cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adjuvant Radiation Therapy for Thoracic Soft Tissue Sarcomas: A Population-Based Analysis

Background The role of adjuvant radiation therapy (RT) in the management of thoracic soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) remains unclear. We aimed to study the characteristics of patients with thoracic STS who received RT after surgical resection and investigate the impact of RT on survival outcomes. Methods We queried National Cancer Database to identify patients with surgically resected thoracic STS from 2004 to 2012. Factors associated with receiving adjuvant RT were identified. Analyses were performed to identify prognostic factors and compare overall survival (OS) in both unmatched and propensity score–matched cohorts. Results Overall, 1215 patients were identified, of whom 557 (45.8%) received adjuvant RT. Tumor grade (odds ratio [OR], 2.87; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.18-3.77), tumor size (OR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.36-2.42), and tumor margins (OR, 1.97; 95% CI, 1.43-2.72) were found to be significant predictors of receiving RT. Mean OS of patients receiving RT in the unmatched cohort was 91 months vs 88 months for patients who did not (P = .556). When adjusted for all variables, adjuvant RT was found to be associated with improved survival (hazard ratio, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.61-0.96). Survival analysis of the matched cohort also demonstrated improved survival with adjuvant RT (120 months vs 100 months; P = .02). Subgroup analysis in both the unmatched and matched cohorts showed patients with high-grade tumors more likely to benefit from adjuvant RT. Conclusions This population-based analysis is the largest dataset of primary thoracic STSs to date and suggests significant survival benefit associated with adjuvant RT. The improvement in OS was more notable in patients with high-grade tumors. Randomized prospective studies are warranted to further understand the benefit of RT in this group.
The Separation of Investments and Management

Investment funds — including hedge funds, private equity funds, venture capital funds, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds and closed-end funds — have unusual corporate structures: They separate investments and management. In a typical set-up, all of the investment assets belong to one entity (a “fund”) with one set of owners, and all of the managers, workers and operational assets belong to a different entity (a “management company” or “adviser”) with a different set of owners. These funds also radically limit investors’ control. For example, many funds cannot fire and replace their management companies or their employees — not even by unanimous vote of the funds’ boards and equity holders. This paper shows for the first time that the separation of investments and management is a defining feature of all investment funds and explains for the first time why it occurs. It occurs because, for several reasons unique to investment funds, fund investors value the way that the separation of investments and management limits their control over their managers and their exposure to their managers’ earnings and liabilities. This understanding offers broad perspective on many puzzling features of investment funds’ organization. It also helps us to define what exactly investment funds are and to discern the basic purposes of fund regulation.
Excessive Glucocorticoids During Pregnancy Impair Fetal Brown Fat Development and Predispose Offspring to Metabolic Dysfunctions

Maternal stress during pregnancy exposes fetuses to hyperglucocorticoids, which increases the risk of metabolic dysfunctions in offspring. Despite being a key tissue for maintaining metabolic health, the impacts of maternal excessive glucocorticoids (GC) on fetal brown adipose tissue (BAT) development and its long-term thermogenesis and energy expenditure remain unexamined. For testing, pregnant mice were administered dexamethasone (DEX), a synthetic GC, in the last trimester of gestation, when BAT development is the most active. DEX offspring had glucose, insulin resistance, and adiposity and also displayed cold sensitivity following cold exposure. In BAT of DEX offspring, Ppargc1a expression was suppressed, together with reduced mitochondrial density, and the brown progenitor cells sorted from offspring BAT demonstrated attenuated brown adipogenic capacity. Increased DNA methylation in Ppargc1a promoter had a fetal origin; elevated DNA methylation was also detected in neonatal BAT and brown progenitors. Mechanistically, fetal GC exposure increased GC receptor/DNMT3b complex in binding to the Ppargc1a promoter, potentially driving its de novo DNA methylation and transcriptional silencing, which impaired fetal BAT development. In summary, maternal GC exposure during pregnancy increases DNA methylation in the Ppargc1a promoter, which epigenetically impairs BAT thermogenesis and energy expenditure, predisposing offspring to metabolic dysfunctions.
Do Head Injury Biomechanics Predict Concussion Clinical Recovery in College American Football Players

Identifying the associations between head impact biomechanics and clinical recovery may inform better head impact monitoring procedures and identify athletes who may benefit from early treatments aimed to enhance recovery. The purpose of this study was to test whether head injury biomechanics are associated with clinical recovery of symptom severity, balance, and mental status, as well as symptom resolution time (SRT) and return-to-participation (RTP) time. We studied 45 college American football players (n = 51 concussions) who sustained an incident concussion while participating in a multi-site study. Player race/ethnicity, prior concussion, medical history, position, body mass index, event type, and impact location were covariates in our multivariable analyses. Multivariable negative binomial regression models analyzed associations between our study outcomes and (1) injury-causing linear and rotational head impact severity, (2) season repetitive head impact exposure (RHIE), and (3) injury day RHIE. Median SRT was 6.1 days (IQR 5.8 days, n = 45) and median RTP time was 12.3 days (IQR 7.8 days, n = 36) across our study sample. RTP time was 86% (Ratio 1.86, 95% CI [1.05, 3.28]) longer in athletes with a concussion history. Offensive players had SRTs 49% shorter than defensive players (Ratio 0.51, 95% CI [0.29, 0.92]). Per-unit increases in season RHIE were associated with 22% longer SRT (Ratio 1.22, 95% CI [1.09, 1.36]) but 28% shorter RTP time (Ratio 0.72, 95% CI [0.56, 0.93]). No other head injury biomechanics predicted injury recovery.
Successful aging at work: reflections on alpha, beta, and gamma change for older workers and the 2020 SIOP workforce trends

