cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CDK4/6 Inhibition and Radiation as a Treatment Strategy to Improve Local Disease Control in Breast Cancers With Poor Prognoses.

Purpose/objective(s) Locoregional control remains an issue in women with multi-node positive estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer and many women with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). There is growing evidence that CDK4/6 inhibition (CDK4/6i) sensitizes breast cancer cells to ionizing radiation (RT) by suppressing the DNA damage response, but the role of RB is currently unclear. We sought to understand the role of RB and the implications of RB loss in ER+ and TNBC. Materials/methods Clonogenic survival assays were used to calculate radiosensitivity and calculate enhancement ratios (rER). Cellular viability was quantified 72 hours after drug addition to calculate half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50s). Phospho- and total RB expression levels were assessed by immunoblotting. DNA repair was assessed with γH2AX and RAD51 immunofluorescence. GFP-based plasmid reporter systems were used to assess homologous recombination (HR) and non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) competency. Isogenic RB1 knockout cells were generated with CRISPR-Cas9, and siRNA was used for transient RB1 knockdown. G1 cell cycle arrest was quantified using propidium iodide-based flow cytometry. In vivo efficacy of CDK4/6 inhibition + RT was assessed using MDA-MB-231 xenografts. Results Four TNBC cell lines with intact RB expression were radiosensitized (rER 1.08 - 2.22) after CDK4/6i with palbociclib, ribociclib, or abemaciclib, but two RB null TNBC models were not radiosensitized with combination treatment (rER: 0.84 - 1.00). In ER+ and TNBC cell lines, response to CDK4/6i + RT was accurately predicted by the presence or absence of RB protein, and higher RB expression led to increased radiosensitization of breast cancer cell lines at lower doses. In addition, pRB expression decreased in wild type TNBC cell lines treated with CDK4/6i + RT. HR was suppressed with CDK4/6i in RB wild type - but not mutant - cell lines. NHEJ efficiency in RB wild type TNBC was unchanged with CDK4/6i. Genetic knockdown of RB1 led to the loss of radiosensitization in ER+ and TNBC cell lines (rER: 0.84 - 1.13) as well as a decrease in sensitivity to CDK4/6i monotherapy. Parental and Cas9 control TNBC cells arrested in G1 24 hours after CDK4/6i and remained arrested at 48 hours, but RB1 CRISPR TNBC cells did not arrest after drug treatment. In a TNBC xenograft model with wild type RB expression (MDA-MB-231), CDK4/6i + RT led to significant radiosensitization in vivo and delayed time to tumor doubling. Conclusion RB loss mitigates CDK4/6 inhibitor-mediated radiosensitization of both ER+ and TNBC cells. Loss of RB expression prevents CDK4/6i-mediated radiosensitization, suggesting that RB expression may be a valuable clinical biomarker to predict efficacy of CDK4/6i + RT in future clinical trials. Our data also provide the preclinical rationale for CDK4/6i with RT not just in ER+ BC, but also in women with TNBC that express RB.
Merleau-Ponty’s Artist of Depth: Exploring “Eye and Mind” and the Works of Art Chosen by Merleau-Ponty as Preface

The original Gallimard edition of Merleau-Ponty’s last-published essay, "Eye and Mind," which was printed as a slim, separate volume containing only this essay, includes a visual preface of seven artworks, chosen by Merleau-Ponty. This essay takes the key assertion of "Eye and Mind"—that rather than seeing depth as the “third dimension,” as seen traditionally, “if [depth] were a dimension, it would be the first one” (180)—and applies it to the reading of these artworks preceding the text. There is an analysis of how and why depth is the first rank in not only rethinking art, but also in rethinking Being itself. The development of the idea of depth as the going together of incompossibles in time and in space is explored by turning to Merleau-Ponty’s texts, beginning with the Phenomenology of Perception through to his last works. The last section of the essay carefully analyses six of the seven visual works of art (omitting Cezanne about whom so much has been written) to see the ways in which they instantiate this new notion of depth as the motive force of art and the heart of the flesh of the world.
Spaces of the Mind: Narrative and Community in the American West

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Elaine A. Jahner Year: 2007 Pages: 192 Publisher: University of Nebraska Press ISBN: 978-0-8032-1833-8 (soft cover). Prices: $19.95 USD(soft cover).
Measuring Motivation in Low-Stakes Assessments

There is a growing concern that when scores from low-stakes assessments are reported without considering student motivation as a construct of interest, biased conclusions about how much students know will result. Low motivation is a problem particularly relevant to low-stakes testing scenarios, which may be low stakes for the test taker but have considerable consequences for teachers, school districts, or educational and governmental institutions. The current review addresses the impact of motivation on assessment scores and research that have identified methods for minimizing the error introduced by unmotivated test takers. A comprehensive review of the test conditions that have been shown to influence motivation is provided. In addition, the review identifies a number of circumstances under which motivation can be enhanced or diminished. The benefits and limitations of the various measurement techniques that have been used to mitigate the negative impact of low-motivation test takers on score interpretation are discussed.
Mapping China and Managing the World: Culture, Cartography, and Cosmology in Late Imperial Times. By Richard J. Smith

