cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Heparin hydrogel sandwich cultures of primary hepatocytes

Abstract Long-term in␣vitro maintenance of primary hepatocytes has been a challenge in hepatic tissue engineering, since these cells dedifferentiate and lose their phenotype in standard culture conditions. Some of the most successful culture systems employ collagen or Matrigel matrices. As an alternative matrix, our laboratory has been exploring the use of heparin-containing hydrogels as scaffolds for cultivation of functional hepatocytes. The present study characterized a heparin gel sandwich culture system for maintenance of primary rat hepatocytes. The heparin gel layers were fabricated via UV light induced thiol-ene coupling reaction of thiolated heparin (Hep-SH) and diacrylated poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG-DA) precursors. Analysis of hepatic function revealed that cells sustained albumin secretion for at least three weeks at similarly high levels for collagen and heparin gel sandwich culture systems. Furthermore, cytochrome P450 activity of hepatocytes was ∼1.6 times higher in heparin gels compared to collagen gels. Another distinct advantage of heparin is its ability to bind and release growth factors in a controlled manner. We observed that after 24 days hepatocytes cultured in heparin gel sandwich containing hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) produced ∼1.8 times higher amounts of albumin compared to cells in collagen sandwiches. Overall, we demonstrate heparin gel sandwich to be an excellent system for maintaining differentiated, polarized primary hepatocytes for over three weeks. The biomaterial used in this study, heparin–PEG hydrogel, offers significant flexibility in terms of tuning mechanical properties, adjusting heparin content or introducing photolabile chemistries to promote gel degradation. We see multiple applications for this novel system in hepatocyte maintenance and stem cell differentiation studies.
Carbon and water relations of Salix monticola in response to winter browsing and changes in surface water hydrology: an isotopic study using δ13C and δ18O

To ascertain whether browsing or hydrologic conditions influence the physiological performance of Salix and whether Salix and graminoids (Carex) use and possibly compete for similar water resources, we quantified the in situ seasonal patterns of plant water and carbon relations over three growing seasons. Our studies were designed to address the physiological factors which may be responsible for poor woody plant regeneration in montane riparian habitats of Rocky Mountain National Park, Colo. As these systems act to insure the delivery of fresh water to downstream users, the maintenance of their integrity is critical. We quantified plant water potentials, instantaneous rates of carbon fixation, leaf carbon isotope discrimination (Δ), leaf nitrogen content and water sources using stable isotopes of water (δ18O). The carbon and water relations of Salix were significantly affected by winter browsing by elk and in some cases by landscape position with regard to proximity to active streams. Winter browsing of Salix by elk significantly increased summer plant water potentials and integrative measures of gas exchange (Δ), though browsing did not consistently affect instantaneous rates of photosynthesis, leaf nitrogen or the sources of water used by Salix. No effect of experimental manipulations of surface water conditions on Salix physiology was observed, likely due to the mesic nature of our study period. Using a two-member linear mixing model, from δ18O values we calculated that Salix appears to rely on streams for approximately 80% of its water. In contrast, the graminoid Carex derives almost 50% of its water from rainfall, indicating divergent water source use by these two life forms. Based on these findings, winter browsing by elk improved Salix water balance possibly by altering the shoot to root ratio which in turn leads to higher water potentials and higher degrees of season-long gas exchange, while experimental damming had in general no effect on the physiological performance of Salix plants. In addition, as the water sources of Salix and Carex were significantly different, competition for water may not influence the growth, development, and regeneration of Salix. Thus, under the conditions of our study, herbivory had a positive effect on the physiological performance of Salix, but it is still unclear whether these changes in physiology transcend into improved Salix regeneration and survivorship. However, under drier environmental conditions such as lower snowpacks and lower stream flows, the browsing resistance of Salix and ecosystem regeneration may be greatly hindered because the reliance of Salix on stream water makes it vulnerable to changes in surface water and hydrological conditions.
Vascular endothelial growth factor in bronchoalveolar lavage from normal subjects and patients with diffuse parenchymal lung disease.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a potent angiogenic agent that is expressed by epithelial cells in the mature lung of various animal species. We hypothesized that VEGF levels in lower respiratory tract secretions may vary with age or with lung inflammation in human beings. We measured VEGF165 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from normal volunteers (NVs) of varying age and from patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), sarcoidosis, or idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). A considerable gradient in VEGF levels was found with relatively high VEGF concentrations in BALF as compared with serum VEGF. VEGF levels were 303 ± 34 pg/mL (mean ± SEM) in serum samples from patients with CF (N = 9) versus 122 ± 16 pg/mL for the comparable, youngest group of NVs (P <.01). BALF VEGF concentrations were 165 ± 17 pg/mL for CF upper lobe BALF (N = 9), 140 ± 17 pg/mL for CF lower lobe BALF (N = 9), and 235 ± 24 pg/mL for young adult NVs (N = 29). Serum VEGF levels did not differ significantly between NVs and patients with interstitial lung disease, but mean BALF VEGF levels declined significantly with advancing age in NVs and were significantly depressed in patients with IPF (32 ± 6 pg/mL) as compared with all other groups, including the oldest group of NVs (134 ± 13 pg/mL, P <.0001). We conclude that a considerable gradient in VEGF concentration exists from epithelial bronchoalveolar surface fluid to serum. Concentrations of VEGF in lower respiratory tract secretions vary with age and are significantly depressed in IPF. (J Lab Clin Med 2000;135:332-8)
HIV-1 Assembly: Viral Glycoproteins Segregate Quantally to Lipid Rafts that Associate Individually with HIV-1 Capsids and Virions