Beta change is thus reflected in dynamic homeostasis as characterized by Kooij et al (2020) in their focal article, “proactive efforts to maintain, or adaptive efforts to recover and restore, high ability and motivation to continue working result from self-regulation process that involves goal engagement and disengagement strategies to maintain, adjust, and restore person–environment fit” (p 345) [ ]we propose that the model of successful aging at work needs to be expanded to include the dynamics of gamma change that is created through the changing nature of work (Workplace Trend 2020 #9 virtual work;#8 workforce health and well-being;#3 gig economy and contract work)—including the pervasive impact of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic on work (Rudolph et al , 2020) With the COVID-19 global pandemic as a backdrop, its dramatic impact on work and the workplace (Rudolph et al , 2020) will lead to the quantum shift that is reflected through gamma change [ ]ultimately the tacit knowledge accumulated over the lifespan of older workers can be engaged and used to build new processes and systems in the current volatile and ambiguous employment context created by the global pandemic and forecasted changes in the SIOP (2020) Top 10 Workplace Trends in 2020 * Corresponding author
Remyelination-Promoting DNA Aptamer Conjugate Myaptavin-3064 Binds to Adult Oligodendrocytes In Vitro

We previously applied Systematic Evolution of Ligands by EXponential enrichment (SELEX) technology to identify myelin-specific DNA aptamers, using crude mouse central nervous system myelin as bait. This selection identified a 40-nucleotide aptamer (LJM-3064). Multiple biotinylated LJM-3064 molecules were conjugated to a streptavidin core to mimic a multimeric immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibody, generating 3064-BS-streptavidin (Myaptavin-3064). We previously showed that Myaptavin-3064 induces remyelination in the Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) model of chronic spinal cord demyelination. While details of target binding and the mechanism of action remain unclear, we hypothesized that Myaptavin-3064 induces remyelination by binding to oligodendrocytes (OLs). We now report the results of binding assays using the human oligodendroglioma (HOG) cell line, applying both flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry (IC) to assay aptamer conjugate binding to cells. IC assays were applied to compare aptamer conjugate binding to primary embryonic mouse mixed cortical cultures and primary adult rat mixed glial cultures. We show that Myaptavin-3064 binds to HOG cells, with increased binding upon differentiation. In contrast, a negative control aptamer conjugate, 3060-BS, which did not promote central nervous system (CNS) remyelination, does not bind to HOG cells. Myaptavin-3064 did not bind to lung (L2) or kidney (BHK) cell lines. Total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) imaging indicates that Myaptavin-3064 binds at the cell membrane of live cells. In addition to HOG cells, Myaptavin-3064 binds to adult rat OLs, but not to embryonic mouse mixed cortical cultures. These data support the hypothesis that Myaptavin-3064 binds to a surface molecule on both rodent and human OLs in a manner that triggers a remyelination signal pathway.
ESTUDO TEÓRICO-EXPERIMENTAL NA PRODUÇÃO DE BIODIESEL: A RECICLAGEM DO ÓLEO DE SOJA RESIDUAL DE FRITURAS ATRAVÉS DA REAÇÃO DE TRANSESTERIFICAÇÃO BÁSICA – ROTA ETÍLICA

Sabe-se que a reutilizacao de residuos, os quais seriam descartados na natureza, e de suma importancia para mitigar a poluicao que hoje vivemos. Os biocombustiveis que podem ser utilizados para a alimentacao de motores a diesel, vem sendo cada vez mais utilizados com o objetivo de diminuir o impacto dos gases poluentes ao meio ambiente. A reacao mais utilizada e viavel para a producao de biodiesel e a transesterificacao. Essa reacao ocorre entre o triacilglicerol, o alcool de cadeia curta (metanol, etanol e butanol) e um catalisador, tal como um acido ou base, com a formacao de glicerol e esteres (biodiesel). As atividades do projeto, no qual o objetivo era a producao de biodiesel com oleo de cozinha usado em frituras, consistiu de atividades experimentais e teoricas inter-relacionadas. As atividades foram desenvolvidas nas dependencias do IFC – campus Concordia. Os componentes envolvidos na producao de biodiesel foram oleo vegetal utilizado em frituras, etanol e hidroxido de sodio, os produtos - biodiesel e glicerol foram obtidos. Foram realizados teste em escala laboratorial, e o biodiesel foi produzido atraves da reacao de transesterificacao em batelada. O oleo de fritura utilizado nos experimentos foi obtido do refeitorio da instituicao. Foram realizadas as seguintes analises fisico-quimicas para a caracterizacao do oleo de fritura: determinacao do indice de acidez do oleo (titulacao), densidade (medidas de massa e volume) e viscosidade cinematica (viscosimetro de Stokes). Os resultados obtidos nao foram significativos por conta das quantidades pequenas envolvidas (escala laboratorial). As medidas sempre eram realizadas em triplicata. Conclui-se que e de dificil acerto a formulacao ideal para sua producao, pois dependendo da variacao da concentracao dos reagentes, e a modificacao dos passos a serem seguidos, pode-se obter ou nao biodiesel. Pode-se dizer que no decorrer das atividades teve-se um avanco com a producao de biodiesel devido a um melhor dominio do processo, obtendo-se ao termino do projeto uma pequena quantidade do biocombustivel.
AIDS and a New Generation of Orphans: Is There a Role for Group Care?

