cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 3181: Nicotine promotes pre-metastatic niche formation in hormone receptor negative breast cancer through paracrine signaling in the tumor microenvironment

Hormone receptor negative breast cancer is responsible for a majority of the mortalities through aggressive metastatic spread, which accounts for a poor patient survival. Increasing epidemiological evidence indicates significant risk of pulmonary metastasis among smokers in breast cancer. However, little is known whether smoking or cessation affects clinical outcomes in breast cancer with pulmonary metastasis particularly in patients with hormone receptor negative status. To address this question, we employed spontaneous and experimental pre-metastasis in syngeneic mice model with or without i.p. injection of nicotine in line with human blood cotinine level and measured metastatic progression. We found that nicotine promoted the pulmonary metastasis burden by 100-fold in vivo. Immune profiling of the pulmonary metastatic lesions showed predominant infiltration of neutrophils compared to primary tumors. Notably, mice pre-exposed to nicotine showed a significantly increased number of neutrophils in the lungs even before injection of cancer cells (pre-metastatic lung). Remarkably, neutrophil depletion during metastatic colonization caused a decrease of spontaneous metastasis. Furthermore, infiltrated neutrophils in the pulmonary metastasis lesions under nicotine treatment selectively overexpressed N2-polarization phenotype in a STAT3-dependent manner. We then examined secretory factor(s) from nicotine-treated primary neutrophils using a qPCR array system. We found that the expression of LCN2 was significantly augmented in the conditioned medium of nicotine treated primary neutrophils. Next, we investigated functional contribution of neutrophil-secreted factors on tumor metastasis. MCF10CA cells were cultured with the conditioned medium (CM) of primary neutrophils that were treated with or without nicotine. Importantly, mesenchymal-like MCF10CA cells displayed epithelial phenotype with increase in the expression of epithelial markers when they were treated with the CM. These results strongly implies that nicotine-induced polarization of N2-neutrophils plays a critical role in regulating cancer cell plasticity. In addition, levels of LCN2 were significantly higher in the serum and urine of cancer patients and cancer-free healthy subjects who were smokers compared to non-smokers. Collectively, our results suggest a novel pro-metastatic role of nicotine-induced N2-neutrophils via secretion of LCN2 that facilitate metastatic colonization of hormone receptor negative breast cancer cells by supporting MET transition. Citation Format: Abhishek Tyagi, Sambad Sharma, Kerui Wu, Shih-Ying Wu, Dan Zhao, Ravindra Deshpande, Kounosuke Watabe. Nicotine promotes pre-metastatic niche formation in hormone receptor negative breast cancer through paracrine signaling in the tumor microenvironment [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 3181.
Antitumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha (TNF-α) Infliximab-Induced Pleural Effusion and Pericarditis in Crohn's Disease.

Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory disease that can be associated with intestinal and extraintestinal manifestations. Some patients are treated with infliximab, an antitumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) agent, to help them achieve and maintain clinical and biochemical remission. However, some patients with CD can present severe adverse effects such as drug-induced lupus and rarely present with pleural space and pericardium involvement. We report a case of an 18-year-old Hispanic male with CD who acquired anti-TNF-α-induced lupus after infliximab therapy presenting with pleural effusion and pericarditis. The patient presented with a 2-week history of pleuritic chest pain. Initial laboratory workup was remarkable for leukocytosis and increased inflammatory markers. Imaging and cardiovascular studies were consistent with pericarditis and pleural effusions. Serositis was initially thought to be reactive secondary to the current Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection. He was treated with colchicine 0.6 mg PO TID for six weeks and azithromycin 500 mg PO for seven days. Pain improved after discharge but resurfaced on the day of infliximab infusion. Imaging and cardiovascular studies demonstrated the persistence of pleural effusions and pericarditis. Ultrasound-guided thoracentesis was consistent with exudative pleural effusions. Rheumatological workup was remarkable for increased antihistone antibodies, consistent with drug-induced lupus. Infliximab-induced pericarditis and pleural effusions are rarely reported in the literature. It is thought that infliximab may have a proinflammatory activity or have a delayed type III hypersensitivity reaction. The first line of therapy of anti-TNF-α-induced lupus is the withdrawal of the offending drug. Our patient is unique as few cases of anti-TNF-α-induced pleural effusion and pericarditis in CD are reported. After discontinuing the offending drug, ustekinumab was started, and maintaining a steroid and colchicine regimen, the patient's chest pain improved. Antihistone antibodies have returned to normal one month after starting ustekinumab.
Legitimizing the ICC: Supporting the Court's Prosecution of Those Responsible in Darfur

