cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pulmonary vasculitides in children.

The pulmonary vasculitides are one component of a variety of systemic disorders in which there is vascular inflammation. This inflammation may lead to a progressive destruction of the pulmonary circulation, granuloma formation, tissue necrosis and end-organ failure. The vasculitides are uncommon conditions and they involve the lung with variable frequency (Table 1). The true incidence of the systemic vasculitides in children is not known but is probably around 2–5 cases per million population per annum. Only a small proportion of these cases proceed to pulmonary involvement that is clinically significant. However, there is a paucity of lung biopsy examination in most cases so that the incidence of pulmonary involvement may be higher than we think it is on purely clinical grounds. The clinical presentation of vasculitis depends on the size of vessel involved. If medium or large size vessels are affected this will result in infarction, necrosis and end-organ dysfunction. When smaller vessels such as arterioles, capillaries or venules are affected there is leakage of blood into the tissues. In the lung this causes diffuse alveolar hemorrhage. Wegener’s Granulomatosis (WG), first described in l935, involves small and medium size vessels where, in addition to vascular inflammation and tissue necrosis, there is an adjacent granulomatous process. These are areas of central necrosis surrounded by acute and chronic inflammatory cells, histiocytes and giant cells. The lung is involved in the majority of cases and focal segmental glomerulonephritis involving small vessels often causes substantial renal impairment. Often the first manifestation of the disease is in the upper airway including the nose (septal perforation, saddle nose deformity) and in the sinuses (pansinusitis). Diffuse
Cortical blindness in the monkey after overlapping lesions of the striate cortex and retinal photoreceptors: a further limit to redundancy in the topography of the visual system.

Abstract Incomplete lesions which spare only small portions of the peripheral striate map leave animals with good pattern perception and apparently intact macular vision. One explanation for this partial lesion effect suggests that it is overlap in the visual system's topography which allows the spared cortex access to information from wide sectors of the field. A prior experiment demonstrated that such extensive overlap in the topography does not occur at the level of the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) 2 . The present study demonstrated that lateral spread of information at an earlier level in the retina is also unable to funnel information from a wide field to the spared portion of cortex. The results make it more likely that the vision remaining after nearly complete area 17 lesions represents the function of extrastriate pathways.
Generation of entanglement in finite spin systems via adiabatic quantum computation

For a finite XY chain and a finite two-dimensional Ising lattice, it is shown that the paramagnetic ground state is adiabatically transformed to the Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger state in the ferromagnetic phase by changing slowly the external magnetic field. It is found that the fidelity between the Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger state and an adiabatically evolved state depends on the interpolation schemes as well as the energy gap between the ground and exited states. A possibility whether quantum phase transitions can be simulated on adiabatic quantum computation is discussed.
A new lower bound for the positive semidefinite minimum rank of a graph

Abstract The real positive semidefinite minimum rank of a graph is the minimum rank among all real positive semidefinite matrices that are naturally associated via their zero-nonzero pattern to the given graph. In this paper, we use orthogonal vertex removal and sign patterns to improve the lower bound for the real positive semidefinite minimum rank determined by the OS-number and the positive semidefinite zero forcing number.
The dynamic surface tension of sodium dodecyl sulfate solutions

Abstract The influence of temperature and added electrolytes on the dynamic surface tension of sodium dodecyl sulfate solutions was examined with the oscillating jet method. An increase in temperature increased the initial rate of surface tension lowering but had little effect at longer times. Added electrolytes increased the rate at longer times but had little effect on the initial rate of surface tension lowering. Bivalent cations exerted greater effect than monovalent ones.
Reachability analysis of power system frequency dynamics with new high-capacity HVAC and HVDC transmission lines

This paper presents a computational technique for conducting assessments of multi-area power system frequency dynamics using reachability analysis theory. To this end, a reduced-order model of the U.S. power system with high renewable penetration is derived. We investigate the control capabilities of HVDC lines to improve the frequency response of asynchronously connected regions, and to transmit the variability of renewable sources within synchronously connected areas. In this modeling framework, disturbances and parameters are treated as belonging to unknown-but-bounded sets. The analysis yields bounds that are guaranteed to contain the trajectories of all possible scenarios.
Interim analyses using repeated confidence bands

SUMMARY Clinical trials often include interim analyses that compare treatment groups with respect to the mean function of a response process. Sometimes it is unclear how the mean functions of the groups might differ, and thus one cannot confidently prespecify a simple metric upon which a stopping rule or repeated confidence interval can be based. This motivated us to extend the repeated confidence intervals approach for a finite-dimensional parameter (Jennison & Turnbull, 1989) to the use of repeated confidence bands for the mean function of a response process. Formal tests of hypotheses are easily constructed from the repeated confidence bands. We also describe how inferences for the mean function can be adaptively restricted to different subsets of its domain at different interim analyses. An example is given involving an AIDS clinical trial.
Evidence for the involvement of macrophage-derived nitric oxide in the immunomodulatory effect of morphine and aversive Pavlovian conditioning.

