cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Distinct tumor microenvironments of lytic and blastic bone metastases in prostate cancer patients

The most common metastatic lesions of prostate cancer are in bone and can be classified into three distinct pathology subtypes: lytic, blastic, and an indeterminate mixture of both. We investigated a cohort of decalcified formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) patient specimens from the bone that contained metastatic prostate cancer with lytic or blastic features. These tissue sections were utilized for immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining, isolation of RNA for gene expression, and Digital Spatial Profiling (DSP) of changes in both the tumor and microenvironment. A diverse set of unique immune cell populations and signaling pathways to both lytic and blastic types of prostate cancer metastases were present. In blastic lesions immune cells were enriched for pSTAT3 and components of the JAK-STAT pathway. In lytic-type lesions, immune cells were enriched for pAKT activity and components of the PI3K-AKT pathway. Enrichment for immune checkpoints including PD-L1, B7-H4, OX40L, and IDO-1 were identified in blastic prostate cancer, providing new therapeutic targets for patients with bone metastases. Biopsies could guide selection of patients into appropriate therapeutic interventions based on protein levels and RNA expression of desired targets in metastatic disease. Molecular pathology has been an excellent complement to the diagnosis, treatment, and management of primary tumors and could be successfully extended to patients with metastatic lesions.
Contraceptive vaginal ring reduces lamotrigine levels.

Abstract Objective The objective of the study was to describe the effect of the vaginal ring and transdermal patch on lamotrigine serum levels in women with epilepsy. Background Previous studies demonstrate that oral hormonal contraceptives containing synthetic estrogen increase lamotrigine clearance through induction of glucuronidation. This leads to variable lamotrigine serum concentrations throughout monthly cycles in women who are on combined oral contraceptives (COCs). The effects of estrogen-containing nonoral hormonal contraceptive methods, including the vaginal ring and transdermal patch, on lamotrigine pharmacokinetics are not well described. Methods Retrospective chart review was performed to identify serum lamotrigine levels drawn from women with epilepsy while on the active phase of vaginal ring or transdermal patch and while off contraception. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests for paired data were used to compare the difference in dose-corrected lamotrigine concentration in plasma between values while on hormonal contraception to those while off contraception in patients using a vaginal ring. Results Six patients were using the vaginal ring, and one patient was using the transdermal patch. Lamotrigine dose-corrected concentrations were decreased during the active phase of the vaginal ring compared with concentrations during the period off contraception (p = .04). There was one patient without a decrease in concentration, but the other five patients on the vaginal ring had a decrease in dose-corrected lamotrigine concentration ranging from 36 to 70% while on the vaginal ring. Similarly, one patient using the transdermal patch had a decrease of 37% in dose-corrected lamotrigine concentration while on the patch. Conclusions The findings support that the vaginal ring contraceptive method decreases lamotrigine concentrations during the active phase of treatment. This has important implications for contraceptive counseling and maintaining therapeutic levels in women of childbearing age with epilepsy.
Low noise submillimeter mixers in single mode waveguide

Quasi-optical mixers using the cube corner geometry have demonstrated low noise performance over very wide bandwidths throughout the submillimeter, [1] but suffer from some significant disadvantages relative to millimeter wave mixers in waveguide. One of the most important is a rather poor beam pattern. Measured patterns of typical cube corner mixers at 692 GHz show a fairly symmetric main lobe but a large number of side lobes at the −10 dB level. This leads to a coupling efficiency to a typical single mode source of <50%, meaning that the effective receiver noise in a typical application is twice that measured with hot and cold loads. This low coupling also leads to a large local oscillator power requirement since the LO must be coupled in optically. In addition the typical mounting impedance for a mixer diode is fairly high and is not readily adjusted. This requires diodes of the lowest possible capacitance to obtain good performance. Waveguide mounted mixers can overcome all of these obstacles, but must use the minimum length of waveguide to avoid high input loss. In this work two such mixers have been built, one for 330–500 GHz and the other for 600–750 GHz, both designed for cryogenic operation. While the waveguides are very small, a simplified design and new assembly techniques make these practical devices to build.
FIT: A community-engaged approach to health and physical education

Background: The purpose of the Smart Nutrition and Conditioning for Kids (SNACK) pilot study was to increase fitness levels and overall health of children aged 7 to 9 years in two elementary school...
Management of self-seeding winter cereal cover crops in a soybean-corn rotation

