate to each phase of model development.
Avoiding Confusion in Metacircularity: The Meta-Helix

A system with a metaobject protocol (MOP) allows programmers to extend it and then use the extended system as naturally as the original non-extended one. Such metaobject protocols often use a metacircular architecture to make the extensions easier to write. Unfortunately, this use of metacircularity can lead to problems stemming from a conflation of the extended and non-extended functionalities. We present a new architecture, called the meta-helix, that preserves the advantages of metacircularity but also addresses the problems with conflation.
Adaptive thermal detectors using electrostatically controlled thermal conductance

When thermal infrared detectors are exposed to large signals, they are susceptible to a host of unwanted effects including intensity dependent noise and detectivity, nonlinearities in materials characteristics, and even temporary blindness or device damage. To combat these problems and to extend dynamic range, the responsivity and time constant of microbolometers have been controlled using electrostatic actuation. The responsivity has been demonstrated to switch over a factor of 60, with theoretical limits encompassing 4 to 5 orders of magnitude. High responsivity states correspond to free-standing bolometers, while discrete lower responsivity states are created by partially or completely actuating the device supports into contact with the substrate. Continuous tuning over a part of the range is demonstrated by utilizing electrostatic pressure to increase the thermal contact between discrete switching states.
Medical versus regulatory necessity: Regulation of ambulance service in Arizona

Abstract Governmental regulation of emergency medical services and transportation differs from state to state. In Arizona, the Department of Health Services (ADHS) regulates the provision of ambulance service through a “certificate-of-necessity” (CON) process. Paramedic rescue services provided by municipalities are not, by statute, mandated to comply with these ADHS regulations. We review the way in which criteria for the determination of ambulance need were adopted by this state agency and the effects of their application in Tucson, Arizona. Approximately one million dollars and 5,500 unnecessary “code 3” (lights and siren activated) emergency vehicle trips were mandated by the ADHS need criteria, over a twelve-month period. We conclude that non-scientifically-derived regulatory criteria may conflict with prudent medical control of prehospital emergency medical services (EMS).
Detailed placement for leakage reduction using systematic through-pitch variation

We present a novel detailed placement technique that accounts for systematic through-pitch variations to reduce leakage. Leakage depends nearly exponentially on linewidth (gate length), and even small variations in linewidth introduce large variability in leakage. A substantial fraction of linewidth variation is systematic with respect to the device layout context. Detailed placement changes context of the devices that are near the cell boundaries and can be used to reduce leakage. Our approach modifies the placement of cells in small windows such that contexts that reduce leakage are created. During this optimization, cells are partitioned into rows and then placed in rows using a traveling salesman problem formulation.
Genome-wide Mapping of DNA Synthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Reveals That Mechanisms Preventing Reinitiation of DNA Replication Are Not Redundant

To maintain genomic stability, reinitiation of eukaryotic DNA replication within a single cell cycle is blocked by multiple mechanisms that inactivate or remove replication proteins after G1 phase. Consistent with the prevailing notion that these mechanisms are redundant, we previously showed that simultaneous deregulation of three replication proteins, ORC, Cdc6, and Mcm2-7, was necessary to cause detectable bulk re-replication in G2/M phase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In this study, we used microarray comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) to provide a more comprehensive and detailed analysis of re-replication. This genome-wide analysis suggests that reinitiation in G2/M phase primarily occurs at a subset of both active and latent origins, but is independent of chromosomal determinants that specify the use and timing of these origins in S phase. We demonstrate that re-replication can be induced within S phase, but differs in amount and location from re-replication in G2/M phase, illustrating the dynamic nature of DNA replication controls. Finally, we show that very limited re-replication can be detected by microarray CGH when only two replication proteins are deregulated, suggesting that the mechanisms blocking re-replication are not redundant. Therefore we propose that eukaryotic re-replication at levels below current detection limits may be more prevalent and a greater source of genomic instability than previously appreciated.
Rhesus Monkey Intervertebral Disk Viscoelastic Response to Shear Stress

A viscoelastic model of the shear response of the Rhesus monkey intervertebral disk, represented by a series chain of four Kelvin units is presented. Two types of investigations are carried out to assess the validity of the model: 1) determination of material properties by comparison with experimental strain creep behavior of the disk; and 2) validation of this viscoelastic model by accurately predicting the experimental results of stress relaxation tests. The use of the series Kelvin units approach provides the first analytical mechanical model capable of predicting the creep and relaxation functions for the intervertebral disk in shear.
Dosimetric analysis of the alopecia preventing effect of hippocampus sparing whole brain radiation therapy.

Whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT) is widely used for the treatment of brain metastases. Cognitive decline and alopecia are recognized adverse effects of WBRT. Recently hippocampus sparing whole brain radiation therapy (HS-WBRT) has been shown to reduce the incidence of memory loss. In this study, we found that multi-field intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), with strict constraints to the brain parenchyma and to the hippocampus, reduces follicular scalp dose and prevents alopecia. Suitable patients befitting the inclusion criteria of the RTOG 0933 trial received Hippocampus sparing whole brain radiation. On follow up, they were noticed to have full scalp hair preservation. 5 mm thickness of follicle bearing scalp in the radiation field was outlined in the planning CT scans. Conventional opposed lateral WBRT radiation fields were applied to these patient-specific image sets and planned with the same nominal dose of 30 Gy in 10 fractions. The mean and maximum dose to follicle bearing skin and Dose Volume Histogram (DVH) data were analyzed for conventional and HS-WBRT. Paired t-test was used to compare the means. All six patients had fully preserved scalp hair and remained clinically cognitively intact 1–3 months after HS-WBRT. Compared to conventional WBRT, in addition to the intended sparing of the Hippocampus, HS-WBRT delivered significantly lower mean dose (22.42 cGy vs. 16.33 cGy, p < 0.0001), V24 (9 cc vs. 44 cc, p < 0.0000) and V30 (9 cc vs. 0.096 cc, p = 0.0106) to follicle hair bearing scalp and prevented alopecia. There were no recurrences in the Hippocampus area. HS-WBRT, with an 11-field set up as described, while attempting to conserve hippocampus radiation and maintain radiation dose to brain inadvertently spares follicle-bearing scalp and prevents alopecia.
3D printed nervous system on a chip

Bioinspired organ-level in vitro platforms are emerging as effective technologies for fundamental research, drug discovery, and personalized healthcare. In particular, models for nervous system research are especially important, due to the complexity of neurological phenomena and challenges associated with developing targeted treatment of neurological disorders. Here we introduce an additive manufacturing-based approach in the form of a bioinspired, customizable 3D printed nervous system on a chip (3DNSC) for the study of viral infection in the nervous system. Micro-extrusion 3D printing strategies enabled the assembly of biomimetic scaffold components (microchannels and compartmented chambers) for the alignment of axonal networks and spatial organization of cellular components. Physiologically relevant studies of nervous system infection using the multiscale biomimetic device demonstrated the functionality of the in vitro platform. We found that Schwann cells participate in axon-to-cell viral spread but appear refractory to infection, exhibiting a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 1.4 genomes per cell. These results suggest that 3D printing is a valuable approach for the prototyping of a customized model nervous system on a chip technology.
Using plan recognition for interpreting referring expressions

Referring expressions such as "a long meeting" and "a restaurant near my brother's" depend on information from the context to be accurately resolved. Interpreting these expressions requires pragmatic inferences that go beyond what the speaker said to what she meant; and to do this one must consider the speaker's decisions with respect to her initial belief state and the alternative linguistic options she may have had. Modeling reference generation as a planning problem, where actions correspond to words that change a belief state, suggests that interpretation can also be viewed as recognizing belief-state plans that contain implicit actions. In this paper, we describe how planners can be adapted and used to interpret uncertain referring expressions.
Polymicrogyria-Associated Epilepsy

Investigators from the Boston Children's Hospital, New York University, Brown University, and Birmingham School of Medicine, AL, studied the clinical epilepsy and imaging features of 87 patients with polymicrogyria (PMG) and epilepsy, recruited through the Epilepsy Phenome/Genome Project.
Monetary Policy and the Money Multiplier

This note provides an overview of monetary policy tools and the primary policy objectives. The mechanics behind the money multiplier are explained, and an algebraic derivation is provided. The note also provides examples of how parameters associated with the money multiplier influence its magnitude, including the propensity of the public to hold currency relative to demand deposits and the propensity of banks to hold reserves relative to demand deposits. The companion exercise allows students to walk through the mechanics of expansionary monetary policy.
Teaching the Arab World and the West … As an Arab in the West

How do the subjective experiences of faculty and students shape the classroom and the study of global politics? Can our subjective experiences support the pedagogical goal of developing critical thinking skills? In this article, I draw on my experiences teaching an undergraduate course called The Arab World and the West with respect to my own identity as a Canadian-born Arab and my academic commitment to fostering critical thinking skills among my students. I am particularly interested in reflecting on how the subjective experiences of faculty and students can provide space for personal reflection and collective inquiry, which in turn can serve to foster critical thinking skills. This model of engaged pedagogy encourages students to think of themselves and their peers as part of the story of global politics. Such engagement can help students think differently about global politics and human interactions and to see the value in subjective experiences as an object/subject of study in the classroom.
Amygdalar injection of FeCl3 causes spontaneous recurrent seizures.