It is well established that in vivo administration of morphine to rats produces alterations in several in vitro measures of immune status. For example, our work has shown that the administration of morphine to Lewis rats induces a dose-dependent reduction in the proliferative response of splenic and blood lymphocytes, a reduction in the production of interleukin-2 and γ-interferon, and a reduction in the cytotoxic response of natural killer cells. Furthermore, we have shown that administration of the opioid antagonist, naltrexone, dose-dependently antagonizes the immunomodulatory effects of morphine, indicating that the immunomodulatory effects of morphine are mediated by activity at opioid receptors1.
Phenolic compounds in frozen avocados

The ethyl acetate-soluble phenolic compounds present in frozen ripe Fuerte avocados were extracted with methanol and ethyl acetate. The compounds were separated by two-dimensional paper chromatography with n-butanol-acetic acid-water (4:1:5, v/v) and 2% acetic acid solvents. Fifteen spots were found when the chromogenic reagent was FeCl 3-K3Fe(CN)6. The individual compounds were identified by their Rf values, colour reactions, fluorescent behaviour and absorption spectra. Chlorogenic and p-coumarylquinic acid isomers, catechins, leucoanthocyanidins, isoflavone and caffeic and p-coumaric acids were present in the extracts of frozen avocados. Ascorbic acid-treated frozen avocado chunks did not darken when kept under vacuum at —26°C, but turned dark if left exposed to air. Darkening of frozen chunks was associated with disappearance of most phenolic substances, except the simple cinnamic acid derivatives. Formation of new phenolic substances, especially leucoanthocyanidins and catechins, was observed during storage of the frozen chunks under vacuum.
Apoptosis of endothelial cells in vessels affected by cerebral vasospasm.

BACKGROUND Cerebral vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage is a prolonged contraction that leads to cerebral ischemia or infarction. Morphological studies of cerebral arteries during vasospasm have shown extensive necrosis of smooth-muscle cells and desquamation and dystrophy of endothelial cells. The mechanism of cellular death is unknown. METHODS We report an observation of apoptotic changes in the cerebral arteries of a patient who died after suffering severe cerebral vasospasm caused by aneurysmal rupture. Subarachnoid hemorrhage and cerebral vasospasm were confirmed by computed tomography scanning and angiogram. Histological and immunohistological examinations for apoptosis were performed in cerebral arteries. For control, the arteries from another patient, who died of trauma without head injury, were used. RESULTS Corrugation of the internal elastic lamina and increased amounts of connective tissue was demonstrated by light microscopy. Apoptotic changes, characterized by condensation of chromatin of the nucleus and detachment from the basal membrane, were found on transmission electron microscopy in endothelial cells. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate-biotin nick end labeling reaction revealed positive staining of the nuclei of the endothelial cells. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates that apoptosis occurred in the cerebral arteries in a patient who died of cerebral vasospasm. The possible role of apoptosis in cerebral vasospasm is discussed.
Optimization of a far-off-resonance continuous-wave Raman laser

We derive self-contained, analytic expressions for the emitted Stokes and pump powers from a low-power, cw Raman laser. In addition to facilitating the physical understanding of these systems, the expressions lead to the conditions for laser threshold and impedance matching. Moreover, they provide the starting point for optimizing the device efficiency with respect to input pump power, mirror transmissions, two-photon detuning, and cavity geometry. We obtain simple, analytic expressions for the optimization conditions while retaining sufficient generality to include asymmetric mirror coatings as well as absorptions. These mathematical guidelines are balanced with practical issues to yield the most advantageous system operation parameters.
Orbital evolution of small binary asteroids

Abstract About 15% of both near-Earth and main-belt asteroids with diameters below 10 km are now known to be binary. These small asteroid binaries are relatively uniform and typically contain a fast-spinning, flattened primary and a synchronously rotating, elongated secondary that is 20–40% as large (in diameter) as the primary. The principal formation mechanism for these binaries is now thought to be YORP (Yarkovsky–O’Keefe–Radzievskii–Paddack) effect induced spin-up of the primary followed by mass loss and accretion of the secondary from the released material. It has previously been suggested (Cuk, M. [2007]. Astrophys. J. 659, L57–L60) that the present population of small binary asteroids is in a steady state between production through YORP and destruction through binary YORP (BYORP), which should increase or decrease secondary’s orbit, depending on the satellite’s shape. However, BYORP-driven evolution has not been directly modeled until now. Here we construct a simple numerical model of the binary’s orbital as well the secondary’s rotational dynamics which includes BYORP and selected terms representing main solar perturbations. We find that many secondaries should be vulnerable to chaotic rotation even for relatively low-eccentricity mutual orbits. We also find that the precession of the mutual orbit for typical small binary asteroids might be dominated by the perturbations from the prolate and librating secondary, rather than the oblate primary. When we evolve the mutual orbit by BYORP we find that the indirect effects on the binary’s eccentricity (through the coupling between the orbit and the secondary’s spin) dominate over direct ones caused by the BYORP acceleration. In particular, outward evolution causes eccentricity to increase and eventually triggers chaotic rotation of the secondary. We conclude that the most likely outcome will be reestablishing of the synchronous lock with a “flipped” secondary which would then evolve back in. For inward evolution we find an initial decrease of eccentricity and secondary’s librations, to be followed by later increase. We think that it is likely that various forms of dissipation we did not model may damp the secondary’s librations close to the primary, allowing for further inward evolution and a possible merger. We conclude that a merger or a tidal disruption of the secondary are the most likely outcomes of the BYORP evolution. Dissociation into heliocentric pairs by BYORP alone should be very difficult, and satellite loss might be restricted to the minority of systems containing more than one satellite at the time.
Testosterone and Religiosity as Predictors of Sexual Attitudes and Activity Among Adolescent Males: A Biosocial Model

