cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract PD7-03: Adaptive kinome reprogramming in endocrine therapy resistant metastatic breast cancer

Background: Approximately half of women with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer who undergo adjuvant endocrine therapy (ET) develop disease progression and metastasis. Studies have revealed that up to 40% of metastatic patients develop tumors bearing a mutation in ESR1 which is associated with therapeutic resistance and poor prognosis. Studies have shown that cancers can undergo kinome reprogramming in response to therapy and acquired genetic alterations within the tumor. We hypothesize that expression of ESR1 mutations induces kinome reprogramming, which presents novel potential therapeutic targets to selectively treat ESR1 mutant metastatic breast cancer. Methods: We performed Kinobeads Precipitation (KiP) using broad specificity kinase inhibitors to capture and quantify by MS the level of active kinases in MCF-7 ESR1 wild-type and ESR1 Y537S mutant cells. We performed targeted siRNA screens and immunoblots to validate the hyperactivity of several of these kinases. Specific kinase inhibitors are being used to test their effects on proliferation and invasion in vitro, and in ex vivo organoid growth assays. Xenograft models are being used to evaluate the effects of the inhibitors on primary tumor growth and distant metastasis. Results: KiP analysis revealed hyperactivation of growth factor receptors, the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway, and MAPK pathway, in Y537S mutant cells. We tested specific inhibitors of these pathways, and have shown that the mutant cells have reduced proliferation when these pathways are targeted. We developed organoid growth assays using primary and metastatic tumors from xenograft and PDX models and found that ET in combination with these selected targeted kinase inhibitors decreased the growth of organoids. We are currently testing inhibitors in combination with ET in vivo, and preliminary results demonstrate a significant inhibition of primary tumor growth and distant metastasis. These results suggest that selective inhibition of hyperactivated “reprogrammed” kinase pathways can restore ET sensitivity in ESR1m tumors, and may show promise for use in ER-positive metastatic breast cancer patients. Citation Format: Derek Dustin, Guowei Gu, Doug Chan, Amanda Beyer, David Edwards, Matthew Ellis, Suzanne Fuqua. Adaptive kinome reprogramming in endocrine therapy resistant metastatic breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2019 Dec 10-14; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(4 Suppl):Abstract nr PD7-03.
Medical Error: Truthtelling, Apology, and Forgiveness

The annual occurrence of medical errors is concerning, with data suggesting that as many as 100,000 individuals may die each year as a result and even more may suffer with a resulting disability. Physicians and other healthcare providers have frequently been counseled by their attorneys, insurance companies, and institutions’ risk managers to avoid expressions to the patient that indicate an assumption of responsibility or that offer an apology, due to a concern that these expressions may prompt and/or be used in litigation against the provider and/or their institution. This perspective ignores both the understanding of the Abrahamic faiths—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—of the importance of speaking the truth and apology and the healing that may come from such an approach. This advice also conflicts with the guidance provided to physicians by secular bioethics with respect to truthtelling. The mechanisms currently relied on to reduce the threat of litigation and prevent similar medical errors that do not permit a full apology may be inadequate in addressing the emotional needs of the providers and patients involved. This chapter reviews scriptural guidance addressing truthtelling, apology, and forgiveness, comparing it to the approach advised in the bioethical literature.
The global and local distribution of RNA structure throughout the SARS-CoV-2 genome

