cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Prognostic Impact of Minimal Residual Disease on Risk of Progression and Progression Free Survival in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Abstract Assessment of minimal residual disease (MRD) in patients with complete remission CR) defined as We aimed to compare the outcomes of 458 AML patients who underwent HSCT after 2012 at our institution based on the status of morphologically detectable disease and MRD by 8 color flow cytometry at HSCT in addition to cytogenetic and molecular risk classification by European LeukemiaNet. The primary outcomes were disease progression and progression free survival (PFS) and analyses were stratified by ELN risk classification as favorable and intermediate (n=295) and adverse (n=163). Patients were categorized as active disease (n=81) vs. CR-MRDneg (n=191) and CR-MRDpos (n=52) vs. primary induction failure with marrow aplasia (PIF)-MRD (n=25) and PIF-MRDpos (n=74) vs. relapsed refractory with marrow aplasia (RR)-MRDneg (n=19) and RR-MRDpos (n=16). Median age of cohort was 56 (range, 3-80). Conditioning intensity was either myeloablative (n=260) or reduced intensity (n=198). The median follow-up of survivors was 18 months. For disease progression in favorable/intermediate risk by ELN, the only prognostic factors were the morphological disease status and MRD as shown in Figure 1. Active disease patients had the highest incidence of progression at 2-year with 53% which was similar to 43% observed in RR patients (HR=0.6, p=0.3). In comparison to active disease, CR-MRDpos and PIF-MRDpos patients had lower incidence of progression with 29% and 32% at 2-yr (HR=0.5, p=0.08 and HR=0.5, p=0.06). Among adverse risk patients, CR patients had significantly lower risk of disease progression independent of their MRD status when compared with active disease patients (HR=0.4, p=0.002 for CR-MRDneg and HR=0.4, p=0.02 for CRMRDpos). For PFS at 2 year, not only morphological disease status and MRD but also older age and hematopoietic comorbidity index (HCT-CI) were prognostic. In patients with favorable/intermediate ELN risk, Classification and Regression Tree multivariate analysis revealed 3 potential PFS groups: high PFS group included CR-MRDneg patients aged 60 (2-yr PFS 10%). In the absence of RR-marrow aplasia and older age, not CR-MRDneg patients with HCT-CI ≥4 had an intermediate 2-yr PFS (30%) which was comparable to the PFS (43%) in not CR-MRDneg patient with HCT-CI For adverse ELN risk group, PFS was the best in patients with CR (independent of the MRD status) and HCT-CI In conclusion, we observed a lower progression incidence in CRMRDpos patients compared with active disease in both intermediate and adverse risk ELN groups after HSCT. However, PFS is a more complex endpoint with not only morphological disease status and MRD but also ELN risk classification, older age and HCT-CI determining the outcome expectations. These factors need to be taken into account when planning treatment for HSCT and thereafter. Download : Download high-res image (63KB) Download : Download full-size image Disclosures Oran: Celgene: Research Funding; AROG: Research Funding; Astex: Research Funding.
A Framework for Vibration Attenuation in Traffic Mast Arm Structures under Wind Loads

Traffic signals and information signs play a vivid role in maintaining safe travel by guiding drivers on highways and urban roads. Traffic mast arm structures are susceptible to vibrations induced by wind loads. Fatigue-induced failure is common in these structures. However, it is crucial to ascertain the functionality of signal support structures. This paper lays the foundation for a fully computational framework to model and mitigate wind-induced vibrations in traffic lighting support structures by conducting computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, dynamic modeling, and damping enhancement. We validated the CFD simulations by aerodynamic testing. The dependence of flow pattern and aerodynamic loads on Reynolds number reveals the importance of full-scale CFD with large eddy simulation for wind load estimation on mast arm structures. Distributed tuned mass dampers were created by employing available weights of lighting boxes. The results show that distributed tuned lighting boxes are effective for vibration suppression. Besides, damping enhancement can significantly reduce vibration-induced stresses and hence extend the fatigue life. The proposed mitigation technique promises to save construction costs and improve the safety of the traveling public. The procedure followed for creating time histories of wind loads integrated with finite element modeling applies to other vibration lessening techniques for potential inclusion in the AASHTO standard.
Risk Factors for Reoperation After Arterial Switch Operation

Objective:The timing and nature of and risk factors for reoperation after the arterial switch operation in the setting of d-transposition of the great arteries requires further elucidation.Methods:...
A simple closed-form relation between spatial weight matrices with different scalings

Abstract Spatial econometric models rely on the weight matrix W to specify dependence. However, formation of W involves scalings of rows and columns. We provide a closed-form for the similarity in results between the common eigenvalue and row-stochastic scalings.
SATSS: A Self-Adaptive Task Scheduling Scheme for Mobile Edge Computing

Mobile edge computing (MEC) is an emerging paradigm that supports low-latency applications in resource-constrained scenarios, such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and vehicular networks. MEC makes it feasible to process and handle massive amounts of data and service requests generated by mobile end users or IoT devices and to deliver timely responses or interventions. However, the computers forming an MEC system typically have limited computing resources, which must be shared by multiple tasks and many simultaneous service requests. How to dispatch and schedule computational tasks from end users in an MEC system is a challenging problem, especially for latency-sensitive applications. In this paper, we propose a self-adaptive task dispatching and scheduling scheme to deliver low-latency service responses in a resource-efficient way. The proposed approach prioritizes computational tasks based on their attributes (e.g., CPU and RAM requirements, priority level, and expiration time) and solves the scheduling problem using a reinforcement learning approach. The feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed scheme are verified using simulation and a small-scale case study on an MEC testbed, demonstrating that the proposed scheme is effective and efficient.
Subcellular localization of D2 receptors in the murine substantia nigra.

