cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
How to house a mind inside a brain. Lessons from history.

The eighteenth‐century French philosopher Voltaire once asked how it was that the great Newtonian heavens conform to the commands of physical law, but there remains in the universe “a little creature five feet tall, acting just as he pleases, solely according to his own caprice?” (Robinson, 1980). The question was rhetorical, of course. A century earlier, Voltaire's compatriot Rene Descartes had famously offered humans an exemption from the natural order, by suggesting that causal principles applied to all intelligent behaviour in animals and all automatic behaviour in humans—such as snatching one's hand out of a flame—but that humans alone possessed a pure thinking substance, a conscious, wilful and rational soul created by God. This soul, Descartes said, directed all voluntary movements of the body, through the so‐called animal spirits. Such thinking could no longer stand, Voltaire insisted. The time had come for humans to discover and acquiesce to their place in the natural scheme of things, regardless of the outcome. Consequences aside, what would it mean, pragmatically, to put humans in their place in nature? From the beginning, the answer seemed clear: there must be no more exceptionalism. The human mind—the consciousness in each of us that peers through telescopes, scribbles calculations, falls in love, practices charity and ponders infinity—must be shown to be a product of the same impersonal forces that command the movements of the planets. This, in turn, meant that the new sciences must explain the functional relationship between human conscious experience and the small lump of living matter housed within the human skull, whose affinity for all things mental had been acknowledged even by Descartes: the human brain. More than two centuries later, Voltaire's challenge still resonates. Today, we have high‐tech brain‐imaging machines, a general theory of the origin of life, a map of the …
Doppler Radar Analysis of Vortices over the Mountains of Taiwan

Abstract Small-scale cyclonic vortices, which were embedded within a larger, mesoscale area of cyclonically curved flow, are documented over the mountains of Taiwan during the Taiwan Area Mesoscale Experiment. The vortices are visualized in dual-Doppler radar analyses of the wind field in the region of stratiform precipitation of a decaying mesoscale convective system. Each vortex was approximately 20 km across and had a lifetime on the order of an hour. The vortices formed and decayed during a 4-h period over Taiwan's Central Mountain Range and propagated with the flow associated with the mesoscale area of cyclonically curved flow in which they were embedded. The vortices extended through a deep layer in the troposphere, but were strongest near the mountaintop level, and decayed in intensity with height. Circumstantial evidence is presented that the vortices may have formed through the interaction of the mesoscale area of cyclonic flow with a mountain ridge.
Family Background and State of Mental Health in a Group of Diabetic Schoolchildren

SUMMARY In a material of 145 diabetic and 126 matched non-diabetic schoolchildren aged 7–20 years, the social and family structure was investigated. Family history of mental disturbances and actual mental symptoms of the children were obtained by interviews with the mothers. A diagnosis of the mental health of the children and their mothers was arrived at by clinical judgement. Roughly half the diabetic series was treated more strictly and intensely than the other. The diabetic group had a significantly increased frequency of mentally disturbed mothers who mostly displayed various anxiety symptoms. The frequency of children without reported mental symptoms was the same in the two groups. On examination mentally undisturbed cases were found as often in the diabetic as in the non-diabetic group. The diabetics, especially the older ones, showed somewhat more symptoms per case. The most common symptoms among the diabetics were emotional lability and difficulties with companions. School achievements were evenly performed by the two groups and uninfluenced by the age at onset of diabetes. Diabetic children with pathological mental findings had a significantly increased frequency of mentally disturbed mothers. Cases of “poor” diabetic control were found to have mental symptoms more often than those of “fair” control. In the strictly treated diabetic group there was no increase in problems of adjustment, neither as regards the mothers nor the children. In order to avoid anxiety reactions, the need of careful instruction of both parents and children is emphasized.
Controlled and sustained gene delivery from injectable, porous PLGA scaffolds

Biodegradable poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) scaffolds are widely used for the delivery of therapeutic molecules such as plasmid DNA (pDNA) and growth factors. However, many of these scaffolds must be implanted, and it would be beneficial to develop PGLA systems that can be injected in a minimally invasive manner. In this study, we present an injectable, porous PLGA scaffold that solidifies in situ for controlled gene delivery. Micro-scale porosity was engineered into the system to facilitate cell migration, proliferation and extracellular matrix elaboration. Relatively rapid release of pDNA was achieved through simple mixing into the polymer solution prior to scaffold solidification, whereas sustained release was achieved by incorporating pDNA-laden PLGA microspheres into the polymer solution. Sustained pDNA release was obtained for over 70 days. When the released pDNA was complexed with PEI and used to transfect HEK293 cells, substantial gene transfection was achieved from all time points, demonstrating that the pDNA was bioactive for the entire time course of the study. These in situ forming porous scaffolds for pDNA delivery are easy to prepare and can be injected without invasive surgery. Importantly, localized delivery of bioactive pDNA can be achieved for short to prolonged time periods, and small changes in the system composition permit facile tailoring of release profiles. In the future, this system may be used to control host cell regenerative responses by, for example, inducing cellular migration into the porous scaffold architecture via release of pDNA encoding for chemokines or pro-angiogenic molecules.
The Mechanical Roles of Clasping Leaf Sheaths: Evidence fromArundinaria técta(Poaceae) Shoots Subjected to Bending and Twisting Forces

