cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evidence of high incidence of EGFRvIII expression and coexpression with EGFR in human invasive breast cancer by laser capture microdissection and immunohistochemical analysis.

EGFRvIII was first reported in human glioblastomas. Subsequent reports indicated EGFRvIII protein to be frequently detected in several other human cancers, but not in normal tissues. Our previous studies suggested that EGFRvIII could induce a transformation from ligand-dependent non-tumorigenic cell line to ligand-independent malignant phenotype cells in vitro and in vivo. Transfection of EGFRvIII in MCF-7 cell line resulted in a 3-fold increase in colony formation and significantly enhanced tumorigenicity in nude mice (p < 0.001). EGFRvIII could also induce ErbB-2 phosphorylation. The existence and significance of EGFRvIII transcript in human breast cancer, however, was not reported. In our study, we detected the presence of EGFRvIII mRNA and revealed a high incidence (67.8%) of EGFRvIII transcript in human primary invasive breast cancer by utilizing laser capture microdissection (LCM)/RT-PCR to capture pure breast cancer cells. In addition, 57.1% of the infiltrating breast carcinomas expressed both EGFRwt and EGFRvIII mRNA in the same tumor. There is no detectable EGFRvIII mRNA in normal breast tissue. Evaluation of the EGFRwt and EGFRvIII protein levels in the same sample sets by immunohistochemical analysis further confirmed the LCM/RT-PCR finding. Our study provides first direct evidence of high incidence of coexpression of EGFRvIII and EGFRwt in human invasive breast cancer tissue. The unique characteristics and high prevalence of EGFRvIII in invasive human breast cancer as well as negative expression in normal breast may suggest its important role in breast carcinogenesis and make it an ideally potential target for treatment of breast cancer without interrupting normal EGFR signaling.
Shoot growth in aseptically cultivated daylily and haplopappus plantlets after a 5-day spaceflight

Plantlets of daylily (Hemerocallis cv. Autumn Blaze) regenerated from cell suspensions, and 4 clonal populations of Haplopappus gracilis were aseptically cultivated aboard the Shuttle "Discovery" during a 5-day mission within NASA's Plant Growth Unit (PGU) apparatus. Daylily was selected as a representative herbaceous perennial monocotyledon and the haplopappus clones represented an annual dicotyledon. The latter included 4 strains with different physiological and morphological characteristics: two aseptic seedling clones (each generated from a single seedling) and two tissue culture-derived lines. Mean daily growth rates for the primary shoots of all plantlets averaged 4.13 mm day-1 (SD = 2.20) for the flight experiment and 4.68 mm day-1 (SD = 2.59) for the ground control. Comparable growth rates calculated by summing both the primary and secondary shoots for all plantlets were 5.94 mm day-1 (SD = 2.89) for the flight experiment and 6.38 mm day-1 (SD = 3.71) for the control. Statistically significant differences existed between: (1) flight vs control primary shoot growth (the controls growing more than plantlets subjected to spaceflight conditions), (2) the different populations (the daylily gaining more shoot material than any of the haplopappus populations and the haplopappus seedling clones outperforming the tissue culture-derived haplopappus lines), and (3) the individual Plant Growth Chambers contained within the PGU. The data suggest that some spaceflight-associated factor(s) increased the tendency for primary shoot apices to degrade or senesce, resulting in the release of apical dominance and permitting the emergence of axillary branches, which subsequently partially compensated for the reduced primary axis growth. In addition to spaceflight-associated factors, the physiologically diverse nature of the experimental material as well as environmental heterogeneities within the culture apparatus contributed to the variation in growth results. The findings could explain some discrepancies reported from various plant culture experiments conducted in space.
Evidence on the effect of credit counseling on mortgage loan default by low-income households

Abstract Research on the effectiveness of credit counseling is surprisingly scarce given its widespread use and given that it has been around for at least three decades. This paper studies the effects of counseling on default by adopting an option-based approach to mortgage termination. Data come from a counseling program developed as result of the collaborative efforts of a large Midwest bank, Community Churches, and a local community development company implemented during the 1992–1996 period. We find some evidence that counseled borrowers defaulted less often than non-counseled borrowers and that counseling affects optimal exercise of the default option.
Naphtho[2,3-d]-2-selena-l,3-diazole as a reagent for the determination of macro to submicro quantities of palladium

Five analytical procedures, gravimetric, spectrophotometric, radiometric, fluorometric and atomic-absorption, have been developed for the determination of macro to submicro amounts of palladium. The methods are based on the reaction of PdCl2, with naphtho[2,3-d]-2-selena-l,3-diazole. Analytical conditions such as the reaction time, concentration ranges, effect of pH and of 68 foreign ions, and solvent extraction were studied. Information relating to the structure and formula of palladium-piazselenol reaction products is included.
Enhanced solar energy harvesting using top n-contact GaAs solar cell

Abstract We fabricated single-junction solar cell on molecular beam epitaxially grown p–n junction on n -type gallium arsenide (GaAs) substrate. We used a germanium (Ge)/gold (Au)/nickel (Ni)/Au metal contact from the top side on a highly doped n + epitaxial layer as well as the bottom side on an n -type GaAs substrate. We observed 10–15% increase in solar cell power when the top contact is used for the n + GaAs epi layer compared to the bottom side n-type GaAs substrate. Solar cell fill factor, sheet, and shunt resistances are same for both the top and bottom contact type devices. We also observed higher external quantum efficiency (EQE) for top contact devices compared to bottom contact devices. We conclude that to achieve higher power, it is advantageous to use an n-type contact from a highly doped top n + epitaxial layer rather than a bottom n-type GaAs substrate.
Hybrid QM/MM study of thio effects in transphosphorylation reactions.