Rats were microinjected with a 100 mM aqueous solution of ferric chloride into the left amygdaloid body. Behavior was observed and depth electroencephalograms were recorded over the 30 days following injection. All of the FeCl3-injected rats developed isolated epileptiform discharges from the ipsilateral amygdala soon after injection. Within 5 days epileptiform discharges were arising as well from the contralateral amygdala and behavioral seizures were observed. These spontaneous seizures occurred in a pattern associated with stage 4 kindling, with rearing and bilateral forelimb clonus. Seizures persisted during the 30 days of the experiment. Recording from chronically implanted depth electrodes showed development of spike discharges, with recurrent seizures arising from amygdalar regions with propagation into both hippocampi. Aqueous iron is known to initiate lipid peroxidation by free radical mechanisms. Our observations suggest that epileptogenesis followed by chronic, spontaneous seizures could be initiated by deposition of iron-containing compounds into limbic structures of the rat.
Trend of HIV /AIDS epidemic among drug users in Guangxi zhuang autonomous region,2007-2012

Objective To understand the infection status of HIV and related risk behaviors among the drug users in Guangxi from 2007 to 2012.Methods HIV sentinel surveillance system was established in Guangxi.The annual face to face interview was conducted among drug users sampled in communities and drug rehabilitation center during April-July to obtain their demographic and behavioral information,and blood samples(3-5 ml) were drawn to conduct HIV,syphilis,HCV tests.Software SPSS 20.0 was used for data analysis.Results The HIV positive rate(Median) increase the drug users declined from 13.9% in 2007 to 5.7% in 2012,the syphilis positive rate(Median) increase from 3.4% in 2007 to 6.0% in 2012.The needle sharing rate declined with year,but this rate once reached 14.0% in 2012.The proportion of drug users who had commercial sex increased with year,but the condom use rate increased slightly.Conclusion The HIV infection rate declined with year among the drug users in Guangxi,and the HIV infection through intravenous drug use became less common,but it is still important to strengthen the comprehensive HIV / AIDS intervention targeting drug users.
Repeated Dosing with Chlorpyrifos Increases Acetylcholinesterase Immunoreactivity in Rat Brain

From a practical standpoint the toxicological significance of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) outweighs all other rationales for continued study of this enzyme. For many reasons, we need to understand how environmental chemicals affect AChE in the tissues of insects, wildlife, and mammals. New knowledge of this sort could improve our ability to determine the hazards of exposure, define safe levels of exposure, monitor the consequences of exposure, and devise effective treatments for overexposure. With this objective, we have been concerned with characterizing the in vivo effects of anticholinesterase insecticides in mammals.
Values, “Irrationality,” and Religiosity:

The predictive validity of rational-emotive understandings of religiosity, values, and irrational beliefs was found to be limited. Two rational-emotive irrationalities, both of which were consisten...
Chapter 6 – Covering by Permutation and Reset Semiautomata

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses permutation-reset semi-automata. An input in a semiautomaton which permutes its states is called a permutation input. Various theorems are proven in the chapter. Permutation, reset semi-automata, and covering of reset semiautomata are discussed. Every reset semiautomaton can be covered by a direct product of two-state reset semiautomata. The chapter discusses grouplike semi-automata, and covering of grouplike semi-automata. A grouplike semiautomaton can be covered by a cascade product of simple grouplike semiautomata—that is, ones which correspond to simple groups. Every semiautomaton A can be covered by direct and cascade products of semiautomata of two kinds: (1) simple groupUke semiautomata, and (2) two-state reset semiautomata.
Planning Complex Inspection Tasks Using Redundant Roadmaps

The aim of this work is fast, automated planning of robotic inspections involving complex 3D structures. A model comprised of discrete geometric primitives is provided as input, and a feasible robot inspection path is produced as output. Our algorithm is intended for tasks in which 2.5D algorithms, which divide an inspection into multiple 2D slices, and segmentation-based approaches, which divide a structure into simpler components, are unsuitable. This degree of 3D complexity has been introduced by the application of autonomous in-water ship hull inspection; protruding structures at the stern (propellers, shafts, and rudders) are positioned in close proximity to one another and to the hull, and clearance is an issue for a mobile robot. A global, sampling-based approach is adopted, in which all the structures are simultaneously considered in planning a path. First, the state space of the robot is discretized by constructing a roadmap of feasible states; construction ceases when each primitive is observed by a specified number of states. Once a roadmap is produced, the set cover problem and traveling salesman problem are approximated in sequence to build a feasible inspection tour. We analyze the performance of this procedure in solving one of the most complex inspection planning tasks to date, covering the stern of a large naval ship, using an a priori triangle mesh model obtained from real sonar data and comprised of 100,000 primitives. Our algorithm generates paths on a par with dual sampling, with reduced computational effort.
Gene therapy for bleeding disorders