This book presents updated versions of six previously published essays, each ‘addressing new scholarship … and adding new bibliographical citations’, and focuses on such major Chinese devices for o...
Sialadenoma Papilliferum of the Hard Palate

Abstract This study reports on the clinical and histologic features of 2 previously unreported cases of sialadenoma papilliferum. Immunohistochemical analysis of one of the cases demonstrated that the ductal cell component shows both epithelial and myoepithelial differentiation.
RESIDENTIAL INTERRACIAL EXPOSURE AND ISOLATION INDICES: Mean versus Median Indices, and the Difference It Makes

Interracial exposure and isolation (p*) indices have been widely used in studies of residential racial segregation. However, a recent pilot study raised serious issues about the use of these indices, because they are based on the mean statistic, which may yield misleading results in the case of skewed distributions, as is often the case with census tract racial compositions. An alternative median exposure index (p*-md) is proposed, and mean and median indices of white-to-African-American and African-American-to-white exposure, as well as white and African-American isolation, are compared for the 50 largest metropolitan areas in the United States. The analysis shows that the mean and median measures produce different results, and that most of these differences are maximized in those areas that are most segregated and, especially for African-American-to-white exposure, in areas where the largest number of African Americans live. This creates significant problems in the interpretation and use of mean exposure and isolation indices, and in most cases, the median index yields a result more representative of the residential neighborhood situation of the majority of whites and African Americans. A particular problem with the mean exposure indices currently in common use is their tendency to overstate the degree of neighborhood-level interracial contact in U.S. metropolitan areas, and, in so doing, to understate the impact of racial housing discrimination.
Effect of injury on collagen resorption in the involuting rat uterus.

SummaryA mechanical crushing injury was applied to one horn of the rat uterus immediately following parturition. This injury retarded involution in that horn, but not in the contralateral horn, as measured by wet weight loss and collagen breakdown. Uterine collagen was labeled with [14C] hydroxyproline near the end of pregnancy. Injured horns lost this label more slowly than the uninjured horns and there was also a slower diminution of specific activity. The injury induces a repair process, but it is concluded that the fibrotic phase of repair does not occur during the period of maximum collagen breakdown accompanying involution.
The role of polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation in intestinal inflammation and neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis

Dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) supplementation has been shown to reduce the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in a recent randomized, controlled trial. These compounds are known to modulate the inflammatory cascade and to influence intestinal health in a variety of ways. Although the pathophysiology of NEC is not well understood, recent evidence suggests that platelet-activating factor (PAF) is a key endogenous mediator of intestinal necrosis in animals. Using a neonatal rat model of NEC that includes the key risk factors of asphyxia and formula feeding, we investigated the role of dietary PUFA supplementation on the incidence and pathophysiology of NEC. Our findings suggest that PUFA reduce the incidence of NEC by modulating PAF metabolism and endotoxin translocation.
Does Music Reduce Anxiety During Invasive Procedures With Procedural Sedation? An Integrative Research Review

Abstract Undergoing interventional radiology (IR) procedures with procedural sedation can be anxiety provoking. To understand more clearly if music can reduce anxiety, an integrative research review was conducted to compare music during invasive procedures or perioperatively without general anesthesia to standard care. This review reveals that music may be effective in lowering blood pressure and reducing medication requirements. Practice guidelines and suggestions for future research are offered to help IR nurses examine this intervention in more detail.
Impacts of Structural Adjustment Programs on African Women Farmers and Female-Headed Households

The structural adjustment programs (SAPs) initiated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank and supported by donors are stimulating many tropical African economies through an infusion of foreign exchange, increased agricultural prices, devaluation of overvalued currencies, improved marketing policies, trade liberalization, and increased competition from the private sector. Recently, however, debates about the pros and cons of SAPs have ensued.
Has the time come to rehabilitate gestalt theory

The distinction is drawn between the metatheoretical commitments of Gestalt theory and their instantiations in explicit theory. It is argued that the metatheoretical commitments of Gestalt theory reflect important insights which might have served as the foundation of a theory of perception that avoids a number of the major difficulties associated with constructivism and the theory of direct perception. For this reason rehabilitation of the reputation of Gestalt theory is urged. In the concluding section certain similarities between the foundational premises of Gestalt theory and parallel distributed processing approaches are noted.
Practical management of acute diarrhea.