SUMMARY The AIDS epidemic, now ending its second decade, has created challenges, controversy, and occasionally change. In the early years adults were the primary, and usually the only, focus of attention. Policies and practices affecting children were addressed primarily in relation to HIV-infected infants and young children. Their needs for medical care, foster homes, and nurturing were the focus of specially created private and public programs. Only in the past several years has the long-term impact of the AIDS epidemic on children and adolescents living with an HIV-infected parent or orphaned as a result of the parent's death come to public and professional attention. Like other aspects of the epidemic, questions about the care and custody of these vulnerable children and youth began to be addressed only after the problem had reached crisis proportions. Also like other aspects of the epidemic, these issues have created challenges, controversy, and occasionally change. This article introduces one subjec...
Modal Logic Syntax And Semantics

The second part of this book investigates a logic of intensions and extensions, using a possible world semantics. For purposes of background discussion in this section, I will assume you have some general familiarity with possible worlds at least informally. Technical details are postponed till after that.
Inhibition of Hsp90 function by ansamycins causes retinoblastoma gene product-dependent G1 arrest.

The ansamycin antibiotics, herbimycin A (HA) and geldanamycin (GM), bind to a conserved pocket in heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) and alter the function of this chaperone protein. Occupancy of this pocket results in the degradation of a subset of signaling molecules. These include proteins known to associate with Hsp90, e.g., the steroid receptors and Raf, as well as certain transmembrane tyrosine kinases, such as the ErbB receptor family. In a variety of tumor cell lines, treatment with HA potently inhibited cellular proliferation by inducing G1 arrest. This arrest was accompanied by hypophosphorylation of the retinoblastoma gene product (RB) and rapid down-regulation of cyclin D- and E-associated kinase activities. Inhibition of kinase activity was found to result from loss in expression of cyclins D1, D3, and E, as well as the associated cyclin-dependent kinases, cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and cyclin-dependent kinase 6. In addition, HA treatment also caused a late induction of p27(Kip1) protein. The loss of cyclin D preceded the other effects of HA, suggesting that it might be the primary cause of G1 arrest. To determine whether the effects of HA are mediated by selective inhibition of the cyclin D-RB pathway, HA was added to tumor cell lines lacking functional RB. HA treatment of Rb-negative tumor cell lines failed to elicit a G1 arrest. In addition, after release from synchronization with nocodazole, Rb-negative but not Rb-positive cell lines were able to progress through G1 into S phase in the presence of HA. Together, these findings suggest that induction of G1 arrest by HA results from down-regulation of cyclin D expression and its associated kinase activity. Furthermore, these findings imply that Hsp90 selectively regulates signaling pathways upstream of RB.
Diagnostic Imaging and Spectroscopy

The sections in this article are Caries Detection Optical Properties of Dental Hard Tissue Optical Properties of Dental Hard Tissue in the Visible and Near-Infrared Regions Optical Properties of Sound Enamel and Dentin Optical Property Changes of Demineralized Enamel Optical Properties of Dental Hard Tissue in the IR region Reflectance Spectroscopy Optical Transillumination Optical Coherence Tomography Fluorescence Imaging Quantitative Light Fluorescence (QLF) DIAGNOdent (Porphyrin Fluorescence) Other Fluorescence-Based Imaging Methods Thermal Imaging Infrared Spectroscopy Raman Spectroscopy and Imaging Ultrasound and Terahertz Imaging Keywords: tooth decay; reflectance spectroscopy; transillumination; optical coherence tomography; fluorescence imaging; thermal imaging; infrared spectroscopy; Raman spectroscopy; ultrasound
Brokering educational opportunity for homeless students and their families

This qualitative study in a Midwestern US city examines how school and community-based organizations support homeless students’ connections to education-related resources and relationships. Drawing from organizational brokerage theory, which delineates how individuals’ chances to thrive are shaped by the organizations in which they participate, the study finds that brokerage practice unfolds and is affected by variables at three specific levels. First, social workers, teachers, and principals at the individual school level arranged for registration, enrollment, and other immediate connections for students. Second, school district-level actors played key roles in orchestrating homeless students’ transportation and educators’ professional development across the city. Third, a range of neighborhood factors – including immigration and housing trends – affected the ways and extents to which organizations identified and supported homeless students. The study concludes by presenting several implications for rese...
Processing Xml with Java