G-protein-coupled D2 autoreceptors expressed on dopamine neurons (D2Rs) inhibit transmitter release and cell firing at axonal endings and somatodendritic compartments. Mechanistic details of somatodendritic dopamine release remain unresolved, partly due to insufficient information on the subcellular distribution of D2Rs. Previous studies localizing D2Rs have been hindered by a dearth of antibodies validated for specificity in D2R knockout animals and have been limited by the small sampling areas imaged by electron microscopy. This study utilized sub-diffraction fluorescence microscopy and electron microscopy to examine D2 receptors in a superecliptic pHlourin GFP (SEP) epitope-tagged D2 receptor knockin mouse. Incubating live slices with an anti-SEP antibody achieved the selective labeling of plasma membrane-associated receptors for immunofluorescent imaging over a large area of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc). SEP-D2Rs appeared as puncta-like structures along the surface of dendrites and soma of dopamine neurons visualized by antibodies to tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). TH-associated SEP-D2Rs displayed a cell surface density of 0.66 puncta/µm2, which corresponds to an average frequency of 1 punctum every 1.50 µm. Separate ultrastructural experiments using silver-enhanced immunogold revealed that membrane-bound particles represented 28% of total D2Rs in putative dopamine cells within the SNc. Structures immediately adjacent to dendritic membrane gold particles were unmyelinated axons or axon varicosities (40%), astrocytes (19%), other dendrites (7%), or profiles unidentified (34%) in single sections. Some apposed profiles also expressed D2Rs. Fluorescent and ultrastructural analyses also provided the first visualization of membrane D2Rs at the axon initial segment, a compartment critical for action potential generation. The punctate appearance of anti-SEP staining indicates there is a population of D2Rs organized in discrete signaling sites along the plasma membrane, and for the first time, a quantitative estimate of spatial frequency is provided.
Transitions in Jobs, Occupational Socialization and Strain

The objectives of this chapter are: to place the job transition literature into the perspective of occupational socialization; to present a model of stress effects in job transitions; and to present some empirical results from a research project.
American Punitiveness and Mass Incarceration: Psychological Perspectives on Retributive and Consequentialist Responses to Crime

A recent National Academy of Sciences Report explored the drivers of the fourfold increase in incarceration rates in the United States and provided a firm recommendation for significant reduction in incarceration rates. Policy makers representing the entire political spectrum are now publicly airing their views on the need for reform. Although public sentiment is generally favorably disposed toward reform in the abstract, when confronted with specific examples of crime, they tend to favor more punitive, retributive responses to crime. Retributive justifications for punishment that are deeply ingrained in our culture and our legal system as well as our biological and psychological make-up are a major impediment to constructive reform efforts. However, recent advances in research across neurobiological, psychological, and social levels of analysis suggest that following our retributive impulses to guide legal decision making and criminal justice policy is not only costly and ineffective in reducing crime, but unjust and increasingly difficult to justify morally. This article will draw on a body of research anchored in social ecological models of human behavior to argue for more forward-looking, consequentialist responses to crime that aim at the individual prevention of criminal behavior in the least restrictive and most cost effective manner at both the front- and back-ends of our criminal justice system.
Top Cop or Regulatory Flop? The SEC at 75

In their forthcoming article, Redesigning the SEC: Does the Treasury Have a Better Idea?, Professors John C. Coffee, Jr., and Hillary Sale offer compelling reasons to rethink the SEC’s role. This article extends that analysis, evaluating the SEC’s responsibility for the current financial crisis and its potential future role in regulation of the capital markets. In particular, the article identifies critical failures in the SEC’s performance in its core competencies of enforcement, financial transparency, and investor protection.The article argues that these failures are not the result, as suggested by the Treasury Department Blueprint, of a balkanized regulatory system. Rather, the SEC has failed to maintain its functional effectiveness in a time of increased financial market complexity – complexity stemming from financial product innovation, globalization and the growing role of financial intermediaries. This complexity demonstrates the shortcomings of self regulation and places an enhanced premium on the SEC’s core competencies, particularly maintaining effective financial disclosure. As a result, this article argues that regulatory reform should not entail a massive overhaul of the regulatory structure but should instead improve the SEC’s effectiveness through a renewed emphasis on leadership, increased independence, and enhanced oversight and analysis of market developments.
Effect of Specific Immune Mouse Serum on the Growth of Salmonella enteritidis in Mice Preimmunized With Living or Ethyl Alcohol-killed Vaccines