The conflict in Darfur is one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters. The fact that the Sudanese government, including its current sitting head of state, played a critical role in orchestrating the murder, rape, and displacement of hundreds of thousands of people in the region makes the violence perpetrated in this region particularly egregious. In an effort to address these problems, the U.N. Security Council referred the matter to the International Criminal Court (ICC). After its investigation, the ICC granted an arrest warrant for President Bashir, which charged him with crimes against humanity. Under the Rome Treaty, the U.N. Security Council can delay prosecution of President Bashir indefinitely, and certain sectors of the international community are pressuring it to do just that. Those that support the delay fear that allowing the prosecution to move forward will derail potential peace negotiations and result in more violence in the country. To support their contention, they cited threats made by the Sudanese government to escalate attacks. While the U.N. must address these threats, delaying prosecution is the wrong solution. This Note argues that allowing threats of violence to derail the pursuit of justice could irreparably damage the court’s international reputation and credibility. To bolster the legitimacy of the ICC, strengthen international criminal justice, and deter future leaders from following President Bashir’s destructive example, the U.N. and the rest of the international community must support the ICC in its apprehension of President Bashir and support the court in holding him accountable for
Extension of the Multistep Newton-type Control Methods for Nonlinear Process Control

This study extends the multistep Newton-type methods for nonlinear constrained process control. It is shown that a generalization of the quadratic index used in the original formulation results in better performance and in a larger domain of applicability of the method. The stability characteristics of the method for constrained asymptotically stable systems are demonstrated and some guidelines for the treatment of open-loop unstable systems are also given. Finally the presence of model mismatch and disturbances is addressed.
Anonymity, Faceprints, and the Constitution

Part I defines anonymity and explains that respect for the capacity to remain physically and psychologically unknown to the government traces back to the Founding. With the advent and expansion of new technologies such as facial recognition technology (“FRT”), the ability to remain anonymous has eroded, leading to a litany of possible harms.Part II reviews the existing Fourth and First Amendment doctrine that is available to stave off ubiquitous government surveillance and identifies anonymity as a constitutional value that warrants more explicit doctrinal protection. Although the Fourth Amendment has been construed to excise surveillance of public and third-party information from its scope, the Court’s recent jurisprudence indicates a growing recognition that constitutional doctrine is out of step with modern surveillance technologies. The Supreme Court has expressly recognized a First Amendment right to anonymous speech, which should be taken into account in assessing the constitutionality of government surveillance systems under the Fourth Amendment. This Part accordingly draws a distinction between cases that arose in the pre-digital age, in which content was often collected through physical trespass or eavesdropping, and those arising in the digital age, in which correlations among disparate points of “big data” are used to make predictions.Part III argues that Fourth and First Amendment doctrine should be reconciled to address the manipulation — versus acquisition — of FRT data to derive new information about individuals which is exceedingly intimate and otherwise out of the government’s reach. This Part suggests that this qualitative shift in information gathering is constitutionally significant under existing doctrine. Part III also offers guidelines gleaned from the intersection of First and Fourth Amendment jurisprudence for consideration by lower courts and legislators as they address the threat of limitless surveillance which big data and new technologies present.
Interaction of virus with cells in tissue cultures: III. Factors influencing yield of vaccinia virus from L cells

Abstract Vaccinia particles from infected L cells were counted by electron microscopy. Sonically disrupted cells were digested by trypsin and chymotrypsin, and the virus was sedimented onto agar from which pseudoreplicas were made. By this method of assay the maximum rate of virus production was the same for all virus input multiplicities between 50 and 200, but the maximum yield was progressively less with increasing multiplicity. All cells inoculated at multiplicity 100 or greater contained visible virus particles when examined after 17 hours' incubation. Under optimum conditions for maximum yield, each L cell produced about 10,000 particles, which is 3% of the total cell volume.
Stem Cell Factor and Hematopoiesis

HEMATOPOIESIS is governed by a number of cytokines that promote the survival, proliferation, and differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells and progenitor cells.[1][1] Stem cell factor (SCF; also known as kit ligand, mast cell growth factor, or steel factor) is a hematopoietic cytokine that
Perspective in Africana Feminism; Exploring Expressions of Black Feminism/Womanism in the African Diaspora

This paper discusses perspectives in Africana feminist thought. While, not an exhaustive review of the entire diaspora, three regions are discussed: Africa, North America, and the Caribbean. Despite great cultural diversity between and within these geographies, there are, too, great commonalities in Africana women’s lived experience under colonialism and slavery. It is these shared experiences that helped shaped and develop this distinct brand of feminism, which is universally concerned with the ways women manage and challenge multiple oppressions. Additionally, the feminism that emerged out these experiences is fundamentally commissioned with the task of breaking down and deconstructing racist and sexist ideologies that devalue their humanity. This brand of feminism is, likewise, charged with the duty of transforming societies through both intellectual and pragmatic approaches. Across Africa and her diaspora, Africana women share a rich and powerful history of resistance, despite attempts to silence and make them invisible.
Physical properties of nitroglucagons and aminoglucagons.