Welcome to Processing XML with Java, a complete tutorial about writing Java programs that read and write XML documents. This is the most comprehensive and upto-date book about integrating XML with Java (and vice versa) you can buy. It contains over 1000 pages of detailed information on SAX, DOM, JDOM, JAXP, TrAX, XPath, XSLT, SOAP, and lots of other juicy acronyms. This book is written for Java programmers who want to learn how to read and write XML documents from their code. The paper version is published by Addison-Wesley, and can be found at fine bookstores everywhere including Amazon and Barnes & Noble. The list price is $54.95, but most bookstores are offering their usual discounts.
An Interview With Carl G. Stahmer, Director of Digital Scholarship, University of California, Davis Library

In this installment of Serial Conversations, Carl G. Stahmer, director of digital scholarship at University of California, Davis Library (UC Davis), discusses the BIBFLOW project and the future of linked data in libraries.
Change detection for target detection and classification in video sequences

Describes a family of adaptive change detectors for detecting and segmenting moving objects in video scenes. These change detectors employ several techniques to allow them to adjust to changing image conditions. One of these is a dynamic reference frame which allows the system to adapt to changing backgrounds and produces an unambiguous target silhouette for classification. Another is a scheme to estimate system noise and adjust detection thresholds accordingly to satisfy a chosen performance criterion. Finally, adaptive normalization is used to maintain constant image contrast. >
Determination of the dispersion and temperature dependence of the birefringence of NaNO2 single crystals

Abstract The three birefringences of NaNO 2 single crystals (n b -n a , (n c -n b ) and (n c -n a ), were measured as functions of wavelength, from 0.4 μ to 2 μ. They were also observed as functions of temperature from room temperature to 190°C, showing a discontinuous change in slope at the 163°C Curie point.
Engineering Economy and the Two Rates of Return—Mixed Mode Computations

Abstract This paper describes research on the reformulation of the methods of engineering economics to include the effects of inflation. Starting with a rather common and rational approximation of inflation effects, the paper shows that there are actually two rates of return. The paper also shows that fundamental techniques of engineering economics can be readily adapted to this redefinition and that recognition of the two rates can lead to significantly improved sensitivity analyses.
Modeling the spin-dependent properties of open-shell Fe(III)- containing systems: towards a computational description of nitrile hydratase

The role of metalloenzyme structure in modulating transition metal reactivity is often difficult to assess using experimental approaches. For example, the structural features of the protein that underpin the low-spin preference of the non-heme Fe(III) in nitrile hydratase (NHase), and the importance of this spin-state to the catalytic mechanism, are unlikely to be determined solely by site-directed mutagenesis and/or characterization of model Fe(III) complexes. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations represent a method for determining the electronic structure of metal centers in enzymes, investigating the properties of hypothetical intermediates in the reaction mechanism, and probing the importance of specific protein residues in controlling metal chemistry. In particular, DFT methods are becoming widely used for delineating effects associated with the spin-dependent reactivity of transition metal complexes. The application of DFT calculations to the study of open-shell systems is, however, fraught with difficulties in both the technical aspects of performing such calculations and the interpretation of results. So as to illustrate these issues for the non-expert, we provide a brief overview of the theoretical basis, performance and limitations of recent DFT studies on a series of Fe(III) complexes that are models for the unusual non-heme Fe(III) center in NHase.
Giant congenital naevi – clinical and pathological considerations with a suggested surgical protocol

Giant congenital naevi (GCN) are hamartomas of neuroectodermal origin evident from birth. The definition of a GCN has varied, however involvement of 20% of the body surface is usually an accepted qualification. This produces a cosmetic defect and there is a risk of malignant transformation. Curettage of these lesions in the first few weeks after birth provides excellent cosmetic results with minimal scarring. Dermaplaning of the periphery of the lesion either at the primary procedure or at a secondary procedure deals with the other area which is not treated by curettage.
Evaluation of Cyclin Expression in Testicular Germ Cell Tumors: Cyclin E Correlates with Tumor Type, Advanced Clinical Stage, and Pulmonary Metastasis

The measurement of proliferative index has yielded promising yet conflicting results in the evaluation of testicular tumors. We have examined the role of Ki-67, along with the cyclins A and E in testicular tumorigenesis. We compared the immunoreactivity of 20 pure seminomas with 20 mixed germ cell tumors composed predominantly of embryonal carcinoma with a variety of proliferation markers, including Ki-67, cyclin A, and cyclin E. All 40 tumors stained for Ki-67, and 19 of 20 (95%) seminomas and 18 of 20 (90%) embryonal carcinomas stained positively for cyclin A. Cyclin E stained 14 of 19 (74%) of the embryonal carcinomas and only 4 of 20 (20%) of the seminomas (Fisher's exact two-tailed test, P =.0012). There was a trend toward larger tumor size for cyclin E–positive seminomas (median, 5.92 cm versus 3.96 cm; P =.08), although the same correlation was not significant in embryonal carcinomas. For both seminomas and embryonal carcinomas, staining with cyclin E did not correlate with the presence of lymphovascular invasion or capsular invasion. However, patients who had cyclin E–positive tumors presented with higher clinical stage (P =.0015). In addition, pulmonary spread in embryonal carcinomas (four patients) and seminomas (one patient) occurred only in patients whose tumors were cyclin E positive (P =.014). Although Ki-67 and cyclin A offer little prognostic information in testicular germ cell tumors, cyclin E immunoreactivity correlates with tumor type and is strongly predictive of distant tumor spread.
Geodesic Active Contours with Adaptive Configuration for Cerebral Vessel and Aneurysm Segmentation