A biosocial model of the effects of early adolescent testosterone levels and religiosity on adolescent males' sexual attitudes and activity over a 3-year period was examined. Using panel data for approximately 100 boys who were 12.5/13.0 years old at study entry, significant additive effects of free testosterone and frequency of attendance at religious services were demonstrated on the transition to first intercourse and other aspects of sexual behaviour and attitudes. No interactive effects of the two predictors were found. Boys with higher free testosterone levels at study entry who never or infrequently attended religious services were the most sexually active and had the most permissive attitudes. Boys with lower free testosterone who attended services once a week or more were the least active and reported the least permissive attitudes. For some behaviours, differences between free testosterone/attendance groups increased over time, resulting in substantial behavioural differences by the final round of measurement 3 years later.
Epitaxial CeO 2 on Silicon Substrates and the Potential of Si/CeO 2 /Si for SOI Structures

CeO2 is nearly lattice matched to Si and has the CaF2 cubic structure thus it offers the potential for the epitaxial growth of an insulating film on Si. Laser ablation of a CeO2 target in an ultra high vacuum system was used for the deposition of single crystal CeO2. The effect of post growth thermal and rapid thermal annealing in O2, N2 and Ar atmosphere was found to have pronounced effects on the electrical properties measured by C-V and the optical properties measured by photoluminescence. We report on our initial results for the growth of epitaxial Si on the deposited CeO2 using low pressure CVD. Both RHEED and TEM studies showed that single crystal epitaxial Si was deposited on CeO2. The details of the Si deposition on CeO2 films for potential of SOI (silicon on insulator) structures will be discussed.
Parabrachial innervation of the cat's dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus: an electron microscopic study using the tracer Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin (PHA-L)

Ascending pathways from the brain stem play a key role, generally facilitatory, in controlling the transmission of retinal information through the lateral geniculate nucleus to the visual cortex (for reviews, see Singer, 1977; Burke and Cole, 1978; Sherman and Koch, 1986). In order to characterize the morphological basis of this brain- stem control, we used the electron microscope to study synaptic terminals labeled anterogradely from injections of the tracer Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin into the parabrachial region of the brain stem. The labeled axons, which are fine and unmyelinated in our material, form conventional synaptic contacts onto both relay cells and interneurons. These connections are surprisingly selective for certain postsynaptic elements such as the dendritic shafts and appendages of relay cells and the presynaptic dendritic terminals of interneurons. That is, the morphology of contacts made from parabrachial axons varies with the specific postsynaptic profile. Even a single axon can form symmetrical contacts onto F2 terminals, which are synaptic terminals deriving from dendrites of interneurons, and dendritic shafts of relay X cells, and form asymmetrical contacts onto dendritic appendages of the same relay X cells. Reconstructions of the dendritic segments postsynaptic to the labeled terminals show that the dendritic appendages receive retinal and parabrachial input in triadic relationships with F2 terminals: a retinal or parabrachial axon contacts the F2 terminal, and the F2 terminal plus the retinal or parabrachial axon contact the dendritic appendage. This positioning of the parabrachial innervation is well suited for control of retinal transmission. Finally, the dual morphology of the parabrachial synaptic contacts suggests that their actions may differ depending on the postsynaptic target.
The shadow value of migrant remittances, income and inequality in a household‐farm economy

This article offers econometric evidence that income remittances sent home by family migrants stimulate household‐farm incomes indirectly by relieving credit and risk constraints on household‐farm production. A high but unequally distributed shadow value of migrant remittances appears to reinforce an equalising direct effect of remittances on the income distribution across a sample of household‐farms in rural Mexico.
Orthogonality of natural sheaves on moduli stacks of SL(2)-bundles with connections on $ \Bbb P^1 $ minus 4 points