Abstract Mononitroglucagon (NO2 group on tyrosine residue 13) exhibits physical properties very similar to those of unmodified glucagon. The far ultraviolet CD spectra of nitroglucagon and glucagon are extremely similar over a wide range of pH (2 to 10). The CD spectrum of monoaminoglucagon, the reduced form of mononitroglucagon, is also very similar to that of glucagon. The low ultraviolet CD spectra of nitroglucagon and glucagon show the same concentration dependency (pH 10.2). The two proteins also exhibit very similar self-association properties. We observed no evidence of any conformational change in mononitroglucagon as compared to glucagon. The pKa values of the NO2-tyrosine and tyrosine residues in nitroglucagon are 6.7 and 10.2, respectively. In addition, the pKa of the tyrosine group (residue 10) is concentration dependent. Based on these titration results, along with ultraviolet difference spectroscopy studies, we propose that the tyrosine group in glucagon whose ionization is concentration dependent is tyrosine 10 and not tyrosine 13 as proposed by Gratzer and Beaven (Gratzer, W. B., and Beaven, G. H. (1969) J. Biol. Chem. 244, 6675). Nitroglucagon exhibits near ultraviolet and visible region CD bands which are attributable to the NO2-tyrosine group. Attempts to relate these bands to a particular orientation of the side chain group have been unsuccessful. Only the sequence of residues 7 through 13 is needed to retain the visible region CD spectrum observed with the intact nitroglucagon molecule.
ON THE APPLICATIONS OF DYNAMIC PROGRAMMING TO MATRIX THEORY

Abstract : The purpose of the paper is to discuss some applications of the functional equation technique of dynamic programming to some questions of matrix theory. Consideration is first given to the solution of a system of linear equations, Ax = b, where A is a Jacobi matrix. Then the same problem is discussed for the case where A is 'almost' a block-diagonal matrix. Matrices of this type arise in the study of weaklycoupled mechanical or electrical systems. Finally, the calculation of the largest or smallest characteristic values of matrices of this type are discussed.
Particle simulation of traveling wave gel electrophoresis

This paper describes a 3D particle model to simulate conventional DC and traveling wave gel electrophoresis. Traveling waves sustain much higher fields for increased speed, but require much lower voltage which does not scale with gel dimension. Secondary refinement after initial separation allow for increased resolution. The model is validated for protein migration in both FEF and SDS-PAGE stages of a conventional 2D gel electrophoresis run. Model predictions are verified against two sets of sample proteins. Results from simulations and experiments agree very well for SDS-PAGE. Some discrepancy in the IEF dimension is a constant off-set attributed to the assumption of a linear pH gradient along the IPG strip, and to gel distortion and swelling. This in silica model is successfully used to predict protein migration with traveling wave electrodes.
Comparative in vitro activity of lomefloxacin and other antimicrobials against 597 microorganisms causing bacteremia

Abstract The in vitro activity of lomefloxacin, a new fluorinated quinolone antimicrobial, was compared to that of enoxacin, norfloxacin, ofloxacin, imipenem, cefotaxime, ceftazidime, and tobramycin against 597 microorganisms isolated from bacteremic patients at a university hospital. Overall, lomefloxacin had activity similar to that of enoxacin and norfloxacin but less than that of ofloxacin. Lomefloxacin had excellent activity against members of the family Enterobacteriaceae and Haemophilus influenzae, and good activity against staphylococci, including oxacillin-resistant strains, as well as many strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa , P . maltophilia , and Acinetobacter calcoaceticus anitratus ssp anitratus.
Autothermal steam reforming of higher hydrocarbons: n-Decane, n-hexadecane, and JP-8

Abstract Steam addition to the catalytic partial oxidation of n -decane and n -hexadecane with air over Rh-coated monoliths at millisecond contact times produces considerably higher H 2 and CO 2 and lower olefin and CO selectivities than without steam addition. For steam to carbon feed ratios from 0.0 to 4.0, the reactor operated autothermally, and the H 2 to CO product ratio increased from ∼1.0 to ∼4.0, which is essentially the equilibrium product composition near synthesis gas stoichiometry (C/O ∼1) at contact times of ∼7 ms. In fuel-rich feeds exceeding the synthesis gas ratio (C/O > 1), steam addition suppressed olefins and promoted synthesis gas and water–gas shift products. Steam addition also reduced catalyst surface carbon. Furthermore, steam addition to the catalytic partial oxidation of the military fuel JP-8 was performed successfully, also increasing H 2 and suppressing olefins.
A micromechanical perspective on the role of dislocations in selective dissolution

Investigations of dislocation enhanced selective dissolution rarely consider the consequences of dislocation dynamics. The purpose of this work is to point out its significance. A strain energy inventory of a variety of dislocation configurations (microstructure) exposes energetic variations of the same order of magnitude as that calculated for dislocation density. Therefore, experiments that lack microstructural control could obscure the observable relationships between dislocation density and reaction rate. The inventory associates free dislocations with the greatest strain energy per unit line length. Dynamical considerations suggest that low homologous temperature and shear stress favor the tangles of free dislocations that most effectively enhance selective dissolution. Conversely, crystals that exhibit the greatest macroscopic strain lose their potential for dissolution. A comparison of micromechanical properties indicates that dislocation enhanced dissolution can occur across a wide range of crustal depths, dependent upon the mineral assemblage.
Machine Building and City Building Urban Planning and Industrial Restructuring in Philadelphia, 1894-1928