Representative shoot segments of the grass speciesArundinaria tectaconsisting of one intact internode and its subtending node and clasping leaf sheath were tested to determine the mechanical influence of the leaf sheath on the ability of stems to resist bending and twisting forces. These segments were also used to measure shoot morphometry and composite tissue Young's and shear moduli (EandG,respectively) to simulate the global deformation patterns attending bending and twisting by means of finite element analyses. On average, leaf sheaths contributed 33% of the overall bending stiffness and 43% of the overall torsional stiffness of stem segments. Comparisons betweenEandGof isolated internodes and leaf sheaths indicated that sheaths were composed of stiffer tissues measured either in bending or twisting. Thus, leaf sheaths could act as an external cylindrical brace composed of stiffer materials than those of the internodes they enveloped. The magnitudes of internodalEandGwere correlated with internodal shape such that the ability of internodes to resist twisting relative to the ability to resist bending forces decreased as internodes became more slender or developed thinner walls (both of which occur in an acropetal direction from the base to the tip of shoots). Finite element simulations predicted that, in bending, the leaf sheath laterally braces internodal walls as they tend to ovalize in cross section and push against its inner surface which ovalizes to a lesser extent in the plane normal to the curvature of shoot flexure. In twisting, the successive ovalized transections of internodal walls assumed a helical pattern along the length of shoot segments. This helical deformation pattern was attended by an inner lateral contraction of internodal walls that was less developed in the leaf sheath that thus provided decreasing mechanical support to the internode as the lateral contraction of internodal walls amplified. The twisting of internodes and sheaths was also predicted to concentrate tensile and shear strains in the nodal diaphragm. Here stress intensities sufficient to produce tissue shear failure were concentrated at two opposing points on the surface of the diaphragm. Finite element analyses thus identified a potential weak point in the mechanical construction of hollow, septate shoots that are, nevertheless, more than adequately stiff to support their own weight, yet sufficiently flexible to twist without irreparable damage in normal winds.
A high resolution study of spatial and temporal variability of natural and anthropogenic compounds in offshore Lake Superior sediments

Abstract An 8 km 2 area representative of deep offshore basins in Lake Superior was surveyed with multi-beam sonar and a high-frequency seismic-reflection system to create a high-resolution bathymetric map of the lake floor morphology, which is dominated by ring-shaped depressions attributed to the dewatering of glacial-lacustrine clays. Ten multi-cores were recovered from the survey area. The cores were scanned for magnetic susceptibility (MS), dated by 210 Pb and analyzed for water content, total organic carbon (TOC) and nitrogen (TON), biogenic silica (BSi), and total (THg) and methyl (MeHg) mercury. MS profiles varied considerably, inferring substantial centennial-scale differences in sedimentation history among the core sites. Concentration profiles of the analyzed constituents displayed differences of about ± 15% TOC, ± 40% BSi, ± 50% THg and ± 50% MeHg. Total mercury and methylmercury concentrations were typical of past measurements, and the mean THg accumulation rate (12 μg/m 2 year) was similar in magnitude to that of atmospheric Hg deposition. Sediment mass accumulation rates (MAR) ranged among the cores between average values of about 50 g/m 2 year in the ring centers to as high as 180 g/m 2 year between rings. Temporal variation in MAR within cores varied considerably on a decadal scale as well. Sediment redistribution by bottom currents over the complex morphology of the Lake Superior basin is not uniform in space and time, and indicates that a single core from any given area in the lake may not reflect the true history of environmental conditions that extend even a few hundred meters beyond the core site.
Electrochemistry in Molten Hydroxides: Synthesis of NaCuO2

Abstract An effort to produce highly oxidized copper oxides by electro-deposition in NaOH/KOH melts has resulted in the discovery of a new synthetic route to the Cu 3+ compound NaCuO 2 . Crystals were grown on a platinum-wire working electrode over a range of temperatures (200-300°C) and applied current (-2.0 to -15.0 mA). The products were pure and single phase as confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The isolation of NaCuO 2 indicates that electrolysis in hydroxide melts is a useful method for the preparation of highly oxidized copper oxide materials.
In Vivo ``MRI Phenotyping'' Reveals Changes in Extracellular Matrix Transport and Vascularization That Mediate VEGF-Driven Increase in Breast Cancer Metastasis

Purpose To gain new insights into the relationship between angiogenic factors in breast cancer and their effect on extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling and metastasis, we characterized and validated the “metastatic signature” of human breast cancer cell lines engineered to overexpress VEGF in terms of in vivo MRI-derived angiogenesis and ECM transport parameters.
Celebrating Andrew Alm Benson's 93rd birthday.