Summary HIV-1 assembly depends on its structural protein, Gag, which after synthesis on ribosomes, traffics to the late endosome/plasma membrane, associates with HIV Env glycoprotein, and forms infectious virions. While Env and Gag migrate to lipid microdomains, their stoichiometry and specificity of interaction are unknown. Pseudotyped viral particles can be made with one viral core surrounded by heterologous envelope proteins. Taking advantage of this property, we analyzed the association of HIV Env and Ebola glycoprotein (GP), with HIV-1 Gag coexpressed in the same cell. Though both viral glycoproteins were expressed, each associated independently with Gag, giving rise to distinct virion populations, each with a single glycoprotein type. Confocal imaging demonstrated that Env and GP localized to distinct lipid raft microdomains within the same cell where they associated with different virions. Thus, a single Gag particle associates "quantally" with one lipid raft, containing homogeneous trimeric viral envelope proteins, to assemble functional virions.
On the variability of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration at Barrow, Alaska during summer☆

Abstract Atmospheric carbon dioxide data obtained at Barrow, Alaska for the May–September period of 1978 were studied to understand the causes of the day-to-day and within-day variations. Sixteen instances of 24-h change in average CO 2 concentration of from 15 to 50% of the annual range (approx. 14 ppm) were identified. Within-day variations of up to 50% of the annual range were noted. The variations were found to be related to local and synoptic scale meteorology interacting with local and regional sources and sinks of CO 2 . The results are consistent with an overall source of CO 2 in the tundra of the Alaskan North Slope and a significant sink for CO 2 in the ice-free areas of the seas bordering Alaska. The analysis provides an interpretation of the Barrow CO 2 record which can be used in the selection of representative data for studying large scale trends.
Array Analysis of Regional-Distance P-Coda in South Asia

Abstract We present a comprehensive study of regional distance P -coda recorded by a medium-aperture array station located in Chiang Mai, Thailand (CMAR). Using array processing techniques, we analyzed data from 955 events that occurred at distances of 13°–30° with primarily continental paths. Nearly all significant, coherent arrivals in the P -coda traveled along the great circle path with ray parameters within of the direct arrival. Most of this energy was created near the source, probably via ( L g , R g )→ P scattering. This was especially true at the larger distances of 28°–30° in which coda decay rates decreased and large-amplitude significant arrivals occurred throughout the first 30 sec of the coda. The codas from approximately 40 intermediate-depth events in our data set were generally less energetic than shallow-event coda at comparable distances. In some cases, the coherent later arrivals we observed were related to upper mantle triplications. At distances of 14°–17° we observed clear secondary arrivals related to the 410 km discontinuity. They appeared on average 2 sec later than expected relative to the first arrivals, which may be partially explained by a depressed 410 beneath Burma. We isolated the diffuse component of the P -coda by subtracting array beams from individual elements to create residual seismograms. The diffuse, residual energy was highly variable from trace to trace and became equal in amplitude to the coherent component after only 20–30 sec of lapse time. We used a high-resolution maximum-likelihood technique to compute frequency–wavenumber spectra of the residual seismograms but did not conclusively observe any deterministic P → R g scatterer locations. The majority of the diffuse energy is created quite close to CMAR and does not travel as a plane wave across the array.
Reynolds Number Dependence of Laminar Loss Coefficients for a Rectangular-Cross Section Square-Cornered Tee Junction