The deindustrialization of North American cities is generally told as a post-World War II narrative, featuring factory closings, highways to the suburbs, and urban renewal programs responding to the loss of jobs and population. Yet, as recent scholarship on industrial suburbanization has shown, the decentralization of manufacturing manifested itself throughout the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Some scholars of twentieth-century planning have observed that urban renewal programs hurt cities as much as they helped. This essay argues that some late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century redevelopment programs played a greater causal role in deindustrialization and the shift in Americans' conceptions of cities from places of production to places of consumption. Surveying the complex relationships between urban and industrial restructuring in Philadelphia during the pre-Depression decades, it examines the prehistory of federal urban renewal at the state and local level.
Centralism and Alienation

I see the fundamental nature of the question before us - for the African continent at least - as being how to effect an internal harmonisation of seeming irreconcilable elements within national entities, how to reconcile peoples of distinct histories with the consequences of colonial arbitrariness and the timidity, the lack of will, the failure of the first-generation leaders to boldly tackle the fault-lines of a continent that often run along the boundaries that have been inherited.
How to improve your breast cancer program: Standardized reporting using the new American College of Radiology Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System.

In the USA, the use of the American College of Radiology Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System (ACR BI-RADS) has served not only as a quality assurance tool and guide to standardizing breast imaging reports but has also improved communication between referring physicians, researchers, and patients. In fact, in the USA, the Mammography Quality Standards Act of 1997 requires that all mammograms be assigned a BI-RADS category based on the finding of most concern. In this manuscript, we aim to review the recommendations provided in the 4th edition of the ACR BI-RADS for mammography, USG, and MRI. We also review the major controversies surrounding the use of ACR BI-RADS.
Abstract 2658: 18F-FLT PET imaging for noninvasive, early assessment of tumor response to MDM2-p53 disruption using a novel MDM2 inhibitor.

Introduction: Potent, selective, and orally available small molecule inhibitors of the p53 regulator MDM2 represent a promising class of therapeutics. When applied to p53WT tumors, MDM2 inhibitors disrupt the MDM2-p53 interaction, thereby activating the p53 pathway and inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate two clinically available PET tracers for their ability to monitor early response to treatment with a novel MDM2 inhibitor. Methods: 2’-Deoxy-2’-18F-fluoro-D-glucose (FDG) is used to measure glucose transport and hexokinase activity, and its use in cancer detection and response is based on the preferential glycolytic metabolism of tumor cells. 3′-Deoxy-3′-18F-fluoro-L-thymidine (FLT), an analog of thymidine, can measure nucleoside transport and thymidine kinase activity, which is upregulated in the S-phase of mitosis and can serve as a surrogate for cellular proliferation. Two p53WT in vivo tumor models were evaluated: (1) MDM2-amplified SJSA-1 human osteosarcoma xenografts which exhibit tumor regression upon MDM2 inhibitor treatment, and (2) MDM2-WT HCT116 human colon carcinoma xenografts which exhibit tumor stasis upon treatment. FDG and FLT PET scans (separate cohorts) were acquired (1) 24 hr before treatment with MDM2 inhibitor or vehicle (i.e., baseline), (2) after 6 hr and 72 hr of treatment, and (3) 72 hr after cessation of treatment (i.e., wash-out). Results: MDM2 inhibitor treatment resulted in comparable decreases in FDG and FLT tumor standardized uptake values (SUV) in SJSA-1 tumor xenografts at 6 hr post-treatment (-23% and -9% relative to baseline, respectively; P Conclusions: FDG and FLT PET imaging were roughly equivalent in ability to monitor efficacy of MDM2 inhibitor treatment in a SJSA-1 tumor regression model; however only FLT PET imaging revealed a treatment effect in the HCT116 tumor stasis model. FLT PET imaging was successfully used as a noninvasive tool to provide quantitative measurement of tumor response to treatment with a novel MDM2 inhibitor. These results suggest that FLT PET imaging could have utility as an early clinical pharmacodynamic biomarker. Citation Format: Tim Kazules, Becky Bryant, Matt Silva, Jude Canon, Charles Glaus. 18F-FLT PET imaging for noninvasive, early assessment of tumor response to MDM2-p53 disruption using a novel MDM2 inhibitor. [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 2658. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-2658
Money and Challenger Emmergence in Gubernatorial Primaries

Compared to congressional elections, gubernatorial races are underrepresented in the campaign finance literature. At the same time, the great diversity of state campaign finance laws enables a comparative analysis of their impact in gubernatorial races. I use data from 1980 to 2000 to test hypotheses about challenger emergence, campaign finance laws, and candidate spending in gubernatorial party primaries. I find that incumbents with high job approval ratings and those in party endorsement states are more likely to be unopposed in the primary. In contested primaries, experienced challengers and those who accept public funding are better able to match levels of spending by incumbents. The findings shed light on the dynamics of challenger emergence and the potential for public funding programs to make elections more competitive.
A theoretical study of π-hydrocarbon-iron tricarbonyl complexes