Cover crops provide environmental benefits, yet adoption in agronomic farming systems is low. Winter rye (Secale cereale L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and triticale (x Triticosecale Wittmack) were used to develop self-seeding cover crop systems in a soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]-corn (Zea mays L.) rotation. Winter cereals were seeded in two or four 19-cm rows between each future 76-cm soybean row. Management systems in soybean were four rows with early (4REB) and late (4RLB) spring glyphosate to eliminate two rows adjacent to the soybean row and mechanical control, four rows with mechanical control (4RNB) only, two rows with mechanical control (2RB), and two rows with no mechanical control (2RBNC). These residual treatments were managed in corn the following year to promote self-seeding using chemical and mechanical control. In both corn years, treatment 2RBNC in rye increased in plant density until late October, while wheat and triticale treatments were at final plant densities following soybean harvest in 2004. In 2005, wheat plant density increased until one week after soybean harvest. The winter cereal cover crops self-seeded enough to produce green ground cover of 29% in treatment 2RBNC in the late fall of 2004, while all other treatments had 15% green ground cover. Wheat treatments in late fall of 2005 had between 36 and 61% green ground cover, which could reduce erosion significantly. The cover crop self-seeded adequately after soybean, but after two years few
Brominated tyrosine and polyelectrolyte multilayer analysis by laser desorption vacuum ultraviolet postionization and secondary ion mass spectrometry.

The small molecular analyte 3,5-dibromotyrosine (Br2Y) and chitosan-alginate polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEM) with and without adsorbed Br2Y were analyzed by laser desorption postionization mass spectrometry (LDPI-MS). LDPI-MS using 7.87 eV laser and tunable 8 ? 12.5 eV synchrotron vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) radiation found that desorption of clusters from Br2Y films allowed detection by≤8 eV single photon ionization. Thermal desorption and electronic structure calculations determined the ionization energy of Br2Y to be ~;;8.3?0.1 eV and further indicated that the lower ionization energies of clusters permitted their detection at≤8 eV photon energies. However, single photon ionization could only detect Br2Y adsorbed within PEMs when using either higher photon energies or matrix addition to the sample. All samples were also analyzed by 25 keV Bi3 + secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), with the negative ion spectra showing strong parent ion signal which complemented that observed by LDPI-MS. The negative ion SIMS depended strongly on the high electron affinity of this specific analyte and the analyte?s condensed phase environment.
Selfassembly of Metallic Nanoparticle Arrays by DNA Scaffolding

We report the self-assembly of metallic nanoparticle arrays using DNA crystals as a programmable molecular scaffolding. Gold nanoparticles, 1.4 nm in diameter, are assembled in two-dimensional arrays with interparticle spacings of 4 and 64 nm. The nanoparticles form precisely integrated components, which are covalently bonded to the DNA scaffolding. These results show that heterologous chemical systems can be assembled into precise, programmable geometrical arrangements by DNA scaffolding, thereby representing a critical step toward the realization of DNA nanotechnology.
Environmental Influences on the Distribution of Mangroves on Bahamas Island

Mangrove forests provide valuable ecosystem services but are declining in many tropical locations. The abundance of mangrove species in coastal fringe forests is related to biotic processes such as species succession or competition and abiotic factors, including nutrient availability, physiochemical water quality, soil composition, and tidal inundation. We examined the abundance of Rhizophora mangle and Avicennia germinans relative to environmental factors, including porewater chemistry, soil substrate, and distance from the ocean, on Bahamas Island. In this system, R. mangle were primarily found in litter-dominated soils and abundances were positively related to distance from the ocean, while A. germinans was only found in sandy soils closest to the ocean. Although phosphate, alkalinity, and salinity in porewater did not explain the distribution of species, free chloride varied significantly with distance from the ocean. These results suggest that soil conditions and tidal inundation may help determine the distribution of mangrove species on Caribbean islands.
The Emergence of Communication Gestalts

ABSTRACT Extant theory identifies numerous aspects of communication which are critical to the success of employees' relational and tactical performance: communication frequency, quality, and climate. Gestalt theory is applied to these three elements, identifying common configurations of communication which emerge over time in a service firm. Participative communication gestalts are developed which encompass frequent communications, open/supportive climates, and quality interactions. These gestalts are favorably associated with job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and effective relationships. Conversely, restrictive communication gestalts are associated with unfavorable outcomes. Results emphasize the importance of examining a myriad of communication elements, providing a more robust picture of organizational reality in the services arena.
Dispersion analysis of multilayer planar lines containing ferrite regions using an extended 2D-FDTD method

The compact 2D-FDTD (finite-difference time-domain) method is extended to include ferrites. The formulation is briefly described, and two examples are given: a ferrite-loaded rectangular guide and a finline with composite ferrite-dielectric substrate. >
How Unripe We Are

This article demonstrates the political and cultural consequences of food production as they played out during the Revolutionary era. The Seven Years' War and the Revolutionary War itself demonstrated that access to food was inseparable from access to freedom. After delineating this political education, the article goes on to show how Americans drew heavily on a specific intellectual construction of food in order to distinguish themselves from what they were coming to condemn as European luxury, sloth, and indulgence. In the process, their constructions—if European accounts are to be believed—gradually came to fruition as Americans began to highlight the virtues of a “frontier” style of cooking and eating that emphasized rusticity and practicality.
Retroperitoneal hemorrhage due to spontaneous rupture of an aneurysm of pancreaticoduodenal artery