Energy losses in junctions are often found by using an assumed loss coefficient for the particular geometry. While this coefficient remains nearly constant under turbulent conditions, this is not true for laminar flow. The loss coefficient through a dividing junction tends to decrease as a function of Reynolds number converging to some value once fully turbulent flow occurs. Research has been done to catalog losses for various geometries under turbulent flow; yet, there has not been the same detailed research for the laminar conditions. This is mostly due to many applications at the macro scale where turbulent flow is prevalent. Flow in microchannels and nanochannels is mostly laminar. Applications at this small scale have created a demand for the study of these loss coefficients under the laminar flow conditions.This paper focuses on simulations done of flow through a square-cornered tee-junction with a rectangular cross sectional area of 6 by 7 millimeters. The fluid consisted of a glycerin and water mixture that was 30 percent water and 70 percent glycerin by volume. Measurements were made of an actual mixture’s density and viscosity and these parameters were used in the simulations. The mixture was chosen to give sufficient pressure drop to measure in validation experiments. Using these simulations, a detailed account of the energy losses in the junction was observed as a function of Reynolds number. The Reynolds number range in this study was 1–100. Higher Reynolds numbers were simulated where signs of a transition to turbulence were observed.The stagnation loss coefficient, which includes kinetic energy and pressure changes through the junction, was found to be inversely proportional to Reynolds number. Initial experimental verification has been performed, in which the experimental stagnation loss coefficient followed the same trend as the simulations. Additional experimental validation is underway.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
D. Z. Phillips’ problems with evil and with God

It is widely held that the logical problem of evil, which alleges an inconsistency between the existence of evil and that of an omnipotent and morally perfect God, has been solved. D. Z. Phillips thinks this is a mistake. In The Problem of Evil and the Problem of God, he argues that, within the generally assumed framework, “neither the proposition ’God is omnipotent’ nor the proposition ‘God is perfectly good’ can get off the ground.” Thus, the problem of evil leads to the problem of God. Phillips goes on to provide an alternative response to the problem of evil, expounded by means of his Wittgensteinian analyses of various concepts drawn from the Christian tradition. I argue that his criticisms of the traditional conception of God either fail outright or are at best inconclusive. I also point out that the religious concepts analyzed by Phillips are not and cannot be the same concepts as those employed in the Christian tradition from which they are supposedly drawn. For the concepts as traditionally employed presuppose the actual existence and activity of precisely the sort of being that, according to Phillips, “God cannot be.”
Red algal plasmids

Five of 21 red algal genera were found to contain circular dsDNA plasmids, typically of two or more sizes per species. Clones of the two plasmids (GL4.4 and GL3.5 kbp), characterizing all isolates of Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis, do not cross-hybridize with each other, with the nuclear, plastid or mitochondrial genomes of G. lemaneiformis, or with any DNA genomes of the other red algae examined. Clones of both plasmids hybridized with discrete bands on Northern blots of total RNA and poly(A)+ RNA. Sequencing of the G. lemaneiformis 3.5 kbp plasmid revealed two potential open reading frames which, when used to probe Northern blots, confirmed the presence of specific transcripts. These autonomously replicating plasmids are present in high copy number per cell and in constant proportion to each other. Their constancy suggests a function of significance to the species. Red algal plasmids may provide useful vectors for transforming economically important red algal species.
Powertrain Engineering Using Holographic/Electronic Speckle Pattern Interferometry

Novel applications of computer aided holographic interferometry and electronic speckle pattern interferometry in automotive powertrain engineering are presented. Four applications are described: engine manifold/cylinder head interface deformation measurement, engine camcover strain analysis, throttle bore deformation measurement, and alternator modal characterization.
Reliable location and regression estimates with application to range image segmentation

Since they provide direct depth measurements from a scene, range images are important sources of information in many 3D robot vision problems such as navigation and object recognition. Many physical factors, however, contribute noise to the discrete measurements in range images, which leads us to reassess the error distribution in samples taken from real range images. This paper suggests the utility of the Lp norms in yielding reliable estimates of location and regression coefficients. This approach is compared against two commonly used approaches: Equally Weighted Least Squares, which minimizes the L2 norm; and the Chebychev approximation, which minimizes the L1 norm. The problem is of a weighted least squares where the weights are derived from the chosen parameter, p. Of particular interest is this parameter's ability to yield a variety of location estimates spanning from the sample mean to the sample median. These two estimates have a wide application in image processing, especially in noise removal tasks. This paper will show the problems associated with these two techniques, and suggest solutions to minimize these problems. The regression module is used in a region-growing segmentation algorithm to provide a reliable partition of range images.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Accounting for behavioral responses during a flu epidemic using home television viewing