The molecular orbital parameters for tricarbonyl(tetrahapto-unsaturated-hydrocarbon)iron complexes are computed using graph-theoretical methods. The results are in agreement with their experimental properties.
The Nationalist Discourse in Contemporary Japan: The Role of China and Korea in the Last Decade

This brief paper will critically examine the contentions of Japanese nationalist intellectuals whose stated goal is to restore the Japanese people's pride in their nation through the rehabilitation of patriotism at home, consolidation of a state-centric view of Japan, and pursuit of a more assertive foreign policy. In particular, what roles do China and Korea play in the nationalists’ arguments? The paper demonstrates that the nationalists engage in a selective use of ideas, events, and institutions of historical significance and that they reconstruct a past Japan in their ideal image and use that image to frame their discourse on the major political and foreign policy challenges facing Japan today. It concludes that the more critical the Chinese and Korean criticisms of Japan are, the more determined the nationalists will be in their rejection of those criticisms and appeals to the general public.
Surgical treatment of atherosclerotic occlusive lesions in patients with cerebral arterial insufficiency.

Cerebral vascular disease, according to the results of arteriography, may be caused by extracranial arterial lesions in one third of the cases. Observations in 174 cases are described. The results of surgical treatment in 63 patients are presented and evaluated on the basis of restoration of circulation, clinical improvement, and survival. The implications regarding diagnosis and indications and contraindications for surgery are discussed.
CONTEMPORARY OPINIONS ON HEALTH ISSUES: AN INFORMAL LOOK

An informal look at the opinions of a convenience sample of business students and faculty on health-care-related issues suggests some departure from a set of national norms reported in Hippocrates,...
Photon exchange interactions and quantum information processing

We previously suggested that photon exchange interactions could be used to produce nonlinear effects at the two-photon level, and similar effects have been experimentally observed by Resch et al. (e-print quant-ph/0306198). Here we note that photon exchange interactions are not useful for quantum information processing because they require the presence of substantial photon loss. This dependence on loss is somewhat analogous to the postselection required in the linear optics approach to quantum computing suggested by Knill, Laflamme, and Milburn [Nature (London) 409, 46 (2001)].
CELLULAR ANTI-GP120 CYTOLYTIC REACTIVITIES IN HIV-1 SEROPOSITIVE INDIVIDUALS

Forty-one patients seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) were assessed for cell-mediated cytotoxicity (CMC) against autologous target cells bearing the major envelope glycoprotein of HIV-1, gp120. Effector lymphocytes from over 85% of seropositive patients showed CMC specific for gp120-coated targets, whereas seronegative individuals had no detectable CMC. As a group, symptomless individuals had the highest levels of CMC; patients with AIDS-related complex and AIDS showed progressively diminished reactivity. The gp120-specific CMC was mediated by a population of non-T-cell effectors phenotypically resembling NK/K cells. Cytolysis was not restricted by major histocompatibility complex determinants, as shown by killing of heterologous gp120-adsorbed targets and of HIV-1-infected cell-lines. Gp120-specific CMC was highly augmented in the presence of interleukin 2, so it may be possible to develop therapeutic strategies aimed at destruction of virus-producing cell reservoirs in infected individuals through stimulation of HIV-specific host CMC.
Reputation Among Peer Academic Institutions: An Investigation of the US News and World Report's Rankings

The purpose of this study was to determine what leads to a higher reputation among peer academic institutions as reported in the US News and World Report's 2005 annual survey of ‘America's Best Colleges’. It was found that the level of student attention and selectivity are determinants of peer assessment for private universities. A university's research emphasis and prior ranking influence peer assessment for both private and public universities. An emphasis on research, however, has a greater impact on the peer assessment of public versus private universities. Student size and sports team performance appear to influence the peer assessment of private and public universities, respectively. Thus, peer assessors are able to make clear distinctions between private and public universities with a potential bias towards more visible universities in general.
Thoracic disc herniation: operative approaches and results.

In a series of 12 cases of thoracic disc herniation operated upon at the University of Pittsburgh, 4 different operative approaches were used. These included laminectomy in 2 early cases, posterolateral extrapleural operation in 5 cases, transthoracic operation in 3 cases, and transpedicular operati
Uncorrected Myopic Refractive Error Increases Microsaccade Amplitude.

PURPOSE Human brain generates miniature eye movements, such as microsaccades, to counteract image fading due to visual adaptation. Generation of microsaccade relies on the amount of retinal error or acuity demand for a desired visual task. The goal of this study was to assess the influence of visual blur, induced by uncorrected refractive error on microsaccades and saccades. METHODS Ten subjects with myopia held their gaze on a visual target during two experiment conditions: corrected refractive error and uncorrected refractive error. Eye movements were measured with high-resolution video oculography under binocular viewing conditions during both tasks. Gaze holding function, microsaccades, and visually guided saccades were analyzed and compared during both tasks. RESULTS We found an increase in the amplitude of microsaccades in the presence of uncorrected refractive error, but the microsaccade frequency and velocity remained unchanged. The microsaccade amplitude systematically increased with an increase in uncorrected refractive error. The main sequence relationship relating the saccade amplitude with respective peak velocity was not significantly different between two conditions. The onset latency, peak velocities, and accuracy of visually guided saccades also were unchanged between the two conditions. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that visual blur, hence the precision of an image on the fovea, has an important role in calibrating the amplitude of fixational eye movements, such as microsaccades.
Electrical stimulation of the midbrain mediates metastatic tumor growth

