cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Time and space in business: dynamic geographic concentration and localized industry life cycle

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to theorize how the industry life cycle unfolds differently across places and how economic agglomeration varies over time. Design/methodology/approach The paper relies on literature review and conceptual analysis. Findings It generates a dynamic geographic concentration model (i.e. an industry’s degree of geographic concentration drops in the growth stage, rises in the mature stage, and drops again in the new growth stage) and a localized industry life-cycle model (i.e. temporal dynamics differ between the center and the periphery). Originality/value It makes contribution by theorizing that the extent to which an industry is geographically concentrated changes over time, and by demonstrating how an industry’s center and periphery may experience different temporal dynamics.
Distributed model predictive control of synchronous machines for stabilizing microgrids

In this paper, we revisit the role of excitation control in small microgrids. In normal operation, excitation control is designed to stabilize and regulate voltage and frequency in response to intermittent renewable resources (PVs and loads). Its role remains the same when microgrid gets disconnected and is in islanded/abnormal condition. Today's constant gain exciters need new control logic in order to operate in both normal/abnormal conditions. In this paper, we propose a new model predictive approach to nonlinear excitation control. Provable stabilization and enhanced performance with given operational and physical limits are illustrated on a small microgrid.
The forward genetic dissection of afferent innate immunity.

Recognition of the microbial world is mediated chiefly by a small group of immune receptors that activate a characteristic host inflammatory response, the innate immune response. Known as the Toll-like receptors (TLRs), these molecules are represented among most metazoans. In mammals, forward genetic analysis of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) response led to the identification of TLR4 as the LPS receptor. Through a combination of forward and reverse genetic studies, a relatively detailed understanding of the functions of mammalian TLRs has now been achieved. As discussed here, mutagenesis has revealed proteins that participate in TLR signaling pathways, and informed our understanding of the subtleties of these molecules’ structure and function.
HCG variants, the growth factors which drive human malignancies

The term human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) refers to a group of 5 molecules, each sharing the common amino acid sequence but each differing in meric structure and carbohydrate side chain structure. The 5 molecules are each produced by separate cells and each having separate biological functions. hCG and sulfated hCG are hormones produced by placental syncytiotrophoblast cells and pituitary gonadotrope cells. Hyperglycosylated hCG is an autocrine produced by placental cytotrophoblast cells. Hyperglycosylated hCG drives malignancy in placental cancers, and in testicular and ovarian germ cell malignancies. hCGβ and hyperglycosylated hCGβ are autocrines produce by most advanced malignancies. These molecules, particularly the malignancy promoters are presented in this review on hCG and cancer. hCGβ and hyperglycosylated hCGβ are critical to the growth and invasion, or malignancy of most advanced cancers. In many ways, while hCG may appear like a nothing, a hormone associated with pregnancy, it is not, and may be at the center of cancer research.
Sensitivity of Leaf Area to Interannual Climate Variation as a Diagnostic of Ecosystem Function in CMIP5 Carbon Cycle Models

AbstractThe response of the biosphere to variation in climate plays a key role in predicting the carbon cycle, hydrological cycle, terrestrial surface energy balance, and the feedbacks in the clima...
Endogenous Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging (FLIM) Endoscopy For Early Detection Of Oral Cancer And Dysplasia

We have performed a pilot clinical study, in which multispectral endogenous fluorescence (or autofluorescence) lifetime imaging (FLIM) was performed on clinically suspicious oral lesions of 73 patients undergoing tissue biopsy for oral dysplasia and cancer diagnosis. The results from this pilot study indicated that mild-dysplasia and early stage oral cancer could be detected from benign lesions using a computed aided diagnosis system developed based on biochemical and metabolic biomarkers derived from the endogenous FLIM images. The diagnostic performance of this novel FLIM clinical tool was estimated using a leave-onepatient-out cross-validation approach, which reported levels of sensitivity >90%, specificity >85%, and Area Under the Receiving Operating Curve (ROC-AUC) >0.9.
Solution-processed Perovskite Optoelectronics

We discuss our recent work on perovskite laser, LED, and phototransistor using solution-processed C S PbX 3 quantum dots.
Overall conclusion for 2D hexagonal materials

Abstract With the advent of the metal–insulator transition (MIT) as a tool for adjusting the properties of lower dimensions materials, with nanoscale dimensions in one or more of the coordinate directions, it is worthwhile to derive analytical formulas for the electronic energy in k-space, for a generic two-dimensional hexagonal lattice as a prelude for their use in nanoscopic transport devices (using the MIT) or other solid state devices. This is done in the tight binding (TB) approximation, since it allows a tractable analytical development, with some refinements possible. This lattice structure is applicable to many 2D materials like graphene, BN, MoS2, and many others. This last chapter gives a summary of what the chapters in this series have covered. Besides the introduction (Chapter 1 ), those chapters included a determination of the reciprocal space lattice from knowledge of the direct space in 2D and 3D (Chapter 2 ), the tight-binding (TB) formulation of the electronic band structure for hexagonal crystals using an appropriate Hamiltonian (Chapter 3 ), evaluation of the matrix elements from the Hamiltonian in the TB method (Chapter 4 ), solving the secular equation of the system for eigenenergy (Chapter 5 ), properties of the eigenenergy as a function of k vector (Chapter 6 ), the Hamiltonian of the two atom sublattice system (Chapter 7 ), 2- and 4-spinor wavefunctions and Hamiltonians (Chapter 8 ), the relativistic Dirac equation and its attributes (Chapter 9 ), and solution of the system for differing onsite atom energies (Chapter 10 ).
Complete Response to R-EPOCH in Primary Cardiac Lymphoma.