A careful history and physical examination are usually enough to assess illness severity, the need for further laboratory tests, and often the cause. Supportive treatment generally suffices. However, antibiotic or probiotic therapy should be considered in selected patients.
Structure of Cl-containing silicate and aluminosilicate glasses: A 35Cl MAS-NMR study

Abstract Chlorine-35 magic angle spinning (MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra were collected at 14.1 and 18.8 Tesla fields to determine the atomic scale structural environments of the chloride ions in anhydrous and hydrous silicate and aluminosilicate glasses containing 0.2 to 0.7 wt% Cl. NMR peaks are broad and featureless, but are much narrower than the total chemical shift range for the nuclide in inorganic chlorides. Peak widths are primarily due to quadrupole interactions and to a lesser extent to chemical shift distributions. Peak positions are quite different for the Na- and Ca-containing glasses, suggesting that most Cl − coordination environments contain network modifier cations. Comparison of peak positions and shapes for silicate and aluminosilicate glasses containing either Na or Ca suggests that there is no obvious contribution from Cl − bonded to Al, and relative quantitation of peak areas indicates that there is no systematic undercounting of 35 Cl spins in the aluminous vs. the Al-free samples. In Ca-Na silicate glasses with varying Ca/(Ca + Na), the mixed-cation glasses have intermediate chemical shifts between those of the end members, implying that there is not a strong preference of either Ca 2+ or of Na + around Cl − . Hydrous Na-aluminosilicate glasses with H 2 O contents up to 5.9 wt% show a shift to higher frequency NMR signal with increasing H 2 O content, while the quadrupole coupling constant ( C Q ) remains constant at ∼3.3 MHz. However, the change in frequency is much smaller than that expected if H 2 O systematically replaced Na + in the first-neighbor coordination shell around Cl − . A series of hydrous Ca-aluminosilicate glasses with H 2 O contents up to 5.5 wt% show no shift in NMR signal with increasing H 2 O content. The C Q remains constant at ∼4.4 MHz, again suggesting no direct interaction between Cl − and H 2 O in these samples.
A study of ripplon scattering from a 2D Wigner lattice

Abstract Ripplon scattering from a 2D lattice of electrons supported above a liquid helium surface is studied by measuring the mobility of the lattice as a function of temperature and comparing the results with theory. The data demonstrate the effect of the Debye-Waller factor in reducing scattering at high temperatures and exhibit excess scattering within a few millidegrees of the melting temperature. Quantum corrections to the melting curve arc observed.
Bioconvection patterns, topological phase transitions and evidence of self-organized critical states

Abstract Bioconvection is the name given to a fluid instability which arises spontaneously in aqueous suspensions of upwardly swimming, heavy biological organisms such as algae, bacteria, etc. The resulting pattern consists of arrayed poxes (“dots”) or polygons, the selection of which depends on suspension depth, organism count and swimming speed. We report observations and analysis of a dramatic ordering transition which occurs as pox patterns self-organize into connected polygonal nets. This enhanced geometric order, referred to here as topological solidification, does not progress via local or random interconnections between pox patterns, but proceeds via a triggered series of global restructurings or “avalanches” between barely stable or critical states. The signature of such a process entails power law behavior and over a decade and a half in size, the observed distributions in bioconvection pattern sizes D(S) scale with size S as, D(S)∼S −2.3 . This observed scaling is consistent with models proposed elsewhere for self-organized criticality, actual experimental examples of which still remain few but growing.
Dynamic behavior of a square foundation in planar motion on a sand stratum

Abstract A comprehensive experimental study was conducted to explore the dynamic soil-structure interaction problem of square footings resting on a sand stratum by means of centrifuge modeling. To capture the horizontal, vertical and rocking response characteristics of the foundation, a program of forced hybrid-mode vibration tests in the form of eccentric vertical excitation on 4 foundation models was pursued. Corresponding to a variety of prototype foundation inertial and bearing pressure conditions, the response time histories and frequency response functions were obtained. With the aid of the experimental data, an evaluation of the performance of the traditional homogeneous and square-root-of-depth modulus theoretical soil models for the shallow sand stratum problem is also included.
Addendum: Modular heat sinks for desktop computers and other electronics

The evaporative cooling technique described in this paper is uniquely suited to systems where the chip or actual electronic device can be bonded directly to the graphite foam and then immersed in the cooling fluid. It is desired, however, to adapt this technology to stand alone and aftermarket heat sinks for desktop computers and electronic devices. This would be suitable for either OEM or aftermarket heat sinks if the thermal resistance can be similar to the state of the art aluminum and copper finned heat sinks.
Laboratory detection of HC6N, A carbon chain with a triplet electronic ground state

A linear triplet isomer of HC6N has been detected by Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy in a supersonic molecular beam. A total of 85 hyperfine components from six rotational transitions between 8 and 18 GHz were measured to an uncertainty of 5 kHz; a similar set of transitions were detected for the 15N isotopic species, produced using an isotopically enriched precursor gas sample. The spectroscopic constants for both species, including the fine and hyperfine coupling constants, were determined to very high accuracy, and these allow calculation of the radio spectrum to a fraction of 1 km s-1 in equivalent radial velocity. Triplet HC6N is a highly polar, low-lying isomer; measurements show it to be about 10 times more abundant than a ring-chain isomer recently detected with the same spectrometer.
High-contrast gratings as new platform for integrated optoelectronics

We will discuss a new concept of subwavelength grating, leveraging a high contrast in refractive indices with its surrounding to achieve various extraordinary properties, including ultra broadband reflection, high Q resonator and low-loss hollow-core waveguides.
‘India Rising’ and the Mixed Blessings of Globalisation

India has been a major beneficiary of economic globalisation. Yet, integration into the global economy has also made India vulnerable to the unpredictable swings in market sentiment. Nevertheless, ...
The Synthesis of Biphenyl Amino Acids and Related 2,3- Dihydroimidazo[1,2-a]dibenz[c,e]azepines

Abstract The synthesis of biphenyl amino acids, designed as potential metabotropic glutamate receptor ligands, is described. Some unexpected tricyclic intermediates were characterised and one such intermediate was further transformed into the related 2,3-dihydroimidazo[1,2-a]dibenz[c,e] azepines.
Relationship between gene 55 function, late transcription and an intermediate in the replication of bacteriophage T4 DNA.