Retroperitoneal hemorrhage due to spontaneous rupture of an aneurysm of pancreaticoduodenal artery
Skeletal Muscle Action Potentials

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses skeletal muscle action potentials. The chapter focuses on sarcolemmal electrophysiological properties that are the bases of the action potential (AP) generation. The chapter also reviews briefly general electrophysiological principles that can be applied to skeletal muscle fibers. The chapter discusses several related concepts, including ion channel activation and inactivation, electrogenesis of depolarizing afterpotentials, and excitation delivery to fiber interior. Conduction into the T-tubular system and evidence for T-tubule communication with the sarcoplasmic reticulum across the triadic junction are also discussed under excitation delivery to fiber interior. It is mentioned that the AP spike in skeletal muscle fibers is followed by a prominent depolarizing afterpotential, also called a negative afterpotential. The skeletal AP is considerably different from the AP of cardiac muscle cells, which has a very long duration with a pronounced plateau and a substantially lower rate of rise and propagation velocity. A general overview of electrogenesis of the AP and the ion channel activation and inactivation are discussed. The skeletal AP is terminated partly by the turn-on of the K+ conductance. The Cl– conductance (gCl)of skeletal muscle fibers is generally very high, and it is important for producing a sharp repolarization of the AP. ATP-dependent K+ (KATP) channels are characterized by the inhibition of channel openings by ATP. The cell membranes of most excitable cells apparently pass through similar stages of differentiation during development. One type of skeletal muscle fibers, known as slow fibers, subserves tonic functions, including posture. When the end plate potential (EPP), generated at the neuromuscular junction, reaches threshold for eliciting an AP in the skeletal muscle fiber, an AP is propagated down the muscle fiber in both directions from the end plate.
A Governing Theory of Legislative Organization

We propose a theory of legislative organization that centers on the governing responsibilities of legislatures. Many legislative issues are non-discretionary in the sense that considerations besides the pre-existing policy priorities of the lawmakers or parties motivate action. For example, it is easy to predict that Congress would take up children's health insurance this term because the law authorizing the SCHIP program is due to expire. Governing obligations of this kind consume valuable agenda space, giving electorally motivated lawmakers reasons to support structures and routines intended to increase overall legislative productivity. Committees exist to advance this collective goal. We begin by developing a theory that explains how committees are able to overcome the attendant collective action problems first articulated by Mayhew (1974). We then derive predictions concerning who sets the floor agenda, and test them against the predictions of leading partisan and informational theories.
Ensemble of sparse classifiers for high-dimensional biological data

Biological data are often high in dimension while the number of samples is small. In such cases, the performance of classification can be improved by reducing the dimension of data, which is referred to as feature selection. Recently, a novel feature selection method has been proposed utilising the sparsity of high-dimensional biological data where a small subset of features accounts for most variance of the dataset. In this study we propose a new classification method for high-dimensional biological data, which performs both feature selection and classification within a single framework. Our proposed method utilises a sparse linear solution technique and the bootstrap aggregating algorithm. We tested its performance on four public mass spectrometry cancer datasets along with two other conventional classification techniques such as Support Vector Machines and Adaptive Boosting. The results demonstrate that our proposed method performs more accurate classification across various cancer datasets than those conventional classification techniques.
Safety of Hypertensive Hypervolemic Therapy With Phenylephrine in the Treatment of Delayed Ischemic Deficits After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Background and Purpose Hypertensive hypervolemic therapy has been shown to reverse delayed ischemic deficits after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Concern has been raised about systemic complications of therapy, including pulmonary edema and myocardial ischemia, especially when high doses of vasopressors are used. Patients in whom delayed ischemic deficits were treated with hypervolemia and phenylephrine were prospectively evaluated for signs of systemic toxicity. Methods Twenty-four consecutive patients treated with hypertensive hypervolemic therapy after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage were studied. Sixty-seven percent had underlying cardiac disease, vascular disease, or hypertension. No patient was excluded because of age or preexisting cardiac disease. Patients were closely monitored for signs of congestive heart failure (physical examination, chest x-ray films, arterial blood gases, cardiac index, pulmonary artery wedge pressure, and oxygen requirement). Indicators of cardiac ischemia and othe...
Initial experience with a bone-anchored sling for stress urinary incontinence