Pulmonary metastases were counted 10 days after female rats received tail-vein injections of Walker-256 carcinosarcoma cells. Previous observations that halothane anesthesia plus hind-limb amputation increases the number of metastases were confirmed. Amputation under the analgesia of electrical stimulation of the midbrain was found to increase metastatic activity. However, the stimulus-produced analgesia alone also increased the number of metastases. Systemically administered naloxone blocked the analgesic effect of midbrain stimulation but did not block the increase in the number of pulmonary metastases.
On-Chip Millimeter-Wave Library Device - Scalable Wilkinson Power Divier/Combiner

On-chip millimeter wave Wilkinson power divider has been developed with the back end of line (BEOL) wiring and enabled as a library device in a 0.13 mum BiCMOS process design kit. The device layout and model are fully scalable, i.e. users can design a power divider at different frequencies or in different reference characteristic impedance systems by inputting the dimensions. Excellent model and hardware correlation has been observed up to 110 GHz. The measured results show that very good performance on-chip Wilkinson power dividers have been obtained in this technology, such as less than about 0.1 dB amplitude imbalance, about 0.8 dB of insertion loss with bandwidth of about 15% of the design frequency (defined at 15 dB return loss level) and about 20 dB of isolations. In addition, the device is the design rule check (DRC) clean and the layout versus schematic (LVS) enabled, which help to shorten the design cycle.
The dependence of brain ATP content on cerebral electroshock current.

A question of continuing interest is the nature of the biochemical lesion responsible for the amnesia caused by cerebral electroshock. Very many studies have been concerned with this problem, but apparently the effect of electroshock is so gross that almost all brain chemicals that have been studied are affected (see ref. 6). It is likely that many of the changes result from the convulsions induced by the electroshock. Since the occurrence of bodily convulsions is not necessary for the amnesia3,7,9,11,12, examination of the biochemical effects of subconvulsive electroshock may simplify the problem. The convulsions associated with electroshock may be prevented either by the use of anesthetics or by decreasing the electroshock current. The effect of subconvulsive electroshock on the incorporation of radioactive amino acids into brain protein has been examined using both these techniques. Cotman et aL ~ showed that diethyl ether, which inhibited the convulsions but not the brain seizure, did not prevent the inhibition of amino acid incorporation caused by the electroshock. Significant inhibitions of the incorporation were only observed when brain seizures occurred. Dunn 4 showed that the inhibition of amino acid incorporation was linearly correlated with the current used in the electroshock; the presence or absence of convulsions did not especially disturb this correlation. A similar relationship between electroshock current and retrograde amnesia has also been observed 8,7, 9,12. Thus a convenient way of studying the interrelationships of the effects of electroshock is to relate the behavioral, electrophysiological and biochemical data to the electroshock current. The depression of amino acid incorporation into brain protein may be caused by a depression of cerebral ATP levels or the cation imbalance caused by the electroshock4, s. Severe disturbances of brain ATP are induced by the electroconvulsive shock s, but, since these may be prevented by administration of oxygen 1, the disturbances may be provoked by the anoxia associated with the convulsions, rather than the electroshock itself. Nevertheless, anesthetization of mice with secobarbitone prevented the convulsions but not the depression of ATP associated with electroconvul-
The acquisition of word connotations: asking 'what happened?'.

Although words have both denotative and connotative meanings, there has been little research on the child's acquisition of connotations. In large segments of written texts, connotations can be studied by examining word co-occurrences (collocations). Using this technique, corpus linguists have found, for example, that 'happen' has a negative connotation; it most often collocates with negative words (e.g. 'accidents', 'something dreadful'). The current research is a case study of the use of the lemma 'happen'. Adult production of 'happen/ happens/happening/happened' was examined in I5I American English-speaking, adult-child dyads from the CHILDES database. Within these dyads, 35 children used 'happen' and its variants. Both adults and children were increasingly likely to use 'happen' to describe negative contexts as children's language progressed from MLUs around I.00 to MLUs greater than 4.00. Results are consistent with usage-based theories of language that claim that the relative frequency of information in the input is critical to language learning.
Green's theorem and the fundamental theorem of algebra

(2003). Green's Theorem and the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 110, No. 10, pp. 944-946.
Mechanical Characterization of Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) Coated Polycarbonates

Evaluations of DLC coated polycarbonates have been carried out via high speed projectile impact, three point bend, and continuous microscratch tests. Radial and circumferential microcracks appeared on the back surfaces and near the regions of impact as a result of the high speed impact stresses. Despite the impact, the adhesion of the DLC coating in the area between the cracks remained, except in the immediate vicinity of impact. In the three point bend tests, transverse cracks developed and propagated in the DLC coating when the applied strain reached the fracture limit of the coating. No delamination occurred in the continuous microscratch tests; instead, cracking of the coating was observed in DLC coated polycarbonates. Microcracking was the dominant mode of failure which was consistent in these three diversed mechanical tests. Results of the SEM studies further confirmed microcracking prior to delamination as observed in the high speed impact tested coupons.
Life and death in effector T cells.