We celebrate Andy Benson’s 93rd birthday on September 24, 2010 through this Editorial. This short account about Andy Benson should serve as a prelude to the short article that Andy has written for the entire photosynthesis community, which gives a glimpse of why he left the field of the “path of carbon in photosynthesis,” when he had already discovered, together with Melvin Calvin, James Alan Bassham, and others, most of the major steps in what we now call the Calvin–Benson cycle.
Rethinking health care systems: Private health care provision in India

Abstract Most developing countries have pursued formal health care system strategies which give primacy to government roles in financing and delivering health services. Despite decades of plans and investments based on this norm, the actual health care systems in many countries are quite different than what was intended or desired. Yet policies and plans continue to emphasize a statist approach. This paper argues that, given the current situation in many countries, this long-term strategy to develop a “national health service”—type model of health care provision is misguided and wasteful. The current and potential role of nongovernment health care providers in achieving high levels of access to basic services is highlighted, using data from an extensive analysis of health care financing and delivery in India. Major problems related to quality of care and the financial burden of unregulated fee-for-service medicine are also documented. India and many other countries need to rethink their health care system development strategies to acknowledge and build upon the opportunities offered by the already extensive nongovernment health care sector, rather than to view nongovernment services simply as a constraint to successful public programs. The paper provides specific recommendations as to how this might be done.
Exploratory Factor Analysis of the Human Behavior Rating Scale: A Rural Population

The construct validity of Eaves' Human Behavior Rating Scale (HBRS) was investigated. The HBRS is a scale with 91 Likert-type items designed to measure five factors: arousal (persistence and curiosity), affect (externalizing and internalizing), and cognition. Forty-four teachers of Grades 6, 7, and 8 from two low socioeconomic and rural southern counties completed the HBRS for 320 of their students. Three parcels were submitted for analysis for each of the five dimensions. A five-factor, then a two-factor, solution were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis. A principal-axis factor analysis was employed and an oblique promax rotation was applied. The results supported the five-factor solution with 90.2% of the total variance accounted for when compared to the two-factor solution which recovered 73.4% of the total variance. Intercorrelations between factors ranged from .15 to .76 for the five-factor solution.
Comparison of pattern visual-evoked potentials to perimetry in the detection of visual loss in children with optic pathway gliomas.

Purpose: We sought to compare visual evoked potentials (VEPs) with standard visual field testing in children with visual pathway gliomas. Methods: Fifteen of 40 children with visual pathway gliomas verified on magnetic resonance imaging scan who cooperated with Goldmann visual field (GVF) and 3-channel VEPs were studied. GVFs were obtained in 25 eyes with adequate vision. VEP amplitudes, latencies, and signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) were compared with control subjects. Four of the patients (5 eyes) also had Humphrey visual field testing. Results: Twenty-two of 25 eyes had a field defect, 15 eyes showed a relative or absolute hemianopia, 7 eyes showed a central or generalized depression, and 3 eyes were normal. In hemianopic eyes, 87% showed a depression (GVF) or reduced sensitivity (Humphrey field) in the opposite hemifield. VEP amplitudes and SNRs, normally largest at the midline electrode, were significantly reduced in all eyes with visual field loss. By comparison, lateral electrodes showed significantly lower amplitudes and SNRs in patients and controls. Interhemispheric VEP asymmetry (>2:1 ratio) was seen in 67% of patients with hemianopia and 53% of controls. Conclusions: Reduction of amplitude and SNR at the midline VEP electrode was a sensitive indicator of visual field loss. Interhemispheric VEP asymmetry was not reliable in detection of a hemianopic field defect. VEPs can be a reliable and objective alternative for the detection of visual loss due to optic pathway glioma in children who are intolerant to visual field testing. We recommend the test protocol include pattern-onset and check reversal stimuli of at least one high and one low spatial frequency.
Interaction of Helicobacter pylori with gastric epithelial cells is mediated by the p53 protein family.

Background & Aims: Although the p53 tumor suppressor has been extensively studied, many critical questions remain unanswered about the biological functions of p53 homologs, p73 and p63. Accumulating evidence suggests that both p73 and p63 play important roles in regulation of apoptosis, cell differentiation, and therapeutic drug sensitivity. Methods: Gastric epithelial cells were cocultured with Helicobacter pylori, and the roles of p63 and p73 proteins were assessed by luciferase reporter, real-time polymerase chain reaction, immunoblotting, and cell survival assays. Short hairpin RNA and dominant-negative mutants were used to inhibit activity of p73 and p63 isoforms. Human and murine gastric tissues were analyzed by immunohistochemistry with p73 and p63 antibodies and modified Steiner's silver method. Results: Interaction of H pylori with gastric epithelial cells leads to robust up-regulation of p73 protein in vitro and in vivo in human gastritis specimens and H pylori–infected mice. The p73 increase resulted in up-regulation of pro-apoptotic genes, NOXA, PUMA, and FAS receptor in gastric epithelial cells. Down-regulation of p73 activity suppressed cell death and Fas receptor induced by H pylori. Bacterial virulence factors within the cag pathogenicity island, c-Abl tyrosine kinase, and interaction with p63 isoforms control the activity of p73. Conclusion: Our findings implicate p73 in H pylori–induced apoptosis and more generally suggest that the p53 family may play a role in the epithelial cell response to H pylori infection.
Woody plant biodiversity on a revegetated abandoned coal wash sediment pond