The effect of prior opsonization of virulent Salmonella enteritidis on the growth of this organism in blood, liver, spleen, peritoneal cavity, and inguinal lymph node of specific pathogen-free mice prevaccinated with ethyl alcohol-killed S. enteritidis or living S. gallinarum was determined by daily enumeration. Both the vaccines and the challenge inocula were injected by the intravenous, intraperitoneal, or subcutaneous routes to determine the effect of variations in the vaccinating procedure on the level of immunity induced. The survival percentage observed in mice vaccinated with killed organisms varied extensively, depending on the route of challenge. However, simultaneous organ enumeration studies revealed that vaccination with killed organisms failed to prevent the growth of the challenge organism in vivo. On the other hand, virulent S. enteritidis injected into mice vaccinated with living S: gallinarum failed to multiply and was subsequently eliminated. Immunity in these animals was so effective that a subcutaneously injected challenge did not spread beyond the regional node. Immunization with killed organisms slowed but was unable to prevent the spread of such a challenge beyond the draining node involved in the primary immune response. Neither the route of challenge nor the regimen used in the vaccination had any appreciable influence on the level of antibacterial immunity detected in the organs of the reticuloendothelial system at the time of challenge.
Computing Periodic Orbits

The dynamics of fluids are often studied through the reduction of partial differential equations to systems with only a few degrees of freedom. Analysis of these low dimensional vector fields remains difficult in many examples. The simplest dynamical behaviors are equilibria representing steady flow and periodic orbits. We use solutions of initial value problems, computed via numerical integration, as a means of finding stable periodic orbits of vector fields. We expect numerical integration algorithms to be reliable and their output to be consistent with other means of analyzing the properties of vector fields. These expectations are not always met. This lecture describes a new set of boundary value solvers that appear to give significantly improved methods for computing “difficult” periodic orbits.
Receiver implementation for a MIMO OFDM system

We present preamble and receiver design for a Q transmit L receive multi-input multi-output OFDM system. Tasks performed by the receiver are synchronization in time and frequency domains, followed by channel estimation and noise variance estimation. An algorithm is developed such that only Q OFDM symbols of a generalized length are required to perform functions of the preamble. Coarse time synchronization is performed using inherent periodicity in the preamble. Frequency offset estimation is then performed in the time domain, followed by residual frequency offset estimation in the frequency domain followed by fine time synchronization. The channel estimation algorithm is developed using least squares principle. Simulations are carried out for a broadband fixed wireless access scenario using a preamble with and without zero-padding of tones in the frequency domain.
Time Behavior of CN Radicals in Laser-Initiated Thermal Isomerization of CH3NC

Using techniques of laser induced fluorescence (LIF) applied earlier in a study of i.r. laser induced photodissociation of CH3CN[1], we have studied the time behavior of CN radicals resulting from the application of single pulses of focused CO2 TEA laser radiation in CH3NC vapor, at pressures both above[2] and below[3] the threshold for thermal explosion. For comparison, observations were also made in CH3CN vapor. The results are of interest in that they appear to rule out the importance of a CN-catalyzed isomerization route $$ {\text{CN + C}}{{\text{H}}_{{\text{30}}}}{\text{NC}} \to {\text{C}}{{\text{H}}_{\text{3}}}{\text{CN + CN}}$$ (1) proposed earlier [4] as an alternative mechanism for the CH3NC→ CH3CN isomerization. The latter has been generally regarded as a model unimolecular reaction.
Wireless access point configuration by genetic programming

The wireless access point configuration problem in wireless LAN deployment can be formulated as a nonlinear optimization problem with a variable number of parameters. In this paper, strongly-typed genetic programming is applied to solve an abstract version of this problem successfully. It is argued that this problem can be used as a potential benchmark problem for evaluating techniques and investigating issues in strongly typed genetic programming, topologically open-ended synthesis by genetic programming, and simultaneous topological and parametric search.
Labor Unions - Champions of Social Justice

Labor Unions have given much to America. The great middle class that is the economic and social backbone of the United States has prospered due, in large part, to the rights that were fought for and won by the labor movement. Today, Union membership is not growing to the extent that it did in the past. Some claim that Unions are not needed in the modern world. Why would this be the case? The modern worker may carry a portable computer rather than a hammer, but businesses still work the way they did in yesteryear. If anything they seem to be less compassionate. This indicates that Unions are needed now more than ever. The Catholic Church has traditionally endorsed Labor Unions as a vehicle for advancing the plight of the worker. In this thesis, the papal encyclicals that provide the Church’s foundation of the labor movement are shown. Several examples of corporate exploitation are given in an effort to demonstrate why unions are necessary today. International solidarity is shown by way of example also. The 2001 Right to Work (RTW) election in Oklahoma is analyzed in detail.
The Low-Level Jet over the Southern Great Plains Determined from Observations and Reanalyses and Its Impact on Moisture Transport