Abstract SARS-CoV-2 is the causative viral agent of COVID-19, the disease at the center of the current global pandemic. While knowledge of highly structured regions is integral for mechanistic insights into the viral infection cycle, very little is known about the location and folding stability of functional elements within the massive, ~30kb SARS-CoV-2 RNA genome. In this study, we analyze the folding stability of this RNA genome relative to the structural landscape of other well-known viral RNAs. We present an in-silico pipeline to locate regions of high base pair content across this long genome and also identify well-defined RNA structures, a method that allows for direct comparisons of RNA structural complexity within the several domains in SARS-CoV-2 genome. We report that the SARS-CoV-2 genomic propensity to stable RNA folding is exceptional among RNA viruses, superseding even that of HCV, one of the most highly structured viral RNAs in nature. Furthermore, our analysis reveals varying levels of RNA structure across genomic functional regions, with accessory and structural ORFs containing the highest structural density in the viral genome. Finally, we take a step further to examine how individual RNA structures formed by these ORFs are affected by the differences in genomic and subgenomic contexts. The conclusions reported in this study provide a foundation for structure-function hypotheses in SARS-CoV-2 biology, and in turn, may guide the 3D structural characterization of potential RNA drug targets for COVID-19 therapeutics.
Understanding the COSO 2013 Framework: Four Short Cases for Use in AIS and Auditing Courses

ABSTRACT Since our students will be auditors or accountants after they graduate, they need to understand how to apply and assess the components of the COSO 2013 framework in their evaluations of a ...
Apprenticeship of pre-service teachers through culturally sustaining systemic functional linguistics

This article examines a graduate language education course that was taught as part of an afterschool ‘club’ activity located in a majority-minority middle school (Latine and Black) in the US southe...
Research and neurointerventional surgery: a roadmap of federal funding opportunities

Scientific research is critical to the field of neurointerventional surgery. An important step in building successful research programs is understanding the available funding opportunities. This column reviews relevant federal research funding mechanisms accessible to neurointerventional surgeons through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) at various career stages. Federal funding at the resident/fellow level allows for protected time, mentorship, and early exposure to rigorous scientific methodology. These early funding mechanisms also enhance a trainee’s abilities to compete for career development/independent grant awards as a junior faculty member. The NIH/NINDS R25 Research Education Program supports residents and fellows in neurology, neurosurgery, neuropathology, and neuroradiology. This mechanism specifically caters to resident trainees preparing for careers in neurointerventional surgery as it serves all three subspecialties in this field. Established by the NINDS in 2009, the R25 mechanism is an institutional award that offers 12–18 months of grant funding for mentored research. The grantee is awarded funding during residency training at one of over 20 program sites that hold a parent grant award and they can renew/continue the funding as a resident or fellow.1 2 Many neurointerventional surgeons are past R25 grant awardees and a significant number of senior stroke neurologists, cerebrovascular surgeons, and neurointerventional surgeons are current principal investigators on institutional R25 awards. NIH/NINDS T-Series grants and F-Series fellowships provide individual research training opportunities to undergraduates, doctoral candidates, and postdoctoral scholars. T-Series grants are institutional (secured by senior investigators or institutions through a parent grant) and F - Series fellowships are individual (awarded directly to the postdoctoral trainee). Specifically, F32 awards provide mentored training to broaden a grantee’s scientific background and extend their potential for research. These grants are typically awarded for up to 3 years …
A Modular and Unified Framework for Detecting and Localizing Video Anomalies.

Anomaly detection in videos has been attracting an increasing amount of attention. Despite the competitive performance of recent methods on benchmark datasets, they typically lack desirable features such as modularity, cross-domain adaptivity, interpretability, and real-time anomalous event detection. Furthermore, current state-of-the-art approaches are evaluated using the standard instance-based detection metric by considering video frames as independent instances, which is not ideal for video anomaly detection. Motivated by these research gaps, we propose a modular and unified approach to the online video anomaly detection and localization problem, called MOVAD, which consists of a novel transfer learning based plug-and-play architecture, a sequential anomaly detector, a mathematical framework for selecting the detection threshold, and a suitable performance metric for real-time anomalous event detection in videos. Extensive performance evaluations on benchmark datasets show that the proposed framework significantly outperforms the current state-of-the-art approaches.
Is this Withdrawal or Intoxication? Case Report Regarding Complications of Unregulated Use of Tianeptine, Etizolam, and Phenibut in the USA.