Primary cardiac lymphoma (PCL) is a rare extranodal lymphoma involving only the heart and/or the pericardium. Most common presenting signs and symptoms are nonspecific including dyspnea, pericardial effusion, and arrhythmia. Prognosis of PCL patients remain poor compared to non‐cardiac lymphoma patients. Since most of the information about PCL comes from case reports or case series, there is no treatment consensus. Anthracycline containing chemotherapy remains main treatment modality which is potentially cardiotoxic. We present a case of PCL that achieved complete remission using R-EPOCH (rituximab, etoposide, prednisone, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, and doxorubicin). We also used dexrazoxane in an effort to reduce cardiotoxicity of chemotherapy.
United States regulatory approval of medical devices and software applications enhanced by artificial intelligence

Abstract In the United States, regulatory oversight of medical devices has evolved with the changing technology. With the introduction into routine clinical practice software applications and computer-based devices, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has further defined categories of risk and intended use to better uphold patient safety, while encouraging innovation in medical technology. However, as new software technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) are developed, refined, and introduced into the healthcare sector, there will be a need for regulatory bodies to rapidly respond. In the current review, we discuss the evolution of US FDA oversight of medical devices, initially of hardware, and the present stance on medical software applications, including devices augmented with artificial intelligence.
Multidisciplinary Management of Spinal Metastasis and Vertebral Instability: A Systematic Review.

Objective The aim of this systematic literature review is to evaluate recent attempts in creating a standardized multidisciplinary approach combining tumor treatment with current vertebral stabilization techniques for palliative treatment of vertebral metastasis in patients who do not fall into the NOMS (neurologic, oncologic, mechanical, systemic) framework. Methods We performed a systematic literature search for studies using a tumor modality in conjunction with kyphoplasty or vertebroplasty. In addition, the bibliographies of selected articles were examined for additional studies not viewed in database searches, which led to the use of additional search terms. Results A total of 563 articles were found after our database search. Eighteen studies fulfilled our inclusion criteria. Articles were then divided into categories based on combinations of tumor modality. Multiple studies reported significant decreases in visual analog scale scores after combined procedures with very low rates of symptomatic complications. Studies that compared their combination with control treatment groups showed greater clinical efficacy. Conclusions Although multidisciplinary management of spinal metastasis using a combination of tumor ablation techniques with vertebral stabilization has been recommended in the previous literature, this review shows that no combination of treatment carried demonstrably different results in pain score reduction, reduced analgesic intake, or improved quality of life. In addition, there is no consensus of standardized variables to evaluate efficacy of treatment, limiting the efficacy of treatment results for the analyzed studies. Although not explicitly included in the initial NOMS framework, our results support the consideration of concomitant percutaneous kyphoplasty or vertebroplasty in these patients on a case-by-case basis.
New Lanthanide Selenophosphates. Influence of Flux Composition on the Distribution of [PSe4]3-/[P2Se6]4- Units and the Stabilization of the Low-Dimensional Compounds A3REP2Se8, and A2(RE)P2Se7 (A = Rb, Cs; RE = Ce, Gd)

The reaction of Ce or Gd with a molten mixture of A2Se/P2Se5/Se (A = Rb, Cs) produced the quaternary compounds Rb3CeP2Se8 (I) and Cs3GdP2Se8 (II), as well as Rb2CeP2Se7 (III) and Rb2GdP2Se7 (IV). T...
Randomized controlled trial of high-dose versus standard-dose vitamin D3 for prevention of aromatase inhibitor-induced arthralgia

Half of hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancer patients will develop joint pain, termed aromatase inhibitor-induced arthralgia (AIA), while taking aromatase inhibitor therapy. Though there is no universally accepted effective treatment for AIA, there has been some evidence to support high-dose vitamin D as a treatment. We randomized post-menopausal women who were beginning adjuvant AI therapy to receive standard-dose vitamin D3 (800 IU daily for 52 weeks), or high-dose vitamin D3 (50,000 IU weekly for 12 weeks, followed by 2000 IU daily for 40 weeks). The primary end point was development of AIA. The trial was designed to enroll 184 patients. This futility analysis was performed after 93 patients were enrolled. The high-dose vitamin D regimen was effective in raising serum vitamin D levels, but there was no significant difference in development of AIA between the two arms. In the high-dose arm, 25 patients (54%) developed AIA, compared to 27 patients (57%) in the standard-dose arm. The planned futility analysis was positive; thus, the study was terminated. Neither baseline vitamin D nor 12-week vitamin D level was predictive of AIA development. Although vitamin D levels were increased in the high-dose arm, there was no significant signal for benefit of high-dose vitamin D supplementation for AIA prevention in this unblinded trial. This study, along with several others, implies that vitamin D likely does not play a significant role in AIA for the majority of patients.
Low seminal plasma buffering capacity corresponds to high pH sensitivity of sperm motility in salmonids