The existence of two distinct lineages of TH1 cells may explain the relationship between activated effector TH1 cells and long-term TH1 memory cells.
Ultrasonic database development for the acoustic inspection device: the velocity-attenuation measurement system (VAMS)

The inspection of sealed containers is a critical task for personnel charged with enforcing government policies, maintaining public safety, and ensuring national security. The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has developed a portable, handheld acoustic inspection device (AID) that provides non-invasive container interrogation and material identification capabilities. The AID technology has been deployed worldwide and user’s are providing feedback and requesting additional capabilities and functionality. Recently, PNNL has developed a laboratory-based system for automated, ultrasonic characterization of fluids to support database development for the AID. Using pulse-echo ultrasound, ultrasonic pulses are launched into a container or bulk-solid commodity. The return echoes from these pulses are analyzed in terms of time-of-flight and frequency content (as a function of temperature) to extract physical property measurements (acoustic velocity and attenuation) of the material under test. These measured values are then compared to a tailored database of materials and fluids property data acquired using the Velocity-Attenuation Measurement System (VAMS). This bench-top platform acquires key ultrasonic property measurements as a function of temperature and frequency. This paper describes the technical basis for operation of the VAMS, recent enhancements to the measurement algorithms for both the VAMS and AID technologies, and new measurement data from laboratory testing and performance demonstration activities. Applications for homeland security and counterterrorism, law enforcement, drug-interdiction and fuel transportation compliance activities will be discussed.
Ratio problem in single carbon nanotube fluorescence spectroscopy

The electronic band gaps measured in fluorescence spectroscopy on individual single wall carbon nanotubes isolated within micelles show significant deviations from the predictions of one electron band theory. We resolve this problem by developing a theory of the electron-hole interaction in the photoexcited states. The one-dimensional character and tubular structure introduce a novel relaxation pathway for carriers photoexcited above the fundamental band edge. Analytic expression for the energies and line shapes of higher subband excitons are derived, and a comparison with experiment is used to extract the value of the screened electron-hole interaction.
Hedgehog signaling in biliary fibrosis

Congenital and acquired diseases of the biliary tree, or cholangiopathies, represent a significant source of morbidity and mortality in both children and adults. In late stages of the disease, cholangiocytes can no longer proliferate, resulting in loss of bile ducts, increased fibrosis, and ultimately cirrhosis and liver failure. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition has been proposed as a potential mechanism underlying both cholangiocyte proliferation and fibrogenesis in biliary diseases. In this issue of the JCI, using a myofibroblast-cholangiocyte coculture system and genetically modified mice, Omenetti and colleagues present evidence supporting the importance of paracrine hedgehog signaling between the two cell types and increased expression of mesenchymal markers in cholangiocytes (see the related article beginning on page 3331). These findings set the stage for future studies to further investigate the contribution of hedgehog signaling in both cholangiocyte repair and fibrogenesis in biliary diseases.
The Use of Semiconductor Detectors for Internal Conversion Coefficient Measurements

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the use of semiconductor detectors for internal conversion coefficient measurements. Availability of semiconductor detectors sensitive to electrons and photons with moderate efficiency and energy resolution has provided a tool of remarkable power and versatility for nuclear spectroscopy. The advance in instrumentation may be compared to the development of other important research tools such as the scintillation detector, the double-focusing spectrometer, and the multi-channel analyzer. The new lithium-drifted germanium gamma-ray detector is finding use in many areas of nuclear structure physics such as radioactive decay scheme studies, in-beam gamma-ray spectroscopy, Coulomb excitation studies, Mossbauer absorption studies, fission studies, and others. The chapter reviews some of the techniques that are presently employed to place the merits of the detectors with respect to their application to the determination of internal conversion coefficients.
A comprehensive NMR structural study of Titan aerosol analogs: Implications for Titan’s atmospheric chemistry

Abstract Titan has a thick atmosphere composed primarily of nitrogen and methane. Complex organic chemistry induced by solar ultraviolet radiation and energetic particles, takes place in Titan’s upper atmosphere, producing an optically thick reddish brown carbon based haze encircling this moon. The chemistry in Titan’s atmosphere and its resulting chemical structures are still not fully understood in spite of a great many efforts being made. In our previous work, we have investigated the structure of the 13 C and 15 N labeled, simulated Titan haze aerosols (tholin) by NMR and identified several dominant small molecules in the tholin. Here we report our expanded structural investigation of the bulk of the tholin by more comprehensive NMR study. The NMR results show that the tholin materials are dominated by heavily nitrogenated compounds, in which the macromolecular structures are highly branched polymeric or oligomeric compounds terminated in methyl, amine, and nitrile groups. The structural characteristic suggest that the tholin materials are formed via different copolymerization or incorporation mechanisms of small precursors, such as HCN, CH 2 NH, NH 3 and C 2 H 2 . This study helps to understand the formation process of nitrogenated organic aerosols in Titan’s atmosphere and their prebiotic implications.
Pulmonary symptoms and eosinophilia due to filariasis.