Abstract At 43.5 °C, a T4 gene 55 reversibly temperature-sensitive mutant (ts 553) ( Pulitzer, 1970 ; Pulitzer & Geiduschek, 1970 ) fails to produce late messenger and and the normal 200 s form of replicating viral DNA or the 65 s mature form ( Frankel, 1966a , Frankel, 1966b ); all replicating DNA sediments at > 400 s. Upon shift-down to 30 °C, following chloramphenicol addition, late transcription is rapidly turned on, but there is no change in the sedimentation pattern of DNA. If shift-down is performed without inhibition of protein synthesis the sedimentation pattern does gradually change, and mature viral DNA appears. We conclude that 200 s is not a diagnostic feature of late transcription-competent DNA and that gene 55 is not directly involved in the “fragmentation” of rapidly sedimenting replicating DNA.
METABOLIC ACTIVATION OF TRANS-4-HYDROXY-2-NONENAL, A TOXIC PRODUCT OF MEMBRANE LIPID PEROXIDATION AND INHIBITOR OF P450 CYTOCHROMES

Lipid peroxidation in biological membranes is known to yield reactive aldehydes, of whichtrans-4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE) is particularly cytotoxic. This laboratory previously reported that purified liver microsomal P450 cytochromes are directly inactivated to varying extents by HNE. We have now found a mechanism-based reaction in which P450s are inactivated by HNE in the presence of molecular oxygen, NADPH, and NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase. The sensitivity of the various isozymes in the two pathways is different as follows: P450 2B4 and the orthologous 2B1 are inactivated to the greatest extent and 2C3, 1A2, 2E1, and 1A1 to a somewhat lesser extent by the pathway in which HNE undergoes metabolic activation. In contrast, 2B4 and 2B1 are insensitive to direct inactivation, and the reductase is unaffected by HNE by either route. Recent studies on the catalytic activities of the T302A mutant of P450 2B4 have shown that the rate of oxidation of a variety of xenobiotic aldehydes to carboxylic acids is decreased, but the rates of aldehyde deformylation and mechanism-based inactivation of the cytochrome are stimulated over those of the wild-type enzyme (Raner, G. M., Vaz, A. D. N., and Coon, M. J. (1997) Biochemistry36, 4895–4902). Inactivation by those aldehydes apparently occurs by homolytic cleavage of a peroxyhemiacetal intermediate to yield formate and an alkyl radical that reacts with the heme. In sharp contrast, the rate of mechanism-based inactivation by HNE is decreased with the T302A mutant relative to that of the wild-type P450 2B4, and mass spectral analysis of the heme adduct formed shows that deformylation does not occur. We therefore propose that the metabolic activation of HNE involves formation of an acyl carbon radical that leads to the carboxylic acid or alternatively reacts with the heme.
Pelvic abscess after colon and rectal surgery — What is optimal management?

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare treatment outcomes in the management of pelvic abscess (PA) after rectal surgery. METHODS: Over a 12-year period all PAs occurring in the patients undergoing colorectal resection were retrospectively reviewed. The APACHE II Score was used to stratify illness. RESULTS: Postoperative PA developed in 56 patients after cancer (32 percent), ulcerative colitis (26 percent), diverticular disease (24 percent), and Crohn's colitis (18 percent)/surgery. Overall, 24 (43 percent) of PAs were after operations for inflammatory bowel disease and 43(77 percent) of PAs were after intrapelvic intestinal anastomoses. PAs were treated by 1) antibiotics alone (11/56), 2) percutaneous computerized tomography-guided catheter drainage (13/56), 3) transperineal drainage (15/56), or 4) laparotomy (17/56). Recurrent PAs developed in 11/56 (19 percent) after initial treatment, of which 7 required additional surgery. These recurrences were evenly distributed between treatment groups. There were three deaths as a result of PA, two after laparotomy and one after percutaneous drainage. Long-term sequela in patients with intestinal anastomosis included loss of intestinal continuity (10/43) and anastomotic stenosis (7/43). There was no difference in APACHE II Score among the four treatment groups. The mortality rate was 75 percent among patients whose APACHE II Scores were greater than 15. The development of a PA after colon and rectal surgery was associated with a 5 percent mortality and 41 percent functional morbidity (23 percent permanent stoma and 18 percent symptomatic stricture rate). CONCLUSION: Using clinical judgment, if PA is amenable to computerized tomographyguided percutaneous or transperineal drainage, one of these techniques should be attempted initially in the hemodynamically stable nonseptic patient. Long-term functional disability is common after PA in rectosigmoid surgery in patients who undergo pelvic/intestinal anastomosis.
When Mexico Had the Blues: A Transatlantic Tale of Bonds, Bankers, and Nationalists, 1862–1910