Background The internet allows easy access for the sales of psychoactive agents that are not regulated by the FDA. Some of those agents are used to help manage anxiety, depression and sleep, such as tianeptine, etizolam, and phenibut. These medications have the potential for abuse and potentially leading to altered mental status when intoxicated or withdrawing. This presents a challenge to clinicians who may not be aware of availability of such substances. Available literature has discussed the use of above substances individually, but how do you treat if there is use of more than one substance with different mechanisms of actions? Here we present a case of an adult male who has used all three agents simultaneously, leading to a hospital admission. Case History A 32-year-old male presented to the emergency department (ED) for altered mental status (AMS). He has a documented history of anxiety but was never treated with prescription medications. No history of substance use was documented. He was self-medicating with concurrent use of tianeptine (atypical antidepressant with mu agonist properties,) phenibut (GABA mimetic) and etizolam (a benzodiazepine-like agent). During his stay, he was agitated and delirious with reports of visual hallucinations. Neuroimaging and lab studies were within normal limits, EEG showed no seizure activity. Over the course of his hospital stay, he was started on Depakote for agitation, a Valium taper for suspected benzodiazepine withdrawal and prevention of seizures, Seroquel for delirium, and baclofen for suspected GABAergic withdrawal symptoms. The patient’s AMS improved and he was discharged on hospital day 10. Conclusions This case illustrates the difficulty managing poly-substance use/abuse and stresses the importance for physicians to screen for psychoactive agents purchased over the internet or over the counter to improve treatment outcomes. Continued discussions with patients regarding risks/benefits of use of such substances would be beneficial and help increase awareness.
Correlation between body mass index and prostate volume in benign prostatic hyperplasia patients undergoing holmium enucleation of the prostate surgery.

Benign prostatic obstruction (BPO) due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a leading cause of morbidity in men over the age of 40. This study examined whether there was an association between body mass index (BMI) and pre-operative prostate volume and whether expression of two genes, alpha-2-macroglobulin (A2M) and transforming growth factor beta 3 (TGFB3), was correlated with BMI, pre-operative prostate volume, and age at surgery. Medical records of patients who underwent holmium enucleation of the prostate surgery for treatment of BPO were retrospectively reviewed. Surgical specimens were obtained from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded blocks, and expression of the targeted genes was quantified using a real time PCR approach. Linear regression analysis was performed to assess association between BMI and prostate volume adjusting for demographic characteristics and co-morbidity. Spearman’s correlation was used to examine whether gene expression was correlated with BMI, prostate volume, and age at surgery. A total of 278 patients were identified, including 62.9% European Americans (n = 175) and 27.7% Hispanic Americans (n = 77). BMI was significantly correlated with prostate volume (Spearman’s rho = 0.123, P = 0.045). In linear regression analysis, BMI was positively associated with prostate volume (β = 0.01, P = 0.004), while hyperlipidemia was negatively associated with prostate volume (β = −0.08, P = 0.02). A trend for a positive association was also observed for diabetes (β = 0.07, P = 0.099). In the race/ethnicity stratified analysis, age at surgery showed a trend for significantly positive association with prostate volume in European Americans (β = 0.005, P = 0.08), but not in Hispanic Americans. Expression of the A2M gene in the stroma was negatively correlated with age at surgery (P = 0.006). A2M expression in the gland was positively correlated with prostate volume among older men (Age ≥ 70, P = 0.01) and overweight men (BMI 25–30, P = 0.04). TGFB3 expression in the gland was positively correlated with BMI (P = 0.007) among older men. This study demonstrated the positive correlation between BMI and prostate volume. Expression of TGFB3 and A2M was correlated with BMI, prostate volume, and age at surgery.
Natural Frequency of Beams with Variable Moments of Inertia

[ Y] = column matrix of deflections [EI] = diagonal matrix of flexural rigidities of the beam at n — 1 equally spaced points [M] = diagonal matrix of mass per unit length at n — 1 equally spaced points h = L/n, the distance between two adjacent points co = circular frequency [B] = finite-difference operator for d/dx In the case of simply supported beam, y0 = vn = 0; and [B] is an (w — 1) X (n — 1) square matrix as follows:
The Role of Stimulants in Late-Life Depression