Active contour is a popular technique for vascular segmentation. However, existing active contour segmentation methods require users to set values for various parameters, which requires insights to the method's mathematical formulation. Manual tuning of these parameters to optimize segmentation results is laborious for clinicians who often lack in-depth knowledge of the segmentation algorithms. Moreover, a global parameter setting applied to all voxels of an input image can hardly achieve optimized results due to vessels' high appearance variability caused by the contrast agent in homogeneity and noises. In this paper, we present a method which adaptively configures parameters for Geodesic Active Contours (GAC). The proposed method leverages shape filtering to produce a parameter image, each voxel of which is used to set parameters of GAC for the corresponding voxel of an input image. An iterative process is further developed to improve the accuracy of the shape-based parameter image. An evaluation study over 8 clinical datasets demonstrates that our method achieves greater segmentation accuracy than two popular active contour methods with manually optimized parameters.
Nonlinear swept frequency technique for CO2 measurements using a CW laser system.

A system using a nonlinear multiswept sine wave is described, which employs multichannel multiswept orthogonal waves, to separate channels and make multiple, simultaneous online/offline CO2 measurements. An analytic expression and systematic method for determining the orthogonal frequencies for the unswept, linear swept, and nonlinear swept cases is presented. It is shown that one may reduce sidelobes of the autocorrelation function while preserving cross channel orthogonality, for thin cloud rejection.
Mechanism of creep of hydrated portland cement paste

Abstract Understanding of the mechanism of creep requires direct measurement of the physical changes that occur in the micro-units of the solid and in the solid body itself as a result of change in exposure conditions. Results of rigidly controlled water sorption experiments are presented, giving measurements of change in length of specimen, weight, solid volume, and helium flow characteristics as a function of change in conditions of exposure. These are correlated with creep results in the literature. It is concluded that creep is a manifestation of the gradual crystallization or aging process of the layered material, resulting in further layering. Water movement, although occurring, is not a major mechanism. Other processes such as slippage and micro-cracking are also present.
Effects of acute sodium salicylate on the abnormal counterregulatory glucagon and epinephrine responses to insulin hypoglycemia in diabetic rats.

Effects of acute sodium salicylate infusion on glucagon and epinephrine responses to insulin hypoglycemia were studied in streptozotocin diabetic and age-matched control rats. Sodium salicylate (50 mg/kg/h) was infused intravenously alone for 90 minutes and then with insulin in short-term (10-15 days post-streptozotocin) and long-term (80-100 days post-streptozotocin) diabetic as well as age-matched control rats to produce hypoglycemia. Sodium salicylate decreased basal plasma glucose in control and diabetic rats but increased basal plasma glucagon levels only in control rats. The infusion of sodium salicylate during insulin-hypoglycemia in control and short-term diabetic rats caused a significant increase in glucagon secretion. Long-term diabetic rats have impaired glucagon and epinephrine secretory responses to insulin-hypoglycemia. This defect was normalized by acute sodium salicylate infusion during insulin-hypoglycemia. However, indomethacin (5 mg/kg i.p.; twice at 18 hr intervals) improved, but failed to completely normalize the abnormal glucagon and epinephrine secretory responses to insulin-hypoglycemia in long-term diabetic rats. These results suggest that endogenous prostaglandins may play a partial role in the impairment of glucagon and epinephrine secretion in response to insulin-hypoglycemia in long-term diabetic rats.
Interleukin 12 (IL-12) family cytokines: Role in immune pathogenesis and treatment of CNS autoimmune disease

Cytokines play crucial roles in coordinating the activities of innate and adaptive immune systems. In response to pathogen recognition, innate immune cells secrete cytokines that inform the adaptive immune system about the nature of the pathogen and instruct naive T cells to differentiate into the appropriate T cell subtypes required to clear the infection. These include Interleukins, Interferons and other immune-regulatory cytokines that exhibit remarkable functional redundancy and pleiotropic effects. The focus of this review, however, is on the enigmatic Interleukin 12 (IL-12) family of cytokines. This family of cytokines plays crucial roles in shaping immune responses during antigen presentation and influence cell-fate decisions of differentiating naive T cells. They also play essential roles in regulating functions of a variety of effector cells, making IL-12 family cytokines important therapeutic targets or agents in a number of inflammatory diseases, such as the CNS autoimmune diseases, uveitis and multiple sclerosis.
Immunomodulatory effects of amphotericin-B on cellular cytotoxicity of normal human lymphocytes