The buffering capacity of air-equilibrated seminal plasma from the chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha and steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss were determined. Buffering capacities were significantly less at pH values at and above 7.3 than over the range 6.0 to 7.0 and were particularly low between pH values of approximately 7.5 to 8.5. The potential of chinook salmon sperm to become motile upon addition to water was highly sensitive to pH. Only very low levels of motility were demonstrable when sperm had been maintained at pH values at or below 7.5 prior to water exposure while maximum motility was noted when sperm had been maintained at pH values of about 8.0 and above. Thus, the potential for motility appeared especially sensitive to that pH range over which seminal plasma exhibited its lowest buffering capacity. Buffering capacity, protein content and inorganic phosphate content of chinook salmon and steelhead seminal plasmas were less than those of corresponding blood plasma or ovarian fluid suggesting that seminal plasma is unique among salmonid body fluids in its composition and low buffering capacity. This low buffering capacity is likely to facilitate the role of the sperm duct epithelium in semen pH regulation and thus, in the sperm's acquisition of the potential for motility upon exposure to water.
Importance of Carbon Porosity for Energy-Related Applications

Nanoporous carbons have many advantages over other adsorbents. This includes their high surface area, pore volume and also conductivity of a carbon matrix. The latter is very important for electrocatalysis. In recent years carbon materials have gained a lot of attention as metal-free catalysts. Their catalytic centers have been linked mainly to nitrogen and sulfur heteroatoms incorporated to the carbon matrix. So far, the research efforts have focused mainly on nanoforms of carbons such a graphene and CNT. Inspired by those results, we have performed CO2 and O2 electroreduction on nanoporous carbons assuming that small pores, similar in sizes to target molecules, can enhance the efficiency of these catalytic processes. Indeed, the results suggested that even though the N- and S- based catalytic centers are important, adsorption of O2 or CO2/CO2-/CO/H2 in pores has a positive effect on these overall reduction processes. This minireview summarizes our recent results on the role of porosity in electrocatalysis on porous carbons.
Relational marketing throughout the history of commercial exchange: Blind spots in marketing’s origin story

Although marketing is commonly theorized to have originated at the dawn of exchange itself, few scholarly articles explore the history of marketing beyond this cursory recitation of the commonly ac...
Characterization of hypervelocity impact craters on chemical vapour-deposited diamond and diamond-like carbon films

Microwave plasma chemical vapour-deposited (CVD) process has been used to grow polycrystalline diamond films over silicon substrates. Diamond-like carbon (DLC) thin films were grown over silicon substrates using a microwave plasma disc reactor. Reactant gases of CH4 and H2 were used in both CVD processes. Some preliminary feasibility tests were performed on the possible applicability of diamond and diamond-like carbon thin films for space-protective applications against artificially simulated electrically actuated plasma drag hypervelocity impact of olivine particles. As-deposited films were analysed by Raman for their chemical nature. The morphology and dimensions of hypervelocity impact craters in diamond and DLC films was also studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and optical microscopy. The velocity of debris particles was determined by high-speed photography using a streak camera. The size of the impact particles was determined by measuring the size of the holes formed in the mylar sheet mounted just above the target diamond and DLC film/silicon and coordinates of the impact sites were determined using the same apparatus.
Biological Sex and Sex Hormone Impacts on Deficits in Episodic-Like Memory in a Rat Model of Early, Pre-motor Stages of Parkinson's Disease.

Episodic memory deficits are among the earliest appearing and most commonly occurring examples of cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease (PD). These enduring features can also predict a clinical course of rapid motor decline, significant cognitive deterioration and the development of PD-related dementia. The lack of effective means to treat these deficits underscores the need to better understand their neurobiological bases. The prominent sex differences that characterize episodic memory in health, aging and in schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease suggest that neuroendocrine factors may also influence episodic memory dysfunction in PD. However, while sex differences have been well documented for many facets of PD, sex differences in, and sex hormone influences on associated episodic memory impairments have been less extensively studied and have never been examined in preclinical PD models. Accordingly, we paired bilateral neostriatal 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesions with behavioral testing using the What-Where-When Episodic-Like Memory (ELM) Task in adult rats to first determine whether episodic-like memory is impaired in this model. We further compared outcomes in gonadally intact female and male subjects, and in male rats that had undergone gonadectomy – with and without hormone replacement, to determine whether biological sex and/or sex hormones influenced the expression of dopamine lesioned-induced memory deficits. These studies showed that 6-OHDA lesions profoundly impaired recall for all memory domains in male and female rats. They also showed that in males, circulating gonadal hormones powerfully modulated the negative impacts of 6-OHDA lesions on What, Where and When discriminations in domain-specific ways. Specifically, the absence of androgens was shown to fully attenuate 6-OHDA lesion-induced deficits in ELM for 'Where' and to partially protect against lesion-induced deficits in ELM for 'What'. In sum, these findings show that 6-OHDA lesions in rats recapitulate the vulnerability of episodic memory seen in early PD. Together with similar evidence recently obtained for spatial working memory, the present findings also showed that diminished androgen levels provide powerful, highly selective protections against the harmful effects that 6-OHDA lesions have on memory functions in male rats.
GATA factor-regulated solute carrier ensemble reveals a nucleoside transporter-dependent differentiation mechanism