Summary An unusual syndrome of asthma, eosinophilia and axillary adenopathy occurred in a young man who had been in South Korea. Lymph node biopsy showed a filarial worm, probably Wuchereria malayi , and the patient was treated with diethylcarbamazine.
On the Relationship between the Streamfunction and Velocity Potential of the Madden–Julian Oscillation

Abstract The streamfunction and velocity potential variances associated with the Madden–Julian oscillation are explained substantially by their zonal wavenumber-1 components, which are used to measure quantitatively the phase relationship between the two variables. There exists a quarter-cycle phase difference between them. A simplified streamfunction budget equation was used to demonstrate analytically that this spatial quadrature relationship is maintained through the counteraction between streamfunction tendencies induced by the horizontal advection of planetary vorticity and the divergence of planetary vorticity flux.
Leukemia Virus Suppression of Antibody-Forming Cells: Ultrastructure of Infected Spleens

Infection of adult BALB/c mice with Friend disease virus results in a leukemia-like disease characterized by erythropoietic changes and splenomegaly. A marked depression of formation of cellular and serum antibody occurs in infected animals. Electron-microscopic examination of the ultrastructure of spleen sections from infected mice with depressed immunity revealed that virus particles can be detected only in immature blastlike lymphoid cells and not in plasmocytes characteristic of the immune response in spleens of noninfected mice immunized with sheep erythrocytes.
Temporal X-ray astronomy with a pinhole camera

The first preliminary results from the Ariel-5 All-Sky X-Ray Monitor are presented, along with sufficient experiment details to define the experiment sensitivity. Periodic modulation of the X-ray emission is investigated from three sources with which specific periods have been associated, with the results that the 4.8 h variation from Cyg X-3 is confirmed, a long-term average 5.6 day variation from Cyg X-1 is discovered, and no detectable 0.787 day modulation of Sco X-1 is observed. Consistency of the long-term Sco X-1 emission with a ‘shot-noise’ model is discussed, wherein the source behavior is shown to be interpretable as ∼ 100 ‘flares’ per day, each with a duration of several hours. A sudden increase in the Cyg X-1 intensity by almost a factor of three on 22 April, 1975 is reported, after 5 months of relative source constancy. The light curve of a bright nova-like transient source in Triangulum is presented, and compared with previously observed transient sources. Preliminary evidence for the existence of X-ray ‘bursts’ with duration <1 h is offered, with the caveat that there is not yet any supporting evidence to guarantee that the effect is truly astronomical.
Neuronal nitric oxide synthase-dependent elevation in adiponectin in the rostral ventrolateral medulla underlies g protein-coupled receptor 18-mediated hypotension in conscious rats

Direct activation of the endocannabinoid receptor G protein–coupled receptor 18 (GPR18) in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) of conscious rats by abnormal cannabidiol (Abn CBD; trans-4-[3-methyl-6-(1-methylethenyl)-2-cyclohexen-1-yl]-5-pentyl-1,3-benzenediol) elevates local nitric oxide (NO) and adiponectin (ADN) levels and reduces oxidative stress and blood pressure (BP). However, the molecular mechanisms for GPR18-mediated neurochemical responses, including the nitric oxide synthase isoform that generates NO, and their potential causal link to the BP reduction are not known. We hypothesized that GPR18-mediated enhancement of Akt, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) phosphorylation, triggered by a reduction in cAMP, accounts for the NO/ADN-dependent reductions in RVLM oxidative stress and BP. Intra-RVLM GPR18 activation (Abn CBD; 0.4 μg) enhanced RVLM Akt, ERK1/2, and nNOS phosphorylation as well as ADN levels during the hypotensive response. Prior GPR18 blockade with O-1918 (1,3-dimethoxy-5-methyl-2-[(1R,6R)-3-methyl-6-(1-methylethenyl)-2-cyclohexen-1-yl]benzene) produced the opposite effects and abrogated Abn CBD–evoked neurochemical and BP responses. Pharmacological inhibition of RVLM phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt (wortmannin), ERK1/2 (PD98059 [2-​(2-​amino-​3-​methoxyphenyl)-​4H-​1-​benzopyran-​4-​one]), or nNOS (Nω-propyl-l-arginine), or activation of adenylyl cyclase (forskolin) virtually abolished intra-RVLM Abn CBD–evoked hypotension and the increases in Akt, ERK1/2, and nNOS phosphorylation and in ADN levels in the RVLM. Our pharmacological and neurochemical findings support a pivotal role for PI3K, Akt, ERK1/2, nNOS, and adenylyl cyclase, via modulation of NO, ADN, and cAMP levels, in GPR18 regulation of the RVLM redox state and BP in conscious rats.