AbstractThis study utilizes six commonly used reanalysis products, including the NCEP–Department of Energy Reanalysis 2 (NCEP2), NCEP Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR), ECMWF interim reanalysis (ERA-Interim), Japanese 25-year Reanalysis Project (JRA-25), Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA), and North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR), to evaluate features of the southern Great Plains low-level jet (LLJ) above the U.S. Department of Energy’s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program (ARM) Climate Research Facility (ACRF) Southern Great Plains site. Two sets of radiosonde data are utilized: the six-week Midlatitude Continental Convective Clouds Experiment (MC3E) and a 10-yr period spanning 2001 through 2010. All six reanalyses are compared to MC3E data, while only the NARR, MERRA, and CFSR are compared to the 10-yr data. The reanalyses are able to represent most aspects of the composite LLJ profile, although there is a tendency for each reanalysis to overestimat...
Nurturing spirit through complementary cancer care.

In the ever-changing world of cancer care, exploring treatment approaches that are holistic and interactive and emphasize the patient’s role in the healing process is essential. According to medical oncologist Jeffrey R. Geffen MD, FACP, medicine exists for two distinct purposes: “The relative purpose of medicine is to relieve symptoms and to cure disease. But there is also an ultimate purpose, which extends beyond the physical realm to include the mind, heart, and spirit of every patient, and indeed of humanity as a whole” (Geffen, 2000, p. 13). Complementary and integrative therapies, in conjunction with what often is termed “conventional” cancer treatment (e.g., surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, biotherapy), generate and promote a patient culture rooted in holistic healing. They provide both physical space and hands-on support for this patient culture to grow and thrive in a traditional medical environment. The Ireland Cancer Center at Community Health Partners in the Cleveland suburb of Elyria, OH, is a community-setting affiliate of the Ireland Cancer Center at University Hospitals of Cleveland, a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. The center provides patients with access to cancer care and complementary therapies in one building. It incorporates radiation therapy, medical oncology, and the Center for Body, Mind, and Spirit, an innovative wellness program. Patient and caregiver services include support groups, educational programs, and complementary therapies. A healing garden includes a labyrinth (see Figures 1 and 2). For a detailed discussion of the use of labyrinths in health care, see the article by Griffith (2002). Rita Abdallah-Baran, ACSW, LSW, is a social worker in the Center for Body, Mind, and Spirit of the Ireland Cancer Center at Community Health Partners in Elyria, OH.
Finger movements during reach-to-grasp in the monkey: Amplitude scaling of a temporal synergy

To reduce the complexity of controlling hand-shaping, recent evidence suggests that the central nervous system uses synergies. In this study, two Rhesus monkeys reached-to-grasp 15 objects, varying in geometric properties, at five grasp force levels. Hand kinematics were recorded using a video-based tracking system. Individual finger movements were described as vectors varying in length and angle. Inflection points (i.e., stereotypic minima/maxima in the temporal profile of each finger vector) exhibited a temporal synchrony for individual fingers and in the coupling across fingers. Inflection point amplitudes varied significantly across objects grasped, scaling linearly with the object grasp dimension. Thus, differences in the vectors as a function of the objects were in the relative scaling of the vector parameters over time rather than a change in the temporal structure. Mahalanobis distance analysis of the inflection points confirmed that changes in inflection point amplitude as a function of objects were greater than changes in timing. Inflection points were independent of the grasp force, consistent with the observation that reach-to-grasp kinematics and grasp force are controlled independently. In summary, the shaping of the hand during reach-to-grasp involves scaling the amplitude of highly stereotypic temporal movements of the fingers.
The Four Ps of Publishing: Demystifying Publishing in Peer-Reviewed Journals for Social Work Doctoral Students

Since the 1990s, the field of social work has placed substantial value on social work research. As a result, publishing has become an important aspect of contributing to the social work field. Whil...
A DNA extraction procedure that allows mite specimens to be slide mounted: phytoseiid species evaluated as a model

Four protocols for extracting DNA from mites, using phytoseiid species as exemplars, were evaluated to determine whether the DNA obtained could be used to amplify nuclear, mitochondrial or Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers from males, females and eggs. Protocol 3 was identified as the best and this allowed High-fidelity PCR (Hf-PCR) and Hf-RAPD PCR to be used successfully; it left behind the intact body of adult mites so they could be slide mounted for morphological analyses, although the eggs had to be pricked in order to yield sufficient DNA for amplifications. Protocol 3 involved soaking intact specimens in a GuSCN buffer and using a silica matrix, which binds nucleic acids, to yield DNA for amplification. The DNA isolated could be stored up to a month, indicating that the quality was good. This DNA extraction protocol will allow researchers to collect mites, store them in 95% ethanol, and subsequently extract sufficient DNA from single adults or eggs to provide diagnostic PCR products from both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA, yet leave the bodies intact for morphological analyses.
Policy Communities and Infrastructure of Urban Tourism