WHEN MAXIMILIAN VON HABSBURG' S GILDED COACH first entered Mexico City in May of 1864 to an enthusiastic greeting, the future appeared as glittering as his livery. French troops would help the Austrian prince resurrect Mexico's past brilliance. But Maximilian needed more than just soldiers to build his New World empire. The emperor needed gold. He turned to the Paris stock market, where the French regime of Napoleon III put its prestige behind bond issues of 1864 and 1865 worth some 534 million francs, in a stroke tripling Mexico's foreign debt. Alas, time would show that instead of sustaining the empire and cementing friendship and economic cooperation between France and Mexico, these bonds, known as the "petits bleus" because of their little blue coupons, would create persistent friction and ill feelings. The bonds that were introduced with a majestic triumphal march would linger on in the minor key of Mexican blues. Maximilian died in 1867, but the maximilianitos generated discord between the two countries until 1904. But this is not just a story of forsaken ambition. The story of these bonds says much about Mexico's changing position in the international capital market and, indeed, the transformation of that market during this period of unprecedented expansion. Mexico shed its reputation as an unreliable, financial black hole to become one of the most hotly coveted areas in the world. The bonds' tale also helps illuminate the nature and extent of imperialism, particularly French overseas and budding United States activities, in the Age of Empire. Different layers of overseas ambition, from early modern colonialism to modern colonialism and neo-colonialism, were involved. Today's globalism is not new. During the "hundred years' peace" before World War I, international capital flowed freely over most of the globe.1 By the end of the nineteenth century, the
Vector analysis correlating bullet trajectory to outcome after civilian through-and-through gunshot wound to the head: using imaging cues to predict fatal outcome.

OBJECTIVE: We identify radiographic imaging similarities found on head computed tomographic (CT) scans of patients with through-and-through gunshot wounds to the head with fatal outcomes. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted over an 18-month period from June 2001 through December 2002. Two hundred seventeen gunshot wound patients were evaluated. Exclusion criteria included any patient with cardiopulmonary injury and instability, airway compromise, or extracranial injuries affecting prognosis. Thirty-seven patients with isolated gunshot wounds to the head were included, 10 of which were fatal. Vital signs, examination results, Glasgow coma scale (GCS) score, intracranial pressure monitoring, surgical data, days in the intensive care unit, and CT scan appearance were collected. A Cartesian xyz coordinate system was created centered on the dorsum sella. Bullet pathways on CT scans were plotted and graphed onto a standardized magnetic resonance imaging scan. RESULTS: Ten patients progressed to brain death. GCS score and pupil irregularity were associated with fatal outcome (P < 0.0001). CT scans showed that brain shift was more common in survivors. Seventy percent of nonsurvivors had minimal brain shift. A tram-track sign on CT scans correlated with fatal outcome (P = 0.005). Vector analysis of nonsurvivors showed an area of the brain approximately 4 cm above the dorsum sella that, when penetrated through the midline, led to brain death (P = 0.0006). This zone was coined the zona fatalis. CONCLUSION: We confirm that GCS score and diabetes insipidus correlated with fatal outcome. In the setting of low-velocity gunshot wounds, fatal outcome and low GCS score were associated with a tram-track sign on CT scans. Bullet passage through a particular supra-dorsum sellar transventricular zone was associated with fatal outcome.
Threshold and punchthrough behavior of laterally nonuniformally doped short-channel MOSFET's

Predictions of gate threshold voltage and punchthrough voltage have been made for short-channel VDMOS and UMOS field-effect transistors using exact, two-dimensional numerical analysis. In these devices the doping concentration varies laterally from source to drain. The threshold voltage is found to be related to the maximum value of channel doping. This correspondence becomes poorer as the channel length is diminished since punchthrough current begins to influence the threshold voltage for short-channel devices. Surface punch-through is predicted for the VDMOSFET whereas bulk punchthrough is found in the UMOS device. A correspondence between the results of two-dimensional computer simulation of punchthrough and the estimations of one-dimensional simplified theory is found.
Erythromycin estolate-induced toxicity in cultured rat hepatocytes.