Results of a series of hybrid quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) activated dynamics simulations of thio effects in the transphosphorylation (methanolysis) of a 2‘-ribose, 5‘-methyl phosphate-diester under basic conditions are presented. Single and double substitutions in the nonbridging oxygen positions exhibit thio effects in accord with experimental data and show the existence of a stable intermediate. Thio substitution at the 2‘ and 5‘ positions resulted in reactions having a single transition state with increased and decreased free energy barriers, respectively, relative to the unsubstituted reaction. In all of the reactions except for the 5‘ substitution, the rate-limiting step corresponds to exocyclic cleavage. In the 5‘ substitution reaction, the rate-limiting step corresponds to endocyclic cleavage and shows a considerable reverse thio effect, in accord with experimental observations of phosphates with enhanced leaving groups. Thio substitution at the 3‘ position results in a mild rev...
Influence of urea on the high-performance cation-exchange chromatography of hen egg white lysozyme

Abstract The effects of urea on the high-performance cation-exchange chromatography of hen egg lysozyme are reported. The capacity factor, k′, has been determined as a function of cation concentration with a polyaspartate column using the acetates of Na+, K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+. Urea decreases lysozyme ret ention. Plots of log k′ vs. log ionic strength show linear relationships. The slope of the plot describing the Ca2+ elution of lysozyme was the same in the presence of 5 M urea as in its absence. In strong urea solutions and at elevated temperatures, lysozyme denaturation is evidenced by a marked decrease in k′. The temperature range for denaturation corresponded closely to that observed by intrinsic fluorescence and circular dichroism measurements. The potential utility and limitations of high-performance ion-exchange chromatography for studying protein denaturation are discussed.
Monovalent cations contribute to T-type calcium channel (Cav3.1 and Cav3.2) selectivity.

Low voltage-activated (LVA) Ca2+ channels regulate chemical signaling by their ability to select for Ca2+. Whereas Ca2+ is the main permeating species through Ca2+ channels, Ca2+ permeation may be modified by abundant intra- and extracellular monovalent cations. Therefore, we explored monovalent cation regulation of LVA Ca2+ permeation in the cloned T-type Ca2+ channels α1G (CaV3.1) and α1H (CaV3.2). In physiological [Ca2+], the reversal potential in symmetrical Li+ was 19 mV in α1G and 18 mV in α1H, in symmetrical Cs+ the reversal potential was 36 mV in α1G and 37 mV in α1H, and in the bi-ionic condition with Li+ in the bath and Cs+ in the pipette, the reversal potential was 46 mV in both α1G and α1H. When Cs+ was used in the pipette, replacement of external Cs+ with Li+ (or Na+) shifted the reversal potential positive by 5–6 mV and increased the net inward current in α1G. Taken together the data indicate that in physiological [Ca2+], external Li+ (or Na+) permeates more readily than external Cs+, resulting in a positive shift of the reversal potential. We conclude that external monovalent cations dictate T-type Ca2+ channel selectivity by permeating through the channel. Similar to Li+, we previously reported that external [H+] can regulate T-type Ca2+ channel selectivity. α1H’s selectivity was more sensitive to external pH changes compared to α1G. When Cs+ was used in the pipette and Li+ was used in the bath external acidification from pHo 7.4 to 6.0 caused a negative shift of the reversal by 8 mV in α1H. Replacement of internal Cs+ with Li+ reduced the pH-induced shift of the reversal potential to 2 mV. We conclude that, similar to other external monovalent cations, H+ can modify T-type Ca2+ channel selectivity. However, in contrast to external monovalent ions that readily permeate, H+ regulate T-type Ca2+ channel selectivity by increasing the relative permeability of the internal monovalent cation.
The Effects of Sex of Subject and Sex of Partner on Interruptions

Sex differences in interruption behavior were examined using the Kraemer-Jacklin (1979) procedure to isolate and test the effects of sex of subject, sex of partner, and their interaction while controlling for between partner correlation. The results of the study were three. First, men did not interrupt more than women and women did not get interrupted more than men. Instead, there were more opposite-sex interruptions, both male-female and female-male, than same-sex interruptions, both female-female and male-male. Second, interruptions were asymmetrically distributed in both same-sex and opposite-sex dyads. However, in opposite-sex dyads males did not interrupt females more than females interrupted males. Third, women did not have less assertive behaviors interrupted; they did not interrupt less assertively, nor did they respond less assertively to interruptions.
Acute closed dislocation of the second through fourth carpometacarpal joints: satisfactory treatment with closed reduction and immobilization