Developmental-regulatory networks often include large gene families encoding mechanistically-related proteins like G-protein-coupled receptors, zinc finger transcription factors and solute carrier (SLC) transporters. In principle, a common mechanism may confer expression of multiple members integral to a developmental process, or diverse mechanisms may be deployed. Using genetic complementation and enhancer-mutant systems, we analyzed the 456 member SLC family that establishes the small molecule constitution of cells. This analysis identified SLC gene cohorts regulated by GATA1 and/or GATA2 during erythroid differentiation. As >50 SLC genes shared GATA factor regulation, a common mechanism established multiple members of this family. These genes included Slc29a1 encoding an equilibrative nucleoside transporter (Slc29a1/ENT1) that utilizes adenosine as a preferred substrate. Slc29a1 promoted erythroblast survival and differentiation ex vivo. Targeted ablation of murine Slc29a1 in erythroblasts attenuated erythropoiesis and erythrocyte regeneration in response to acute anemia. Our results reveal a GATA factor-regulated SLC ensemble, with a nucleoside transporter component that promotes erythropoiesis and prevents anemia, and establish a mechanistic link between GATA factor and adenosine mechanisms. We propose that integration of the GATA factor-adenosine circuit with other components of the GATA factor-regulated SLC ensemble establishes the small molecule repertoire required for progenitor cells to efficiently generate erythrocytes.
Linking subsistence harvest diversity and productivity to adaptive capacity in an Alaskan food sharing network.

BACKGROUND Although anthropogenic climate change poses existential challenges for Indigenous communities in the Arctic, these challenges are not entirely unprecedented. Over many generations, Arctic peoples have developed a wide range of behavioral strategies to navigate environmental change and uncertainty, and these strategies provide a foundation for contemporary adaptation. AIMS In this article, we focus on mixed cash-subsistence economies and the social networks that underlie them in Alaska. The patterns of food production, labor exchange, and food sharing in subsistence-oriented communities throughout Alaska are driven by the productivity of keystone households who regularly harvest and share resources within and between communities. MATERIALS & METHODS Building on previous research suggesting the critical importance of these networks to community resilience, we use network analysis to investigate whether patterns in resource transfers between households are associated with subsistence harvest diversity-the diversity of species harvested by a household unit. We use exponential random graph models to describe the structure of a sharing network from Aniak, Alaska, and model the links between harvest productivity, harvest diversity, and household position in this network. RESULTS Our results indicate that both productivity and diversity are positively associated with network connections, and that productivity alone provides an incomplete model of network structure. DISCUSSION We suggest that subsistence harvest diversity may play a unique role in supporting adaptive capacity and resilience by maintaining the productivity of keystone households despite changing environments and sustaining social network structures that circulate resources throughout the community. Harvest diversity may also serve as a broad indicator of Indigenous ecological knowledge and a tangible representation of cultural practices, values, and worldviews that underlie subsistence in Alaska. CONCLUSION Greater attention to harvest diversity is important for understanding how subsistence networks adapt to environmental change and uncertainty linked to social and ecological dynamics of anthropogenic climate change.
Chondrosarcoma Arising in Synovial Chondromatosis of the Hip: A Case Report.

CASE Synovial chondromatosis (SC) is a rare condition involving the proliferation of cartilage within the synovial membrane secondary to subsynovial connective tissue metaplasia. Malignant transformation to chondrosarcoma is rare. We cite a case of SC of the hip refractory to arthroscopic debridement, found to have secondary chondrosarcoma on aborted total hip arthroplasty, in which curative treatment was ultimately obtained with external hemipelvectomy. CONCLUSION SC has the potential to undergo malignant transformation to chondrosarcoma. The consequences of not recognizing such transformation can significantly impact patient outcomes and limit options for local control surgery and limb salvage.
“A TASTE OF GRADUATE SCHOOL WITHOUT REALLY FULLY COMMITTING TO IT" THE UNDERGRADUATE EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING PROJECT AT OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY

Undergraduate research experience has been proven to improve student learning and retention. Since 2018, Oregon State University Department of Wood Science and Engineering has offered Research and Extension Experiences for Undergraduates (REEU) through support from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Education and Workforce Development program. Between 2018 and 2020, 31 undergraduate students conducted research and/or gained experience in Extension projects during a 12-wk summer internship. The goal of this work is to assess the success of mentor–mentee relationships and how the program benefits the mentees’ career. Data for this research consists of transcribed interviews of seven mentor–mentee pairs. Transcripts are qualitatively analyzed to capture insights regarding participants’ experiences in the program. Students who participated in the REEU program improved their research skills and soft skills such as adaptation, writing, and communication. As a result of their participation, students are more likely to attend graduate school.
Clinical Laboratory Analysis of the Genetically Manipulated Mouse

The importance of analyzing routine chemistries in living genetically manipulated mice is increasingly clear. Analogous data bases of serum and/or plasma analytes exist for humans, are commonly used in screening human patients for the presence of health and disease, and serve as important clinical screening tools for the presence of cardiovascular diseases, their prognosis, and efficacy of therapy. These data are absent or incomplete for the mouse. In a correlative way, the availability of these data will amplify the ability scientists to screen for cardiovascular and other diseases in the genetically manipulated mouse.
Rhabdomyolysis and Myoglobinuria

Rhabdomyolysis is due to severe muscle damage from acquired or genetic causes. Myoglobin, a major component of cardiac and skeletal muscle, is released into the blood and is excreted in the kidneys. Excessive levels can lead to myoglobinuria and potentially acute renal failure. The causes of myoglobinuria may be acquired as in crush injury, excess exercise, toxins, infectious diseases, or inherited as metabolic (glycogen or glycolytic disorders) or nonmetabolic (muscular dystrophies) disorders. Diagnosis is required to establish the nature of myoglobin release and therapy is dependent on the cause. Regardless of cause, treatment of acute renal failure is essential as well as management of associated concomitants, such as hyperkalemia or hypo- or hypercalcemia. Mortality may be up to 10%.
The Outer Disk of the Galaxy

The outermost gaseous disk of our Galaxy is warped (Burton and te Lintel Hekkert 1986; Wouterloot et al. 1990), and a stellar component may be present as well (Miyamoto et al. 1988; Djorgovski and Sosin 1989). If so, the outermost edges of the Galaxy’s disk may be more readily studied using the warp than relying upon the terribly crowded and nearly to completely opaque mid-plane directions. The study of the outer disk, and of the warp, is crucial for several reasons, including estimating the core radius of the dark halo (Sparke and Casertano 1988), the disk metallicity gradient (which is a signature of the history of star formation efficiency), and of the ages of the oldest stars elsewhere in the Galactic disk (which can be used to determine if the disk grew slowly outward, as suggested by Gunn 1987).
Normalized matched filter - a low rank approach

This paper presents the performance of the normalized matched filter (NMF) test in a background of disturbance consisting of clutter having a covariance matrix with known structure and unknown scaling plus background white Gaussian noise. Specifically, it is shown that when the clutter covariance matrix is low rank, the NMF test retains invariance with respect to the unknown scaling as well as the background noise level and is approximately CFAR. Performance of the test depends only upon the number of elements, number of pulses processed in a coherent processing interval and the rank of the clutter covariance matrix. Analytical expressions for calculating the false alarm and detection probabilities are presented. Performance of the method is shown to degrade with increasing clutter rank especially for low false alarm rates.
Pyramidal multiresolution image segmentation in SPECT

A median filtered pyramidal multiresolution (MFPM) image segmentation method for detecting and delineating compact objects was applied to single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) images. These SPECT images were obtained by scanning spheres from 1 to 54 ml in size and from 50% to 100% contrast settings. The algorithm performed accurately for large sphere (20 and 54 ml) and high contrast (90% and 100%) cases. As the size and contrast decrease, the accuracy of the method also decreases. Comparison of the MFPM method with adaptive thresholding with edge-preserving smoothing (ATEPS) indicated superior performance of the MFPM method. >
Comparison of Saw Palmetto (extract and whole berry) and Cernitin on prostate growth in rats.

Pharmaceuticals such as finasteride and alpha blockers are used to treat symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and are known to cause severe adverse reactions. Accordingly, a search for safer, natural products has been undertaken. Two natural agents (nutraceuticals) have come under recent scrutiny; because natural products, in general, often have evidence of long-term safety. The present study compares the in vivo effects on androgen-induced prostatic enlargement in rats of two nutraceuticals--the widely recognized Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens) and the less well-known Cernitin (defined pollen extract). Non-castrated rats, had a mean prostate weight of 124 mg +/- 8.8 (S.E.M.) compared to the 24.5 mg +/- 1.9 (S.E.M.) of the castrated rat followed under the same regimen (p < 0.01). When castrated rats were given testosterone, the mass increased significantly to 250.0 mg +/- 31.7 (S.E.M.) (p < 0.01). In the five remaining groups, castrated rats receiving testosterone were given finasteride, an extract of Saw Palmetto, crushed whole berry derived from Saw Palmetto fruit, a water soluble and fat soluble extract of Cernitin or a combination of the Saw Palmetto extract and Cernitin. All treatments decreased the size of the prostate to roughly the same size as in the non-castrated rats, a size that was significantly smaller than castrated rats treated with testosterone in the same manner (p < 0.01). A second study examining non-castrated rats treated with very high doses of testosterone showed similar results. In both studies, the nutraceuticals generally decreased body weight. In conclusion, these studies show the ability of Saw Palmetto (whole berry and extract) and Cernitin to influence prostatic hyperplasia via effects on androgen metabolism.
Three dimensional dynamics of rotating structures under mixed boundary conditions