Abstract Human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) precultured in media demonstrated decreased NK and ADCC activities as an apparent consequence of endogenous suppressor cells generated in the culture. PBL precultured with amphotericin-B (AMB) for 48 hr showed further decreases of NK and ADCC activities. T cells, Sephadex G-10 column passed PBL, and NK-and ADCC-enriched subpopulations separated on a Percoll gradient precultured with AMB also manifested decreased NK and ADCC activities. In mixing experiments, lymphocytes precultured with AMB suppressed the ADCC activities of fresh autologous effector cells. The suppression of ADCC activities observed was not due to crowding, selective toxicity, steric hindrance, effector or target cell death from AMB or desoxycholate, or the presence of PBL causing cold target competitive inhibition or binding. AMB-enhanced suppression was not reversed by indomethacin. The results suggest that AMB has a significant immunomodulating effect on human PBL possibly by activating endogenous suppressor cells which may be of clinical significance.
Classification of resistance to passive motion using minimum probability of error criterion

Neurologists diagnose many muscular and nerve disorders by classifying the resistance to passive motion of patients' limbs. Over the past several years, a computer-based instrument has been developed for automated measurement and parameterization of this resistance. In the device, a voluntarily relaxed lower extremity is moved at constant velocity by a motorized driver. The torque exerted on the extremity by the machine is sampled, along with the angle of the extremity. In this paper a computerized technique is described for classifying a patient's condition as ‘Normal’ or ‘Parkinson disease’ (rigidity), from the torque versus angle curve for the knee joint. A Legendre polynomial, fit to the curve, is used to calculate a set of eight normally distributed features of the curve. The minimum probability of error approach is used to classify the curve as being from a normal or Parkinson disease patient. Data collected from 44 different subjects was processed and the results were compared with an independent physician's subjective assessment of rigidity. There is agreement in better than 95% of the cases, when all of the features are used.
Atmospheric Solar Heating Rate in the Water Vapor Bands

The total absorption of solar radiation by water vapor in clear atmospheres is parameterized as a simple function of the scaled water vapor amount. For applications to cloudy and hazy atmospheres, the flux-weighted k-distribution functions are computed for individual absorption bands and for the total near-infrared region. The parameterization is based upon monochromatic calculations and follows essentially the scaling approximation of Chou and Arking, but the effect of temperature variation with height is taken into account in order to enhance the accuracy. Furthermore, the spectral range is extended to cover the two weak bands centered at 0.72 and 0.82 micron. Comparisons with monochromatic calculations show that the atmospheric heating rate and the surface radiation can be accurately computed from the parameterization. Comparisons are also made with other parameterizations. It is found that the absorption of solar radiation can be computed reasonably well using the Goody band model and the Curtis-Godson approximation.
Quantitative Analysis of Ligand-Induced Supramolecular Clustering of Death Receptor 5 in Jurkat Cells

Death receptor 5 is a transmembrane protein belonging to the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily. Upon ligand binding, DR5 and several members of its superfamily form supramolecular clusters, often modeled as highly organized lattices wherein receptors are retained in their pre-ligand oligomeric assemblies and crosslinked by ligand into high molecular weight networks. Networks can be visualized by fluorescent confocal microscopy, however there is some disagreement as to whether these punctate features are in fact protein assemblies, membrane microdomains (lipid rafts), or a combination of both. Our data show that while ligand induced DR5 networks do assemble in both the presence and absence of lipid rafts, key differences exist in their ability to initiate apoptotic signaling and in the oligomeric structure of the receptor as it is subsumed within the ligand-receptor network. To identify subtle structural differences between supramolecular networks in the presence and absence of lipid rafts, we have developed a technique to detect individual networks and quantitatively compare them between treatment groups in terms of total ligand bound, relative size, and density.
Near-infrared quantum efficiency of uncooled photodetectors based on InGaAs/GaAsSb quantum wells lattice-matched to InP

The near-infrared quantum efficiency of pin photodetectors based on a lattice-matched type-II InGaAs/GaAsSb absorption region has been measured. The quantum efficiencies for these devices are 80.2 and 57.8% at 1064 and 1550%nm, respectively. These results are comparable to the more commonly-used InGaAs/InP photodetectors.
OPTICAL NONLINEARITY OF IRON IONS IN GLASS MATRICES

Abstract Optical nonlinearity of iron ions in glass matrices is studied by the degenerate four-wave mixing and Z-scan techniques between 530 nm and 600 nm. The nonlinear response is found to be fast (
Abstract 3897: A novel function for threonyl-tRNA synthetase as a stimulator of angiogenesis and endothelial cell migration.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC In mammalian systems, several aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases are known to have distinct non-canonical functionality. For the first time, we demonstrate that human threonyl-tRNA synthetase (TARS) induces angiogenesis through endothelial cell signaling, and this induction can be blocked by the borrelidin derivative compound BC194. Upon stimulation with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) or tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), human endothelial cells secrete TARS into the extracellular space. Extracellular TARS induces and BC194 inhibits angiogenesis in both in vitro tube formation assays and in vivo chick chorioallantoic membrane assays. Furthermore, the anti-angiogenic effects of BC194 are specific to its inhibition of TARS angiogenic activity rather than an indirect stress response. Additional evidence supports a stimulatory role for TARS in endothelial cell migration as a mechanism for its angiogenic activity. Taken together, these findings reveal a previously undefined function for TARS as an angiogenesis inducer stimulated by hypoxic and inflammatory signals. Detecting or intervening in the non-canonical extracellular TARS signaling pathway may thus provide a novel means of diagnosing or treating angiogenesis and inflammatory responses involved in cancer. Citation Format: Tamara Williams, Adam Mirando, Christopher Francklyn, Karen M. Lounsbury. A novel function for threonyl-tRNA synthetase as a stimulator of angiogenesis and endothelial cell migration. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3897. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-3897
The effect of frequency on the cyclic strain and fatigue behavior of cast rené at 1600° F