Abstract Objective: To present initial data involving the use of Vesica bone-anchoring technique for stress urinary incontinence. Methods: Thirty women from February 1997 through October 1999 underwent a bone anchor sling procedure for stress urinary incontinence, intrinsic sphincter deficiency, or both. Their average age was 58.8 (43–77); 19 were white, 11 Hispanic. Indications included stress alone (18), stress plus ISD (6), and mixed (6). Results: Of the 30 patients, 28 were completely dry and 2 improved. There were few complications: three slings were removed—two for tissue rejection (average, 438 days postplacement), one for persistently high postvoid residual urine (all were Protogen). Three cystotomies with passer placement were treated without consequence with prolonged catheterization. Conclusion: Treatment for stress urinary incontinence with the vesica bone-anchoring system is a minimally invasive alternative to other sling procedures and retropubic suspensions when either the alloderm or donor fascia is used for the sling. legend . Procedure legend Sling Average Time to normal void (days) Hospital stay (days) Average follow-up (days) Current incontinence score P F A Sling 2 3 4 87.5 11.0 3.7 200 10 Sling+ 8 6 7 479 9.1 3.9 267 9.71 All 10 9 11 343 9.7 3.9 267 9.78 legend P = Protogen (synthetic); F = donor fascia; A = alloderm. Incontinence score = 1–10 (5 = preoperative condition, 10 = completely dry).
Laboratory implementation of quantum-control-mechanism identification through Hamiltonian encoding and observable decoding

We report on the laboratory implementation of quantum-control-mechanism identification through Hamiltonian encoding and observable decoding (HE-OD). Over a sequence of experiments, HE-OD introduces a special encoded signature into the components of a previously determined control field expressed in a chosen representation. The outcome appears as a modulated signal in the controlled system observable. Decoding the modulated signal identifies the hierarchy of correlations between components of the control field in a particular representation. In cases where the initial quantum state and observable operator are fully known, then HE-OD can also identify the transition amplitudes of the various Dyson expansion orders contributing to the controlled dynamics. The basic principles of HE-OD are illustrated for second harmonic generation when the components of the field representation are simply taken as the pixels in the pulse shaper. The outcome of HE-OD agrees well with simulations, verifying the concept.
Parental Depression Risk and Reduced Physiological Responses During a Valence Identification Task

Examining pupillary motility as a psychophysiological measure of cognitive-affective processing, the current study aimed to elucidate psychophysiological correlates of early resilience to parental depression risk. Forty-one never-depressed female college students were categorized based on presence or absence of parental depression history. Participants completed an emotional valence identification task, while pupil data were gathered to examine whether correlates consistent with negative potentiated processing and emotion context insensitivity might precede first onsets. Instead, results showed that having formerly depressed parents (higher risk) corresponded with decreased early pupil dilation in response to negative, neutral, and positive words. Results suggest that early resilience to parental depression risk can be expressed by decreased neurocognitive reactivity to lexical information during a valence identification task. Given that participants navigated childhood without depression, this pattern could reflect decreased emotional engagement with this task as an indicator of relative resilience to inherited risk.
Infrared imaging of late-type stars

Infrared imaging properties of dusty winds around late-type stars are investigated in detail, employing a self-consistent model that couples the equations of motion and radiative transfer. Because of general scaling properties, the angular profiles of surface brightness are self-similar. In any given star, the profile shape is determined essentially by overall optical depth at each wavelength and it is self-similarly scaled by the size of the dust condensation zone. We find that the mid-IR is the best wavelength range to measure directly the angular size of this zone, and from {\it IRAS} data we identify the 15 best candidates for such future observations. We also show that the visibility function at short wavelengths ($\la$ 2 \mic) directly determines the scattering optical depth, and produce theoretical visibility curves for various characteristic wavelengths and the entire parameter range relevant to late-type stars. The infrared emission should display time variability because of cyclical changes in overall optical depth, reflecting luminosity-induced movement of the dust condensation point. Calculations of the wavelength dependence of photometric amplitudes and time variability of envelope sizes are in agreement with observations; envelopes are bigger and bluer at maximum light.
Curing and constitutive relationships for polyester mortar

The compressive and tensile properties of polyester mortar were studied under various curing conditions, temperature, and strain rate. The curing temperature was varied from room temperature to 80°C. The behavior of polyester mortar was studied using a uniform sand with strain rate and temperature varied between 0.01 to 6 percent strain per minute and 22°C and 120°C, respectively. The strength, failure strain, modulus and stress-strain relationships of polyester mortar are influenced by the curing method, testing temperature, and strain rate to varying degrees. The influence of test variables on the mechanical properties of polyester mortar are quantified. Pretreating the aggregates with a silane coupling agent further enhances the compressive and tensile strength of the mortar. The compressive modulus and splitting tensile strength of polyester mortar are related to the compressive strength. A constitutive model is used to predict the compressive stress-strain behavior of polyester mortar.
Switching between Mii and Wii: The effects of cultural priming on the social affective N400