Theory suggests that individual behavioral responses impact the spread of flu-like illnesses, but this has been difficult to empirically characterize. Social distancing is an important component of behavioral response, though analyses have been limited by a lack of behavioral data. Our objective is to use media data to characterize social distancing behavior in order to empirically inform explanatory and predictive epidemiological models. We use data on variation in home television viewing as a proxy for variation in time spent in the home and, by extension, contact. This behavioral proxy is imperfect but appealing since information on a rich and representative sample is collected using consistent techniques across time and most major cities. We study the April-May 2009 outbreak of A/H1N1 in Central Mexico and examine the dynamic behavioral response in aggregate and contrast the observed patterns of various demographic subgroups. We develop and calibrate a dynamic behavioral model of disease transmission informed by the proxy data on daily variation in contact rates and compare it to a standard (non-adaptive) model and a fixed effects model that crudely captures behavior. We find that after a demonstrable initial behavioral response (consistent with social distancing) at the onset of the outbreak, there was attenuation in the response before the conclusion of the public health intervention. We find substantial differences in the behavioral response across age subgroups and socioeconomic levels. We also find that the dynamic behavioral and fixed effects transmission models better account for variation in new confirmed cases, generate more stable estimates of the baseline rate of transmission over time and predict the number of new cases over a short horizon with substantially less error. Results suggest that A/H1N1 had an innate transmission potential greater than previously thought but this was masked by behavioral responses. Observed differences in behavioral response across demographic groups indicate a potential benefit from targeting social distancing outreach efforts.
Regulation of T cell integrin function by adapter proteins

Integrins are cell surface heterodimers that bind adhesion molecules expressed on other cells or in the extracellular matrix. Integrin-mediated interactions are critical for T cell development in the thymus, migration of T cells in the periphery, and induction of T cell effector functions. In resting T cells, integrins are maintained in a low affinity state. Engagement of the T cell receptor or chemokine receptors increases integrin affinity, enabling integrins to bind their ligands and initiate a signaling cascade resulting in altered cell morphology and motility. Our laboratory is interested how adapter proteins, mediators of intracellular signal transduction, regulate both signals from the T cell receptor to integrins (inside-out signaling) and (outside-in) signals from integrins into the cell.
Convolution-Backprojection Image Reconstruction For Bistatic Synthetic Aperture Radar With Correction For Wavefront Curvature And Propagation Attenuation

Signal processing for image reconstruction in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) historically has been based on Fourier transform techniques. One reason for this is the fact that, at the time when SAR was invented in the early 1950's and for some time after that, the only way to process the huge amounts of data in a reasonably expeditious manner was to use optical techniques, such processors being based, at least in part, on Fourier optical principles. With the advent of digital processing in recent years, the existence of efficient algorithms for the computation of the discrete Fourier transform has continued to offer compelling reasons to use Fourier-type inversion methods. Additionally, geometrically-related simplifications in most analyses have engendered the assumption of plane waves being present over the ground patch being imaged, again encouraging the use of Fourier techniques. In applications where the distance of the radar from the ground patch is very large compared to the size of the ground patch to be imaged, such processing is appropriate, though still an approximation. In other cases, the wavefront curvature cannot be ignored, and other steps must be taken in order to yield high-quality imagery. Recent investigations into the use of convolution-backprojection algorithms modified from computer-aided tomography have proved fruitful in correcting for wavefront curvature in monostatic SAR. This paper reports on similar success in bistatic SAR. There appear to be other applications that could benefit from other adaptations of the convolution-backprojection idea.
Building Memories: Remembering and Forgetting of Verbal Experiences as Predicted by Brain Activity

A fundamental question about human memory is why some experiences are remembered whereas others are forgotten. Brain activation during word encoding was measured using blocked and event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine how neural activation differs for subsequently remembered and subsequently forgotten experiences. Results revealed that the ability to later remember a verbal experience is predicted by the magnitude of activation in left prefrontal and temporal cortices during that experience. These findings provide direct evidence that left prefrontal and temporal regions jointly promote memory formation for verbalizable events.
Filipin prevents and reverses insulin stimulation of rat adipocyte phosphodiesterase.

Abstract A membrane fraction prepared from isolated rat adipocytes contained an insulin-sensitive cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (EC 3.1.4.17) which catalyzed the hydrolysis of both adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP) and guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cGMP). The rate of hydrolysis of cGMP was about one-third that of cAMP. The hydrolysis of the two nucleotides appeared to be associated with one catalytic site: one nucleotide interfered with the hydrolysis of the other, in a manner predictable from the kinetic constants in that the Km of one nucleotide as a substrate was comparable to its Ki as an inhibitor of the hydrolysis of the other nucleotide. Incubation of the adipocytes with insulin increased the Vmax of phosphodiesterase without affecting the Km values for either substrate. After adipocytes had been treated with filipin, a membrane perturbant, at a concentration that did not cause cell lysis, the response of phospho-diesterase to insulin was obliterated. Further, the insulin-stimulated phosphodiesterase activity was reversed when hormone-treated cells were subsequently incubated with this agent. These results suggest that the response of membrane phosphodiesterase to insulin is impaired once adipocytes have been exposed to filipin, either preceding or following the incubation with insulin.
Pre-War Trauma: Haneke's The White Ribbon