Fracture dislocations of the carpometacarpal (CMC) joints are a rare injury in the hand. Dorsal dislocations are the most frequently reported [11]. Stronger dorsal ligaments and wrist extensor restraints cause failure of the bone dorsally with subsequent rupture of the volar ligaments, allowing for dorsal fracture dislocations to occur more commonly than volar dislocations [7]. In most cases, treatment of such injuries requires open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) or closed reduction with percutaneous pinning [9]. The purpose of this report is to present a patient with radially deviated fracture dislocations of the second through fourth CMC joints that were satisfactorily treated with closed reduction.
Thermoelastic Signatures of Tissue Phantom Absorption and Thermal Expansion

A microwave-induced thermoelastic pressure wave method for imaging of biological tissues has been investigated. Liquid-filled test tubes inside a water tank were used as phantom models. A pulsed 2.45 GHz microwave source and a hydrophone transducer were used to generate and to detect thermoelastic pressure waves. A pattern extraction algorithm was used to analyze the wave contours. Preliminary results show that the thermoelastic waveform is proportional to the size of the test tube and depends on the type of solution within the test tube. Two test objects can be detected with a spatial resolution better than 1 cm. These results suggest that a microwave-induced thermoelastic pressure wave system may provide valuable information for imaging tissue absorption and thermal expansion properties.
The role of electron scattering in the surface enhanced Raman effect on AgAu alloys

Abstract We have observed SERS from AgAu alloys using incident photon energies above and below the onset for interband transitions. Below the onset, electron scattering processes due to alloying cause a decrease in SERS intensity below that observed on either pure metal. This behavior is most easily explained by theories which are based on the optical properties of the substrate.
A framework for understanding consumptive delay: rebate proneness and redemption

Purpose – In this paper the authors seek to develop a measure that can identify those customers who might best be described as rebate prone, and to link rebate proneness to behavioral usage of rebate offers, intentions to use rebate offers in the future, attitudes towards using rebates as a way to try new products, and finally, the tendency to complete the rebate transaction.Design/methodology – In study 1, college students enrolled in marketing classes at two large state universities were asked to complete a brief online survey regarding their attitudes towards rebates as a promotional tool as well as shopping behaviors and attitudes towards shopping. Study 2 replicated study 1 using a mall intercept approach.Findings – Confirmatory factor analyses of the measure of rebate proneness demonstrated substantial psychometric validity and yielded acceptable levels of internal consistency. In both studies, rebate proneness was significantly and positively related to behavioral, intentional and attitudinal appro...
Surface color perception as an inverse problem in biological vision

The spectral power distribution (SPD) of the light reflected from a matte surface patch in a three-dimensional complex scene depends not only on the surface reflectance of the patch but also on the SPD of the light incident on the patch. When there are multiple light sources in the scene that differ in location, SPD, and spatial extent, the SPD of the incident light depends on the location and the orientation of the patch. Recently, we have examined how well observers can recover surface color in rendered, binocularly-viewed scenes with more than one light source. To recover intrinsic surface color, observers must solve an inverse problem, effectively estimating the light sources present in the scene and the light from each that reaches the surface patch. We will formulate the forward and inverse problems for surface color perception in three-dimensional scenes and present experimental evidence that human observers can solve such problems [1-3]. We will also discuss how human observers estimate the spatial distribution of light sources and their chromaticities from the scene itself. [1] Boyaci, Doerschner, Maloney (2004), Journal of Vision, 4, 664-679. [2] Doerschner, Boyaci, Maloney (2004), Journal of Vision, 4, 92-105. [3] Boyaci, Doerschner, Maloney (2004), AIC’05, submitted.
RACIAL AND ETHNIC INEQUALITY IN HOMEOWNERSHIP AND HOUSING EQUITY

Wealth inequality, particularly in housing, has received increased attention in recent years for its importance to racial and ethnic stratification. Yet, while we know a fair amount about black-white wealth inequality, many questions remain regarding sources of Hispanic asset inequality. This article addresses this gap by examining racial and ethnic inequality in homeownership and housing equity among the pre-retirement population. Results support a stratification perspective of inequality for both blacks and Hispanics; even after accounting for numerous life-cycle, resource, and social-psychological considerations, blacks and Hispanics continue to lag significantly behind whites in housing wealth. While Hispanics initially appear better off than blacks with respect to housing, this is largely a function of their more favorable family structure. Important differences between blacks and Hispanics in the main contributors to housing inequality highlight the need to take a more multiethnic perspective on wealth stratification.
Thermodynamics of phase equilibrium for systems containing gels

A gel is a three-dimensional cross-linked elastic polymer. When a gel is immersed into a liquid, it can swell, similar to a sponge. If the surrounding liquid is a solute-containing solution, a solute partitions between the gel and the surrounding liquid. This work derives the fundamental equations of phase equilibrium for such systems. These equations take into account the elastic properties of the gel. Criteria are given for the distribution of solutes between a gel and a coexisting liquid phase. Criteria are also presented for calculating three-phase equilibria where a swollen gel and a collapsed gel coexist with the surrounding liquid. Attention is given to a slightly ionized gel (polyelectrolyte) surrounded by a dilute aqueous electrolyte solution. The equations of equilibrium show that, when Donnan equilibria are taken into account, the pH inside the gel is not equal to that of the surrounding aqueous solution. The discussion presented here may be useful for design of gels used in medicine, pharmacy and biotechnology.
Multiple injected and natural conservative tracers quantify mixing in a stream confluence affected by acid mine drainage near Silverton, Colorado