ABSTRACT Woody plant biodiversity under five different treatments was determined on an abandoned coal wash sediment pond three and six years following reclamation. Species richness and equitability improved significantly between sampling periods for all treatments. No significant differences occurred or were identified in any biodiversity index among treatments when comparisons were made at a single sample date. However, there were significant differences in species equitability when treatments were compared over time
An Examination of Deviance and Deviants in the Durable Medical Equipment (DME) Field: Characteristics, Consequences, and Responses to Fraud

The literature indicates Medicaid fraud is pervasive and comprises a substantial portion of health care spending. One type of Medicaid fraud that has not been explored is durable medical equipment fraud. This study seeks to fill this gap in the literature by examining the characteristics of durable medical equipment fraud cases investigated by Medicaid Fraud Control Units. Content analysis was used to review 258 reported cases of durable medical equipment fraud. The findings indicate that providers engage in a range of offenses and are subject to a variety of sanctions. Policy implications and recommendations for future research are provided.
Calorimetric observations of amorphous and crystalline Ni-Zr alloy formation by solid-state reaction

Differential scanning calorimetry and x-ray diffraction are utilized in a study of solid-state vitrification of multilayered composites of Ni and Zr. In order to understand better and optimize the amorphizing reaction, we have examined the kinetics of competing reactions: the formation and growth of crystalline intermetallic compounds. The value of the activation energy, Ec, of the initial crystallization of the growing amorphous phase is determined to be Ec=2.0±0.1 eV, establishing an upper limit on the thermal stability of the amorphous-diffusion couple.
A New Capillary Electrometer, and the Relation Between the Mercury Displacements and the Radius of the Tube

The ordinary Lippmann type of capillary electrometer consists of a single fine tube in which the rise of mercury depends upon the impressed voltage for small voltages up to one volt. The new capillary electrometer here discussed is an inverted U tube device whereby direct readings of the pressure difference between the two mercury levels can be made, thus obviating the necessity for assuming that the large surface in the reservoir is unchanged. Its advantages lie in its comparative simplicity, its sensitivity (one volt corresponding to 1.5 cm deflection compared with.5 cm for an ordinary Lippmann type instrument), and its direct readings. The instrument is a result of an investigation into the laws of capillary electrometric phenomena. Lippmann’s voltage-height relation is verified in an independent manner and extended to tubes of different radii. A new relationship is found and extended to tubes of different radii. A new relationship is found, that between the rise of the mercury and the radius of the tube. A simple curve represents this result, but a simple analytic expression does not exist due to the extreme complexity of the phenomenon as theory shows.
Dichoptic temporal frequency differences do not lead to binocular rivalry.

The influence of temporal modulation on binocular rivalry was examined in two ways. First, an uncontoured field viewed by one eye had its luminance sinusoidally modulated at 4 Hz (full-field flicker). The other eye viewed a similar field that flickered at different temporal frequencies ranging from 5 to 16 Hz. Second, orthogonal sinusoidal dichoptic gratings were phase shifted so as to duplicate the range of temporal-frequency disparities presented with full-field flicker. Three subjects recorded exclusive visibility of the rival fields over 60-sec trials. Full-field flicker produced very few reports of rivalry, and was described as resembling “visual beats” or as an intermediate flicker rate. Usual amounts of rivalry were reported between orthogonal sine-wave gratings; the field flickering at low rates dominated less. These results were essentially confirmed in a second experiment, designed to minimize individual differences in response criteria by requiring subjects to respond to disappearances of small, dichoptic, nonrival markers superimposed on the rival fields. The markers disappeared in concert with episodes of rivalry suppression of the gratings, although disappearances were slightly briefer than supression durations. Disappearances of markers on full-field flicker were rare, extremely brief, and could be attributed to Troxler’s fading rather than rivalry. The absence of rivalry between temporally disparate full-field flicker suggests that rival interactions within transient mechanisms are minimal.
De novo germinoma in the brain in association with Klinefelter's syndrome: case report and review of the literature.

Abstract Background There are no previous reports about de novo germ cell tumors without any past history of germ cell tumor. We describe a case of de novo cerebral germinoma in association with Klinefelter’s syndrome. Case description A boy had undergone growth hormone therapy for dwarfism because of hypopituitarism from 10 to 17 years old. The result of karyotyping at the age of 13 was 47,XXY. Magnetic resonance images (MRI) of the brain at the age of 17 years showed no lesions. Two years later, at the age of 19, the patient noticed onset of mild right hemiparesis. MR imaging revealed the existence of a brain tumor in the left temporal lobe and hypothalamus. The patient underwent an operation and the histologic diagnosis of the lesion was germinoma. After postoperative chemotherapy and radiation therapy, the lesion disappeared and the patient was discharged uneventfully. Conclusion To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first reported case of a germ cell tumor to be de novo without any past history of other germ cell tumor and the seventh case in which it occurred in association with Klinefelter’s syndrome.
Use of carbon dioxide for the detection