The surgical rigor of Haneke9s The White Ribbon lays bare the underlying brutality of family life in a German village, microcosm of a social order whose strictures and class resentments fester on the eve of WWI. Punishment, abuse, and humiliation tighten a mysterious web of spite and reprisal among the local children, with national history waiting ominously in the wings.
114 Anemia as a predictor of death and rehospitalization in patients with advanced decompensated heart failure: insights from the OPTIME‐CHF study

tion, transmitted over several generations. This L345P missense mutation has a dominant-negative effect on filament formation, causing myopathy and cardiomyopathy. A transgenic mouse strain (DM mice), carrying the desmin L345P mutation, was developed in order to evaluate the effect of this mutation on cardiac and skeletal muscle pathology and function. Transgenic animals with normal desmin gene were used as a control (DS mice). Expression of transgenic desmin was confirmed by immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis using HA-tag antibody. Here, we present data on morphological analyses of heart muscle in DM and DS animals. Material and Methods: DM and DS mice 28 and 69 weeks old were analysed. Myocardial cryostat 10 μm sections were stained with hematoxilin-eosin, Van-Gieson and AgNOR technique. Results: In 28 week old DM mice an increase of stromal cell number due to lymphocyte and fibroblast-like cell infiltration, was observed. Cardiomyocytes, embedded in collagen fibers, and focal amorphic protein depositions in arterial adventitia and perivascular spaces were often found. In 69 week old DM mice these depositions were more prominent, being present in vascular walls, perivascular space and between muscle fibers. The latter were accompanied by granuloma formations, and caused a disruption of tissue architecture. Histiocyte-like and macrophage-like cells were observed in perivascular and intermyocyte spaces. These changes were not found in DS mice 28 or 69 weeks old. Conclusions: The L345P desmin mutation causes focal protein deposition in vascular walls, perivascular areas and intermyocyte spaces, accompanied by an increase in stromal cell numbers and formation of granulomas. These changes may be responsible for the development of desmin-related cardiomyopathy.
Abnormalities in MRI-measured signal intensity in the corpus callosum in schizophrenia

The microstructural integrity of the corpus callosum (CC) in first-episode schizophrenia patients was assessed by measuring the signal intensity (SI) in T1-weighted MRI images. Analyses revealed that compared to both healthy controls and non-schizophrenic patients, schizophrenia patients showed reductions in SI in all the callosal subregions, the genu, body, isthmus and splenium in first-episode schizophrenia. These results indicate that schizophrenia is characterized by pathology of this principal interhemispheric commissure; the abnormalities may reflect distributed (rather than localized) interhemispheric disconnectivity that extends beyond the heteromodal association cortices.
Role of the Taste System in Ingestive Behavior: Studies in NaCl and Fatty Acid Transductiona

The transduction of tastants involves a variety of mechanisms both within and across stimulus classes. Taste stimuli have been shown to permeate and block ion channels, activate both ionotropic and metabotropic receptors and directly permeate the membrane of taste receptor cells. Though significant progress has been made in recent years in elucidating the mechanisms of taste transduction, there has been comparatively little emphasis placed upon investigating how the transduction process in taste receptor cells is modulated. Moreover, because of the general opinion that the sense of taste has little or no direct role in the regulation of ingestive behavior, there have been few studies aimed at directly assessing the link between the performance of the peripheral gustatory system and underlying nutritional preferences. Recent work in our laboratory in NaCl and fatty acid transduction supports the idea that the transduction of taste stimuli is a very dynamic process that both contributes to the control of ingestive behavior and is reflective of underlying nutrient preferences.
A multivariate spatial model for soil water profiles

Pedotransfer functions are classes of models used to estimate soil water holding characteristics based on commonly measured soil composition data as well as other soil characteristics. These models are important on their own but are particularly useful in modeling agricultural crop yields where only soil composition is known. In this article, an additive, multivariate spatial process model is introduced that offers the flexibility to capture the complex structure typical of the relationship between soil composition and water holding characteristics, thus defining a new form of pedotransfer function. Further, the uncertainty in the soil water characteristics is quantified in a manner to simulate ensembles of soil water profiles. Using this capability, a small study is conducted with the CERES maize crop model to examine the sources of variation in the yields of maize. Here it is shown that the interannual variability of weather is a more significant source of variation in crop yield than the uncertainty in the pedotransfer function for two specific soil textures.
I Am Against Us? Unpacking Cultural Differences in Ingroup Favoritism via Dialecticism

The authors proposed a novel explanation for cultural differences in ingroup favoritism (dialecticism) and tested this hypothesis across cultures/ethnicities, domains, and levels of analysis (explicit vs. implicit, cognitive vs. affective). Dialecticism refers to the cognitive tendency to tolerate contradiction and is more frequently found among East Asian than North American cultures. In Study 1, Chinese were significantly less positive, compared to European Americans, in their explicit judgments of family members. Study 2 investigated ingroup attitudes among Chinese, Latinos, and European Americans. Only Chinese participants showed significant in-group derogation, relative to the other groups, and dialecticism (Dialectical Self Scale) was associated with participants' in group attitudes. Study 3 manipulated dialectical versus linear lay beliefs; participants primed with dialecticism showed more negative, explicit ingroup attitudes. Although ingroup disfavoring tendencies were more prevalent among Chinese across studies, they may be a reflection of one's culturally based lay beliefs rather than deep-rooted negative feelings toward one's ingroup.
Fludarabine and mitoxantrone for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia

BACKGROUND The objective of the current study was to assess the efficacy of combination therapy with fludarabine and mitoxantrone in patients with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). METHODS Eighty-eight patients were treated with fludarabine 30 mg/m2 intravenously daily for 3 days and mitoxantrone 10 mg/m2 on Day 1 (FN). Patients were divided into four groups based on expected response to single-agent fludarabine. These four groups included previously untreated patients, patients who previously were treated with alkylating agents, patients who were successfully treated with alkylating agents and fludarabine but who developed recurrent disease, and patients whose disease was refractory to fludarabine with or without alkylating agents. RESULTS The overall response rate was 66%. The response rates were 83% in previously untreated patients, 87% in patients previously treated with alkylating agents, 50% in patients whose disease was not refractory to fludarabine at the start of therapy, and 25% in patients whose disease was refractory to fludarabine. The complete remission (CR) rate was 20% for previously untreated patients, which was not significantly different from the CR rate for a group of historical control patients who were treated with single-agent fludarabine. The median follow-up was 8 years for surviving patients. The median progression free survival was 24 months for all patients and 34 months for previously untreated patients. The median overall survival was 40 months, and the median survival of previously untreated patients was 88 months. The most common toxicities were myelosuppression and infection. Eleven patients (12.5%) developed a second malignancy after a median of 62 months. CONCLUSIONS The FN regimen did not have a significant advantage over fludarabine alone in the treatment of patients with CLL. Cancer 2004. © 2004 American Cancer Society.
Global Cerebral and Regional Multimodal Neuroimaging Markers of the Neurobiology of Autism Development and Cognition

Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of the microstructure and macrostructure in children with autism report contradictory results due, in part, to the autistic population heterogeneity from factors such as variation in intellect and inadequately accounting for age-related changes in brain development. In this report, the authors compared global and regional volumetry, relaxometry, anisotropy, and diffusometry of gray and white matter in 10 autism spectrum disorder children relative to the age-related trajectories obtained from 38 typically developing controls while controlling for nonverbal intellect using a validated quantitative MRI method. The normalized hippocampus volume increased with age in both autistic and typically developing individuals with limbic structures larger in autistic patients. Hippocampus volume, but not diffusivity or relaxation time, was larger in autistic children. Hippocampus volume was inversely correlated with nonverbal intellect across control individuals. The pattern of hippocampal abnormalities suggests a disturbance in early brain development in autistic children independent of intellect.
Health monitoring of adhesively bonded composite patch repair of aircraft structures using wavelet transforms of Lamb wave signals

In recent years there was a need for developing efficient NDE techniques for large area inspection. Conventional ultrasonic inspection techniques such as C-scan and B-scan are very time consuming because the transducer needs to be scanned over each point of structure under the test. Ultrasonically, Lamb wave is considered to be a candidate for large area inspection based on its capability of propagating long distances and its media-thickness dependent propagation properties. Unfortunately, Lamb wave inspection is complicated by the existence of at least two modes at any given frequency. The received signal generally contains more than one mode, and the proportions of the different modes present is modified by the mode conversion at defects. The modes are also highly dispersive in nature. As a result the peak detection and hence the flaw detection with these ultrasonic signals becomes highly complicated and the interpretation of the signals becomes very difficult and also leads to signal-to-noise problems. Consequently, a new kind of signal analysis is required to interpret the results of inspection and to determine if there is a defect or not. In order to extract the information on defects from the Lamb wave signal received by an ultrasonic transducer in such noisy environments, we use a method of analysis based on wavelet transforms. The detection of ultrasonic pulses using wavelet transforms is described and the robustness of this method is verified with testing on samples of adhesively bonded composite patch repair of cracked aluminum panels with simulated flaws.
Theory of Massive Particles I. Algebraic Structure

A theory of massive particles is developed from the single hypothesis of broken conformal invariance. The theory naturally incorporates fermions and bosons into a single framework. Applied to hadrons, it gives a structure conjectured to be that of the Regge trajectories, including the daughter particles. The theory predicts that the trajectories are exotic
Acupuncture Treatment for Bortezomib-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy: A Case Report

Peripheral neuropathy is a common and severe dose-limiting side effect of the chemotherapy agent, bortezomib, in multiple myeloma patients. Treatment with narcotics, antidepressants, and anticonvulsants has limited response and potential significant side effects. Acupuncture has been reported to be effective in treating diabetic neuropathy and chemo-induced peripheral neuropathy. There has not been report on the effect of acupuncture in treating bortezomib-induced peripheral neuropathy specifically. Here, we report a successful case of using acupuncture to relieve bortezomib-induced peripheral neuropathy symptoms.
Synthesis and in vitro pharmacological evaluation of salvinorin A analogues modified at C(2).

