cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Relationship between rate of posterior uveal melanoma flattening following plaque radiotherapy and gene expression profile class of tumor cells.

PURPOSE To evaluate the relationship between rate of flattening of posterior uveal melanomas (PUMs) over the first 6 months following I-125 plaque radiotherapy and gene expression profile (GEP) class of tumor cells obtained by fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) prior to treatment. METHODS Retrospective analysis of relationship between GEP of PUM cells obtained by FNAB at or prior to treatment and rate of tumor flattening following I-125 plaque radiotherapy. Impact of initial tumor thickness was minimized by pairing cases so baseline tumor thickness in subgroups was matched to within ± 0.5 mm. Paired t-testing compared mean tumor thickness in GEP subgroups at 3- and 6-months post treatment assessments. RESULTS Our initial group consisted of 269 patients. Seventy-seven tumors (28.6%) were GEP class 2. Twenty-seven of these were treated by I-125 plaque radiotherapy post-FNAB and returned for post treatment evaluations at 3 and 6 months. A matched GEP class 1 tumor was identified for 25 class 2 cases. Matched tumor pairs ranged in thickness from 2.5 to 11.5 mm at baseline. Mean tumor thickness at baseline in the GEP 1 subgroup was 5.8 and 5.9 mm in the GEP 2 subgroup. Three-months post plaque, mean tumor thickness was 4.5 mm in class 1 cases and 4.6 mm in class 2 cases (paired t = 0.31, P = 0.76). The 6-month post-plaque, mean tumor thickness was 4.0 mm in each subgroup (paired t = 0.25, P = 0.81). CONCLUSIONS Our study showed a lack of association between the GEP class and the rate of flattening of posterior uveal melanomas following I-125 plaque radiotherapy of PUMs.
Stump currents in regenerating salamanders and newts

We report here that a variety of salamanders and newts from differing habitats all drive a steady ionic electric current out of the forelimb stump tip after forelimb amputation. Several hours after amputation the density of this stump current ranges from about 10 to 100 μA/cm2 in most species, and declines with time. In most cases, the magnitude of the stump current is dependent on the concentration of Na+ in the external medium (an artificial pondwater), suggesting that the well-known Na+-dependent transcutaneous voltage described in amphibia (particularly frogs) is the EMF for this stump current. These measurements add to those previously reported for the North American red spotted newt (Notophthalmus viridescens), and suggest that electrical changes following amputation of urodele limbs are widespread among members of this group.
REACTIONS OF LASER-ABLATED CO AND NI ATOMS WITH NITROGEN ATOMS AND MOLECULES. INFRARED SPECTRA AND DFT CALCULATIONS OF METAL NITRIDE MOLECULAR SPECIES AND COMPLEXES

Laser-ablated Co and Ni atoms, co-deposited with pure nitrogen at 10 K, gave a strong new 795.3 cm-1 band with cobalt and a 838.8, 836.1 cm-1 isotopic doublet (2.5/1.0) with nickel, which exhibited 14/15 isotopic ratios appropriate for the diatomic CoN and NiN molecules. In solid argon, CoN absorbs at 826.5 cm-1 and gives way on annealing to bands at 795.8 and 792.0 cm-1, which are due to (NN)xCoN complexes. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations predict quintet and quartet ground states for CoN and NiN, respectively, and frequencies in reasonable agreement with the observed values. Evidence is also presented for the dimetal dinitrides, (CoN)2 and (NiN)2, with rhombus structures and metal−metal bonding across the ring. DFT-based calculations and revised assignments are presented for Ni−NN stretching modes in the dinitrogen complexes.
Effect of Corticotropin on Aldosterone Excretion and Plasma Renin in Normal Subjects, in Essential Hypertension and in Primary Aldosteronism

ABSTRACT Administration of a large dose of ACTH caused an acute increase in aldosterone excretion in normal subjects, in cases of uncomplicated essential hypertension and in primary aldosteronism. Plasma renin levels were unaltered. The continued administration of ACTH for several days led to a fall in aldosterone excretion to below the control value in most cases, even when the subjects were maintained on a low salt diet. On the day after ceasing ACTH treatment, aldosterone transiently fell to even lower levels, which were also inappropriate to the low sodium intake. These various changes in aldosterone excretion produced by ACTH administration cannot be explained by any concurrent changes in activity of the renin-angiotensin system. The data also suggest that any changes in electrolyte metabolism induced by ACTH are only a minor influence in causing the depression in aldosterone secretion which follows its initial rise. This second part of the biphasic response therefore appears to result from a direct ...
Slavery in the Age of Emancipation: Victims and Rebels in Brazil’s Late 19th-Century Domestic Trade:

The trajectory from slavery to freedom is generally told in linear fashion, yet for thousands of Black people in the Americas, the last decades of slavery were a time of expanding bondage. In Brazil, an internal slave trade shifted over 200,000 people from struggling northeastern plantations to the south-central region, where commercial coffee agriculture was quickly becoming the nation's principal export sector. Scholars are increasingly exploring the ways in which African descendants became agents of their own freedom in the Atlantic world, but such agency is less visible among the victims of domestic slave trades.
Eliminating the spot dilution due to kicker switching in DARHT-II