We describe our experience using carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) to improve the diagnosis and therapy for gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. Primarily because of the low viscosity of CO 2 , bleeding sites are more easily detected with C02 than with iodinated contrast material. It is extremely important to be aware of the potential dangers of C02, both in delivery and physical properties. CO 2 should be delivered with a closed system without any possibility of delivering excessive volumes and/or air contamination. A plastic bag system, including 1-way check valves and O-rings, provides very rapid and safe delivery of CO 2 . Although patient motion and bowel gas motion frequently compromise CO 2 as a contrast agent, we have found it to be extremely helpful in corroborating questionable bleeding seen with iodinated contrast and in increasing the detection rate.
Rescue of a positive stranded RNA virus from antigen negative neuroblastoma cells

Abstract Single cell clones of latently infected mouse neuroblastoma cells were isolated from a culture chronically infected with mouse hepatitis virus in the presence of an antiviral antibody. These cell clones did not produce infections virus or exhibit viral cytopathic effects during cultivation at 32, 37, or 39°C. Infectious virus was isolated from single cell clones via fusion with permissive cells using polyethylene glycol, but not after fusion with inactivated Sendai virus or following treatment with metabolic inhibitors. One cell clone (S-3) from which virus was rescued was negative for viral antigen by immunofluorescence. The S-3 cell clone and no demonstrable virus antigen by complement-fixation tests using cytoplasmic extracts or virus-specified proteins detectable by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The rescued viruses exhibited a temperature dependent growth defect at 32°C and have been classified as cold sensitive mutants. This study suggests that a complete genome of a positive stranded RNA virus can remain latent in infected cells without the expression of detectable virus antigen.
PREDICTORS OF RECURRENT NEUROLOGIC EVENTS IN PATIENTS WITH PATENT FORAMEN OVALE: INSIGHTS FROM THE CLOSURE I TRIAL

Transcatheter closure of patent foramen ovale (PFO) is controversial for the secondary prevention of cryptogenic ischemic neurologic events in patients with PFO. The CLOSURE I trial found that PFO closure was not superior to medical therapy in patients with stroke or transient ischemic attacks (TIA
Metabolic imaging metrics correlate with survival in early stage lung cancer treated with stereotactic ablative radiotherapy.

Abstract Background and Purpose To test whether 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) imaging metrics correlate with outcomes in patients with stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR). Material and Methods Fifty-four patients with stage I NSCLC underwent pre-SABR PET at simulation and/or post-SABR PET within 6 months. We analyzed maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) and metabolic tumor volume defined using several thresholds (MTV50%, or MTV2, 4, 7, and 10). Endpoints included primary tumor control (PTC), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS). We performed Kaplan–Meier, competing risk, and Cox proportional hazards survival analyses. Results Patients received 25–60 Gy in 1 to 5 fractions. Median follow-up time was 13.2 months. The 1-year estimated PTC, PFS, OS and CSS were 100, 83, 87 and 94%, respectively. Pre-treatment SUVmax (p = 0.014), MTV7 (p = 0.0077), and MTV10 (p = 0.0039) correlated significantly with OS. In the low-MTV7 vs. high-MTV7 sub-groups, 1-year estimated OS was 100 vs. 78% (p = 0.0077) and CSS was 100 vs. 88% (p = 0.082). Conclusions In this hypothesis-generating study we identified multiple pre-treatment PET-CT metrics as potential predictors of OS and CSS in patients with NSCLC treated with SABR. These could aid risk-stratification and treatment individualization if validated prospectively.
Experimental and computational determinations of optical band gaps for PAH and soot in a N2-diluted, ethylene/air non-premixed flame

Abstract Visible light extinction was measured at a height of 20 mm above the fuel tube exit in a nitrogen-diluted, ethylene/air, non-premixed flame and this data was used to determine the optical band gap, E g opt , as a function of radial position in the flame. This height was chosen as previous measurements in our laboratory have shown substantial Raman scattering from thermophoretically-sampled, carbonaceous material at this flame location. Further, this height is at the onset of large signal intensity in annular flame regions from laser-induced incandescence measurements. In our previous work, analysis of the Raman spectrum suggested the source of the scattering was PAH species with sp 2 conjugation lengths of 1.0–1.2 nm, consistent with a molecular mass range of 500–1000 Da. In the current study, light from a light emitting diode, with center emission wavelength of 445 nm, was collimated, spatially filtered, and then focused into the flame. Transmitted light was recollimated and then directed into a spectrometer. After tomographic reconstruction of the radial extinction field, the optical band gap was derived from the near edge absorption spectrum using a Tauc analysis. The optical band gap, ≈2.4 eV, was then compared with calculations of the electronic structure of a series of D 2h polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons using time-dependent density functional theory. HOMO–LUMO gaps for these PAH were correlated with the number of aromatic rings in the molecules. From this correlation, the measured band gap suggested that the source of the extinction could be a PAH with as few as 10 aromatic rings.
Antitumor immunity induced by dendritic cell-based vaccination is dependent on interferon-γ and interleukin-12