Gene therapy refers to any therapy in which the therapeutic entity is a nucleic acid. Gene therapy most commonly delivers a DNA sequence, the transcription of which produces a protein to perform a therapeutic function. Other approaches have delivered RNA, short interfering RNA (siRNA), RNA aptamers, nucleases (e.g., to knock out host cell genes or to facilitate “editing” of genomic DNA), or sequences to express antigens that produce specific immunization. Considered most broadly, there are two approaches to introduce therapeutic genes. The first is to directly introduce the nucleic acid sequences of interest into the target tissue in vivo. Transfer of the nucleic acid may or may not employ a delivery vehicle, referred to as a vector. Naked DNA or RNA transfer is in general inefficient unless mediated by a virus or other vector. In nature, viruses have evolved mechanisms to enter cells and deliver their viral DNA (or RNA) to the nucleus of cells, where they hijack the host cell’s machinery to transcribe and translate the virus’ genetic payload. Dozens of viruses have been investigated as potential gene delivery vectors. The second approach is to introduce the gene of interest ex vivo into cells (whether allogeneic or autologous) in culture, expand if desired the cells that express the gene efficiently, and then introduce the cells with their transgenic payload into the host. The goal of correcting hemophilia, the most common severe bleeding disorder, has been approached using multiple variations of in vivo vectors and ex vivo cell-based strategies over the last quarter century, ultimately leading to partial correction of hemophilia B in a human clinical trial (St. Louis and Verma 1988; Palmer et al. 1989; Nathwani et al. 2011).
Erratum: Pregnancy Complicated by Gorham-Stout Disease and Refractory Chylothorax.

Introduction Gorham–Stout Disease (GSD) is a rare disorder of bony destruction due to lymphangiomatosis, and is often triggered by hormones. One complication of GSD is the development of chylothorax, which carries a high mortality rate. Very little experience has been published to guide management in GSD during pregnancy to optimize both fetal and maternal health. Case Study A 20-year-old woman with known GSD presented with shortness of breath at 18 weeks of pregnancy, due to bilateral chylothoraces which required daily drainage. To minimize chylous fluid formation, she was placed on bowel rest with total parenteral nutrition (limiting lipid intake) and received octreotide to decrease splanchnic blood flow and chylous fluid drainage. Treatment options were limited due to her pregnancy. Twice daily home chest tube drainage of a single lung cavity, total parenteral nutrition, octreotide, and albumin infusions allowed successful delivery of a healthy 37 weeks' gestation infant by cesarean delivery. Discussion This case illustrates the management of a rare clinical disease of bone resorption and lymphangiomatosis complicated by bilateral, refractory chylothoraces, triggered by pregnancy, in whom treatment options are limited, and the need for a multidisciplinary health care team to ensure successful maternal and fetal outcomes.
Safety of Nonsteroidal Antiinflammatory Drugs.

Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), one of the most widely used classes of drugs in the world, are effective antiinflammatory, analgesic, and antipyretic agents. Although they differ from one another in chemical class, all inhibit the synthesis of prostaglandins. Because prostaglandins serve a variety of physiological functions in organs throughout the body, NSAIDs frequently have side effects. For example, prostaglandins contribute to the protective barrier that prevents ulcerations in the mucosa of the stomach, and they are also critical in maintaining renal and gastromucosal perfusion when they are threatened. Thus, NSAIDs can increase the risk of gastric ulcers and of usually . . .
A Brief Review of Other Notable Protein Detection Methods on Blots

Several methods have been used for detecting proteins on membranes. These include the use of quantum dot luminescent labels, oxyblot immunochemical detection, polymer immunocomplexes, "coupled" probing approach, in situ renaturation of proteins for detecting enzyme activities in crude or purified preparations, immunochromatographic assay, western-phosphatase assay, and the use of Congo red dye, a cosmetic color named Alta, Pro-Q Emerald 488 dye, or amine-reactive dye in combination with alkaline phosphatase and horseradish peroxidase-antibody conjugates for the simultaneous trichromatic fluourescence detection of proteins. Several methods have been used to improve the detection of proteins on membranes, including glutaraldehyde treatment of nitrocellulose blots, elimination of keratin artifacts in immunoblots probed with polyclonal antibodies, and the washing of immunoblots with excessive water and manipulation of Tween-20 in wash buffer. These methods are briefly reviewed in this chapter.
Studies of criteria for classification of arterial hypertension: IV. Blood volume

Abstract Blood volume is usually normal in patients with high blood pressure, but in certain instances it is increased. An increase of blood volume in cases of hypertension is always associated with increased minute vessel pressure, or increased cutaneous lymphatic flow, or both. In an attempt to account for this, various theories are discussed.