The acidic discharge from Cement Creek, containing elevated concentrations of dissolved metals and sulphate, mixed with the circumneutral-pH Animas River over a several hundred metre reach (mixing zone) near Silverton, CO, during this study. Differences in concentrations of Ca, Mg, Si, Sr, and SO42− between the creek and the river were sufficiently large for these analytes to be used as natural tracers in the mixing zone. In addition, a sodium chloride (NaCl) tracer was injected into Cement Creek, which provided a Cl− ‘reference’ tracer in the mixing zone. Conservative transport of the dissolved metals and sulphate through the mixing zone was verified by mass balances and by linear mixing plots relative to the injected reference tracer. At each of seven sites in the mixing zone, five samples were collected at evenly spaced increments of the observed across-channel gradients, as determined by specific conductance. This created sets of samples that adequately covered the ranges of mixtures (mixing ratios, in terms of the fraction of Animas River water, %AR). Concentratis measured in each mixing zone sample and in the upstream Animas River and Cement Creek were used to compute %AR for the reference and natural tracers. Values of %AR from natural tracers generally showed good agreement with values from the reference tracer, but variability in discharge and end-member concentrations and analytical errors contributed to unexpected outlier values for both injected and natural tracers. The median value (MV) %AR (calculated from all of the tracers) reduced scatter in the mixing plots for the dissolved metals, indicating that the MV estimate reduced the effects of various potential errors that could affect any tracer. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Efficient route to well‐characterized homo, block, and statistical polymers containing terpyridine in the side chain

The incorporation of metal–ligand interactions into macromolecules imparts to them unique and potentially useful properties. We report the synthesis of homo, block, and statistical copolymers with controlled molecular weights, compositions, and relatively narrow polydispersities via atom transfer radical polymerization that contain activated esters for the subsequent incorporation of terpyridine. This approach is universal and allows facile access to macromolecules with rich chemical functions, illustrated here with metal ligands. Comonomers include methyl, n-butyl, and poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate as well as styrene. The addition of lanthanide ions to the final copolymers generates emissive materials with blue, green, red, or purple light, depending on the metal used. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 5831–5843, 2005
Insulin increases the processing efficiency of messenger ribonucleic acid-S14 nuclear precursor.

Feeding a lipogenic diet increases transcription and enhances processing of the rat hepatic messenger RNA (mRNA)-S14 gene. To determine the separate roles of insulin and increased glucose in these processes, we used the streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat model. Diabetes caused a reduction in mature mRNA-S14 in chow- and lipogenic diet-fed animals (P < 0.006 and P < 0.001, respectively). Insulin restored these levels to normal. Despite the known effects of insulin and carbohydrate on the transcription of this gene, we were unable to demonstrate significant changes in the nuclear proteins that bind to carbohydrate response regions. Yet, insulin restored the content of the mRNA by increasing the ratio of mature to precursor mRNA-S14. Insulin significantly increased this ratio (P < 0.0001) independent of diet and diabetes, further supporting the action of insulin on increasing processing from precursor to mature mRNA. The mechanism of the enhanced processing was studied by ribonuclease mapping and primer ext...
Improving treatment seeking among adolescents with depression: understanding readiness for treatment.

Abstract Purpose To examine readiness for treatment among adolescents with depression in primary care. Methods This article draws upon data from 184 depressed patients, aged 13 to 17, who participated in the Teen Depression Awareness Project. Adolescents were screened assessed along a number of domains at baseline and 6 months. Results Seventy-eight percent of the depressed teens acknowledged they had a problem with depression, yet only 25% were currently getting any sort of counseling or treatment for depression. A total of 40.8% of depressed adolescents were “ready” to get care, whereas 26.6% were “unsure” and 32.1% were “not ready.” Significant differences among these groups were observed for race/ethnicity and household income. Adolescents in the ready group also had more depressive symptoms and lower MHI-5 scores. Being in the ready group versus being “unsure” was a significant predictor of service use at the 6-month follow-up, as was the average number of days impaired and overall mental health functioning. Race, gender, and age were not significant predictors of readiness, yet average number of depressive symptoms was significantly associated with greater readiness. Conclusions Because teens in primary care settings are not seeking mental health treatments even when depression is detected, providers should be mindful that adolescents may be at different stages of recognition and readiness for treatment. Teens who are less ready for care may need follow-up primary care visits or consultation to help them become more active in seeking care.
Stimulatory effect of theophylline on regulation of fetal breathing movements.