A special kind of SL(2)-bundles with connections on $\Bbb P^1\setminus\{x_1,\dots,x_4\}$ is considered. We construct an equivalence between the derived category of quasicoherent sheaves on the moduli stack of such bundles and the derived category of modules over a TDO ring on some (non-separated) curve.
Physical habitat and water quality correlates of crayfish distributions in a mined watershed

In mined watersheds, water quality alters aquatic faunas, but few studies have focused on associations between stream habitat and crayfish distributions. We examined associations of water quality and physical habitat quality on presence/ absence of six crayfish species in the upper Kanawha River drainage of southern West Virginia, USA, a region with a long history of surface and mountaintop removal mining of coal. Data supported an association of physical habitat quality with the presence of four species (Cambarus carinirostris, Cambarus robustus, Cambarus cf. sciotensis, and Orconectes sanbornii). Cambarus bartonii cavatus and the non-native Orco- nectes virilis were associated with lower quality physical habitat than that of the other four species. Relative to other species, C. b. cavatus was associated with the lowest conductivity values, whereas O. virilis was associated with the highest conductivity values. Secondary and tertiary burrowers were generally associated with relatively high-quality physical hab- itat. However, C. b. cavatus, a crayfish known to burrow extensively in headwater streams, was associ- ated with the lowest quality physical habitat. Physical habitat quality was generally supported over stream conductivity as a variable influencing crayfish distri- butions. Our data demonstrate the importance of stream habitat quality when assessing crayfish assem- blages within mined watersheds.
Discrimination of Delay-Fired Mine Blasts in Wyoming Using an Automatic Time-Frequency Discriminant

Delay-fired mine blasts, which consist of a series of individual shots arranged in a grid pattern and detonated in sequence, can introduce spectral modu- lations into recorded seismograms. We can exploit spectral modulations to separate delay-fired mine blasts from the remaining event population, which includes single- fired mine blasts and earthquakes. Here, we enhance an existing algorithm (Hedlin, 1998) for the automatic discrimination of delay-fired mine blasts. A total of seven separate discriminants are computed, based on the spectrograms of recorded events. A feature-selection procedure is used to ensure that each discriminant is significant and contributes to the overall performance of the discrimination algorithm. The effect of input parameters on the methodology is explored. The choice of input parameters is made to maximize the mean Mahalanobis distance between the earthquake and delay-fired mine-blast populations. The technique is then applied to a dataset con- sisting of regional earthquakes and delay-fired mine blasts recorded at a station in Wyoming. The results show that the larger delay-fired mine blasts, the cast blasts, can be identified successfully by using this technique. The smaller mine blasts are not identified with this technique, although such events are of less interest in a nuclear-monitoring perspective. In a drop-one test, 89.5% of the events studied are successfully identified. Of the events that are misclassified, one is a cast blast and seven are earthquakes. The cast blast is misclassified because of noise on one com- ponent, which biased the value of a single discriminant. The earthquakes are mis- classified because of a greater variance of the seven discriminants for the mine-blast population. The results suggest that this methodology is very successful atidentifying cast blasts in Wyoming, and would be an extremely useful method to use as part of an integrated set of discriminants for the identification of small-magnitude regional events.
Antimalarial drugs: current status and new developments

Malaria continues to be a major threat in the developing world, with > 1 million clinical episodes and 3000 deaths every day. In the last century, malaria claimed between 150 and 300 million lives, accounting for 2 - 5% of all deaths. Currently approximately 40% of the world population resides in areas of active malaria transmission. The disease symptoms are most severe in young children and pregnant women. A total of 90% of the disease-associated mortality occurs in Subsaharan Africa, despite the fact that malaria is indigenous to most tropical regions. A licensed vaccine for malaria has not become a reality and antimalarial drugs are the only available method of treatment. Although chloroquine, the first synthetically developed antimalarial, proved to be an almost magical cure for > 30 years, the emergence and spread of chloroquine-resistant parasites has made it virtually ineffective in most parts of the world. Currently, artemisinin, a plant-derived antimalarial, is the only available drug that is globally effective against the parasite. Although several new drugs have been introduced in the past 30 years, widespread or isolated cases of resistance indicate that their window of effectiveness will be limited. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop new therapeutics and regimens for malaria control. This article presents an overview of the currently available antimalarial chemotherapy options and the efforts being undertaken to develop new drugs based on both the recent technological advances and modifications to the old remedies, and on combination therapies.
Do cathepsins play a role in abdominal aortic aneurysm pathogenesis