Controlled strain fatigue tests have been carried out for two heat treatments of cast Rene 80 at 1600°F at several frequencies and strain ranges. Results were fitted to frequency-modified fatigue equations for elastic and plastic strains using regression analysis. Save for a more pronounced cyclic softening, little difference in fatigue behavior was found in the two heat treatments. This material exhibits a normal frequency behavior for the elastic strain component of the total strain, and an inverse frequency effect for the plastic strain component, resulting in a negligible frequency effect on total strain in the high strain, short life regime. This behavior is attributed to the persistence of a transgranular mode of crack propagation in preference to the more usual intergranular mode in all tests including those at frequencies as low as 0.03 cpm. On the other hand, crack nucleation was more characteristic of cast nickel-base superalloys at 1600°F, that is, by oxide ridging at surface grain boundaries. A low transition fatigue life was found, such that for fatigue lives greater than 1000 cycles, elastic behavior essentially prevails.
Relationship of the Ammons Quick Test of Intelligence to other Ability Measures

The Quick Test (QT), a brief test of general intelligence, was administered to 98 tenth grade high school boys. A group test battery containing several measures of intellectual ability and achievem...
Current Policy Context for Education Efforts to Help Young Parents Meet Their Multiple Challenges

Recent increases in the adolsecent birth rate can be in part attributable to a variety of factors including limited sex education in schools, the decline in family planning services, and rising dropout rates. This paper explores the importance of education for adolescent parents, particularly the inclusion of pregnancy prevention programs and services for young parents as part of the educational mainstream.
Eradication of microscopic hepatic metastases by active specific immunization

Strain-2 guinea pigs, each with microscopic deposits of line 10 hepatocarcinoma in the liver, were treated by ID immunization with a mixture of irradiated tumor cells and an oil-in-water emulsion containing cell walls of Mycobacterium bovis strain Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG CWE). Injection of line 10 hepatoma cells into the hepatic portal vein led to the development of tumor foci in the liver, metastasis in the hepatic lymph node, malignant ascites, and death. Active immunization using irradiated line 10 cells and BCG CWE was effective therapy when administered 1, 7, and 14 days after intraportal injection of line 10 cells. Effective immunization required both irradiated line 10 tumor cells and the BCG cell wall emulsion. Immunization with BCG CWE admixed with irradiated line 1 tumor cells, a hepatoma antigenically distinct from line 10, did not prevent outgrowth of line 10 deposits in the liver. Animals rendered free of disease could reject a challenge of line 10 tumor cells but not of line 1 tumor cells.
Space Telescope fine guidance - A design for manufacturability

The NASA Space Telescope (ST) is a 2.4-m aperture, f/24 Ritchey-Chretien telescope coupled to five on-board astronomical scientific packages. The very accurate line-of-sight stability required by ST during operating periods of up to 24 hours is maintained by the Pointing Control System whose optical system, the Fine Guidance Subsystem (FGS), is described. The Pointing Control System includes three identical FGSs, any two of which provide line-of-sight stabilization by tracking guide stars while the third performs astrometry. The optical system for the ST FGS performs the field aberration correction within the FGS near a pupil plane measuring only 52.7 mm. The design is simple and easily corrected, and offers substantial advantages over the traditional approach in terms of manufacturability.
Effects of dormant- vs. growing-season fire in shortgrass steppe: Biological soil crust and perennial grass responses

This research experimentally examined seasonal effects of fire on biological soil crusts and perennial grasses in shortgrass steppe. We predicted dormant-season fire would have greater negative effects on biological soil crusts than fire during the growing season, but less of an impact on perennial grasses than fire during the growing season. Treatments were dormant- and growing-season fires and unburned reference condition plots. Response variables included biological soil crust and grass percent ground cover, and crust nitrogen fixation and chlorophyll a content. Results indicated shortgrass steppe can recover from fire in three to 30 months, dependent on fire season. Burning during the dormant-season had little effect on grass cover, but decreased nitrogen fixation and reduced chlorophyll a content in crusts. Growing-season fire negatively impacted grass cover, but reduced the impact of fire on soil crusts. Most of the fire effects in this study were of relatively short duration and strongly tied to weather patterns.
Changes in Impression Complexity Over Time and Across Situations

This set of studies tested the idea that higher levels of acquaintance with an individual would be associated with greater impression complexity. Two aspects of acquaintance were examined: length of relationship and contextual diversity of interactions. In Study 1, participants provided written descriptions of acquaintances known for different lengths of time and at different levels of contextual diversity. Contextual diversity in interactions with an acquaintance was associated with (a) less evaluative and descriptive consistency in impressions, (b) greater contextual differentiation in impressions, and (c) the development of causal theories to explain the acquaintance’s behaviors. In Study 2, impression complexity was assessed using a trait-sort task. Contextual diversity, but not length of relationship, was associated with higher complexity scores.
Aspects of Wall Ultrastructure in Some Hyaline Foraminifera: ABSTRACT