Summary: We have performed the fetal CO2 response test on eight mature lambs in utero and have found that theophylline is a respiratory stimulant over a wide range of PaO2 and pHa. Theophylline produces significant increase in slope of P100, Pmax, and VEq response curves and significant increase in P100, Pmax, f, and VEq responses at PaCO2, 65 torr. It also produces significant lowering of the naturally high fetal absolute threshold to CO2, i.e., PaCO2 at which breathing starts during the CO2 test. “Offset” threshold, i.e., PaCO2 when breathing stops after the test, is the same with and without theophylline and equal to absolute threshold with theophylline. Our studies indicate that: (1) theophylline lowers fetal threshold and increases sensitivity to CO2; (2) increased sensitivity is expressed mainly by heightened Pmax (i.e., the equivalent of tidal volume) with some contribution of f particularly at high PaCO2; (3) decreased CO2 threshold is best assessed by determination of absolute threshold rather than the conventional x-axis intercept method; (4) the low offset threshold is consistent with our understanding that arousal is a requisite for generation and maintenance of fetal breathing; (5) theophylline is as effective a respiratory stimulant during fetal acidemia and hypoxemia as it is under normal conditions; and (6) a number of serious reservations must be held regarding use of theophylline during low pHa, low PaO2 states. Speculation: Theophylline, which is shown to be an effective respiratory stimulant in the ovine fetus, activates central respiratory units by a process of recruitment analogous to that of other inputs, e.g., somatosensory and chemoreceptor afferents. Changes in the state of respiratory center arousal, including its return to natural quiescence with apnea when inputs are withdrawn, can be assessed by the fetal CO2 test and bear on the phenomena of onset of breathing at birth, neonatal apnea, and sudden infant death.
Are Wellness/Fitness Programs Benefiting Participants' Movement and Mobility in Daily Life?

Knowledge regarding the potential benefits of participation in fitness programs to individuals' quality of movement in daily living is limited. It is important to study this relationship and also consider the implications for professional preparation programs in kinesiology. A brief overview based on published reports and expert opinions focuses on current practices, identified needs, and future directions. Even though the number of fitness facilities and the variety of classes and services offered have increased substantially over the past decade, few field-based studies have been conducted. Applied scientists in our field have an excellent opportunity to initiate and collaborate in creative, multidisciplinary, translational research that can significantly extend our knowledge on how participation in fitness programs may enhance daily movement quality in healthy adults.
The politics of place : Practice, process, and kinship in domestic violence courts

This article describes the processing of domestic violence cases in Trinidad with implications for the implementation of domestic violence law more generally in other common law courts including the U.S. It is based on fieldwork in magistrates courts and a statistical analysis of domestic violence court records-the first of its kind for the English-speaking Caribbean. We identify a "politics of place" that makes courts "discordant locales" places in which persons requesting protection orders will encounter different forms of structural practical and ideological resistance to their claims to rights. We explore the extent to which applications for protection orders are dismissed withdrawn or awarded protective action uncovering differences in case dispositions between the courts. Our analysis highlights the architecture organization and workloads of the courts contrasting judicial styles and the role of kinship ideology and practice in shaping litigants use of the courts. We reveal a "public secret" about domestic violence litigation of theoretical and practical interest to anthropologists scholars and activists concerned with domestic violence and students of law and society research. (authors)
Combinatorial thin film synthesis of Gd-doped Y3Al5O12 ultraviolet emitting materials

Multi-layer Y3Al5O12:Gd thin films were deposited in a combinatorial fashion using radio-frequency magnetron sputtering. Initially, Y3Al5O12 (yttrium aluminum garnet or YAG) films were deposited in a combinatorial fashion to optimize the Y and Al sputtering conditions. Subsequently, alternating layers of uniform Y3Al5O12 and graded Gd were deposited and the film composition was homogenized by post-deposition 1000 °C 10-h thermal treatment. A composition range of ∼1–12 at% Gd was produced in two films. Ultraviolet emission with a peak wavelength at 312 nm was observed from the gadolinium 8S7/2-6P7/2 transition via cathodoluminescence (CL) excitation. The CL-induced intensity was found to be maximum at ∼5.5 at% Gd.
Arfaptin 1, a Putative Cytosolic Target Protein of ADP-ribosylation Factor, Is Recruited to Golgi Membranes

ADP-ribosylation factors (ARFs) have been implicated in vesicle transport in the Golgi complex. Employing yeast two-hybrid screening of an HL60 cDNA library using a constitutively active mutant of ARF3 (ARF3·;Q71L), as a probe, we have identified a cDNA encoding a novel protein with a calculated molecular mass of 38.6 kDa, which we have named arfaptin 1. The mRNA of arfaptin 1 was ubiquitously expressed, and recombinant arfaptin 1 bound preferentially to class I ARFs, especially ARF1, but only in the GTP-bound form. The interactions were independent of myristoylation of ARF. Arfaptin 1 in cytosol was recruited to Golgi membranes by ARF in a guanosine 5′-O-(3-thiotriphosphate)-dependent and brefeldin A-sensitive manner. When expressed in COS cells, arfaptin 1 was localized to the Golgi complex. The yeast two-hybrid system yielded another clone, which encoded a putative protein, which we have named arfaptin 2. This consisted of the same number of amino acids as arfaptin 1 and was 60% identical to it. Arfaptin 2 was also ubiquitously expressed and bound to the GTP-, but not GDP-liganded form of class I ARFs, especially ARF1. These results suggest that arfaptins 1 and 2 may be direct target proteins of class 1 ARFs. Arfaptin 1 may be involved in Golgi function along with ARF1.
Oxygen-transfer rates and efficiencies in one- and two-stage airlift towers