Abstract Background This study was conducted to determine whether dendritic cells (DCs) pulsed with a tumor cell lysate can effectively vaccinate against tumor cells and to establish which cytokines are necessary. Materials and methods Each wild-type mouse received two subcutaneous immunizations (days 14 and 7) with either saline, tumor lysate, DCs, or tumor-lysate-pulsed DCs. Gamma-interferon (γ-IFN), knock-out (KO), and interleukin-12 (IL-12) KO mice were also used in immunizations. A tumor challenge was given at day 0. Splenocytes were assayed for γ-IFN production. Results All saline-injected mice ( n = 19) and all mice injected with tumor lysate ( n = 9) developed tumors. Six of nine mice immunized with DCs alone and 6/24 mice treated with lysate-pulsed DCs developed a tumor. Splenocytes from both the saline- and lysate-immunized groups produced undetectable levels of γ-IFN, while those from mice immunized with either DCs or pulsed DCs produced high levels of γ-IFN. Four of five γ-IFN KO mice developed tumors after immunization with tumor-lysate-pulsed DCs. None of four IL-12 KO mice developed a tumor after immunization with wild-type pulsed DCs and 1/10 wild-type mice developed tumor after immunization with IL-12 KO pulsed DCs. Three of four IL-12 KO mice developed tumors after immunization with IL-12 KO pulsed DCs. Conclusions Tumor-lysate-pulsed DCs can initiate an effective antitumor immune response. The presence of γ-IFN in the host is essential for antitumor protection. In contrast, tumor protection is observed if IL-12 is present in either the host or the DCs.
The Spirit of Life and the Spirit of Immortality: An Appreciative Review of Levison’s Filled with the Spirit

Levison’s Filled with the Spirit explores the deep difference between the two Testaments in how Spirit filling is understood. While the Old Testament holds Spirit filling to be a flourishing of human life through an interaction of divine and human initiatives, the New Testament sees it as a subsequent gift granted supernaturally through faith in Christ. Yet, there is also a sense of continuity in the midst of this difference, especially in how the flourishing of life resists death. This review appreciatively explores Levison’s understanding of such biblical tensions and continuities in the light of the one-sided accent of Pentecostalism on the supernatural quality of life in the Spirit, but also in the light of the question as to whether or not Levison has unnecessarily widened the gap between the pneumatologies of the two Testaments.
Agroforestry and Grass Buffer Influences on Macropores Measured by Computed Tomography under Grazed Pasture Systems

Agroforestry buffers, which include trees, grass, and shrubs, have been proposed for improving water quality in watersheds. The objectives of the study were to compare differences in macropore (> 1000-μm diam.) and coarse mesopore (200-1000-μm diam.) parameters measured by computed tomography (CT) within agroforestry buffer (AgB) and grass buffer (GB) systems associated with rotationally grazed pasture (RG) and continuously grazed pasture (CG) systems, and to examine relationships between CT-measured pore parameters and saturated hydraulic conductivity (K sat ). Pasture and GB areas included red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) and Korean lespedeza [Kummerowia stipulacea (Maxim.) Makino] planted into fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.), while AgB included eastern cottonwood trees (Populus deltoides W. Bartram ex Marshall ssp. deltoides) planted into fescue. Soils at the site were Menfro silt loam (fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Hapludalf). Intact soil cores were collected from the four treatments at five soil depths. Five equally spaced images were acquired from each core and were analyzed with Image-J software. The CT-measured soil macroporosity was 13 times higher (0.053 m 3 m- 3 ) for the buffer treatments than the pasture treatments (0.004 m 3 m -3 ) for the surface 0- to 10-cm soil depth. Buffer treatments had greater macroporosity (0.02 m 3 m- 3 ) than RG (0.005 m 3 m -3) or CG (0.004 m 3 m -3 ) treatments. The K sat values for buffer treatments were five times higher than pasture treatments. Soil bulk density was 5.6% lower for the buffer treatments than the pasture treatments. The CT-measured pore parameters (except macropore circularity) were positively correlated with K sat . This study illustrates the benefits of agroforestey and grass buffers for maintaining soil pore parameters critical for soil water transport.
A comparison of flow cytometric and absorption cytometric DNA values as prognostic indicators for pancreatic carcinoma

Background. The DNA content of 30 adenocarcinomas of the head of the pancreas was measured by flow and absorption cytometric analysis. Each of the patients in this study had curative pancreatoduodenectomy. The absorption cytometric measurements were done in a research laboratory, and the flow cytometric measurements were performed in a commercial laboratory. The DNA measurements were done on nuclei disaggregated from pancreatic cancer tissue blocks without the examiner knowing whether the patient had survived. Twenty-one of the 30 cancers were found to be aneuploid by absorption cytometric analysis, whereas only 1 of the 30 cancers was aneuploid by flow cytometric analysis. This difference was statistically significant (P < 0.001). Conclusions. Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that the absorption cytometric DNA measurements were stronger prognostic determinants for patient survival than were the flow cytometric DNA measurements, indicating that some caution may be warranted in the interpretation of commercially obtained DNA distributions of pancreatic carcinomas. Cancer 1993; 71:691700.
Fragrance material review on 1,2-ethanediol, 1-phenyl-, 1,2-diacetate.