The effect of priming cultural schemas on the neural mechanisms underlying attention is not well understood. Individuals in multicultural environments often switch between cultural schemas according to the immediate sociocultural context (Hong et al. in Am Psychol, 55:709–720, 2000). Across behavioral and neural measures, individuals from collectivist cultures (e.g., East Asians) have been shown to allocate greater attention to background objects and are more sensitive to social context relative to individuals from individualist cultures (e.g., European Americans). We sought to examine whether or not priming of independent and interdependent self-construal affects neural activity underlying attention to social contexts in bicultural (i.e., East Asian Americans) and monocultural (i.e., European Americans) individuals. Using a modified N400 event-related potential design, we measured the degree to which East Asian American participants and European American participants, responded to affective incongruity in the emotional expression of a central figure relative to the surrounding figures. As predicted, when East Asian American bicultural participants were primed with interdependent values they displayed greater N400s to incongruent affective stimuli than congruent affective stimuli. In contrast, when primed with independent values, bicultural participants did not display a greater N400 to incongruent stimuli. European American participants did not display a greater N400 under either priming condition. Implications for the N400, biculturalism, and dynamic culture are discussed.
The role of Self-Organized Criticality in elasticity of metallic springs: Observations of a new dissipation regime

We present investigations of low-frequency stochastic deviations from elasticity of Maraging steel springs used in the seismic isolation of the Virgo, Advanced LIGO, and TAMA interferometers. Our studies reveal unexpected facets of elasticity and dissipation in metals, in which a spring is observed to abandon its linear behavior. Various forms of anomalous low-frequency oscillator behavior are characterized, quantified and discussed. These include fluctuations of the Young’s Modulus, hysteretic properties, random walk of equilibrium point and spontaneous de-stabilization events, which occasionally lead to collapse. We made a conjecture that rationalizes all of the anomalies, namely that the observed effects are due to collective interactions of entangling and disentangling dislocations. A phase transition involving switching from a linear to a chaotic regimes is observed —at time scales less than one second— and is shown to be consistent with Self-Organized Criticality (SOC). The threshold frequency to this regime is determined by the material characteristics, as well as by the physical shape and dimensions of flexures.
Dominant inhibition of lens placode formation in mice.

The lens in the vertebrate eye has been shown to be critical for proper differentiation of the surrounding ocular tissues including the cornea, iris and ciliary body. In mice, previous investigators have assayed the consequences of molecular ablation of the lens. However, in these studies, lens ablation was initiated (and completed) after the cornea, retina, iris and ciliary body had initiated their differentiation programs thereby precluding analysis of the early role of the lens in fate determination of these tissues. In the present study, we have ablated the lens precursor cells of the surface ectoderm by generation of transgenic mice that express an attenuated version of diphtheria toxin (Tox176) linked to a modified Pax6 promoter that is active in the lens ectodermal precursors. In these mice, lens precursor cells fail to express Sox2, Prox1 and αA-crystallin and die before the formation of a lens placode. The Tox176 mice also showed profound alterations in the corneal differentiation program. The corneal epithelium displayed histological features of the skin, and expressed markers of skin differentiation such as Keratin 1 and 10 instead of Keratin 12, a marker of corneal epithelial differentiation. In the Tox176 mice, in the absence of the lens, extensive folding of the retina was seen. However, differentiation of the major cell types in the retina including the ganglion, amacrine, bipolar and horizontal cells was not affected. Unexpectedly, ectopic placement of the retinal pigmented epithelium was seen between the folds of the retina. Initial specification of the presumptive ciliary body and iris at the anterior margins of the retina was not altered in the Tox176 mice but their subsequent differentiation was blocked. Lacrimal and Harderian glands, which are derived from the Pax6-expressing surface ectodermal precursors, also failed to differentiate. These results suggest that, in mice, specification of the retina, ciliary body and iris occurs at the very outset of eye development and independent of the lens. In addition, our results also suggest that the lens cells of the surface ectoderm may be critical for the proper differentiation of the corneal epithelium.
Gents, Jerks, and Jocks: What Male Students Learn about Masculinity in College.

The academy plays a significant role in male students' experience of gender. How can educators effectively support healthy and productive gender identity development among college men? This question is explored in this article.
Cortical neurons are a prominent source of the proinflammatory cytokine osteopontin in HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders

The proinflammatory cytokine osteopontin (OPN) is elevated in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in individuals with HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) and remains so in those on suppressive antiretroviral therapy. To understand the pathophysiological significance of elevated OPN in the CNS, we sought to determine the cellular source of this cytokine. As HIV-1 replicates productively in macrophages/microglia, we tested whether these cells are the predominant producers of OPN in the brain. Stringent patient selection criteria, which excluded brain tissues from those with evidence of drug abuse and dependence, were used. Uninfected normal controls, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), HIV+ asymptomatic neurocognitive impairment (ANI), and HIV+ mild neurocognitive disorder (MND)/HIV-associated dementia (HAD) groups were included. Double-label immunohistochemistry for CNS cells and OPN was used to quantify OPN expression in astrocytes, macrophages/microglia, and neurons. While resident macrophages/microglia expressed OPN, astrocytes and unexpectedly neurons were also a major source of OPN. OPN levels in ionized Ca2+-binding adapter 1 (Iba1)/allograft inflammatory factor-1 (AIF-1)+ microglia in HIV+ ANI and MND/HAD exceeded those of HIV-negative controls and were comparable to expression seen in ALS. Moreover, in neurons, OPN was expressed at the highest levels in the HIV+ ANI group. These findings suggest that while infiltrating HIV-infected macrophages are most likely the initial source of OPN, resident CNS cells become activated and also express this inflammatory cytokine at significant levels. Moreover, as OPN levels are elevated compared to uninfected individuals and increases with the severity of impairment, it appears that the expression of OPN is persistent and sustained within the brain parenchyma in those that progress to HAND.
Stellar occultation measurements of atmospheric ozone and chlorine from OAO 3