Abstract Primary cultures of rat hepatocytes were exposed to several concentrations of erythromycin estolate (EE). Hepatotoxicity was evaluated using lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage and morphometric analysis of representative populations of cells examined optically. Results of the two techniques provided parallel information: cells exposed to the higher concentrations of EE had significantly greater LDH release and higher percentages of morphologically damaged cells. Planimetrie analysis of a second set of hepatocytes showed increasing swelling of cells with increasing concentration of EE. Severe cellular swelling preceded disintegration, as hepatocytes became progressively more damaged by EE.
Normal Levels of Selected Enzymes in the Brain of Coturnix

Abstract THE Japanese Quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) has rapidly assumed importance both as a research animal and as a pilot animal in poultry research (see bibliography in Quail Quarterly, 1964, 1965). Because of its physiological characteristics, it has been found to lend itself quite readily to studies concerning the functioning of the brain. In this respect, quail have been used for neurophysiological (Reese and Reese, 1962) as well as neuroendocrine studies (Oksche et al., 1964). A considerable amount of research has been done on the neurochemistry of various other animals (see Elliott et al., 1962). However, this area of knowledge has not reached a high degree of understanding and to date no work has been done on the brain of Coturnix from a biochemical approach. Thus, studies were initiated on the activities of selected enzymes in quail brain homogenates. Data are presented in this paper on the activities of some of …
Copper, zinc superoxide dismutase and H2O2: Effects of bicarbonate on inactivation and oxidations of NADPH and urate, and on consumption of H2O2

Copper,zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu,Zn-SOD) catalyzes the HCO(3)(-)-dependent oxidation of diverse substrates. The mechanism of these oxidations involves the generation of a strong oxidant, derived from H(2)O(2), at the active site copper. This bound oxidant then oxidizes HCO(3)(-) to a strong and diffusible oxidant, presumably the carbonate anion radical that leaves the active site and then oxidizes the diverse substrates. Cu,Zn-SOD is also subject to inactivation by H(2)O(2). It is now demonstrated that the rates of HCO(3)(-)-dependent oxidations of NADPH and urate exceed the rate of inactivation of the enzyme by approximately 100-fold. Cu,Zn-SOD is also seen to catalyze a HCO(3)(-)-dependent consumption of the H(2)O(2) and that HCO(3)(-) does not protect Cu,Zn-SOD against inactivation by H(2)O(2). A scheme of reactions is offered in explanation of these observations.
Optimizing selection for function-valued traits.

We consider a function-valued trait z(t) whose pre-selection distribution is Gaussian, and a fitness function W that models optimizing selection, subject to certain natural assumptions. We show that the post-selection distribution of z(t) is also Gaussian, compute the selection differential, and derive an equation that expresses the selection gradient in terms of the parameters of W and of the pre-selection distribution. We make no assumptions on the nature of the ‘time–parameter t.
Fluorescence polarization of skeletal muscle fibers labeled with rhodamine isomers on the myosin heavy chain

Fluorescence polarization was used to examine orientational changes of Rhodamine probes in single, skinned muscle fibers from rabbit psoas muscle following either photolysis of caged nucleotides or rapid length changes. Fibers were extensively and predominantly labeled at SH1 (Cys-707) of the myosin heavy chain with either the 5- or the 6-isomer of iodoacetamidotetramethylrhodamine. Results from spectroscopic experiments utilizing the two Rhodamine isomers were quite similar. Following photolysis of either caged ATP or caged ADP, probes promptly reoriented toward the muscle fiber axis. Changes in the fluorescence polarization signals with transients elicited by the photolysis of caged ATP in the presence of saturating Ca2+ greatly preceded active force generation. Photolysis of caged ADP caused only a small, rapid decrease in force but elicited changes in the fluorescence polarization signals with time course and amplitude similar to those following photolysis of caged ATP. Fluorescence polarization signals were virtually unchanged by rapid length steps in both rigor and active muscle fibers. These results indicate that structural changes monitored by Rhodamine probes at SH1 are not associated directly with the force-generating event of muscle contraction. However, the fluorescence polarization transients were slightly faster than the estimated rate of cross-bridge detachment following photolysis of caged ATP, suggesting that the observed structural changes at SH1 may be involved in the communication pathway between the nucleotide- and actin-binding sites of myosin.
Genes malh and pagl of Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824 Encode NAD+- and Mn2+-dependent Phospho-α-glucosidase(s)

Abstract The genome of Clostridium acetobutylicum 824 contains two genes encoding NAD+, Mn2+, and dithiothreitol-dependent phospho-α-glucosidases that can be assigned to family 4 of the glycosylhydrolase superfamily. The two genes, designated malh (maltose 6-phosphate hydrolase) and pagl (phospho-α-glucosidase), respectively, reside in separate operons that also encode proteins of the phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent:sugar phosphotransferase system. C. acetobutylicum grows on a variety of α-linked glucosides, including maltose, methyl-α-d-glucoside, and the five isomers of sucrose. In the presence of the requisite cofactors, extracts of these cells readily hydrolyzed the chromogenic substrate p-nitrophenyl-α-d-glucopyranoside 6-phosphate, but whether hydrolysis reflected expression of enzymes encoded by the malh or pagl genes was not discernible by spectrophotometric analysis or polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Resolution of this question required the cloning of the malh and pagl genes, and subsequent high expression, purification, and characterization of maltose-6′-phosphate hydrolase (MalH) and phospho-α-glucosidase (PagL), respectively. MalH and PagL exhibit 50% residue identity, and in solution are tetramers comprising similar sized (∼50 kDa) subunits. The two proteins cross-react with polyclonal rabbit antibody against phospho-α-glucosidase from Fusobacterium mortiferum. Purified MalH and PagL cleaved p-nitrophenyl-α-d-glucopyranoside 6-phosphate with comparable efficiency, but only MalH catalyzed the hydrolysis of disaccharide 6′-phosphates formed via the phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent:sugar phosphotransferase system. Importantly, analysis of the proteome of C. acetobutylicum 824 by electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry confirmed expression of MalH during growth on many α-glucosides tested. Site-directed changes C169S and D170N yielded full-length, but catalytically inactive MalH. Of the two putative operons, our findings suggest that only proteins encoded by the mal operon participate in the dissimilation of maltose and related O-α-linked glucosides by C. acetobutylicum 824.
Transforming growth factor-β activates c-Myc to promote palatal growth