To produce four short X-ray pulses for radiography, the second-axis of the Dual Axis Radiographic Hydrodynamic Test facility (DARHT-II) will use a fast kicker to select current pulses out of the 2-/spl mu/s duration beam provided by the accelerator. Beam motion during the kicker voltage switching could lead to dilution of the time integrated beam spot and make the spot elliptical. A large elliptical X-ray source produced by those beams would degrade the resolution and make radiographic analysis difficult. We have developed a tuning strategy to eliminate the spot size dilution, and tested the strategy successfully on ETA-II with the DARHT-II kicker hardware.
Food web structure and planktonic predator‐prey relationships in two eutrophic European lakes: Stability constraints on carbon fluxes

The food webs in two eutrophic European lakes were analyzed with respect to their stability characteristics. The food web during the summer in Lake Nesjovatn (Norway) appeared to be stable; its response time to small perturbations was ,12 d. In Lake Kastoria (Greece), the summer food web was almost neutrally stable, with a response time of ,160 d. The major difference in the two systems was the species composition of the phytoplankton community, which was dominated by unicellular cryptophytes in Lake Nesjovatn and by toxic filamentous and colonial cyanobacteria in Lake Kastoria. The macrozooplankton in both lakes showed a distinct inclination toward carnivory versus herbivory, and the heterotrophic flagellates showed a preference for small phytoplankton versus heterotrophic bacteria as a food source. The requirement for stability of the food webs constrains the grazing rates of predators to values substantially less than those that would maximize the energy flux through the system. This is especially true when a predator preferentially consumes one of several prey species. The factors that regulate the composition of biological communities and the flow of fixed carbon within and through them have been the subject of debate for many years. Lotka (1922) argued that natural selection tends to structure biological communities in a way that maximizes the energy flux through the system, ‘‘so far as compatible with the constraints to which the system is subject’’ (p. 148). Odum (1983, p. 6) expanded on Lotka’s ideas and concluded that ‘‘theories and corollaries derived from the maximum power principle explain much about the structure and processes of systems.’’ Using a different approach, May (1974) and Steele (1974) reasoned that biological communities could persist only if they were stable to perturbations associated with natural variations in environmental forcing functions. They therefore reasoned that, at least to some extent, the composition of biological communities and the flow of energy through and within them must reflect a requirement for resiliency, i.e., the ability to return to an equilibrium configuration within a reasonably short time following a perturbation. Cropp and Gabric (2002) examined the implications of these theories in the case of a simple linear food chain and concluded that, at least in that case, the requirements for resiliency and the implications of the goal functions associated with Odum’s work were consistent with similar distributions of biomass and energy flux. In more complex systems, the application of Odum’s ideas in determining ecosystem behavior has met with mixed success. Ma u nsson and McGlade (1993), for example, pointed out that the
Mononuclear Phagocyte-Derived IL-10 Suppresses the Innate IL-12/IFN-γ Axis in Lung-Challenged Aged Mice

Previously, we reported that IL-10-producing mononuclear phagocytes increase in lungs of aged mice, causing impaired innate cytokine expression. Since dendritic cells (DCs) contribute to innate NK cell and adaptive T cell immunity, we tested the hypothesis that age-related IL-10 might influence DC function with effects on NK and T cell activation. The results showed that DC recruitment to sites of lung inflammation was normal in aged mice (>20 mo). However, IFN-gamma-producing NK cells in LPS-challenged lungs were decreased in aged as compared with young mice, which was associated with increased IL-10(+)CD11b(+)Gr-1(low)CD11c(-) cells consistent with mononuclear phagocytes. In vivo or in vitro blockade of IL-10 signaling restored IFN-gamma-producing NK cells. This restoration was reversed by IL-12 neutralization, indicating that IL-10 suppressed sources of IL-12 in aged mice. To probe DC function in adaptive immunity, we transferred young naive OVA-specific TCR transgenic T cells to old mice. Following challenge with OVA plus LPS, Ag presentation in the context of MHC-I and MHC-II occurred with similar kinetics and intensity in draining lymph nodes of young and old recipients as measured by proliferation. Despite this, aged hosts displayed impaired induction of IFN-gamma(+)CD4(+), but not IFN-gamma(+)CD8(+), effector T cells. Blockade of IL-10 signaling reversed age-associated defects. These studies indicate that the innate IL-12/IFN-gamma axis is not intrinsically defective in lungs of aged mice, but is rather suppressed by enhanced production of mononuclear phagocyte-derived IL-10. Our data identify a novel mechanism of age-associated immune deficiency.
Persistent spontaneous bacterial peritonitis: a common complication in patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis and a high score in the model for end-stage liver disease.