The Princeton University telescope on the Orbiting Astronomical Observatory 3 was used for occultation measurements of upper-atmospheric species. The target star, Beta Cen, and observing date were selected so that the line of sight grazed earth's limb at local midnight. Observations at 2580, 2825, 2997, 3100, and 3428 A produced ozone absorption data of high statistical accuracy between 48-km and 114-km tangent altitude. Near-exponential density profiles are obtained up to 85 km. Near 100 km, a significant density excess above the extrapolated low-altitude profile is observed. Near-equatorial observations at altitudes up to approximately 75 km agree well with theoretical calculations. Ozone densities measured at 6.5 to 12.5 deg S latitude above approximately 75 km exceed the theoretical calculations and are not understood at the present time. A search for the 1188-A chlorine line in the 1187-A O2 absorption feature was carried out at tangent altitudes of 96-116 km. An upper limit of 3 ppb to the atomic chlorine mixing ratio at 106 km is found. This upper limit exceeds the expected value for atomic chlorine by a factor of approximately 2.5.
Substance K and substance P as possible endogenous substrates of angiotensin converting enzyme in the brain

Abstract In the brain angiotensin converting enzyme is highly localized to a striatonigral pathway, which contains no endogenous angiotensin. Substance P, also localized to a striatonigral pathway, is degraded by ACE via two different pathways. The lung and striatal isozymes of angiotensin converting enzyme exhibit differential cleavage of substance P, with lung preferring an initial tripeptide cleavage, and striatum an initial dipeptide cleavage. Substance K is degraded by the striatal isozyme but is not cleaved by the lung isozyme. Substance P 5–11 is not cleaved by either form of angiotensin converting enzyme.
Immediate breast reconstruction using porcine acellular dermal matrix (Strattice™): long-term outcomes and complications.

Summary Background There has been limited reported experience with the use of Strattice™ (LifeCell Corp., Branchburg, NJ), a porcine-derived acellular dermal matrix, in implant-based breast reconstruction. The purpose of this study is to evaluate our experience with this matrix. Methods Patients who underwent immediate single-stage or two-stage implant-based breast reconstruction with the assistance of Strattice were included in this study. Patient charts were reviewed for indications for mastectomy, adjunctive radiotherapy use, implant or expander volume, length of follow-up period, and type and incidence of complications during the follow-up period. Biopsies of Strattice were taken for histological analyses. Results A total of 105 reconstructions were performed in 54 patients: 77% were prophylactic and 23% were oncologic. All, but 4, reconstructions were single stage. Mean implant volume of single-stage reconstructions were 444.1 (range: 150–700 cc) and mean expander volume after completion of expansion was 400 (range: 350–450). Mean follow-up period was 41.3 months (range: 35.5–48.4 months). Total complication rate was 8.6%. Complications occurred in 9 breasts: implant loss or explantation (3.8%), infection (3.8%), skin breakdown or necrosis (2.9%), seroma (1.9%), implant exposure (1.0%), and delayed skin healing (1.0%). Histological analyses of implanted Strattice revealed a viable matrix with fibroblast infiltration and revascularization. Conclusions Over a mean 3.5-year follow-up period, low complication rates and good outcomes were observed with the use of Strattice that are comparable to those reported with human acellular dermal matrices.
Further studies of calcium phosphate growth on phosphorylated cotton fibres