Abstract Salvinorin A is the only known non-nitrogenous and specific κ-opioid agonist. A series of salvinorin A derivatives were prepared and tested for in vitro activity at the κ-opioid receptor. Unsubstituted carbamate 9 was a potent κ-agonist (EC50 = 6.2 nM) and should be more stable than salvinorin A toward metabolic transformations. Compound 10, containing an N-methyl carbamate at C(2), showed partial agonist activity with 81% efficacy when compared with the full agonist U50,488H. No antagonist ligands were observed.
CONGRESSIONAL PARTISANSHIP, BIPARTISANSHIP AND PUBLIC OPINION: AN EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS

There has been extensive research concerning Congress and how partisan attachments and attitudes affect views toward it. In addition, a burgeoning area of research has developed concerning how media influences a person's attitudes and beliefs. In our study we test three hypotheses: viewing partisan House rhetoric will increase partisanship, negative attitudes toward Congress, and negative attitudes toward the federal government as a whole. We test these hypotheses with an experimental design in which we manipulate the independent variable at two levels: viewing partisan speeches and viewing bipartisan speeches. We find that direct exposure to congressional partisan rhetoric leads to lower levels of support and increased partisan polarization. Surprisingly, we also find that exposure to bipartisan floor rhetoric, while decreasing party polarization fails to generate increased levels of support for Congress or the government as whole.
Tunable, Dual-Gate, Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) Nanoelectromechanical Resonators

Resonant nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) have the potential to have significant impact in mass sensing, signal processing, and field detection applications, if the challenges associated with processing, material, and geometric variability can be mitigated. The research presented here details a breakthrough in the design and development of resonant NEMS aimed at addressing these challenges. Specifically, this study details the fabrication, characterization, and tuning of dual-gate silicon nanoelectromechanical resonators, which are transduced electrostatically and realized with close to 100% yield. These devices are fabricated on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate using only top-down microfabrication techniques and can be easily integrated with SOI-CMOS transistors, enabling the development of fully integrated CMOS-NEMS with highly tunable nonlinear frequency response characteristics.
Judging elections by public international law: a tentative framework

Abstract This article considers international law as a criterion for judging electoral processes. An analytical framework is constructed by which an empirical connection might be forged between electoral obligations found in various mechanisms of international law and the electoral ‘markers’ contained within the constituent parts of electoral events. The paper demonstrates that much has changed with regard to this approach over the last decade, which points to the necessity of evaluating how newly established sources of international law have expanded our understanding of election standards during this period.
Stock Prices and Inflation

Numerous empirical studies establish that inflation has a negative short-run effect on stock returns but few studies report a positive, long-run Fisher effect for stock returns. Using stock price and goods price data from six industrial countries, our empirical results show that long-run Fisher elasticities of stock prices with respect to goods prices exceed unity and are in the range of 1.04 to 1.65, which tend to support the Fisher effect. We also find that the time path of the response of stock prices to a shock in goods prices exhibits an initial negative response which turns positive over longer horizons. These results help to reconcile previous short-run and long-run empirical evidence on stock returns and inflation. Also, they reveal that stock prices have a long memory with respect to inflation shocks, such that investors should expect stocks to be a good inflation hedge over a long holding period.
Preventing sexually transmitted infections among adolescents: 'the glass is half full'.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Given the disproportionate burden of sexually transmitted infections for adolescents, there is an urgent need to identify effective prevention programs. RECENT FINDINGS This review documents the efficacy of recent sexually transmitted infection-prevention programs. Overall, the review identified few sexually transmitted infection-prevention trials published since 2000. Moreover, considerable variability in program efficacy was observed across studies. Some studies observed changes in sexually transmitted infection-associated risk behaviors, while only a few identified reductions in biologically confirmed sexually transmitted infections. In general, few programs demonstrated consistency of effects and a significant magnitude of effects across a broad range of outcomes. SUMMARY New and innovative approaches are needed to amplify sexually transmitted infection intervention effects. Program development and evaluation needs to continue in a coordinated, scientifically rigorous fashion to optimize impact and, as important, to sustain effects over protracted periods. Furthermore, for interventions with demonstrated efficacy, a critical challenge is to translate them into sustainable programs that are widely disseminated. Ultimately, preventing sexually transmitted infections in adolescents does not only depend on the development of effective interventions alone, but on how effectively these interventions can be translated and integrated into self-sustaining components of clinic, school or community programs, particularly in those areas and among adolescent populations most adversely impacted by the epidemic of sexually transmitted infection.
Some theoretical and empirical issues relating to economic stabilization in developing countries