In the past 35 years, St. Louis, Missouri, has built all of the components of a complete infrastructure of urban tourism: three sports facilities, a convention center and its renovation, an urban entertainment districts and two downtown malls. This sequence of large projects was undertaken even though St. Louis has an extremely fragmented government, and despite the gradual withdrawal of the business elite from the city’s affairs. In this article, it is suggested that the city was able to undertake a significant agenda of construction because of the presence of policy communities that linked policy entrepreneurs within the city to external groups. If St. Louis can be taken as a typical case, in many cities a constellation of policy communities may be appropriating decision making and fiscal authority from the democratic institutions of city government.
Response of common grackles to dietary concentrations of four organophosphate pesticides

Behavioral and physiological responses of common grackles to dietary concentrations of dicrotophos, fenitrothion, fenthion, and methyl parathion suggest mortality was largely due to pesticide-induced anorexia. Mortality was dose related, though consumption of treated diets was reduced such that birds on different geometrically arranged concentrations of the same pesticide ingested about the same amount of toxicant. Grackles that died lost an average of 28 to 36% of their initial body weight; visible fat was absent and muscle tissue was reduced on the sternum. Mortality of birds exposed to dicrotophos increased between May and August, although chemical intake remained relatively constant, and was associated with a natural decrease in fat and flesh condition in response to increased ambient temperatures and post-nuptial molt. Food consumption in songbirds exposed to organophosphates may be reduced significantly up to 12 hr after exposure ceases because of an unknown effect of these chemicals on their feeding behavior, but not repellency. The results caution against using median lethal dietary concentrations for other than ranking chemicals based on their relative toxicity, particularly in establishing safe environmental levels, and suggest that anorexia and physiological condition may be important factors in mortality of wild birds exposed to organophosphates.
SU-FF-T-333: A Fourier Analysis of the Dose Grid Resolution Requirement in Proton Therapy IMRT Fluence-Map Optimization

Purpose: We determine the minimum spatial sampling frequency required for proton beam dose computation so that the accuracy is guaranteed in the sampling phase and superfluous computational work is avoided. Our work is based on a previous analysis of photon beam IMRT resolution and we extend the work for arbitrary rotations of the beam about the dose grid. The accuracy criterion of the sampling is set up such that the dose distribution can be reconstructed from the sample within a specified error. Method and Materials:Fourier analysis and the Nyquist‐Shannon Sampling Theorem are employed in the analysis. By the distributive property of the Fourier transform, the analysis can be done with a single proton beamlet in lieu of a composite beam. The beamlet was modeled as a 3D analytical dose function of an infinitesimal and mono‐energetic proton beam in water. Fourier transforms of the dose function were carried out analytically in 3D for arbitrary orientations of the beam with respect to the dose grid. The Nyquist‐Shannon Sampling Theorem was used to judge the minimal sampling resolution required for a specified error. Since the steepness of a proton beam is known to depend on its range, due to multiple Coulomb scattering, the resolution was determined as a function of radiological depth. Results: For proton beams with ranges from 3 to 30 cm, sampling resolutions from 0.8 to 8 mm are required for a worst case 2% error, and a near linear relation between range and required resolution was observed. The resolution requirement did not significantly change for small angulations with respect to the grid. Conclusion: Accurate protondose computation can be performed with millimeter‐sized voxels that increase in size with increasing range. We present adaptive voxel schemes to take advantage of this feature for protonIMRT.
Mathematical Modeling and Numerical Simulation of Methane Production in a Hydrate Reservoir

Methane hydrate, a potential future energy resource, is known to occur naturally in vast quantities beneath the ocean floor and in permafrost regions. It is important to evaluate how much methane is recoverable from these hydrate reserves. This article introduces the theoretical background of HydrateResSim, the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) methane production simulator for hydrate-containing reservoirs, originally developed for NETL by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). It describes the mathematical model that governs the dissociation of methane hydrate by depressurization or thermal stimulation of the system, including the transport of multiple temperature-dependent components in multiple phases through a porous medium. The model equations are obtained by incorporating the multiphase Darcy’s law for gas and liquid into both the mass component balances and the energy conservation equations. Two submodels in HydrateResSim for hydrate dissociation are also considered: a kinetic mod...
Gene Expression Profiling for Discovery of Novel Targets in Human Traumatic Brain Injury

Several clinical trials have failed to demonstrate a significant effect on outcome following human traumatic brain injury (TBI) despite promising results obtained in preclinical animal studies. These failures may be due in part to a misinterpretation of the findings obtained in preclinical animal models of TBI, a misunderstanding of the complexity of the human response to TBI, limited knowledge about the biological pathways that interact to contribute to good and bad outcomes after brain injury, and the effects of genomic variability and environment on individual recovery. Recent publications suggest that data obtained from gene expression profiling studies of complex neurological diseases such as stroke, multiple sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer's and Parkinson's may contribute to a more informed understanding of what affects outcome following TBI. These data may help to bridge the gap between successful preclinical studies and negative clinical trials in humans to reveal novel targets for therapy. Gene expression profiling has the capability to identify biomarkers associated with response to TBI, elucidate complex genetic interactions that may play a role in outcome following TBI, and reveal biological pathways related to brain health. This review highlights the current state of the literature on gene expression profiling for neurological disease and discusses its ability to aid in unraveling the variable human response to TBI and the potential for it to offer treatment strategies in an area where we currently have limited therapeutic options primarily based on supportive care. Language: en
Effect of prenatal protein malnutrition on numbers of neurons in the principal cell layers of the adult rat hippocampal formation.