During palatogenesis, the palatal mesenchyme undergoes increased cell proliferation resulting in palatal growth, elevation and fusion of the two palatal shelves. Interestingly, the palatal mesenchyme expresses all three transforming growth factor (TGF) β isoforms (1, 2, and 3) throughout these steps of palatogenesis. However, the role of TGFβ in promoting proliferation of palatal mesenchymal cells has never been explored. The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of TGFβ on human embryonic palatal mesenchymal (HEPM) cell proliferation. Our results showed that all isoforms of TGFβ, especially TGFβ3, increased HEPM cell proliferation by up-regulating the expression of cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases as well as c-Myc oncogene. TGFβ activated both Smad-dependent and Smad-independent pathways to induce c-Myc gene expression. Furthermore, TBE1 is the only functional Smad binding element (SBE) in the c-Myc promoter and Smad4, activated by TGFβ, binds to the TBE1 to induce c-Myc gene activity. We conclude that HEPM proliferation is manifested by the induction of c-Myc in response to TGFβ signaling, which is essential for complete palatal confluency. Our data highlights the potential role of TGFβ as a therapeutic molecule to correct cleft palate by promoting growth.
Radioreceptorassay of Opioid Peptides With 3H-Methionine Enkephalin and a Canine Limbic System Receptor Preparation

Abstract A radioreceptor assay (RRA) method is described to detect opioid peptides that uses a canine limbic system P2 receptor preparation and 3H-methionine enkephalin as the displaced ligand. In our laboratory, 3H-ME is a useful probe to detect the presence of, and to facilitate the description of, opioid peptides in biological extracts. Those opioid receptor-active peaks are then studied subsequently in greater detail with immunoassay and mass spectrometry methods. A variety of peptide ligands including leucine enkephalin, beta-endorphin, Tyr-D-Ala-Gly-NMe-Phe-Gly-OL (“DAGO”), Tyr-D-Ser-Gly-Phe-Leu-Thr (“delta-receptor peptide”), and several dynorphins (1-7, 1-8, 1-9, 1-10, 1-17, and B) were used to further characterize the molecular specificity of that RRA system.
En bloc tibial thrombectomy

A 58-year-old man with hypertension and 40-pack year smoking history presented to the emergency department complaining of approximately 20 hours of right lower extremity pain. His initial symptom was shortdistance claudication, but quickly progressed to rest pain. Physical examination demonstrated right lower extremity pallor, delayed capillary refill, diminished sensation and strength, with absent femoral, popliteal, dorsalis pedis, and posterior tibial pulses. A pelvic and lower extremity computed tomography angiogram (CTA) revealed occlusion of the right common iliac artery with reconstitution at the level of the right common femoral artery from inferior epigastric artery, total occlusion of the popliteal artery, and no reconstitution distally. After heparinization, he emergently underwent iliac thromboembolectomy. Intraoperative angiography revealed residual thrombus in the proximal right common iliac artery which was treated with the placement of covered stents in the bilateral common iliac arteries. The below-knee popliteal artery was then exposed to address the occlusion seen on preoperative CTA (A). Using a Fogarty embolectomy catheter (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, Calif) and a DeBakey forceps through a transverse popliteal artery incision, one contiguous thrombus was removed en bloc, revealing a cast of the tibial trifurcation (B). The vessel was closed primarily and a palpable dorsalis pedis pulse was established. Given the duration of ischemia, a fourcompartment fasciotomy was performed. Postoperative workup demonstrated the source to most likely be a large mural thrombus in the visceral aorta (C). He is currently anticoagulated with warfarin. At 6-month follow-up, he reported ambulating near baseline, and had a palpable dorsalis pedis pulse with an ankle-brachial index of 1.1. Additionally, duplex imaging revealed widely patent vessels and follow-up CTA demonstrated near complete resolution of the aortic thrombus (D).
Learning people annotation from the web via consistency learning