Abstract This paper surveys some issues relating to economic stabilization in developing countries. Section 2 examines the contributions of terms-of-trade deterioration and real exchange rate appreciation to payments imbalances in non-oil developing countries during the 1970s. Section 3 distinguishes between demand-side and supply-side policies, and discusses their respective roles in stabilization programmes. The effects of exchange-rate changes are considered within this framework. In Section 4, the effects of alternative stabilization policies on output, prices and the balance of payments are illustrated using simulations of a model that incorporates the major relationships relevant to a typical programme. Section 5 summarizes the conclusions.
Cohen-Macaulay complexes and an analytic proof of the new intersection conjecture

Abstract A definition of a Cohen-Macaulay complex is given so that the existence of such a complex implies the New Intersection Conjecture. It is then shown that the Grauert-Riemenschneider vanishing theorem implies that Cohen-Macaulay complexes exist for local rings of points of complex algebraic varieties.
SCANNING TUNNELING MICROSCOPY DETERMINATION OF SURFACE DIFFUSION BY DIRECT MEASUREMENT OF DISPLACEMENT DISTRIBUTION

A scanning tunneling microscopy method for studying surface diffusion is developed based on measurements of the displacement distribution of adsorbates by “image-anneal-image” cycles which allow direct observation of diffusion process while avoiding potential STM-tip effects. The method is used to study the anisotropic diffusion of Sb dimers on Si(001).
The 3 He flux gauge in the Sargasso Sea: a determination of physical nutrient fluxes to the euphotic zone at the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Site

Abstract. Significant rates of primary production occur in the oligotrophic ocean, without any measurable nutrients present in the mixed layer, fueling a scientific paradox that has lasted for decades. Here, we provide a new determination of the annual mean physical supply of nitrate to the euphotic zone in the western subtropical North Atlantic. We combine a 3-year time series of measurements of tritiugenic 3He from 2003 to 2006 in the surface ocean at the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) site with a sophisticated noble gas calibrated air–sea gas exchange model to constrain the 3He flux across the sea–air interface, which must closely mirror the upward 3He flux into the euphotic zone. The product of the 3He flux and the observed subsurface nitrate–3He relationship provides an estimate of the minimum rate of new production in the BATS region. We also apply the gas model to an earlier time series of 3He measurements at BATS in order to recalculate new production fluxes for the 1985 to 1988 time period. The observations, despite an almost 3-fold difference in the nitrate–3He relationship, yield a roughly consistent estimate of nitrate flux. In particular, the nitrate flux from 2003 to 2006 is estimated to be 0.65 ± 0.14 mol m−2 yr−1, which is ~40 % smaller than the calculated flux for the period from 1985 to 1988. The difference in nitrate flux between the time periods may be signifying a real difference in new production resulting from changes in subtropical mode water formation. Overall, the nitrate flux is larger than most estimates of export fluxes or net community production fluxes made locally for the BATS site, which is likely a reflection of the larger spatial scale covered by the 3He technique and potentially also by the decoupling of 3He and nitrate during the obduction of water masses from the main thermocline into the upper ocean. The upward nitrate flux is certainly large enough to support observed rates of primary production at BATS and more generally in the oligotrophic subtropical ocean.
Structure-Guided Expansion of the Substrate Range of Methylmalonyl Coenzyme A Synthetase (MatB) of Rhodopseudomonas palustris

Malonyl coenzyme A (malonyl-CoA) and methylmalonyl-CoA are two of the most commonly used extender units for polyketide biosynthesis and are utilized to synthesize a vast array of pharmaceutically relevant products with antibacterial, antiparasitic, anticholesterol, anticancer, antifungal, and immunosuppressive properties. Heterologous hosts used for polyketide production such as Escherichia coli often do not produce significant amounts of methylmalonyl-CoA, however, requiring the introduction of other pathways for the generation of this important building block. Recently, the bacterial malonyl-CoA synthetase class of enzymes has been utilized to generate malonyl-CoA and methylmalonyl-CoA directly from malonate and methylmalonate. We demonstrate that in the purple photosynthetic bacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris, MatB (RpMatB) acts as a methylmalonyl-CoA synthetase and is required for growth on methylmalonate. We report the apo (1.7-A resolution) and ATP-bound (2.0-A resolution) structure and kinetic analysis of RpMatB, which shows similar activities for both malonate and methylmalonate, making it an ideal enzyme for heterologous polyketide biosynthesis. Additionally, rational, structure-based mutagenesis of the active site of RpMatB led to substantially higher activity with ethylmalonate and butylmalonate, demonstrating that this enzyme is a prime target for expanded substrate specificity.