Malnutrition has been associated with a variety of func- tional and anatomical impairments of the hippocampal formation. One of the more striking of these is widespread loss of hippocampal neurons in postnatally malnourished rats. In the present study we have investigated the effect of prenatal malnutrition on these same neuronal populations, neurons that are all generated during the period of the dietary restriction. In prenatally protein deprived rats, using design-based stereology, we have measured the regional volume and number of neurons in the hilus of the dentate gyrus and the pyramidal cell layers of CA3, CA2, CA1, and the subiculum of 90-day-old animals. These results demonstrated a statisti- cally significant reduction of 20% in neuron numbers in the CA1 subfield, while numbers in the other subfields were unchanged. There was a corresponding significant reduction of 22% in the volume of the CA1 subfield and a significant 14% decrease in the volume of the pyramidal layer of the subiculum. The change in volume of the pyramidal layer of the subiculum without neuron loss may reflect loss of CA1 afferent input to the pyramidal layer. Although the effect of nutritional deprivation on the neuronal population appears to be different in pre- and postnatal malnu- trition, both dietary paradigms highlight the vulnerability of key compo- nents of the hippocampal trisynaptic circuit (consisting of the dentate granule cell mossy fibers projection to CA3 pyramids and the CA3 pro- jection to the CA1 pyramids), which is an essential circuit for memory and learning. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Threshold effects in excited charmed baryon decays

Motivated by recent results on charmed baryons from CLEO and FOCUS, we reexamine the couplings of the orbitally excited charmed baryons. Because of its proximity to the ${\ensuremath{\Sigma}}_{c}\ensuremath{\pi}$ threshold, the strong decays of the ${\ensuremath{\Lambda}}_{c}^{+}(2593)$ are sensitive to finite width effects. This distorts the shape of the invariant mass spectrum in ${\ensuremath{\Lambda}}_{c1}^{+}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}_{c}^{+}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ from a simple Breit-Wigner resonance, which has implications for the experimental extraction of the ${\ensuremath{\Lambda}}_{c}^{+}(2593)$ mass and couplings. We perform a fit to unpublished CLEO data which gives $M({\ensuremath{\Lambda}}_{c}^{+}(2593))\ensuremath{-}M({\ensuremath{\Lambda}}_{c}^{+})=305.6\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.3\mathrm{MeV}$ and ${h}_{2}^{2}{=0.24}_{\ensuremath{-}0.11}^{+0.23},$ with ${h}_{2}$ the ${\ensuremath{\Lambda}}_{c1}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}_{c}\ensuremath{\pi}$ strong coupling in the chiral Lagrangian. We also comment on the new orbitally excited states recently observed by CLEO.
Gonadotroph-specific expression of the human follicle stimulating hormone β gene in transgenic mice

A paucity of in vitro models has hampered studies of molecular mechanisms of FSH subunit gene expression. Consequently, we used an in vivo transgenic strategy to map the location of regulatory elements in the cloned 10 kb human FSHbeta gene. Analyses of transgenic mouse lines revealed that successive 5' truncations of the hFSHbeta promoter region to -350 bp relative to the transcriptional initiation site retained gonadotroph-specific expression and the sexually dimorphic pattern of male greater than female FSHbeta mRNA levels found normally in rodent pituitary. Truncation of the 3' flanking sequences from positions +3142 to +2138 bp relative to the translational stop codon in exon 3 resulted in a complete loss of transgene expression, suggesting the presence of critical regulatory elements mapping to the 1 kb genomic segment downstream of position +2138, in addition to the proximal 5' promoter elements. In silico phylogenetic comparisons of mammalian FSHbeta genes revealed five islands of highly conserved sequence homology corresponding precisely to the proximal 5' promoter region, exon 2, the 5' translated region of exon 3, and two regions at the 3' untranslated end of exon 3 that include putative polyadenylation and transcriptional termination signals. Sequence analyses of the 5' proximal promoter revealed the presence of several putative homeodomain binding sites as well as GATA, SMAD, AP-1, NF-1, NF-Y and steroid hormone transcription factor binding sites within the highly conserved -350 bp promoter region. Notably absent from these 5' sequences, however, are consensus binding sites for either Egr-1 or Lim-2 transcription factors known to be critical for the gonadotroph-specific expression of the LHbeta gene. These findings support the hypothesis that one of the mechanisms underlying the differential regulation of the LHbeta, FSHbeta, and common alpha-gonadotropin subunits within pituitary gonadotrophs may be differences in sequence-specific binding requirements for distinct combinations of transcription factors.
POLLEN STUDIES IN THE GENUS CORDIA (BORAGINACEAE)