Electron-microscopic examination of interior wall structure in some of the hyaline Foraminifera discloses that a variety of microcrystalline arrangements exists. In many instances the term "radial wall" is a misnomer. Some radial forms (Ammonia beccarii) are completely lacking in fibrous or prismatic crystals, displaying instead a very finely layered array composed of many plate-like crystals. In such cases, the appearance in polarized light is caused by the statistical, preferred orientation of c-axes giving rise to a more or less uniform extinction. The "prismatic" appearance is derived from the effect produced by the superimposition of "chitinous"-lined pore canals, even within the thickness of a thin section. An indistinctly radial form (Cibicides refulgens) has an id ntical microcrystalline arrangement except that the statistical c-axis uniformity is poorer, some areas being relatively well oriented with respect to the test surface and others not. True prismatic morphologic types do occur (Lenticulina calcar) as do walls composed of uniformly oriented microrhombs. The wall of the "granular" form Nonion labradoricum is constructed of lamellae, each lamella being composed of tabular granules sutured together. Each granule is a single crystal of calcite. The lamellar character of the walls of many of the hyaline Foraminifera is not in agreement with the models suggested for this group. Indeed, some forms are non-lamellar. The concept that each chamber overlaps all previous chambers is not supported in every case by the data. These observations clearly support earlier suggestions that any rational classification of the Foraminifera will have to consider the detailed structure and architecture of the walls. The fact that radial wall structure (in the petrographic sense) can be represented by several different microcrystalline morphologic types is as important as the difference recognized between radial and granular forms. End_of_Article - Last_Page 638------------
Technical note: overprediction of dose with default PRESTA-I boundary crossing in DOSXYZnrc and BEAMnrc.

Use of the PRESTA-I (current default) boundary crossing algorithm for charged particles in DOSXYZnrc and BEAMnrc is shown to result in dose overprediction by up to 2.5% in photon and electron beams (less in high-energy electron beams). The effect is most pronounced when charged particle equilibrium does not exist or when the phantom is not divided into uniform voxels throughout. As a result, the default boundary crossing algorithm in BEAMnrc will be changed to “exact” (single scattering).
Single-channel transport in multichannel disordered systems

Static and dynamic aspects of the crossover to single-channel transport in multichannel disordered systems are studied in statistics measurements of microwave radiation transmitted in ensembles of quasi-1D waveguides with various degrees of disorder.
Distribution, size, and interannual, seasonal and diel food habits of northern Gulf of Alaska juvenile pink salmon, Oncorhynchus gorbuscha

Abstract An integral part of assessing the northern Gulf of Alaska (GOA) ecosystem is the analysis of the food habits and feeding patterns of abundant zooplanktivorous fish. Juvenile pink salmon Oncorhynchus gorbuscha are highly abundant zooplanktivores, and support valuable commercial fisheries as adults. We document variability in pink salmon distribution and size from summer to early fall, and present major trends in their food habits by summarizing interannual (August 1999–2001), seasonal (July–October 2001) and diel (August 2000, and July–September 2001) feeding patterns based on analysis of stomach contents of juvenile pink salmon collected along the Seward Line (GOA) and in Prince William Sound (PWS), Alaska. Diets of juvenile pink salmon were more diverse in 2001 compared to either 1999 or 2000. Small pteropods (Limacina helicina) composed the majority (>60%) of prey consumed in 1999 and 2000; whereas large copepods, euphausiids, and small pteropods composed the majority of prey in 2001. As juvenile pink salmon increased in size, they consumed increasingly larger prey from August to October 2001 in the GOA. The diet of GOA juvenile pink salmon was different and more diverse than the diet of fish caught in PWS. The dominant prey in PWS during July–October was hyperiid amphipods, whereas the primary prey in the GOA were larvaceans and euphausiids in July, then copepods plus small pteropods, amphipods, euphausiids, larval crabs, and shrimp in August. In September and October, diets in both PWS and GOA included high percentages of larger prey items, including fish, euphausiids, and large pteropods (Clio pyramidata). Diel comparisons of stomach contents showed pink salmon fed during daylight hours with stomach fullness increasing from dawn to a maximum fullness 8–12 h after sunrise, and declining thereafter. We hypothesize that juvenile pink salmon in the northern GOA consumed distinct and varied prey from the suite of zooplankton available during summer months, July–September. These prey were not necessarily the planktonic species with the greatest biomass or highest abundance on the shelf. Pink salmon fed on prey that were highly visible during daylight hours in the neuston and upper 10 m of the water column. Further work will integrate food habits with fish condition and growth data, zooplankton abundance, and water temperature to develop foraging and bioenergetics models. These models will enable us to assess the habitat quality and growth conditions for juvenile pink salmon and contribute to the goal of understanding how pink salmon and, therefore, tertiary production are affected by changes in ocean conditions.