Objectives:Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) is associated with a high mortality rate. After antibiotic therapy, improvement in fluid polymorphonuclear (PMN) cell count is expected within 2 d...
The Cyclic GMP-Dependent Protein Kinase EGL-4 Regulates Olfactory Adaptation in C. elegans

Prolonged odor exposure causes a specific, reversible adaptation of olfactory responses. A genetic screen for negative regulators of olfaction uncovered mutations in the cGMP-dependent protein kinase EGL-4 that disrupt olfactory adaptation in C. elegans. G protein-coupled olfactory receptors within the AWC olfactory neuron signal through cGMP and a cGMP-gated channel. The cGMP-dependent kinase functions in AWC neurons during odor exposure to direct adaptation to AWC-sensed odors, suggesting that adaptation is a cell intrinsic process initiated by cGMP. A predicted phosphorylation site on the beta subunit of the cGMP-gated channel is required for adaptation after short odor exposure, suggesting that phosphorylation of signaling molecules generates adaptation at early time points. A predicted nuclear localization signal within EGL-4 is required for adaptation after longer odor exposure, suggesting that nuclear translocation of EGL-4 triggers late forms of adaptation.
The effect of practice pattern on the acquisition, consolidation, and transfer of visual-motor sequences

The contextual interference hypothesis proposes that when learning multiple skills, massing practice leads to better within-day acquisition, whereas random practice leads to better retention and transfer. In this experiment, we examined the effect of practice pattern on the learning, consolidation (retention), and transfer of visual-motor sequences. On Day 1, participants were randomly assigned to the Massed, Alternating, or Random condition. On Day 2, all participants were tested for consolidation and transfer. Learning was assessed through changes in accuracy and response synchronization. We found that massed practice led to enhanced sensorimotor integration and timing (as measured by response synchronization), whereas random practice led to better stimulus-response association (as measured by accuracy). On day 2, all groups showed consolidation for both measures, as well as transfer for accuracy but not response synchronization. Overall, this pattern of results provides limited support for the contextual interference hypothesis. Our findings are consistent with differential encoding of specific domains of motor performance. We propose that learning of the more explicit stimulus-response association is a fast process that benefits from random practice because it requires the acquisition of this association in multiple contexts. Once the association is learned, it seems resistant to interference and transferrable to a novel sequence. In contrast, learning of the sensorimotor integration and timing is a slower process that benefits from blocked training because practice in a single context allows fine-tuning of the response. Given that all groups showed consolidation, we postulate that learning that occurs in the context of interference can show consolidation.
Enhanced NO Inactivation and Hypertension Induced by a High-Fat, Refined-Carbohydrate Diet

We have recently demonstrated that long-term consumption of a high-fat, refined-carbohydrate (HFS) diet induces hypertension (HTN) in normal rats compared with a low-fat, complex-carbohydrate (LFCC) diet. Limited evidence suggests that high-fat or high-sugar diets cause enhanced generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). We therefore hypothesized that by inducing oxidative stress, the HFS diet may promote nitric oxide (NO) inactivation and HTN. To test this hypothesis, female Fischer rats were placed on either the HFS or the LFCC diet starting at 2 months of age. Blood pressure, urinary NO metabolites (NO(x)), and total renal NO synthase activity were monitored, and the tissue abundance of nitrotyrosine (NT), which is the stable "footprint" of NO oxidation by ROS, was determined. The HFS diet group exhibited a gradual rise in arterial blood pressure and were hypertensive by 18 months. This trend was accompanied by a marked accumulation of NT in all tested tissues, an initial rise and a subsequent fall in NO synthase activity, and a fall in urinary NO(x) excretion. The HFS diet-fed animals had a blunted blood pressure response to the NO synthase inhibitor N:(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) compared with the LFCC diet group, which showed a marked hypertensive response to L-NAME. L-NAME-induced HTN was reversible with L-arginine in the LFCC diet group; however, HTN was not corrected by L-arginine supplementation in the HFS diet group. These findings point to enhanced ROS-mediated inactivation and sequestration of NO, which may contribute to the reduction of bioactive NO and HTN in the HFS diet-fed animals.
Axon Degeneration: Where the Wlds Things Are

Expression of the Wld(s) protein significantly delays axon degeneration in injuries and diseases, but the mechanism for this protection is unknown. Two recent reports present evidence that axonal mitochondria are required for Wld(S)-mediated axon protection.
Multi-Layer Event Trace Analysis for Parallel I/O Performance Tuning

The complexity of parallel I/O systems lies in the deep I/O stack with many software layers and concurrent I/O request handling at multiple layers. This paper explores multi-layer event tracing and analysis to pinpoint the system layers responsible for performance problems. Our approach follows two principles: 1) collect generic (layer- independent) events and I/O characteristics to ease the analysis on cross-layer I/O characteristics evolution; 2) perform bottom-up trace analysis to take advantage of the relatively easy anomaly identification at lower system layers. Our empirical case study discovered root causes for several anomalous performance behaviors of MPI-IO applications running on a parallel file system. First, we detect an anomaly with the asynchronous I/O implementation in the GNU C runtime library. Additionally, we find that concurrent I/O from multiple MPI processes may induce frequent disk seek/rotation and thus degrade the I/O efficiency. We also point out that lack of asynchronous support at the parallel file system client side may result in inefficiency for fine-grained writes. Using an aggressive I/O prefetching strategy and a corrected asynchronous I/O implementation, we achieve 39-156% read I/O throughput improvement for four out of five applications that we experimented.
Runtime Optimization of Application Level Communication Patterns