The primary consideration in fermentor design is the supply of oxygen to the growing microorganisms. The oxygen-transfer characteristics of a two-stage splitcylinder airlift tower were compared to those of a similar single-stage airlift tower of equal liquid volume using a sodium sulfite–air system. At superficial gas velocities, from 720 to 1200 cm/min, no difference in KLa was apparent. The KLa was significantly larger in the two-stage tower for a gas velocity between 1200 and 2728 cm/min. At 2728 cm/min a KLa of 25.2 min−1 was achieved in the two-stage system, and at 2262 cm/min the two-stage tower had a 54% larger KLa than the single stage. A comparison of dispersion-volume based KLa showed a 27% larger value at a gas velocity of 2262 cm/min. The performance ratios for the two-stage tower were larger than those for the single-stage tower at oxygen-transfer rates greater than 180 mmol/liter hr. A comparison of the data with literature values is presented.
Long-term Outcomes of Photorefractive Keratectomy for Anisometropic Amblyopia in Children

Purpose To evaluate the long-term visual acuity (VA) and refractive error responses to excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) for treatment of anisometropic amblyopia in children. Design Prospective interventional case–control study. Participants Eleven children, 2 to 11 years old, with anisometropic amblyopia who were noncompliant with conventional therapy with glasses or contact lenses and occlusion therapy were treated with PRK. A cohort derived retrospectively of 13 compliant and 10 noncompliant children with refractive errors similar to those of the PRK group who were treated with traditional anisometropic amblyopia therapy served as control groups. Intervention Photorefractive keratectomy for the eye with the higher refractive error. Main Outcome Measures (1) Refractive error reduction and stability in the treated eye, (2) cycloplegic refraction, (3) VA, (4) stereoacuity, and (5) corneal haze up to 3 years after PRK. Compliant and noncompliant children with anisometropia amblyopia were analyzed as controls for refractive error and VA. Results Preoperative refractive errors were −13.70 diopters (D) (±3.77) for the myopic group and +4.75 D (±0.50) for the hyperopic group. Mean postoperative refractive errors at last follow-up (mean, 31 months) were −3.55 D (±2.2.5) and +1.41 D (±1.07) for the myopic and hyperopic groups, respectively. At last follow-up, cycloplegic refractions in 4 (50%) of 8 myopes and all hyperopes (100%) were within 3 D of that of the fellow eye. Five (63%) of 8 myopic children achieved a refraction within 2 D of the target refraction. Two (67%) of 3 hyperopic patients maintained their refractions within 2 D of the target. Refractive regressions (from 1 year after surgery to last follow-up) were 0.50±1.41 D (myopes) and 0.60±0.57 D (hyperopes). Seven children (77%) were able to perform psychophysical VA testing preoperatively and postoperatively. Five (71%) of the 7 children had uncorrected VA improvement of at least 2 lines, and 4 (57%) of 7 had best spectacle-corrected VA improvement of at least 2 lines, with 1 improving 7 lines. Five (55%) of 9 children had improvement of their stereoacuity at last follow-up. Subepithelial corneal haze remained negligible. The mean final VA of the PRK group was significantly better than that of the noncompliant control group ( P = 0.003). The mean final refractive error for both myopic and hyperopic groups was also significantly better that that of the control groups ( P = 0.007 and P Conclusions Photorefractive keratectomy for severe anisometropic amblyopia in children resulted in long-term stable reduction in refractive error and improvement in VA and stereopsis, with negligible persistent corneal haze.
Divergence function, duality, and convex analysis

From a smooth, strictly convex function Φ: Rn → R, a parametric family of divergence function DΦ(α) may be introduced: DΦ(α)(x, y) = 4/1 - α2(1 - α/2 Φ(x)+ 1 + α/2 Φ(y) - Φ (1 - α/2x + 1 + α/2y)) for x, y ∈ int dom(Φ) ⊂ Rn, and for α ∈ R, with DΦ(±1) defined through taking the limit of α. Each member is shown to induce an α-independent Riemannian metric, as well as a pair of dual α-connections, which are generally nonflat, except for α = ±1. In the latter case, DΦ(±1) reduces to the (nonparametric) Bregman divergence, which is representable using Φ and its convex conjugate Φ* and becomes the canonical divergence for dually flat spaces (Amari, 1982, 1985; Amari & Nagaoka, 2000). This formulation based on convex analysis naturally extends the information-geometric interpretation of divergence functions (Eguchi, 1983) to allow the distinction between two different kinds of duality: referential duality (α ↔ -α) and representational duality (Φ ↔ Φ*). When applied to (not necessarily normalized) probability densities, the concept of conjugated representations of densities is introduced, so that ±α-connections defined on probability densities embody both referential and representational duality and are hence themselves bidual. When restricted to a finite-dimensional affine submanifold, the natural parameters of a certain representation of densities and the expectation parameters under its conjugate representation form biorthogonal coordinates. The alpha representation (indexed by β now, β ∈ [-1, 1]) is shown to be the only measure-invariant representation. The resulting two-parameter family of divergence functionals D(α,β), (α,β) ∈ [-1, 1] × [-1, 1] induces identical Fisher information but bidual alpha-connection pairs; it reduces in form to Amari's alpha-divergence family when α = ±1 or when β = 1, but to the family of Jensen difference (Rao, 1987) when β = -1.
The effect of radiotherapy dose on survival in stage iii non-small-cell lung cancer patients undergoing definitive chemoradiotherapy