Abstract This paper presents the spectral-Tchebychev (ST) technique for solution of three dimensional (3D) dynamics of rotating structures. In particular, structures that exhibit coupled dynamic response require a 3D modeling approach to capture their dynamic behavior. Rotational motions further complicate this behavior, inducing coriolis, centrifugal softening, and (nonlinear) stress-stiffening effects. Therefore, a 3D solution approach is needed to accurately capture the rotational dynamics. The presented 3D-ST technique provides a fast-converging and precise solution approach for rotational dynamics of structures with complex geometries and mixed boundary conditions. Specifically, unlike finite elements techniques, the presented technique uses a series expansion approach considering distributed-parameter system equations: The integral boundary value problem for rotating structures is discretized using the spectral-Tchebychev approach. To simplify the domain of the structures, cross-sectional and rotational transformations are applied to problems with curved cross-section and pretwisted geometry. The nonlinear terms included in the integral boundary value problem are linearized around an equilibrium solution using the quasi-static method. As a result, mass, damping, and stiffness matrices, as well as a forcing vector, are obtained for a given rotating structure. Several case studies are then performed to demonstrate the application and effectiveness of the 3D-ST solution. For each problem, the natural frequencies and modes shapes from the 3D-ST solution are compared to those from the literature (when available) and to those from a commercial finite elements software. The case studies include rotating/spinning parallelepipeds under free and mixed boundary conditions, and a cantilevered pretwisted beam (i.e., rotating blade) with an airfoil geometry rotating on a hub. It is seen that the natural frequencies and mode shapes from the 3D-ST technique differ from those from the finite elements model by less than 1 percent for any rotational speed; however, 3D-ST approach significantly reduces the computational burden. It is concluded that the 3D-ST technique can be used to obtain the 3D dynamics of rotating structures, including those with mixed boundary conditions and complex geometry, in a precise and numerically efficient fashion.
Moguls & Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood

Most casual film fans recognize names such as Mayer, Fox, and Warner and know they have something to do with Hollywood history. The producers of Moguls & Movie Stars want us to understand that thes...
Penta-band PIFA for SAR reduction for mobile and WLAN applications using R-Card

Mobile handsets have seen major design improvement in recent years, but mitigating the hazardous effects of radiation still remains a challenging issue. In this study, a technique for reducing the Specified Absorption Rate (SAR) for mobile applications has been investigated for a PIFA designed to cover the GSM 850MHz, GSM 900 MHz, DCS 1800 MHz, PCS 1900 MHz, UMTS 2100 MHz, as well as most of the LTE bands.
PTN signaling: Components and mechanistic insights in human ovarian cancer

Molecular vulnerabilities represent promising candidates for the development of targeted therapies that hold the promise to overcome the challenges encountered with non-targeted chemotherapy for the treatment of ovarian cancer. Through a synthetic lethality screen, we previously identified pleiotrophin (PTN) as a molecular vulnerability in ovarian cancer and showed that siRNA-mediated PTN knockdown induced apoptotic cell death in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) cells. Although, it is well known that PTN elicits its pro-tumorigenic effects through its receptor, protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor Z1 (PTPRZ1), little is known about the potential importance of this pathway in the pathogenesis of ovarian cancer. In this study, we show that PTN is expressed, produced, and secreted in a panel of EOC cell lines. PTN levels in serous ovarian tumor tissues are on average 3.5-fold higher relative to normal tissue and PTN is detectable in serum samples of patients with EOC. PTPRZ1 is also expressed and produced by EOC cells and is found to be up-regulated in serous ovarian tumor tissue relative to normal ovarian surface epithelial tissue (P < 0.05). Gene silencing of PTPRZ1 in EOC cell lines using siRNA-mediated knockdown shows that PTPRZ1 is essential for viability and results in significant apoptosis with no effect on the cell cycle phase distribution. In order to determine how PTN mediates survival, we silenced the gene using siRNA mediated knockdown and performed expression profiling of 36 survival-related genes. Through computational mapping of the differentially expressed genes, members of the MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) family were found to be likely effectors of PTN signaling in EOC cells. Our results provide the first experimental evidence that PTN and its signaling components may be of significance in the pathogenesis of epithelial ovarian cancer and provide a rationale for clinical evaluation of MAPK inhibitors in PTN and/or PTPRZ1 expressing ovarian tumors.
Charge neutralization and collapse of the C-terminal tail of alpha-synuclein at low pH.