Between 1998 and 1999 we suggested a role for cysteine proteases, particularly cathepsins S and K, in atherosclerosis and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) formation. We also demonstrated the presence and activity of cathepsins S, K, and L in atherosclerotic and aneurysmal lesions in humans. Features unique to this family of extracellular enzymes indicate its likely participation in these vascular diseases. As very potent elastolytic enzymes, cathepsins are strong candidates as key participants in aneurysm development. Importantly, cathepsins express very high elastolytic activity in AAA due to reciprocal correlation with cystatin C, their most abundant endogenous inhibitor. Two opposite processes coexist in aneurysmal tissue: overexpression of elastolytic cathepsins, and severe suppression of cystatin C, probably due to differentially regulated expression and secretion of cathepsins and their inhibitors in response to inflammatory cytokines. Involvement of cathepsins in microvessel formation, a pathophysiological marker of human AAA, and programmed cell death (apoptosis), increases the likelihood of cathepsin participation in AAA formation and growth. We also summarize here results obtained in our and other laboratories that demonstrated reduced atherosclerosis and AAA in in vivo models using mice lacking different cathepsins. Deficiency of cysteine protease inhibitor cystatin C in atherosclerosis-prone ApoE-null mice leads to the development of specific features of AAA such as thinning of the tunica media and aortic dilatation. Taken together, such findings in humans in vitro with different cell types and in vivo in genetically altered mice demonstrate the importance of cysteine protease/protease inhibitor balance in dysregulated arterial integrity and remodeling during atherosclerosis and aortic aneurysm formation.
Whole exome sequencing identifies ATRX mutation as a key molecular determinant in lower-grade glioma

// Kasthuri Kannan 1,4 , Akiko Inagaki 2 , Joachim Silber 1,4 , Daniel Gorovets 1,4 , Jianan Zhang 1,4 , Edward R. Kastenhuber 1,4 , Adriana Heguy 4 , John H. Petrini 2 , Timothy A. Chan 3,4 , and Jason T. Huse 1,4 1 Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA 2 Department of Molecular Biology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA 3 Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA 4 Department of Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA Correspondence: Jason T. Huse, email: // Keywords : glioma, astrocytoma, IDH, ATRX, whole-exome sequencing Received : October 01, 2012, Accepted : October 09, 2012, Published : October 11, 2012 Abstract The molecular foundations of lower-grade gliomas (LGGs)—astrocytoma, oligodendroglioma, and oligoastrocytoma—remain less well characterized than those of their fully malignant counterpart, glioblastoma. Mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 and 2 (IDH1/2) likely represent initiating pathogenic events. However, while IDH mutations appear to dramatically alter cellular epigenomic landscapes, definitive downstream transformative mechanisms have not been characterized. It remains likely, therefore, that additional genomic abnormalities collaborate with IDH mutation to drive oncogenesis in LGG. We performed whole exome sequencing in 4 LGGs, followed by focused resequencing in an additional 28, and found a high incidence of mutations in the ATRX gene (α thalassemia/mental retardation syndrome X-linked). ATRX forms a core component of a chromatin remodeling complex active in telomere biology. Mutations in ATRX have been identified in multiple tumor types and appear to cause alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT), a presumed precursor to genomic instability. In our samples, ATRX mutation was entirely restricted to IDH-mutant tumors, closely correlated with TP53 mutation and astrocytic differentiation, and mutually exclusive with 1p/19q codeletion, the molecular hallmark of oligodendroglioma. Moreover, ATRX mutation was highly enriched in tumors of so-called early progenitor-like transcriptional subclass (~85%), which our prior work has linked to specific cells of origin in the forebrain subventricular zone. Finally, ATRX mutation correlated with ALT, providing a mechanistic link to genomic instability. In summary, our findings both identify ATRX mutation as a defining molecular determinant for a large subset of IDH-mutant gliomas and have direct implications on pathogenic mechanisms across the wide spectrum of LGGs.
Knowledge-driven genomic interactions: an application in ovarian cancer

Effective cancer clinical outcome prediction for understanding of the mechanism of various types of cancer has been pursued using molecular-based data such as gene expression profiles, an approach that has promise for providing better diagnostics and supporting further therapies. However, clinical outcome prediction based on gene expression profiles varies between independent data sets. Further, single-gene expression outcome prediction is limited for cancer evaluation since genes do not act in isolation, but rather interact with other genes in complex signaling or regulatory networks. In addition, since pathways are more likely to co-operate together, it would be desirable to incorporate expert knowledge to combine pathways in a useful and informative manner. Thus, we propose a novel approach for identifying knowledge-driven genomic interactions and applying it to discover models associated with cancer clinical phenotypes using grammatical evolution neural networks (GENN). In order to demonstrate the utility of the proposed approach, an ovarian cancer data from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) was used for predicting clinical stage as a pilot project. We identified knowledge-driven genomic interactions associated with cancer stage from single knowledge bases such as sources of pathway-pathway interaction, but also knowledge-driven genomic interactions across different sets of knowledge bases such as pathway-protein family interactions by integrating different types of information. Notably, an integration model from different sources of biological knowledge achieved 78.82% balanced accuracy and outperformed the top models with gene expression or single knowledge-based data types alone. Furthermore, the results from the models are more interpretable because they are framed in the context of specific biological pathways or other expert knowledge. The success of the pilot study we have presented herein will allow us to pursue further identification of models predictive of clinical cancer survival and recurrence. Understanding the underlying tumorigenesis and progression in ovarian cancer through the global view of interactions within/between different biological knowledge sources has the potential for providing more effective screening strategies and therapeutic targets for many types of cancer.
Esthesioneuroblastoma metastatic to the thoracic intradural and extradural space.