Abstract Background In this study, we examined trends in the radiotherapy dose prescribed and the effect of dose escalation on survival in patients with stage III lung cancer. Materials and Methods Radiation dose prescription patterns were analyzed for 38,848 patients in the National Cancer Database with clinical stage III disease who underwent concurrent chemoradiation between 2004 and 2011 to a dose between 57 and 80 Gy. Survival information was available for patients diagnosed from 2004 to 2006 (n = 12,024). Overall survival (OS) was estimated using Kaplan-Meier methods. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs). Results The percentage of patients treated to ≥ 64 Gy increased from 50% in 2004 to 62% in 2011 ( P P 59.4 Gy compared with the 74 to 80 Gy cohort. Conclusion There was no improvement in OS with radiotherapy dose escalation beyond 59.4 Gy for patients with unresectable clinical stage III lung cancer treated with chemoradiation.
Diagnosis and Management of Patients With α1-Antitrypsin (A1AT) Deficiency

Alpha1-antitrypsin (A1AT) deficiency is an autosomal codominant disease that can cause chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma in children and adults and increases risk for emphysema in adults. The development of symptomatic disease varies; some patients have life-threatening symptoms in childhood, whereas others remain asymptomatic and healthy into old age. As a result of this variability, patients present across multiple disciplines, including pediatrics, adult medicine, hepatology, genetics, and pulmonology. This can give physicians the mistaken impression that the condition is less common than it actually is and can lead to fragmented care that omits critical interventions commonly performed by other specialists. We sought to present a rational approach for hepatologists to manage adult patients with A1AT deficiency.
Collective Action and Assisting the Poor: The Political Economy of Income Assistance during the Lancashire Cotton Famine

Problems of poverty are exacerbated by uncertainty.1 This uncertainty means that one role of an income-assistance system is insurance, which in the modern world has often taken the form of government welfare or unemployment insurance. However, various private methods have also been important. The episode known as the Lancashire cotton famine reveals this institutional diversity in a region with a dominant geographically concentrated industry. A cyclical downturn in the cotton textile industry coincided with the Union blockade of Southern ports during the American Civil War, bringing four years of distress to the towns in the cotton manufacturing district concentrated in Lancashire. The unanticipated and unprecedented depth and duration of this shock unveiled both the responses of preexisting income assistance institutions and the institutional change that occurred to spread income losses after the cotton famine struck.
Time-Dependent Measurements of Ionization and V-E Energy Transfer in Optically Pumped Plasmas 1

A method for direct measurements of the electron number density, ionization rate, and the recombination rate coefficient in optically pumped non-equilibrium plasmas has been developed. In this method, a pulsed non-self-sustained discharge created by applying square-shaped, below breakdown voltage pulses to two electrodes placed in the plasma (a Thomson probe) is used to remove electrons from the plasma. The electron number density is inferred for CO/Ar and CO/N2 mixtures with small amounts of O2 additive. The results are compared with the microwave attenuation measurements, showing good agreement. The inferred ionization rates for these gas mixtures are in very good agreement with the ones previously measured. The electron-ion recombination rate coefficients in CO/Ar/O2 and in CO/N2/O2 mixtures are β = (7-8)×10 -8 cm 3 s -1 and β = (34)×10 -7 cm 3 s -1 , respectively. Time-dependent measurements of the electron concentration and CO(A 1 Π → X 1 Σ) radiation are used to study mechanisms of CO(A 1 Π) population in the optically pumped plasma. The experimental results are compared with kinetic modeling calculations. If has been shown that the intensity of CO(A 1 Π) radiation follows the electron number density in the laser-excited plasma region very closely after the Thomson probe voltage was turned on or off. This demonstrates that electrons play a major role in the excitation of the A 1 Π electronic state of CO and provides additional evidence of the electron mediated vibrational-to-electronic energy transfer.
Identification of a Receptor-Binding Region within Domain 4 of the Protective Antigen Component of Anthrax Toxin

Anthrax toxin from Bacillus anthracis is a three-component toxin consisting of lethal factor (LF), edema factor (EF), and protective antigen (PA). LF and EF are the catalytic components of the toxin, whereas PA is the receptor-binding component. To identify residues of PA that are involved in interaction with the cellular receptor, two solvent-exposed loops of domain 4 of PA (amino acids [aa] 679 to 693 and 704 to 723) were mutagenized, and the altered proteins purified and tested for toxicity in the presence of LF. In addition to the intended substitutions, novel mutations were introduced by errors that occurred during PCR. Substitutions within the large loop (aa 704 to 723) had no effect on PA activity. A mutated protein, LST-35, with three substitutions in the small loop (aa 679 to 693), bound weakly to the receptor and was nontoxic. A mutated protein, LST-8, with changes in three separate regions did not bind to receptor and was nontoxic. Toxicity was greatly decreased by truncation of the C-terminal 3 to 5 aa, but not by their substitution with nonnative residues or the extension of the terminus with nonnative sequences. Comparison of the 28 mutant proteins described here showed that the large loop (aa 704 to 722) is not involved in receptor binding, whereas residues in and near the small loop (aa 679 to 693) play an important role in receptor interaction. Other regions of domain 4, in particular residues at the extreme C terminus, appear to play a role in stabilizing a conformation needed for receptor-binding activity.
A Framework for Method-Specific Knowledge Compilation from Databases