The phenomenal growth of Image/Video on the web and the increasing sparseness of meta information to go along with forces us to look for signals from the Image/Video content for Search / Information Retrieval and Browsing based corpus exploration. One of the prominent type of information that users look for while searching/browsing through such corpora is information around the people present in the Image/Video. While face recognition has matured to some extent over the past few years, this problem remains a hard one due to a) absence of labelled data for such a large set of celebrities that users look for and b) the variability of age/makeup/expressions/pose in the target corpus. We propose a learning paradigm which we refer to as consistency learning to address both these issues by posing the problem of learning from weakly labelled training set. We use the text-image co-occurrence on the web as a weak signal of relevance and learn the set of consistent face models from this very large and noisy training set. The resulting system learns face models for a large set of celebrities directly from the web and uses it to tag Image/Video for better retrieval. While the proposed method has been applied to faces, we see it broadly applicable in any learning problem with a suitable similarity metric defined. We present results on learning from a very large dataset of 37 million images resulting in a validation accuracy of 92.68%.
Non-profit and Community-based Green Space Production in Milwaukee: Maintaining a Counter-weight within Neo-liberal Urban Environmental Governance

Abstract This paper examines the rise of civic participation, a feature of neo-liberal privatisation, in the context of Milwaukee's urban green space management. Using in-depth semi-structured interviews and archival research, it presents the argument that civic organisations are not just ‘neo-liberal artifacts’ that facilitate trends of privatisation and commodification of and state retrenchment from urban environmental resources. Utilising a range of strategies, they simultaneously resist those trends, often ameliorating the socio-environmentally destructive effects of neo-liberal processes. Highlighting some of these strategies, this paper suggests that different kinds of non-profit organisations intersect with neo-liberalism differently to provide a variety of enabling opportunities for counter-neoliberalism.
Tissue-Light Interaction During Monitoring of Thermal Lesion Using Quantum Dot Mediated Fluorescence Thermometry

As cancer diagnostics advance, tumors are increasingly detected at very early stages so that the tumors can be destroyed in situ by localized heating. This can be achieved minimally invasively or completely non-invasively using various energy sources including laser, RF wave, microwave and ultrasound. Despite many advantages of these thermal therapies, the major huddle to the widespread dissemination of thermal therapy is the lack of a reliable intraoperative monitoring technique of the thermal lesion. Currently available monitoring techniques cannot provide reliable real-time information of thermal lesion due to their limited accuracy or accessibility.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Effects of surface viscosities on the stability of a draining plane parallel liquid film as a small bubble approaches a liquid-gas interface

When a small bubble is driven through a liquid phase to a liquid-gas interface, a thin liquid film forms between them and drains until an instability forms and coalescence occurs. Following Lin and Slattery (1982b), Chen et al. (1984) and Hahn et al. (1985) analyzed this process, neglecting the effects of electrostatic forces and of the surface viscosities. Here we extend their theory to include the effects of the surface viscosities. We employ a modification of the development by Barber and Hartland (1976; Flumerfelt et al., 1982) for a draining film bounded by parallel planes. For a large intermediate range of the surface viscosities, the coalescence time is a strong function of these parameters. Inclusion of the surface viscosities acts to moderate or even reverse trends previously established for the dependence of the coalescence time on the bubble radius, the viscosity of the film liquid, the interfacial tension, the strength of the London-van der Waals forces, and the density difference between the two phases.
Nerve transplantation: a father's final gift

Offering the option of organ and tissue donation to grieving families may seem stressful, but asking the question may provide a positive means to extend care to the bereaved family and help others in return. Many donor families have said donation was an opportunity to make some sense out of a senseless situation and to relieve some of the grief they experienced. This article presents a case that started with such a discussion by ICU nurses in one of our donor hospitals, and ended with successful organ and tissue recovery and transplantation. As "routine" as this may sound, it was anything but routine—it made history.
Assignment of the Human Gene for the α1 Subunit of the Skeletal Muscle DHP-Sensitive Ca2+ Channel (CACNL1A3) to Chromosome 1q31-q32

A human clone corresponding to the gene encoding the alpha 1 subunit of the skeletal muscle dihydropyridine-sensitive calcium channel (CACNL1A3) has been isolated and partially sequenced. Oligonucleotides based on this sequence were used in a polymerase chain reaction to amplify specifically the human gene in human-rodent somatic cell hybrids, allowing the assignment of CACNL1A3 to chromosome 1. A polymorphic dinucleotide repeat also was identified in the human clone and using PCR was typed on a subset of the CEPH families. Multipoint linkage analysis places the CACNL1A3 gene between D1S52 and D1S70, on chromosome 1q31-q32.
Dynamic network simplex method for designing emergency evacuation plans

The cell-based system optimal dynamic traffic assignment (SO-DTA) model has recently been applied to study emergency evacuation by a handful of authors. It is recognized that an optimal solution to this model may contain a phenomenon called traffic holding, which discharges flow at a lower rate than what can be achieved under the given traffic conditions. Mathematically, this is caused by the relaxation of traffic flow propagation constraints. In this paper, an optimal traffic pattern that contains no holding is always proved to exist in the context of evacuation planning. An optimal traffic pattern without holding is much easier and less costly to implement in emergency response. A dynamic network simplex method for solving the simplified SO-DTA model that represents traffic flow propagation by a point-queue model is proposed. By making full use of the network structure, the algorithm is able to identify an optimal solution without holding. For the original cell-based SO-DTA, an iterative procedure is suggested that can effectively eliminate holding in a solution obtained from a conventional linear programming algorithm.