This paper introduces the Abstract Data and Communication Library (ADCL). ADCL is an application level communication library aiming at providing the highest possible performance for application level communication operations on a given execution environment. The library provides for each communication pattern a large number of implementations and incorporates a runtime selection logic in order to choose the implementation leading to the highest performance of the application on the current platform. Two different runtime selection algorithms are currently available within ADCL: the library can either apply a brute force search strategy which tests all available implementations of a given communication pattern; alternatively, a heuristic relying on attributes characterizing an implementation has been developed in order to speed up the runtime decision procedure. The paper also evaluates the performance of a finite difference code using ADCL on an AMD Opteron cluster using InfiniBand and Gigabit Ethernet interconnects.
Exogenous 17β-Estradiol Blocks Alpha and Mu but Not Pi Class Glutathione S-Transferase Immunoreactivity in Epithelium of Syrian Hamster Vas Deferens

SUMMARY Members of the glutathione S-transferase (GST) family of detoxification enzymes play a role in chemotherapy resistance in certain cancers but have not been directly implicated as agents whose absence may predispose tissues to hormonally induced tumorigenesis. Here we report the development of a polyclonal antiserum to a hamster mu class GST, and immunohistochemical analysis of alpha, mu, and pi class GSTs to study the effects of hormone treatment on their expression in reproductive tract tissues of male golden Syrian hamsters. These animals develop leiomyosarcomas in the vas deferens after treatment with testosterone propionate (TP) and 17 b -estradiol (E2). High levels of all three GST classes were detected throughout the reproductive tract epithelium of control animals. In 100% of the experimental animals, 4 weeks of treatment either with E2 alone, or with E2 plus TP promoted a complete loss of immunostaining for alpha and mu class GSTs, but not for pi class GSTs, only in the epithelial lining of the vas deferens. In contrast, treatment with TP alone resulted in moderate hyperplasia of smooth muscle in the proximal vas deferens, with no cellular atypia and no changes in immunoreactivity of any of the GST classes. The consistent and site-specific nature of these results strongly suggests a functional role for GSTs in hormonally induced carcinogenic process. (J Histochem Cytochem 47:91‐98, 1999)
Cell culture models demonstrate that CFTR dysfunction leads to defective fatty acid composition and metabolism

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is associated with fatty acid alterations characterized by low linoleic and docosahexaenoic acid. It is not clear whether these fatty acid alterations are directly linked to cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) dysfunction or result from nutrient malabsorption. We hypothesized that if fatty acid alterations are a result of CFTR dysfunction, those alterations should be demonstrable in CF cell culture models. Two CF airway epithelial cell lines were used: 16HBE, sense and antisense CFTR cells, and C38/IB3-1 cells. Wild-type (WT) and CF cells were cultured in 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) or 10% horse serum. Fatty acid levels were analyzed by GC-MS. Culture of both WT and CF cells in FBS resulted in very low linoleic acid levels. When cells were cultured in horse serum containing concentrations of linoleic acid matching those found in human plasma, physiological levels of linoleic acid were obtained and fatty acid alterations characteristic of CF tissues were then evident in CF compared with WT cells. Kinetic studies with radiolabeled linoleic acid demonstrated in CF cells increased conversion to longer and more-desaturated fatty acids such as arachidonic acid. In conclusion, these data demonstrate that CFTR dysfunction is associated with altered fatty acid metabolism in cultured airway epithelial cells.
Land Use and the Extended Family in Moala, Fiji

T HE hypothesis of this paper is that the traditional extended family organization of Moala Island, Fiji, depends for its continued existence on particular customs of land tenure and land use; that when these customs change, the familial form tends to change. An analysis of the family in two contemporary villages will show that in one, Keteira, the traditional family structure has been largely maintained, while in the second, Naroi, it barely survives. It is submitted that exploitation of scattered land resources in Keteira is responsible for the continuance of the extended family there, while dependence on land only in the environs of the village has contributed to the emergence of the independent nuclear family in Naroi. It is concluded that the patterns of land use are necessary determining conditions of familial structure in Moala.
Improving Irrigation Efficiencies

The term "irrigation efficiency" has been used extensively during the past 30 years to express the performance of a complete irrigation system or components of a system. Though specifically defined by its users, on occasion, irrigation efficiency is not rigidly defined and has many interpretations. The term is frequently modified to assure specific interpretation such as "water application efficiency," but consistency in the use of modified terms is also lacking. Before considering techniques for improving irrigation efficiencies, terminology involved and the. factors affecting irrigation efficiency will be discussed.
Dimensional approaches in diagnostic classification: a critical appraisal.