Further studies using scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM/EDX), micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and solid state magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS NMR) techniques of calcium phosphate growth on Ca(OH)2-treated urea/H3PO3- and urea/H3PO4-modified cotton fibres are reported. In the case of the Ca(OH)2-treated urea/H3PO3-modified fibres which have been reported in an earlier paper, further experiments subjecting the urea/H3PO3-modified cotton to alternative soaking treatment procedures to Ca(OH)2 as well as different calcium phosphate growth media such as the alkaline phosphatase-catalysed hydrolysis of disodium p-nitrophenylphosphate to free phosphate have reaffirmed the importance of the Ca(OH)2 treatment step for the stimulus and growth of calcium phosphate growth on the fibres. Studies on cotton phosphorylated by a slightly different method using urea/H3PO4 instead of urea/H3PO3 show that a phosphorylated cotton with similar properties to the urea/H3PO3-modified fibres can be produced. Soaking of these fibres in saturated Ca(OH)2 solution leads to cotton coated with thin layers of calcium phosphate formed by partial hydrolysis of the PO4 functionalities in the phosphorylated cotton which are believed to act as nucleation layers for further calcium phosphate deposition when the fibres are subsequently soaked in 1.5×SBF solution. SEM/EDX studies of the calcium phosphate coatings formed on the Ca(OH)2-treated urea-H3PO4 fibres as a function of soaking time in 1.5 × SBF show that coatings deposit and become noticeably thick after approximately 9 days. XPS studies indicated the presence of carbonate species in the calcium phosphate coating deposited. In common with the calcium phosphate coated Ca(OH)2-treated urea/H3PO3-modified fibres studied earlier, the average EDX-measured Ca: P ratios of the coatings formed on the Ca(OH)2-treated urea/H3PO4 fibres are ∼ 1.60 and give very similar micro-FTIR spectra with evidence of carbonate which suggests that amorphous calcium deficient apatite has deposited.
Review of the ecological and economic significance of forest Hepialidae (Insecta: Lepidoptera)

Abstract The Hepialidae are primitive moths found throughout much of the world in habitats ranging from grasslands to forests. The forest-inhabiting species are best known from South America, the Orient and the western Pacific. Damage to forest trees occurs when larval tunneling and feeding cause wood defects in stems, branches, and roots and provides entry sites for decay or pathogenic micro-organisms. Hosts include a wide range of species from Angiospermae and Gymnospermae although individual species of Hepialidae range from generalist to specialist (monophage) feeders. The Hepialidae generally have a low economic and ecological profile. A few species of forest Hepialidae are recognized pests, but control procedures are limited or non-existent. The recent discovery of high-density populations of Korscheltellus gracilis (Grote) in areas of forest decline in North America suggests that the prevalence and impact of Hepialidae can go undetected until a critical forestry issue focuses attention on their secluded feeding habits.
Airway goblet cells and respiratory epithelial injury in an animal model of obliterative airways disease (OAD).

Goblet cells are important in the maintenance of the epithelial cell population in the airway, defense against injury and storage and release of mucins, which can protect the surface epithelial layer. In our rat tracheal model of acute rejection, there is injury and loss of respiratory epithelium in allografts. This loss of epithelium is associated with obliteration of the airway lumen. In small bowel allografts, studies have shown that the loss of goblet cells is an important histologic feature of rejection. The aims of this study were: (i) to examine for the first time the close time-course of goblet cell proliferation in acute rejection; and (ii) to compare the isograft vs. allograft morphometric changes associated with epithelial damage. Methods: Heterotopically transplanted rat tracheas (n = 45) were harvested at days 3, 5, 7, 10 and 12. Hematoxylin & eosin (H&E), Alcian blue and PAS staining was completed. Computerized image analysis was used to assess epithelial coverage. The mean number of PAS-positive goblet cells counted at 40×/field was determined, and 10 fields were counted per tracheal section. Results: There was a significant decrease in the number of goblet cells in the allografts between days 5 and 12 (p < 0.006). In the isografts, there was a gradual increase from day 3 to 10 (p < 0.05), then a sharp fall from day 10 to 12 (p < 0.03). In isografts from day 7 to 10, the goblet cell number increased, while the percentage respiratory epithelium remained the same. The percentage respiratory epithelial coverage and the number of goblet cells showed a direct correlation in the allografts (r2 = 0.57). Conclusions: Our study shows, for the first time, that goblet cell proliferation occurs in the epithelial repair phase in isografts, whereas in allografts the goblet cells are lost and do not recover.
Secure data deduplication

As the world moves to digital storage for archival purposes, there is an increasing demand for systems that can provide secure data storage in a cost-effective manner. By identifying common chunks of data both within and between files and storing them only once, deduplication can yield cost savings by increasing the utility of a given amount of storage. Unfortunately, deduplication exploits identical content, while encryption attempts to make all content appear random; the same content encrypted with two different keys results in very different ciphertext. Thus, combining the space efficiency of deduplication with the secrecy aspects of encryption is problematic.We have developed a solution that provides both data security and space efficiency in single-server storage and distributed storage systems. Encryption keys are generated in a consistent manner from the chunk data; thus, identical chunks will always encrypt to the same ciphertext. Furthermore, the keys cannot be deduced from the encrypted chunk data. Since the information each user needs to access and decrypt the chunks that make up a file is encrypted using a key known only to the user, even a full compromise of the system cannot reveal which chunks are used by which users.
Surface photometry of celestial sources from a space vehicle: introduction and observational procedures.

Abstract Diffuse celestial sources of relatively low surface brightness such as the Milky Way, zodiacal light, and gegenschein (or contre lumiere) can be studied most reliably from above the earth's atmosphere with equipment flown in artificial satellites. We review the techniques used and some of the difficulties encountered in day-time observations from satellites by the use of a special photometer and polarimeter flown in the orbiting skylab observatory, OSO-6.
Early differential cell death and survival mechanisms initiate and contribute to the development of OPIDN: a study of molecular, cellular, and anatomical parameters.