A B S T R A C T The pollen of 40 species of Cordia L. was studied by light microscopy and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Three major types were found, 3-porate with a reticulate sexine, 3-colpate to 3-colporoidate with a striatoreticulate sexine, and 3-colpate to 3-colporate with a spinulose sexine. These pollen types are correlated with significant differences in the inflorescence, flower, and fruit structures found in the sporophyte. The following revisions are suggested and discussed: that Cordia sect. Varronia P. Br. be elevated to generic status; that Cordia sebestena L. and a few close allies be treated as generically distinct; and that Cordia myxa L. be conserved as the lectotype for the genus, thus continuing a wide application of the epithet Cordia. THE GENUS Cordia L., consisting of perhaps 250 species, is probably the largest and most perplexing group in the Boraginaceae. It is widely distributed in the warmer regions of the world, but is especially well represented in Central and South America. Cordia is one of the more difficult tropical genera since many species are poorly defined and have overlapping characters. Seventeen of these species were reviewed by the senior author in a treatment of the Boraginaceae for the Flora of Panama (1969a, 1969b, 1969c). One of the most striking features of these trees and shrubs is the diverse structure of the flowers and inflorescences. The calyx is 5 (-10)-lobed or irregularly split, and can be calyptrate. The corolla is salverform, campanulate, or funnelform, the lobes (mostly 5) distinctly elongate to very shallow or nearly lacking. The size range alone of the corolla is striking-from 5-60 mm long. The fruit, which may be drupaceous or with the ovary wall bony or fibrous, is sometimes enclosed by the calyx, and in sect. Gerascanthus the fruit is capped by a discoid cartilagenous expansion of the style base. The inflorescences are characterized as cymes but have several patterns of development and when mature appear as spikes, capitula, glomerules or, frequently, large open panicles. Linnaeus established Cordia in Species Plantarum (1753), including Cordia myxa L., C. sebestena L., and C. glabra L. Guirke (1893) recognized six sections based
Precision aspheric optics testing with SCOTS: A deflectometry approach

Absolute measurement with SCOTS/deflectometry is a calibration problem. We use a laser tracker to calibrate the test geometry. The performance id demonstrated with the initial measurement results from the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope tertiary mirror. Systematic errors from the camera are carefully controlled. Camera pupil imaging aberration is removed with an external aperture stop. Imaging aberration and other inherent errors are suppressed with a rotation test. Results show that the SCOTS can act as a large dynamic range, high precision, non-null test method for precision aspheric optics. The SCOTS test can achieve measurement accuracy comparable with the traditional interferometric testing.
Explanation of the effect of rapid cycling on oxidation, rumpling, microcracking and lifetime of air plasma sprayed thermal barrier coatings

Abstract The effect of cycle duration on thermally grown oxide (TGO) growth kinetics, bond coat rumpling kinetics, microcracking and failure life was examined by cyclic furnace tests at three dwell times and at three temperatures for an air plasma sprayed (APS) thermal barrier coating (TBC) samples with 7 wt.% yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) top coat and an APS NiCoCrAlY bond coat. Total hot time to failure decreased with increasing cyclic rate, resulting in lower TGO thickness at failure for higher cycling rates. The TBC interface experienced progressive shape changes for the NiCoCrAlY bond coat. The activation energy for TGO growth and the rumpling rate were determined and neither was affected by cyclic rates. Hence the influence of cycling on rumpling and TGO growth does not provide an explanation for the observed effect of cycling on hot time to failure. Data collected from scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images showed that the failure induced in cyclic furnace test was caused by progressive cracking in the top coat. Using over 1000 micrographs, crack length, crack density and crack opening statistics as a function of dwell time and hot time were collected. Average crack length and average crack density were approximately a single valued function of life fraction despite the 33X variation of failure lives in these tests. Crack density decreased and crack length increased after approximately half life, indicating a transition to a crack linking dominated phase. Linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) calculation based on the measured crack opening displacement versus crack length relationship predicted stresses that are impossibly large, indicating that there must be very significant inelasticity present in crack formation and crack growth in TBC.
CONVENIENT EXPANSION FOR LOCAL POTENTIALS.

We introduce a new separable expansion for local potentials. The expansion, called the unitary pole expansion, has real, energy-independent form factors, and satisfies the requirements of two-particle unitarity in all orders. The convergence of the expansion is investigated by comparing expanded and exact $T$ matrices for negative energies, and by performing three-body bound-state calculations. In the latter case, a one-term approximation gives energies accurate to within 2% for potentials containing repulsion of the magnitude indicated by two-nucleon data.
A structural model for the prostate disease marker, human prostate‐specific antigen