Clinicians and researchers alike struggle to diagnose psychiatric conditions in a manner that is etiologically and therapeutically meaningful. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) system as it currently exists falls short of achieving these goals because without satisfactory grounding in etiology, any diagnostic rubric will remain suboptimal. In the meantime, after decades of categorical approaches to psychiatric disorder through the DSM, science is considering a shift toward integrating new dimensional applications with the
IMPROVED DISPERSANT BASED ON MICROEMULSION TECHNOLOGY

ABSTRACT An initial basic study focused on the interaction between dispersant surfactants and the oil-water interface. In essence, the study identified criteria to explain why a good dispersant is ...
Simulation experiment for improving construction processes

From the perspective of flow analysis, the more complex the project, the more wastes are prone to build up, due to the increasing number of interfaces between activities. When processes are further expanded beyond the jobsite to the scale of a supply chain, the complexity is usually beyond human perception. In order to provide a systematic approach to help management make correct and timely decisions, an analytical approach capable of efficiently and economically modeling the complicated processes and to address various managerial questions is necessary.An analytical framework combining simulation, design of experiment, regression analysis, and mathematical programming is proposed to facilitate management to determine the optimal design for a construction process under various constraints. A simplified concrete delivery process is used as an example to illustrate how the framework is implemented. Some implementation issues and other potential applications will be discussed.
Changing the culture around cultures.

A 5-day-old female infant presented to a children’s hospital emergency department (ED) with jaundice. She was born at 38 weeks’, 4 days’ gestation with a weight of 3400 g after an unremarkable pregnancy and perinatal course. By parental report, a 36-hour bilirubin level was 9 mg/dL, and she did not receive phototherapy. Her mother’s blood type was B, Rh positive. The baby was exclusively breastfed, nursing every 2 to 4 hours for 20 minutes per breast. Voiding and stooling patterns were appropriate. In the ED, she was afebrile and well appearing with a weight of 3380 g. At 130 hours after birth, her total serum bilirubin (TSB) was 19.4 mg/dL. The ED provider decided to admit the patient for intensive phototherapy. During her observation in the ED, the infant had acute decreases in oxyhemoglobin saturation by pulse oximetry (SpO2) to 90% while asleep, self-resolving within seconds. Therefore, the ED provider initiated a partial sepsis evaluation including blood culture, complete blood count with differential, and C-reactive protein. The complete blood count and C-reactive protein were normal. While an inpatient, she received phototherapy for 6 hours and was discharged from the hospital after an appropriate postphototherapy TSB. At 27 hours of incubation on continuous monitoring, Gram-positive cocci in clusters were detected from the blood culture. The discharging inpatient team referred her back to the ED for further evaluation. The patient had remained afebrile without changes in her activity, breastfeeding, or urine output. An interval weight was appropriate. In the ED, sepsis was presumed given “young age and early growth [of the blood culture].” Therefore, a full evaluation for neonatal sepsis including lumbar puncture was performed. The evaluation was completely reassuring without signs suggestive of infection. She received empirical ampicillin and cefotaxime. Just before inpatient admission, the Verigene BC-GP assay …
Understanding the Philosophical Underpinnings of Software Engineering Research in Information Systems

The Information Systems (IS) discipline, and related research, focuses on the development, understanding, and use of technology to meet business needs. Technology, in particular “software,” is the basis for IS research, making software engineering a critical component of research in the IS domain. While the importance of software development is well accepted, what constitutes high quality software engineering research is not well defined. Perhaps this is because some software development clearly is not research and it is hard to distinguish between pure application development, and systems development that pushes the boundaries of knowledge. Sir Karl Popper argued that the scientific quality of research is not based on its empirical method, but on the nature of the questions asked. Our research suggests that software engineering can meet Popper's criteria for scientific research. Drawing on well-established research philosophies, we propose a software engineering research methodology (SERM) and discuss the utility of this methodology for contributing to and expanding the IS body of knowledge. We also describe the considerations that need to be addressed by SERM to enhance acceptability of software engineering research in IS. Our suggestions are corroborated with a review of current IS software engineering research reported in leading IS journals.
Surface smoothing upon deposition of nanoparticles on single crystalline substrates

Surfaces with artificial roughness were generated by deposition of nanoparticles on single crystalline substrates. Nanoparticles with an average size ≈ 15 nm were produced by inert gas condensation and deposited in situ on the substrate mounted inside a modified ultra high vacuum (UHV) transmission electron microscope (TEM). We have investigated the smoothing behavior on annealing based on the difference in surface energies between cluster and substrate and their heat of mixing. The cluster substrate combination Co/Cu(100) was chosen as a model system in which the cluster has a significantly higher surface energy than the substrate. Upon deposition at 600 K, the clusters do not remain on the surface, but rather burrow into the substrate. This is confirmed by a detailed strain analysis of the particles. Nanoparticles in the system Ge/Si(100) in contrast have a lower surface energy than the substrate and are completely miscible. The particles assume the substrate orientation around 700 K. At 900 K coherent islands form which are arranged in clusters of 4 in the form of a square. The reason for this previously unobserved pattern is not yet understood.
Investigation of Laser‐Enhanced Electroplating Mechanisms

The mechanism responsible for the very high plating rates at electrodes illuminated by a laser beam was investigated. Absorption of the laser energy by the electrode results in a localized increase in temperature at the metal‐solution interface. This leads to: (i) a shift in the rest potential, (ii) an increase in the charge transfer rate, and (iii) strong microstirring of the solution due to thermal gradients and, at high laser power densities, to strong local boiling. Verification of the first two effects was achieved by measuring the enhancement in plating rates as a function of overpotential, laser power, and substrate thickness and by comparing these results with measurements using solutions at various bulk temperatures. Observation of the cathode through a video monitor, as well as detection of bubble formation using a miniature microphone, verified that a correlation exists between the ejection of bubbles from the cathode and sharp increases in the current. Application of laser‐enhanced electroplating for maskless generation of patterns is also briefly discussed.
Cytology of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration: a retrospective study with histology correlation.