Abstract Organophosphorus-ester induced delayed neurotoxicity (OPIDN) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by ataxia progressing to paralysis with a concomitant central and peripheral, distal axonapathy. Diisopropylphosphorofluoridate (DFP) produces OPIDN in the chicken that results in mild ataxia in 7–14 days and severe paralysis as the disease progresses with a single dose. White leghorn layer hens were treated with DFP (1.7 mg/kg, sc) after prophylactic treatment with atropine (1 mg/kg, sc) in normal saline and eserine (1 mg/kg, sc) in dimethyl sulfoxide. Control groups were treated with vehicle propylene glycol (0.1 ml/kg, sc), atropine in normal saline and eserine in dimethyl sulfoxide. The hens were euthanized at different time points such as 1, 2, 5, 10 and 20 days, and the tissues from cerebrum, midbrain, cerebellum, brainstem and spinal cord were quickly dissected and frozen for mRNA (northern) studies. Northern blots were probed with BCL2, GADD45, beta actin, and 28S RNA to investigate their expression pattern. Another set of hens was treated for a series of time points and perfused with phosphate buffered saline and fixative for histological studies. Various staining protocols such as Hematoxylin and Eosin (HE Sevier-Munger; Cresyl echt Violet for Nissl substance; and Gallocynin stain for Nissl granules were used to assess various patterns of cell death and degenerative changes. Complex cell death mechanisms may be involved in the neuronal and axonal degeneration. These data indicate altered and differential mRNA expressions of BCL2 (anti apoptotic gene) and GADD45 (DNA damage inducible gene) in various tissues. Increased cell death and other degenerative changes noted in the susceptible regions (spinal cord and cerebellum) than the resistant region (cerebrum), may indicate complex molecular pathways via altered BCL2 and GADD45 gene expression, causing the homeostatic imbalance between cell survival and cell death mechanisms. Semi quantitative analysis revealed that the order of severity of damage declines from the spino-cerebellar, ventral, and dorsal tract respectively, suggesting neuroanatomical specificity. Thus, early activation of cell death and cell survival processes may play significant role in the clinical progression and syndromic clinical feature presentation of OPIDN.
Studies of an Insect Mycosis. V. Color Changes Accompanying Parasitism in Platysamia Cecropia

The morphological and histological changes in cercopia moths ( Platysamia cecropia L. ) parasitized by Aspergillus flavus Link have been reported in previous papers (Sussman 1951a, b). During these investigations it was noted that trauma or disease usually caused the blackening of the insect's integument and blood, in agreement with many previous observations (v. Furth and Schneider 1901; Schlottke 1926; Bhagvat and Richter 1938). Such blackening is due to the action of the enzyme tyrosinase which is almost universally present in insects and which is considered to play an important role in their respiration and structural development (Heller 1947; Sussman 1949). It was to determine the reasons for this color change and its relation to the disease process that these investigations were undertaken.
Leishmania pifanoi: kinetics of messenger RNA expression during amastigote to promastigote transformation in vitro.

Abstract Conditions have been developed which induce axenically grown Leishmania pifanoi amastigotes to transform into the promastigote stage in a highly reproducible fashion. Transformation was induced by a temperature shift from 31 to 22°C, was inhibited by high cell concentration (≥40 × 10 6 cells/ml), and was unaffected by pH from 5.5–7.2. Morphologic transformation was first evident at 8 hr after induction, had occurred in >50% of cells by 24 hr, and was >90% complete by 48 hr. This system enabled study of the kinetics of mRNA expression during the transformation of Leishmania . The differentially expressed mRNAs for ATPase 1a and 1b. α- and β-tubulin, P100/11E, Pro-1, and pLm 2, 7, 14, and 16 exhibited complex patterns of temporal expression, suggesting a highly regulated process. Differentiation on the biochemical level was evident within an hour and continued throughout the course of morphologic transformation. In addition, transformed L. pifanoi promastigotes in the plateau growth phase expressed genes characteristic of metacyclic promastigotes. Axenically cultured L. pifanoi should provide an excellent model for the study of differentiation in Leishmania .
Reflective interferometry for optical metamaterial phase measurements.

The unambiguous determination of optical refractive indices of metamaterials is a challenging task for device applications and the study of new optical phenomena. We demonstrate here simple broadband phase measurements of metamaterials using spectrally and spatially resolved interferometry. We study the phase response of a π-shaped metamaterial known to be an analog to electromagnetically induced transparency. The measured broadband interferograms give the phase delay or advance produced by the metamaterial in a single measurement. The presented technique offers an effective way of characterizing optical metamaterials including nonlinear and gain–metamaterial systems.