Abstract A toxicologic and dermatologic review of 1,2-ethanediol, 1-phenyl-, 1,2-diacetate when used as a fragrance ingredient is presented. 1,2-Ethanediol, 1-phenyl-, 1,2-diacetate is a member of the fragrance structural group Aryl Alkyl Alcohol Simple Acid Esters (AAASAE). The AAASAE fragrance ingredients are prepared by reacting an aryl alkyl alcohol with a simple carboxylic acid (a chain of 1–4 carbons) to generate formate, acetate, propionate, butyrate, isobutyrate and carbonate esters. This review contains a detailed summary of all available toxicology and dermatology papers that are related to this individual fragrance ingredient and is not intended as a stand-alone document. Available data for 1,2-ethanediol, 1-phenyl-, 1,2-diacetate were evaluated, then summarized, and includes physical properties data. A safety assessment of the entire AAASAE will be published simultaneously with this document. Please refer to Belsito et al. (2012) for an overall assessment of the safe use of this material and all AAASAE fragrances. Belsito, D., Bickers, D., Bruze, M., Calow, P., Dagli, M., Fryer, A.D., Greim, H., Hanifin, J.H., Miyachi, Y., Saurat, J.H., Sipes, I.G., 2012. A toxicological and dermatological assessment of aryl alkyl alcohol simple acid ester derivatives when used as fragrance ingredients.
Some properties of the quantum linearized Einstein field

Some aspects of the quantized linear approximation to Einstein theory are examined, in view of their relevance to the full theory’s quantization. In contrast to the otherwise similar Maxwell field case, it is seen that the Lorentz-invariance requirements on the time-translation and Lorentz-rotation generationP6,J0i are not expressible in terms of simple local commutation relations for the energy density with itself. This is in agreement with the expectation that such local relations apply only to fields of spin one or lower. It is also shown that the physical requirement —PμPμ ⩾0 is fulfilled in the linearized theory.
The functional promoter polymorphism (-842G>C) in the PIN1 gene is associated with decreased risk of breast cancer in non-Hispanic white women 55 years and younger

PIN1, an isomerase that causes conformational changes in proteins, plays an important role in mammary epithelial cell growth both physiologically and pathologically. Thus, genetic variants in the PIN1 gene may alter protein function and cancer risk. We have previously demonstrated an association between a PIN1 promoter variant (−842G>C; rs2233678) and risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, a finding supported by additional functional data. In the present study, we genotyped two promoter single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (−842G>C, rs2233678 and −667T>C, rs2233679) and one synonymous SNP (Gln33Gln; G>A, rs2233682) in exon 2 to evaluate their associations with risk of sporadic breast cancer in non-Hispanic white women 55 years and younger. We found that the carriers of −842C variant alleles had decreased risk of breast cancer with an adjusted odd ratio (OR) of 0.67 and 95% confidence interval (CI) of 0.50–0.90. This reduced risk was more evident in women after reproductive age of 45 (OR = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.42–0.93), ever-smokers (OR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.36–0.88), and ever-drinkers (OR = 0.67, 95% CI = 0.45–0.99). No such associations were observed for PIN1 −667T>C and PIN1 Gln33Gln. However, the haplotypes of these three SNPs were also associated with reduced risk of breast cancer. In conclusion, the PIN1 polymorphisms may contribute to the etiology of sporadic breast cancer in non-Hispanic white women 55 years and younger. Further validation in large population-based studies is needed.
Are under- and over-reaction the same matter? Experimental evidence

Abstract Many argue that under- and over-reaction in asset prices are caused by inherently different factors. We design an asset market where information arrives sequentially over time to investigate the sources of these phenomena. We find that prices react insufficiently to news surprises and under-reacting drifts outnumber over-reacting reversals substantially. Under-reaction decreases in magnitude when information announcement is perfectly public, but still persists. We reject behavioral explanations based on overconfidence and disposition effect. Contrary to common beliefs, over-reaction patterns are present in our results of predominant slow adjustment of prices to surprises. With the knowledge of intrinsic value, we find that the reversal phase in over-reaction patterns is simply a sluggish adjustment, too. We propose a price inertia theory of under- and over-reaction: when information arrives sequentially over time, the market is characterized by a slow convergence toward intrinsic value; when news surprises are of the same signs, prices falls behind newly updated intrinsic values, manifesting under-reacting drifts; when news surprises change signs, prices again do not adjust quick enough to catch up with the new intrinsic values, manifesting a temporal pattern of seemingly over-reacting reversals.
The Time of the Gypsies

The Time of the Gypsies. Michael Stewart. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1997. xi. 302 pp., photographs, tables, illustrations, glossary, appendix, notes, bibliography, index.
Isolated oral cleft malformations: associations with maternal and infant characteristics in a California population.