BACKGROUND: Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) is a relatively new modality that can be used to guide transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) of mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes and peripheral lung lesions. Few studies have investigated the cytological profile of EBUS-TBNA specimens. In this study, we have reviewed the cytological profile of 135 consecutive cases, including 71 lymph node cases, 4 lung cases, and 60 cases of both lymph node and lung sampling. Our study contains the largest number of cases in the evaluation of cytomorphology. METHODS: The cytological specimens were collected using an ultrasound bronchofibervideoscope with a 22-gauge needle and core biopsies were obtained with a 19-gauge needle. An experienced cytotechnologist performed an immediate on-site evaluation of adequacy. An immediate assessment was given to the clinician after each pass. In many patients, multiple sites were sampled. The average slides of each case were 9.9 (median of 12), with a range from 2 to 24. RESULTS: Of 131 cases of lymph node sampling, 45 cases (34.6%) were diagnosed as malignant, 73 cases (55.7%) as benign process, 5 cases (3.8%) as suspicious for malignancy, and 1 case (0.8%) as atypical cells. Of the 64 cases of lung lesion sampling, 21 cases (32.8%) were diagnosed as malignant, 35 cases (54.7%) as benign process, 1 case (1.5%) as suspicious for malignancy, and 4 cases (6.3%) as atypical cells. The lymph node nondiagnostic rate was 5.3%, whereas the nondiagnostic rate for lung lesions was 4.7%. Eighty-eight cases (65.2%, 88/135) had corresponding core biopsies (with a 19-gauge needle) or follow-up surgery. When histology was taken as the gold standard, the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for EBUS-TBNA were 85.0%, 100%, and 100% and 89.7%, respectively. However, when both histology and clinical follow-up were considered together, the overall sensitivity and negative predictive values were increased to 94.7% (P < .05) and 96.6% (P < .05), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that EBUS-TBNA is an accurate and sensitive method for diagnosing and staging lung cancer. The constant challenge that we as cytopathologists are now facing is how to improve our diagnostic ability and accuracy for lung cancer. We believe that this optimal goal can be achieved with the effective use of EBUS-TBNA sampling and collaboration with our clinical colleagues. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 2009. © 2009 American Cancer Society.
Pleiotropic effects of hydrogen peroxide in arteries and veins from normotensive and hypertensive rats.

Hydrogen peroxide causes vascular contraction and relaxation and contributes to the pathogenesis of hypertension. We hypothesized that the contractile state of blood vessels governs whether H 2 O 2 causes contraction or relaxation. Hydrogen peroxide (1 μmol/L to 1 mmol/L) concentration-dependently contracted thoracic aorta and vena cava from sham normotensive and deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertensive rats. The maximal contraction to H 2 O 2 was 3 times greater in DOCA aorta compared with sham aorta but unchanged in DOCA vena cava compared with sham vena cava. In prostaglandin F 2α (20 μmol/L)–contracted aorta and vena cava from sham and DOCA rats, H 2 O 2 (1 μmol/L to 1 mmol/L) induced a concentration-dependent relaxation that was impaired in DOCA aorta but not DOCA vena cava. In contrast, in KCl (30 mmol/L)-contracted vessels, maximal H 2 O 2 -induced contraction was enhanced 15-fold in sham aorta and 5-fold in DOCA aorta but only 2-fold in sham vena cava. Tetraethylammonium (10 mmol/L), BAY K 8644 (100 nmol/L), and ouabain (1 mmol/L) all enhanced maximal aortic H 2 O 2 -induced contraction, whereas only ouabain enhanced venous H 2 O 2 -induced contraction. The removal of extracellular Ca 2+ reduced H 2 O 2 -induced contraction in KCl-contracted aorta, whereas maximal venous H 2 O 2 -induced contraction (under basal conditions) was unchanged. Our data suggest that differences in arterial and venous K + channel activity and extracellular Ca 2+ influx are responsible for differences in arterial and venous contraction to H 2 O 2 . In DOCA-salt hypertension, arterial but not venous contraction to H 2 O 2 is enhanced, and relaxation to H 2 O 2 is reduced.
From pixels to paragraphs: The use of contextual models in text recognition

Several hierarchical levels in modeling text are discussed. At each level, the model is typically based on elements at the next lower level, e.g., characters in terms of features, words in terms of characters, phrases/sentences in terms of words, and paragraphs in terms of sentences. Such models are referred to as analytic, since they are based on step-by-step analysis. Although such models are usually sufficient, in order to achieve system robustness it is necessary to use models that skip a level, e.g., words in terms of features/pixels and sentences in terms of characters. Such models are holistic in that decisions about entities are made in the context of decisions about other entities. Holistic methods are slower than analytic methods and do not necessarily perform better. However, when analytic and holistic methods are combined, overall system performance is higher than either alone. Recognition algorithms based on different models can be combined to achieve robustness. >
CONTAMINATED AND NATURAL LEAD ENVIRONMENTS OF MAN.