Alpha-synuclein (αS) is the primary component of Lewy bodies, the pathological hallmark of Parkinson's Disease. Aggregation of αS is thought to proceed from a primarily disordered state with nascent secondary structure through intermediate conformations to oligomeric forms and finally to mature amyloid fibrils. Low pH conditions lead to conformational changes associated with increased αS fibril formation. Here we characterize these structural and dynamic changes using solution state NMR measurements of secondary chemical shifts, relaxation parameters, residual dipolar couplings, and paramagnetic relaxation enhancement. We find that the neutralization of negatively charged side-chains eliminates electrostatic repulsion in the C-terminal tail of αS and leads to a collapse of this region at low pH. Hydrophobic contacts between the compact C-terminal tail and the NAC (non-amyloid-β component) region are maintained and may lead to the formation of a globular domain. Transient long-range contacts between the C-terminus of the protein and regions N-terminal to the NAC region are also preserved. Thus, the release of long-range contacts does not play a role in the increased aggregation of αS at low pH, which we instead attribute to the increased hydrophobicity of the protein.
Laboratory Simulation of Magnetospheric Plasma Shocks

An experimental simulation of planetary magnetospheres is being developed to investigate the formation of collisionless shocks and their effects. Two experimental situations are considered. In both, the solar wind is simulated by laser ablation plasmas. In one case, the “solar wind” flows across the magnetic field of a high-current discharge. In the other, a transverse magnetic field is embedded in the plasma flow, which interacts with a conductive obstacle. The ablation plasma is created using the “Tomcat” laser, currently emitting 5 J in a 6 ns pulse at 1 μm wavelength and irradiance above 1013 W/cm2. The “Zebra” z-pinch generator, with load current up to 1 MA and voltage up to 3.5 MV produces the magnetic fields. Hydrodynamic modeling is used to estimate the plasma parameters achievable at the front of the plasma flow and to optimize the experiment design. Particle-in-cell simulations reveal details of the interaction of the “solar wind” with an external magnetic field, including flow collimation and heating effects at the stopping point. Hybrid simulations show the formation of a bow shock at the interaction of a magnetized plasma flow with a conductor. The plasma density and the embedded field have characteristic spatial modulations in the shock region, with abrupt jumps and fine structure on the skin depth scale.
Orphanin‐FQ/nociceptin: Lack of antinociceptive, hyperalgesic or allodynic effects in acute thermal or mechanical tests following intracerebroventricular or intrathecal administration to mice or rats

A recent review calls attention to the discrepant results resulting from studies that have examined the nociceptive or antinociceptive properties of orphanin-FQ/nociceptin (Phe-Gly-Gly-Phe-Thr-Gly-Ala-Arg-Lys-Ser-Ala-ArgLys-Leu-Ala-Asn-Gln; OFQ/N), the heptadecapeptide isolated from rat (nociceptin) and pig (orphanin FQ) brain that binds with high affinity to the opioid ‘orphan’ receptor (a seven transmembrane protein with sequence homology to opioid receptors), but exhibits only low affinity binding with conventional opioid ligands. Some of the discrepancy might result from differences in species, test, route of administration or time-course. We undertook a comprehensive examination of the effects of spinal (i.t.) or supraspinal (i.c.v.) administration of OFQ/N in mice and rats. Mice treated with OFQ/N either i.t. or i.c.v. demonstrated no significant nociceptive effect in the hot plate, warm-water or radiant heat tail-flick tests (except for the highest and most sedative dose of 10 nmol i.c.v. in the mouse warm-water tail-flick test). Pretreatment with the opioid antagonist naloxone or with peptidase inhibitors did not enhance the nociceptive effects of OFQ/N peptide in the warm-water tail-flick test. The motor activity in mice administered OFQ/N i.c.v. decreased significantly compared to controls. Rats administered i.c.v. or i.t. OFQ/N displayed no significant difference from vehicle-treated animals in similar noxious stimulus tests and OFQ/N-treated rats did not exhibit allodynia in a paw-withdrawal test. Overall, OFQ/N was ineffective in significantly altering response to noxious stimuli, regardless of whether the peptide was given at supraspinal or spinal sites in mice or in rats. In addition, i.c.v. or i.t. application of antisense or mismatch ODN to the orphan receptor did not modify tail-flick latency in either mice or rats, arguing against a tonic nociceptive tone mediated via the OFQ/N receptor.
Freeway Service Patrol Deployment Planning for Incident Management and Congestion Mitigation

This paper investigates the problem of deploying freeway service patrols to detect, respond to and clear traffic incidents in two settings, deterministic and stochastic. The deterministic setting assumes that there is only one scenario of incident occurrence and, in the stochastic counterpart, there are many scenarios, each of which occurs with a probability. The main objective of both problems is to minimize the total incident response time. Rather than minimizing the expected total response time, the stochastic model minimizes the expected total response time over the high-consequence scenarios instead. In both settings, the deployment problem can be formulated as a mixed-integer nonlinear optimization problem, a hard class of problem to solve. To obtain solutions in a reasonable amount of time, three heuristic algorithms are proposed. In particular, one makes use of the dual information, another employs a neighborhood search technique and the third uses simulated annealing, a meta-heuristic algorithm. Numerical experiments based on data from Sioux Falls demonstrate that all three algorithms provide solutions with a significant reduction in total response time without using an excessive amount of CPU time.
Three-dimensional pattern recognition: An approach to automated interpretation of electron density maps of proteins☆