Abstract Background context Ethesioneuroblastoma (ENB) is a rare tumor of the olfactory epithelium that has been shown to metastasize mostly to the cervical lymphatics, with only infrequent spread to other locations. We report a rare case of ENB characterized by recurrence and distant metastasis to the T7–T8 intradural and extradural space. Purpose To report a rare case of recurrent ENB metastatic to the thoracic intradural and extradural space. Study design/setting Case report with a review of the literature. Methods A 64-year-old man with recurrent ENB presented with chronic pain in the neck, shoulder, and back. His neurologic exam was normal. Computed tomography of the chest showed no pulmonary metastasis and a high-attenuation spinal canal mass at T8 was noted on magnetic resonance imaging. A laminectomy at T7–T8 was performed for resection of a large epidural mass. A tumor was seen penetrating through the dura, and a midline durotomy was performed for resection of a large intradural mass. Frozen section and permanent stains were consistent with metastatic ENB. Results The postoperative period was uneventful, and included pain management and physical therapy, followed by chemotherapy and radiation. The patient remains free of spinal recurrence 2 years after surgery. Conclusions Metastasis of ENB to the spinal column is rare, and of those instances, 80% are localized to the cauda equina. Recurrent ENB metastatic to the thoracic intradural and extradural space is extremely rare, and was successfully treated with surgical resection.
Effect of carbon nanoparticles on renal epithelial cell structure, barrier function, and protein expression

To assess effects of carbon nanoparticle (CNP) exposure on renal epithelial cells, fullerenes (C60), single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT), and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNT) were incubated with a confluent renal epithelial line for 48 h. At low concentrations, CNP-treated cells exhibited significant decreases in transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) but no changes in hormone-stimulated ion transport or CNP-induced toxicity or stress responses as measured by lactate dehydrogenase or cytokine release. The changes in TEER, manifested as an inverse relationship with CNP concentration, were mirrored by an inverse correlation between dose and changes in protein expression. Lower, more physiologically relevant, concentrations of CNP have the most profound effects on barrier cell function and protein expression. These results indicate an impact of CNPs on renal epithelial cells at concentrations lower than have been previously studied and suggest caution with regard to increasing CNP levels entering the food chain due to increasing environmental pollution.
Regularized geomagnetic field modelling using monopoles

SUMMARY There are many techniques for modelling the geomagnetic field, any one of which may be suitable for a particular application depending on its associated modelling goals. Each method combines a choice of functions and an approach to fitting data so that, in general, it is best suited to a particular type of field modelling, e.g. core versus crustal, regional versus global, downward continuation versus interpolation. Those few approaches such as spherical cap harmonic analysis (Haines 1985a) that possess any true flexibility in this respect suffer from mathematical and computational complexity. In addition, regularization is still a somewhat overlooked issue. Regularization is essential for downward continuing geomagnetic data because shorter wavelength field components and their errors blow up in this process. Approaches such as harmonic spline modelling (Shure, Parker & Backus 1982) which include regularization do so while significantly complicating the task of inversion. We present a new regularized modelling scheme which employs magnetic monopoles as representing functions. We apply regularizing norms of the type introduced by Shure et al. (1982). Owing to the mathematical simplicity of the monopoles, the expressions for the norms are themselves very simple and flexible, and the monopole models very easy to compute. Moreover, the conceptual simplicity of this representation allows for easy modification to accommodate most geomagnetic modelling problems. We apply the technique to problems on three different length scales, each application having distinctly different moilelling goals: globally we model the radial core field at the core-mantle boundary (CMB) from satellite data; on a large regional scale we model the radial crustal field at the earth’s surface from satellite data; on a small regional scale we model the radial crustal field at the earth’s surface from surface data. For each of these varied applications we are able to generate monopole models which produce smooth, plausible fields that fit the data.
Arterial blood pressure monitoring in overweight critically ill patients: invasive or noninvasive?