(1965). Contaminated and Natural Lead Environments of Man. Archives of Environmental Health: An International Journal: Vol. 11, No. 3, pp. 344-360.
The Full Spectrum of Hepatic Steatosis in Children

Objective: We aim to identify the spectrum of etiologies of steatosis in pediatric liver biopsies. Methods: Information was collected from 155 children with steatosis on liver biopsy, including anthropometrics, laboratory, and radiologic data. Biopsies were reviewed by a liver pathologist. Results: The 4 major diagnoses associated with hepatic steatosis were nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (37%), metabolic disease (9%), oncologic disease (8%) and viral hepatitis (7%). Patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease were older (P = .0001) and more likely to have a body mass index z score >2 (P 66% macrovesicular fatty change on biopsy, and 3 had severe fibrosis/cirrhosis. Conclusions: The range of causes of steatosis in pediatric liver biopsies is broad. Not all patients, even with advanced liver disease, had abnormalities with liver ...
A Study of Wildfire Ignition by Rifle Bullets

Experiments were conducted to examine the potential for rifle bullets to ignite organic matter after impacting a hard surface. The tests were performed using a variety of common cartridges (7.62 × 51 [.308 Winchester (The use of tradenames is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.)], 7.62 × 39, 7.62 × 54R, and 5.56 × 45 [.223 Remington]) and bullet materials (steel core, lead core, solid copper, steel jacket, and copper jacket). Bullets were fired at a steel plate that deflected fragments downward into a collection box containing oven-dried peat moss. We found that bullets could reliably cause ignitions, specifically those containing steel components (core or jacket) and those made of solid copper. Lead core-copper jacketed bullets caused one ignition in these tests. Thermal infra-red video and temperature sensitive paints suggested that the temperature of bullet fragments could exceed 800°C. Bullet fragments collected from a water tank were larger for solid copper and steel core/jacketed bullets than for lead core bullets, which also facilitate ignition. Physical processes are reviewed with the conclusion that kinetic energy of bullets is transformed to thermal energy by plastic deformation and fracturing of bullets because of the high-strain rates during impact. Fragments cool rapidly but can ignite organic matter, particularly fine material, if very dry and close to the impact site.
Inquiry Revisited: The Role of Puzzlement in Today' s Classroom

Inquiry in today’s classrooms has been reduced to a formula for learning the scientific method with any given topic, most often in science in elementary school.While there is value in acquiring a method for approaching a query, students are deprived of the opportunity to construct their own queries, to pursue their natural puzzlement over personal and real-world dilemmas. Questions arise about the value of this procedure in assisting students to develop facility with the genres of the disciplines.
Observations on an agglutinin in human serum for per-iodate-treated erythrocytes.

Abstract The "P" agglutinin titers of 332 normal individuals were determined. The titers ranged from 10 to 640, with 61 per cent of the group having levels of 80 to 160. The "P" agglutinin is not present in the neonatal circulation. The "P" agglutinin is serologically distinct from the "T" agglutinin and cold and Coombs' antibodies. Periodate treatment of red blood cells does not alter those receptors necessary for cold and Coombs' antibody reactions. The periodate agglutinin is destroyed by incubation at 65 °C. for one hour. This degree of thermolability is not considered an adequate explanation for the higher titers observed at 4 °C. as compared to those at room temperature or 37 °C. Periodate treatment of serum failed to alter the "P" agglutinin titer. Several patients with acquired hemolytic anemia exhibited markedly elevated "P" agglutinin titers not necessarily correlated with a corresponding elevation of the cold or Coombs' antibody titers. Patients in the acute phase of various collagen-vascular diseases showed significantly higher "P" agglutinin titers when compared to the normal control group. Three patients receiving either cortisone or ACTH (adrenocorticotrophic hormone) had titers at the lower range of normal.
James Carroway (A)

In the A case (see also the B case, UVA-OB-0689), two young managers at a Midwestern steel-tubing company that has growing international interests recommend a best-qualified African American candidate for an opening in Latin America. Their senior managers reject their recommendation in favor of a less-qualified Caucasian candidate. The two managers wrestle with what to do about the situation.
Malformations After Fetal Exposure to AED in Utero Assessed at Birth and 12 Months Later

Researchers at Universities of Melbourne and Queensland, Australia, compared the incidence and natures of fetal malformations (FMs) recognized at birth with those recognized in the first post-natal year.
The Singularly Brief Anabolic Activity of Testololactone, A Compound Lacking Androgenicity

SummaryTestololactone has been demonstrated to have protein-anabolic activity, having passed both the levator ani screening test and a confirmatory nitrogen balance study. This compound showed a rapid effect, remarkably evanescent, which after quickly wearing off was followed by the rebound of nitrogen excretion in the urine to the basal level when testololactone treatment was continued. Testololactone is completely non-androgenic at the very high dose of 10 mg per day.
Disruption of glycolytic flux is a signal for inflammasome signaling and pyroptotic cell death