Data on isolated oral cleft malformations from a birth defects registry covering a large population base were examined to describe potential associations with maternal and infant characteristics. Infants with cleft palate (CP) were analyzed separately from infants with cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CLP). The prevalence of isolated CLP per 1,000 births was 0.741, approximately twice the prevalence of isolated CP, which was 0.383. Male infants were more likely to be born with CLP (OR = 1.9) but less likely to be born with CP (OR = 0.56) than were females. Women 39 years or more of age were twice as likely as 25–29 year olds to have a child with either type of cleft. Black, non-hispanic infants had a lowered risk for CLP compared to white, nonhispanics (OR = 0.40). These risks were found to be independent of each other based on multivariate analyses. Associations with either type of cleft malformation were not observed for plurality, number of previous live births, and maternal birthplace.
An optimal boundary fair scheduling algorithm for multiprocessor real-time systems

Although the scheduling problem for multiprocessor real-time systems has been studied for decades, it is still an evolving research field with many open problems. In this work, focusing on periodic real-time tasks, we propose a novel optimal scheduling algorithm, namely boundary fair (Bfair), which follows the same line of research as the well-known Pfair scheduling algorithms and can also achieve full system utilization. However, different from the Pfair algorithms that make scheduling decisions at every time unit to enforce proportional progress (i.e., fairness) for each task, Bfair makes scheduling decisions and enforces fairness to tasks only at tasks’ period boundaries. The correctness of the Bfair algorithm to meet the deadlines of all tasks’ instances ⁄ A preliminary version of this paper appeared in IEEE RTSS 2003. This work is supported in part by NSF award CNS-0720651.
The adsorption of nitric oxide on Ru(001)

Abstract The influence of chemisorbed nitrogen and oxygen atoms on the subsequent adsorption of NO on Ru(001) at 150 K has been investigated by high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy. The presence of the NO dissociation products can block adsorption of one of the two states of molecular NO which are populated on the clean Ru surface.
Sample size calculation for the proportional hazards cure model

In clinical trials with time-to-event endpoints, it is not uncommon to see a significant proportion of patients being cured (or long-term survivors), such as trials for the non-Hodgkins lymphoma disease. The popularly used sample size formula derived under the proportional hazards (PH) model may not be proper to design a survival trial with a cure fraction, because the PH model assumption may be violated. To account for a cure fraction, the PH cure model is widely used in practice, where a PH model is used for survival times of uncured patients and a logistic distribution is used for the probability of patients being cured. In this paper, we develop a sample size formula on the basis of the PH cure model by investigating the asymptotic distributions of the standard weighted log-rank statistics under the null and local alternative hypotheses. The derived sample size formula under the PH cure model is more flexible because it can be used to test the differences in the short-term survival and/or cure fraction. Furthermore, we also investigate as numerical examples the impacts of accrual methods and durations of accrual and follow-up periods on sample size calculation. The results show that ignoring the cure rate in sample size calculation can lead to either underpowered or overpowered studies. We evaluate the performance of the proposed formula by simulation studies and provide an example to illustrate its application with the use of data from a melanoma trial.
Effect of calcium on differentiation of Friend leukemia cells

Abstract Induction of hemoglobin synthesis of Friend leukemia cells is inhibited by changing the ratio between internal and external Ca2+ concentrations. The concentration ratio can be successfully manipulated by the addition of the growth medium of (1) Ca2+ channel blocker D600 (90 nM-4 × 102 nM), (2) Ca2+ ionophore A23187 (1 × 102–2 × 102 nM), and (3) EGTA at molar concentrations comparable to the Ca2+ concentration of the medium formulation (3 × 102 μM). The observations suggest that a specific ratio between intra- and extracellular Ca2+ is required for erythroid differentiation to proceed.
Rates of childhood myopia progression as a function of type of astigmatism

This study examines the relation of rate of childhood myopia progression to the type of astigmatism exhibited. Longitudinal records of myopia progression were collected from five optometry practices in the USA. Patients were classified as having with-the-rule (WTR) astigmatism, zero astigmatism or against-the-rule (ATR) astigmatism. Rates of myopia progression for both principal meridians in the right eye were calculated by linear regression. Rates of myopia progression were not significantly different in the three astigmatism groups. Rates of astigmatism change were much less in magnitude than rates of myopia progression, but were significantly different in the three astigmatism groups. WTR astigmats are likely to change in the WTR direction, while ATR astigmats are likely to change in the ATR direction.
The Hurricane Imaging Radiometer wide swath simulation and wind speed retrievals

The knowledge of peak winds in hurricanes is critical to classification of hurricane intensity; therefore, there is a strong interest in the operational remote sensing of ocean surface winds for monitoring tropical storms and hurricanes, especially those which threaten landfall. Presently, the airborne Stepped Frequency Microwave Radiometer (SFMR) is the state-of-the-art remote sensor for providing this information in real-time, during hurricane surveillance flights. However, for the future, NASA and NOAA are collaborating in the development of the Hurricane Imaging Radiometer (HIRAD), which is a prototype of the next-generation high-flying airborne instrument for monitoring hurricanes. This paper describes a realistic end-to-end simulation of HIRAD hurricane measurements while flying on an unmanned Global Hawk aircraft. The objective of this research is to develop baseline retrieval algorithms and provide a wind speed measurement accuracy assessment for the upcoming NASA hurricane field program, Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes (GRIP), to be conducted in 2010.