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) provides an excellent serum marker for prostate cancer, the most frequent form of cancer in American males. PSA is a 237-residue protease based on sequence homology to kallikrein-like enzymes. To predict the 3-dimensional structure of PSA, homology modeling studies were performed based on sequence and structural alignments with tonin, pancreatic kallikrein, chymotrypsin, and trypsin. The structurally conserved regions of the 4 reference X-ray proteins provided the core structure of PSA, whereas the loop structures were modeled on the loops of tonin and kallikrein. The unique "kallikrein loop" insert, between Ser 95b and Pro 95k of kallikrein, was constructed using molecular mechanics, dynamics, and electrostatics calculations. In the resulting PSA structure, the catalytic triad, involving residues His 57, Asp 102, and Ser 195, and hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions typical of serine proteases were extremely well conserved. Similarly, the 5-disulfide bonds of kallikrein were also conserved in PSA. These results, together with the fact that no major steric clashes arose during the modeling process, provide strong evidence for the validity of the PSA model. Calculation of the electrostatic potential contours of kallikrein and PSA was carried out using the finite difference Poisson-Boltzmann method. The calculations revealed matching areas of negative potential near the catalytic triad, but differences in the positive potential surrounding the active site. The PSA glycosylation site, Asn 61, is fully accessible to the solvent and is enclosed in a positive region of the isopotential map. The bottom of the substrate specificity pocket, residue S1, is a serine (Ser 189) as in chymotrypsin, rather than aspartate (Asp 189) as in tonin, kallikrein, and trypsin. This fact, plus other features of the S1 binding-pocket region, suggest that PSA would prefer substrates with hydrophobic residues at the P1 position. The location of a potential zinc ion binding site involving the side chain of histidines 91, 101, and 233 is also suggested. This PSA model should facilitate the understanding and prediction of structural and functional properties of this important cancer marker.
Altered perceptions after upper and lower extremity blocks: an initial investigation.

Background and objectives: Nerve blocks frequently produce unusual altered perceptions in the extremities. We examined perceptual changes experienced after peripheral blocks. Methods: Fifty consecutive patients having an upper or lower extremity block for surgery participated in this prospective study. Patients were divided into 2 groups: upper extremity (n = 20) and lower extremity (n = 30). Each group was asked a list of questions about perceptions of limb sensation, length, weight, and location and given a detailed 2-point discrimination test over the V1-V3 divisions of the trigeminal nerve prior to block and sedation. While the extremity was still blocked, the exam was repeated before postanesthesia care unit discharge. Results: In both groups, 98% of patients described altered limb perception. The perceptions in the upper extremity were: heaviness, 60%; numbness, 50%; warmth, 40%; pain, 30%; full or fat, 20%; floating, 5%; shorter, 0%; or thinner, 10%. The perceptions in the lower extremity were: numbness, 75%; heaviness, 46%; warmth, 33%; pain, 32%; full or fat, 36%; floating, 25%; shorter, 18%, or thinner, 7%. Upper extremity block patients were more likely to describe the limb as lighter (P Conclusion: The results of this study confirm and quantify the perceptions experienced by patients undergoing upper and lower extremity blocks. These perceptions are prevalent. This knowledge is helpful in providing patients with accurate preoperative preparation. Further investigation is warranted to determine the neurologic etiology of these observations.
Advertising decisions in oligopoly: An industry equilibrium analysis

This paper determines the stationary level of advertising in which firms in an oligopoly invest. These levels are outcomes of an industry equilibrium which corresponds to a Nash solution to the set of maximizing problems that firms face. The existence of an equilibrium is established for two alternative specifications of the dynamics of advertising. Stability, and therefore observability, of stationary states is examined.
Soil nutrient evaluation from swine effluent application to five forage-system practices

Many contract swine producers are located in the southeastern U.S. In this region almost all of the swine effluent from swine production is applied to warm-season perennial species such as bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] which is widely grown for summer grazing and hay production. A 3-yr study was conducted to investigate the impact of forage double-cropping on nutrient accumulation and leaching in Mantachie fine loam soil fertilized with swine (Sus scrofa domesticus) lagoon effluent as the source of plant nutrients. Plots of previously established Tifton 44 bermudagrass were overseeded in the fall with one of four winter annuals: berseem clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L.); crimson clover (T. incarnatum L.); ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum L.); or wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Four plots of bermudagrass were not overseeded and considered as control. Plots were harvested in spring for cool-season annual hay and in summer for bermudagrass hay. Swine effluent was applied during spring and summer on a need base. Suction lysimeters were installed in selected plots at two depths to monitor nutrient leaching. Surface soil samples were taken to determine baseline nutrient contents, followed by three other sampling dates during the study. Bermudagrass dry matter production (3-yr average = 9.8 Mg ha−1) was not adversely affected by the overseeding treatments. Greatest dry matter production was achieved with bermudagrass overseeded with ryegrass (3-yr average = 11.3 Mg ha−1). Soil pH decreased by almost one unit by the end of the study. While total P (TP) did not change much, Mehlich-3 P (M3-P), K, Cu, and Zn increased significantly, Mg and Mn concentrations decreased by 2002 compared to the baseline levels. Soil P, Mg, K, Fe, Mn, and Zn accumulation were greater under bermudagrass/wheat combination. In general, the influence of double cropping on soil nutrient accumulation was not conclusive, however, this practice provides the year-round green forage for grazing and haying. Nutrient concentrations in soil and lysimeter leachate were directly related to the quantity of effluent applied. Results also demonstrated that effluent application must be coordinated with the nutrient requirements of the growing forages in order to minimize accumulation and leaching.