Generality and scale are important but difficult issues in knowledge engineering. At the root of the difficulty lie two challenging issues: how to accumulate huge volumes of knowledge and how to support heterogeneous knowledge and processing. One approach to the first issue is to reuse legacy knowledge systems, integrate knowledge systems with legacy databases, and enable sharing of the databases by multiple knowledge systems. We present an architecture called HIPED for realizing this approach. HIPED converts the second issue above into a new form: how to convert data accessed from a legacy database into a form appropriate to the processing method used in a legacy knowledge system. One approach to this reformed issue is to use method-specific compilation of data into knowledge. We describe an experiment in which a legacy knowledge system called INTERACTIVE KRITIK is integrated with an ORACLE database. The experiment indicates the computational feasibility of method-specific data-to-knowledge compilation.
Die Anwendung der Massenspektrometrie in der organischen Chemie, insbesondere zur Strukturaufklärung von Naturstoffen

Die Massenspektrometrie ist fur die Bestimmung der Struktur organischer Verbindungen sehr brauchbar. Bei auserst geringem Substanzbedarf erhalt man Informationen uber die Molekulgrose und die Anordnung der Atomgruppen im Molekul. Eine gewisse Fluchtigkeit der Substanz ist Vorbedingung. Die in der Ionenquelle stattfindenden Zerfallsreaktionen konnen im allgemeinen als solche von [Carbonium-Ionen ohne Losungsmittel] angesehen werden. An Hand von Beispielen wird die Anwendung zur Strukturaufklarung von Naturstoffen, wie Lipoiden, Aminosauren, Peptiden und Alkaloiden erlautert.
Nodal mutant eXtraembryonic ENdoderm (XEN) stem cells upregulate markers for the anterior visceral endoderm and impact the timing of cardiac differentiation in mouse embryoid bodies

Interactions between the endoderm and mesoderm that mediate myocardial induction are difficult to study in vivo because of the small size of mammalian embryos at relevant stages. However, we and others have demonstrated that signals from endodermal cell lines can influence myocardial differentiation from both mouse and human embryoid bodies (EBs), and because of this, assays that utilize embryonic stem (ES) cells and endodermal cell lines provide excellent in vitro models to study early cardiac differentiation. Extraembryonic endoderm (XEN) stem cells have a particular advantage over other heart-inducing cell lines in that they can easily be derived from both wild type and mutant mouse blastocysts. Here we describe the first isolation of a Nodal mutant XEN stem cell line. Nodal−/− XEN cell lines were not isolated at expected Mendelian ratios, and those that were successfully established, showed an increase in markers for the anterior visceral endoderm (AVE). Since AVE represents the heart-inducing endoderm in the mouse, cardiac differentiation was compared in EBs treated with conditioned medium (CM) collected from wild type or Nodal−/− XEN cells. EBs treated with CM from Nodal−/− cells began beating earlier and showed early activation of myocardial genes, but this early cardiac differentiation did not cause an overall increase in cardiomyocyte yield. By comparison, CM from wild type XEN cells both delayed cardiac differentiation and caused a concomitant increase in overall cardiomyocyte formation. Detailed marker analysis suggested that early activation of cardiac differentiation by Nodal−/− XEN CM caused premature differentiation and subsequent depletion of cardiac progenitors.
Closing the fluency gap

What does it mean to use technologies fluently? To be truly fluent in a natural language (like English or French), you need more than phrase-book knowledge; you must be able to articulate a complex idea or tell an engaging story that is, you must be able to make things with language. Analogously, fluency with new technologies involves not only knowing how to use technological tools, but also knowing how to construct things of significance with those tools (Papert & Resnick, 1995).
Cognitive dysfunction and white matter abnormalities in antiphospholipid syndrome

Diagnosis of the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) requires that a patient have both a clinical event (thrombosis or pregnancy loss) and persistently positive antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL). Although stroke and transient ischemic attack are the most common neurologic manifestations of APS, both cognitive dysfunction and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) white matter hyperintensities can occur in aPL-positive patients (with or without APS). Relatively little is known about the cognitive pattern in aPL-positive patients; MRI white matter hyperintensities may be related to underlying attentional and executive cognitive impairment. Studies with sophisticated neuroimaging techniques aimed to better understand MRI white matter hyperintensities may eventually facilitate our understanding of cognitive dysfunction in aPL-positive patients.
Multivariate Analysis of an Early Hominid Metacarpal from Swartkrans

Discriminant analysis permits hand bones of living primate genera to be represented as swarms of points in a multidimensional statistical framework within which intergroup relationships, and the affinities of fossil forms, can be examined. The metacarpal of Paranthropus from Swartkrans, South Africa, was so located with respect to groups of monkeys, apes, and modern man. The results suggest that the fossil metacarpal may be functionally similar to that of chimpanzees.