Abstract A procedure is outlined for reducing the high resolution electron density map of a protein to a set of connected thin lines which follow the density. The side chain representations are removed from this skeleton leaving primarily main chain, disulfide bridges and very strong hydrogen bonds. Crystallographic and local operators are used to separate one protein molecule from the neighboring chains in the crystal. Provisional α-carbon positions along the skeletal main chain are derived by application of the “4 A rule”. The application of these methods to the 2.0 A electron density map of ribonuclease S (Wyckoff et al., 1970) is described. The skeleton of the isolated molecule that is produced in this fashion provides a good over-all view of the three-dimensional folding of the protein. The results suggest that the skeleton representation can be a valuable supplement to the present methods of map interpretation and a significant step towards complete automation of the interpretation process. The three-dimensional pattern recognition procedures described may have much broader applications than the protein structure problem for which they have been developed.
Constraints acting on the exon positions of the splice site sequences and local amino acid composition of the protein

The exon positions located at the 5' and 3' splice sites are involved in two functions: in the accurate removal of introns from the nuclear pre-messenger RNAs and in coding for amino acids. Therefore, at least two constraints will act on the exon positions: the splicing constraint and the protein constraint. In the present study we investigate the effect of those constraints on a set of splice sites extracted from GenBank. The consensus matrices computed for each intron location in the reading frame present striking differences at the exon positions of the 5' splice sites. The results obtained can not be explained by the action of a single constraint but rather by the competition between the splicing and protein constraints. Out of eight sites corresponding to codons located in the vicinity of the intron, three present an amino acid distribution that differs greatly from the average amino acid composition of the proteins. Each of these three sites can be characterized by specific amino acids. Results show that the splicing constraint has an effect on the local amino acid composition of the protein as long as the function of the protein is not disrupted.
Production of net-spinning caddisflies (Hydropsychidae) and black flies (Simuliidae) on rock outcrop substrate in a small southeastern Piedmont stream

Production by hydropsychids and simuliids inhabiting a Piedmont stream rock outcrop was estimated by the size-frequency method. Combined annual larval production was 10.0 gash-free dry wt m−2, 87% of which was contributed by a single caddisfly species,Hydropsyche betteni Ross.Simulium tuberosum (Lundstrom),Symphitopsyche sparna (Ross), and a species ofCheumatopsyche were abundant on the outcrop only during the summer. There was also a single fall cohort ofSimulium pictipes Hagen. Turbulent flow and sediment scour apparently limited larval habitat availability on the outcrop during the winter and spring.
The low frequency vibrations of pyrimidine and purine bases

Abstract We report the far i.r. spectra of crystalline powders of uracil, cytosine, thymine, xanthine and hypoxanthine, from 25 to 1000 cm−1. The carbonyl bending modes of uracil and cytosine have been identified through the substitution of sulfur for oxygen at the C2 position. Wagging and torsional modes of the amino group of cytosine as well as the N1H out-of-plane bending mode have been identified by deuteration studies. Several ring vibrations below 800 cm−1 have also been identified. A Fermi resonance was observed in the case of 2-thiocytosine which involves the sulfur out-of-plane bending mode, the lowest lying ring bending mode and the wagging and torsional modes of the amino group. There also appears to be a Fermi resonance in cytosine involving the carbonyl modes and two external modes. Two modes at 285 and 320 cm−1 which involve the methyl group of thymine are tentatively identified. The temperature dependence of the spectra of hypoxanthine for frequencies
Analysis of “Invariant Characteristics” in the Motor Control of Down’s Syndrome and Normal Subjects

Following Asatryan and Fei'dman (1965), two experiments were conducted to describe the so-called invariant mechanical properties underlying movement control in Down's syndrome and normal subjects. The invariant characteristic is a curve on a graph of joint torque versus joint angle. The task required subjects to maintain a steady joint angle against an external load (torque). Torque was systematically changed via partial unloading in order to obtain torque by length (joint angle) functions at three separate initial joint angles. Instructions required subjects "not to intervene" when unloading occurred in Experiment 1 and to "tense" their muscles prior to unloading in Experiment 2. Both normal and Down's syndrome groups revealed systematic torque by length functions that might be expected according to a simple mass-spring system model. Although the gross organization of movement in Down's syndrome subjects was nearly the same as normals, important differences between the two groups were found. Down's syndrome subjects revealed underdamped motions relative to normals (as shown by differences in the degree of oscillation about the final equilibrium position) and were less able to regulate stiffness (as shown by differences in slope of the torque by angle functions in Experiment 2). We promote the notion that damping and stiffness may be sensitive indices of hypotonia-the most common description of neuromuscular deficiency in Down's syndrome