When innate immune cells such as macrophages are challenged with environmental stresses or infection by pathogens, they trigger the rapid assembly of multi-protein complexes called inflammasomes that are responsible for initiating pro-inflammatory responses and a form of cell death termed pyroptosis. We describe here the identification of an intracellular trigger of NLRP3-mediated inflammatory signaling, IL-1β production and pyroptosis in primed murine bone marrow-derived macrophages that is mediated by the disruption of glycolytic flux. This signal results from a drop of NADH levels and induction of mitochondrial ROS production and can be rescued by addition of products that restore NADH production. This signal is also important for host-cell response to the intracellular pathogen Salmonella typhimurium, which can disrupt metabolism by uptake of host-cell glucose. These results reveal an important inflammatory signaling network used by immune cells to sense metabolic dysfunction or infection by intracellular pathogens.
MULTIMODALITY IMAGING IN EXERCISE INDUCED SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST

Sudden cardiac death in a young athlete is considered a paradoxical tragedy because athletes are expected to be the healthiest in the community. In this era of technological advancement, the collaborative use of diverse imaging tools could potentially improve our understanding of sudden cardiac
Effects of fuel physical properties on direct injection spray and ignition behavior

Abstract CFD simulations of reacting fuel sprays were conducted to identify temperature-dependent physical properties of the liquid fuel that should be emulated by diesel and jet fuel surrogates during compression ignited combustion. Using a validated CFD model for an n-dodecane spray under diesel-relevant conditions, six physical properties of the liquid phase fuel (density, vapor pressure, viscosity, surface tension, heat of vaporization, and specific heat capacity) were perturbed covering the minimum and maximum property range of hydrocarbons widely used in recent diesel and jet fuel surrogates. Liquid fuel density, viscosity, vapor pressure, and specific heat had significant impact on liquid penetration length, causing a 4–16% change from the baseline n-dodecane case. The changes resulted from the liquid fuel’s influence on various physical phenomena, including droplet breakup, air entrainment and evaporation. For ignition delay, specific heat and density effects were most significant, with up to 10% changes from the baseline case. Specific heat perturbations affected the thermal energy necessary for fuel vaporization, hence local temperature development and mixture reactivity. Liquid density influenced the velocity of the fuel injection event, which modified turbulent mixing rates, low temperature heat release characteristics and the transition to high temperature ignition. The results of this study indicate that liquid density, specific heat, viscosity, and vapor pressure should be considered for surrogate development to properly capture the liquid penetration and ignition delay characteristics of the target fuel.
Abstract 354: PI-103 and TCN as proliferative inhibitors of the RTK/PI3K/ATK signaling pathways in astrocytomas

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC INTRODUCTION: Glioblastomas (GBMs), the most aggressive of malignant astrocytomas, are recurrent, infiltrative, and fatal. In GBMs, receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are often mutated and activated, leading to the dysregulation of normal cell signaling pathways. The PI3K/Akt1/mTOR pathway, which is important in normal biological events such as proliferation, survival, invasion, migration and angiogenesis, is often deregulated in malignant cancers, resulting from the simultaneous loss of tumor suppressor PTEN, and the hyperactivation of the Akt pathway. Therefore, pharmacological inhibition of the PI3K/Akt1/mTOR may prove beneficial in arresting the proliferation of astrocytomas and glioblastomas. METHODS: In order to determine if the selected inhibitors PIA-6, [OSU03012][1], Rapamycin, Tricribine (TCN), and PI-103 had an effect on the PI3K/Akt-1/mTOR pathway, we examined their inhibitory effects on mouse astrocytoma cell lines K1861-10 Grade II; KR158 Grade III; K130G#3 Grade IV; human astrocytoma cell lines, U87MG and SF295, both Grades IV; and normal proliferating mouse primary astrocytes using the Alamar blue assay as a measure of metabolic activity and proliferation. Inhibitors with low IC50 values in tumor cells as compared to normal primary astrocytes were favored. RESULTS: From the select panel of inhibitors, only the AKT inhibitor TCN and dual PI3K/mTor inhibitor PI-103 showed low IC50 values in the nM or pM range, suggesting strong inhibition of proliferation in the astrocytoma cell lines tested. Rapamycin, an mTOR inhibitor, showed inconsistent inhibition of cell proliferation on the cell lines tested, although mTor activity was effectively inhibited, suggesting that inhibitory effects of rapamycin at higher concentrations may be acting via different pathways. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support the hypothesis that the PI3K/Akt1/mTOR pathway is a potential druggable target in astrocytomas and glioblastomas. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 354. [1]: /lookup/external-ref?link_type=GENPEPT&access_num=OSU03012&atom=%2Fcanres%2F70%2F8_Supplement%2F354.atom
EMERGENCY TREATMENT OF EYE INJURIES.

Proper emergency treatment of ocular injuries is fundamental to preserving vision. Essential to emergency treatment are a good history, a good light, certain ophthalmic equipment and medications, and an alert awareness that a serious injury may have occurred. Referral to an ophthalmologist, when necessary, should be prompt. Everyone, physicians and laymen alike, should try to prevent accidental injuries to the eyes and support efforts directed to this purpose.