Blood pressure measurements frequently guide management in critical care. Direct readings, commonly from a major artery, are considered to be the gold standard. Because arterial cannulation is associated with risks, alternative noninvasive blood pressure (NIBP) measurements are routinely used. However, the accuracy of NIBP determinations in overweight patients in the outpatient setting is variable, and little is known about critically ill patients. This prospective, observational study was performed to compare direct intra-arterial blood pressure (IABP) with NIBP measurements obtained using auscultatory and oscillometric methods in overweight patients admitted to our medical intensive care unit. Adult critically ill patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 kg/m2 or greater and a functional arterial line (assessed using the rapid flush test) were enrolled in the study. IABP measurements were compared with those obtained noninvasively. A calibrated aneroid manometer (auscultatory technique) with arm cuffs compatible with arm sizes and a NIBP monitor (oscillometric technique) were used for NIBP measurements. Agreement between methods was assessed using Bland-Altman analysis. Fifty-four patients (23 males) with a mean (± standard error) age of 57 ± 3 years were studied. The mean BMI was 34.0 ± 1.4 kg/m2. Mean arm circumference was 32 ± 0.6 cm. IABP readings were obtained from the radial artery in all patients. Only eight patients were receiving vasoactive medications. Mean overall biases for the auscultatory and oscillometric techniques were 4.1 ± 1.9 and -8.0 ± 1.7 mmHg, respectively (P < 0.0001), with wide limits of agreement. The overestimation of blood pressure using the auscultatory technique was more important in patients with a BMI of 30 kg/m2 or greater. In hypertensive patients both NIBP methods underestimated blood pressure as determined using direct IABP measurement. Oscillometric blood pressure measurements underestimated IABP readings regardless of patient BMI. Auscultatory measurements were also inaccurate, tending to underestimate systolic blood pressure and overestimate mean arterial and diastolic blood pressure. NIBP can be inaccurate among overweight critically ill patients and lead to erroneous interpretations of blood pressure.
The Front-Loading Problem in Presidential Nominations

The Front-Loading Problem in Presidential Nominations. By William G. Mayer and Andrew E. Busch. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution, 2004. 226p. 22.95 paper.The authors are right, but … Front-loading has skewed the nomination process. It has given states holding early caucuses and primaries an advantage. They have more influence on the final outcome, more attention from the candidates and the news media, more economic benefit from the spending of the campaigns and the organizations that cover them, and more citizen involvement and higher voting turnout.
AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF BEN GRAHAM'S NET CURRENT ASSET VALUE RULE

This paper presents evidence that the net current asset value rule developed by Ben Graham in 1930 is still profitable in the 1970s and early 1980s. The abnormal gain is not due to future mergers because both the merged and nonmerged subsamples have positive and statistically significant returns in the post-event period.
Individual-level expectations of executive authority under territorial threat:

What makes individuals likely to support state leaders with few constraints on executive authority? Leaders who reorganize power around their position seem inimical to most individuals’ welfare. Ye...
Multiple lineage reactivity in childhood leukemia.

The leukemia cells from 63 children with acute leukemia were evaluated by flow cytometry with a panel of monoclonal antibodies that included lymphoid and myeloid lineage-specific antigens. Surface markers from patients with acute lyphocytic leukemia (ALL) did not correlate with their FAB classification except for L3 leukemia. Myeloid leukemias of FAB class M1–M4 were positive for CD13 and CD33, whereas CD14 and MY8 were only detected in FAB class M4 leukemia. Mixed leukemias were subclassified as intralineage (B+T+) or interlineage (B+ or T+/M+). Interlineage leukemias represented 5.6% of ALLs, and all patients are alive after treatment with ALL protocols. Interlineage mixed leukemias represent 7.9% of all leukemias occurring in 3.7% of ALLs and 33% of acute myeloid leukemias (AMLs). All children with mixed interlineage leukemias are alive after treatment with the protocol for the dominant leukemia; however, follow-up periods are too short to predict final outcome. The high proportion of mixed interlineag...
Metallic thin films: stresses and mechanical properties

Abstract: The mechanics and microstructural mechanisms controlling the stresses and mechanical properties of thin metallic films on substrates are studied. Techniques for measuring stresses in thin films, including both X-ray diffraction and substrate curvature methods, and the physical processes that lead to these stresses, including thermal, epitaxial and intrinsic processes, are described. The special techniques that are necessary for studying the mechanical properties of thin films on substrates, including substrate curvature methods, nanoindentation and bulge testing methods, are also described. The mechanisms that control strength and plasticity and that provide an understanding of the important size effects on these properties are also studied. Space does not permit a study of the important topic of fracture of thin films and adhesion to their substrates.
The Regulatory Response to Madoff

This white paper evaluates investor protection mechanisms in the securities regulatory regime at the time the Madoff fraud was exposed. It considers whether the post-Madoff call for additional regulation of hedge funds and/or their managers - and/or their respective activities - was warranted.
Predicting hyperlactatemia in the MIMIC II database

Sepsis, which occurs when an infection leads to a systemic inflammatory response, is believed to contribute to one in two to three hospital deaths in the United States. Using the Multiparameter Intelligent Monitoring in Intensive Care (MIMIC II) database of electronic medical records from Boston's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), we worked to characterize sepsis at BIDMC's intensive care units. Additionally, we developed a real-time algorithm to stratify patients with infectious complaints into different risk categories for progressing to septic shock. From time series of heart rate and arterial blood pressure, as well as estimates of cardiac output and total peripheral resistance, we developed a variety of classifiers to predict high serum lactate levels, a proxy for hypoperfusion and imminent circulatory shock. The records from 146 patients met our selection criteria. In discriminating patients whose measured serum lactate stays below 2.5 mmol/L from those whose value drifts above, the best of our classifiers perform with area under the receiver operating characteristic exceeding 0.8 on test data.
Acoustic Measurement of Subglottic Stenosis

A device that determines cross-sectional area (CSA) of the airway by acoustic reflections (Hood, Inc) was used to measure subglottic area. Airway models were made from Plexiglas rings with known internal dimensions similar to clinically encountered stenoses of various lengths and diameters. Acoustic measurements of airway area were made and compared to actual CSA. There is a strong correlation between CSA measured acoustically and the actual area of simulated stenoses. However, when the CSA of the stenosis was <0.64 cm 2 , the signal was impaired, resulting in overestimation of the stenotic CSA. In simulated stenoses with a CSA of <0.38 cm 2 , acoustic measurement of the CSA beyond the stenotic segment was unreliable. Determination of the origin of stenosis was accurate with this method. The CSA of cadaver airways was also measured acoustically. The CSA 2.0 cm below the glottis of normal airways in males ranged from 1.28 to 2.74 cm 2 and in females 0.87 to 1.43 cm 2 , with means of 2.16 and 1.09 cm 2 . It appears that acoustic measurement of CSA of subglottic stenosis is a feasible clinical technique that yields dimensions of the airway in situations in which direct measurements are impossible. It was suggested that this technique be used for assessment of subglottic stenosis and evaluation of the efficacy of treatment of subglottic stenosis.
Abstract 1994: Honokiol reduces drug resistance by down-regulation of survivin expression in multidrug resistant squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

Background: Resistance to chemotherapy is a major obstacle in cancer therapy. The purpose of this study is to evaluate honokiol in combination with paclitaxel in controlling proliferation of multi-drug resistant (MDR) cancer cells. Honokiol is a small molecule purified from Magnolia officinalis. Honokiol has been shown to suppress tumor growth through apoptosis and inhibition of angiogenesis. In this study, we investigated the effects and mechanisms of those effects of honokiol on MDR squamous cell cancers of the head and neck (SCCHN) Methods: Serial MDR SCCHN lines including KB-8-5, KB-C1, and KB-V1 derived from the drug sensitive parental KB-3-1 cells were used in this study. Cytotoxic effects of honokiol alone and in combination with paclitaxel on apoptosis in drug-sensitive and -resistant cells were evaluated in vitro and in a subcutaneous KB-8-5 xenograft model, Results: The cell growth inhibition analysis revealed a wide range of IC50 values of paclitaxel from 1.66±0.09 to 6560.9 ±439.52 ng/ml in the KB serial cell lines, indicating that those cell lines have different levels of resistance to the paclitaxel treatment. In contrast, honokiol effectively inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in all four cell lines with IC50 values from 3.35±0.13 to 2.77±0.22 μg/ml. Mechanistic studies revealed that honokiol induced similar mitochondria-dependent apoptosis in drug resistant cell lines regardless of the differential resistance levels to paclitaxel treatment. Moreover these effects were associated with inhibition of STAT3 phosphorylation and down-regulation of STAT3 target gene expression, including survivin and Mcl-1. Combined treatment with honokiol and paclitaxel synergistically increased cytotoxicity as compared to the single drug treatment. This combination also significantly inhibited growth of xenografted tumors in nude mice. Conclusion: These results suggest that honokiol may be a promising drug in overcoming paclitaxel resistence of SCCHN. Targeting MDR SCCHN using honokiol in combination with paclitaxel, may benefit patients with SCCHN. (Supported by grants P50CA128613, GCC Distinguished Cancer Scholar to Dong M. Shin and Jonathan J Beitler) Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1994. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-1994
Documenting the Experiences of Special Education Advocates.

Many parents struggle to advocate for their children with disabilities to obtain services at school. Subsequently, parents may turn to special education advocates to help ensure that their children receive appropriate services. However, it is unclear how special education advocates support families and secure services for children with disabilities. Before determining whether special education advocacy is effective, the advocacy process used by special education advocates needs to be understood. In this study, 33 special education advocates participated in individual interviews about advocacy. Participants reported that they used an advocacy process with five main stages: developing rapport with the parent, establishing clear expectations, learning about the child and the family, educating and empowering the parent, and participating in Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings. Details about the advocacy process are provided, and implications for future research, policy, and practice are discussed.
A New Method to Monitor Osteoarthritic Cartilage in Animal Models

High-resolution polarization sensitive in-vitro imaging was performed of rat and rabbit normal and osteoarthritic knee articular cartilage. Images of normal and osteoarthritic cartilage were compared to determine if polarization sensitivity was lost in diseased cartilage.