In this issue, Lavretsky and colleagues report the results of a controlled study to determine whether the addition of methylphenidate to citalopramwould accelerate and enhance antidepressant response inolderadults (1).Thiswasa 16-week, double-blind, three-arm, parallel-design study comparing the combination of methylphenidate and citalopram and either drug plus placebo. The study builds on previous work by the authors.The studyparticipantshadameanageof69years, and all had a diagnosis of major depressive disorder. The authors found that the combination treatment accelerated response and increased the remission rate, and the differences were statistically significant and clinically meaningful. The authors also examinedwhether adjunctivemethylphenidate improved cognition. Although cognition improvedwith treatment, there were no significant differences between treatments. This is ahigh-quality study, both indesign and in the careful reporting of results. Figure 1, from the online data supplement of the Lavretsky et al. article, provides a graphic view of the effects of the two agents. During thefirst 4weeks, the rate of improvementwas greater in both groups receivingmethylphenidate than in the citalopram only group. During weeks 4–16, further change appeared to be driven by citalopram. The data suggest that the advantageof the combination treatmentoccurs in thefirst 4 weeks and is maintained. Although the advantage of the combination treatment involves use of citalopram, it seems unlikelythat theeffectwouldbeuniquetocitalopram.Clinicians should bear in mind that if citalopram is employed in older patients, ECG monitoring should be considered. Themain limitation of the study is the low initial dosage of methylphenidate.Methylphenidate was started at 2.5 mg twice a day, and the dosagewas increased by 2.5mg twice a day every 4 days. The mean final dosage was 16 mg/day. The authors explained that safety dictated the careful titration in this older outpatient sample. Unfortunately, this limits the potential advantage of rapid effects. To understand the rationale for the use ofastimulant toaccelerate responseand itsuse inolderpatients, some background is in order.
The relationship between community diversity and exotic plants: cause or consequence of invasion?

Invasion ecology has suffered from the artificial separation of invasibility and impact processes in understanding the ationship between diversity and plant invasion. By studying these independently functioning stages of invasion in concert, we can gain great insight into the biological causes and consequences of invasions, and develop crucial information for the generation of adequate management strategies. Our conceptual framework provides a structure to synthesize the current body of research, suggests research needed to fill the gaps in understanding and to organize results from future research. The framework is a powerful tool to guide ecological understanding of the relationship between invasion and diversity across systems, species, and scales.
Introduction and Theoretical Background

This chapter presents the theoretical motivation for the study of prompt photons at hadron colliders, and an outline of the dissertation that follows. A discussion of the physics of hadron colliders, including a brief description of perturbative quantum chromodynamics (pQCD), is followed by the phenomonology of prompt photon production and detection. The importance of prompt photon studies is illustrated with several examples of decay signatures of new physics that include photons in the final state. The currently available tools for predicting prompt photon production rates are reviewed, along with a summary of previous measurements at other experiments. Finally, a brief description of the dissertation is presented.
Microbial decontamination of food by high pressure processing

Abstract: High pressure processing (HPP) is an alternative method of food preservation capable of inactivating pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms while maintaining the desirable quality attributes of the product, including nutritional and sensory properties. Depending on the process temperature, HPP can be used for either pasteurization or sterilization of foods. This chapter discusses the basic principles and applications of high pressure processing in food industry with emphasis on microbial inactivation under different process conditions. Process and product related factors influencing the microbial efficacy of pressure treatment will be reviewed.
Semantics for Natural Kind Terms

According to the well-known Kripke-Putnam view developed in Naming and Necessity and ‘The Meaning of Meaning’, proper names and ‘natural kind terms’ - words for natural substances, species, and phenomena (‘water’, ‘rose’, ‘light’) - are non-descriptional and rigid. A singular term is rigid if it has the same referent in every possible world (and with respect to other extension-determining parameters, such as the passage of time), and is non-descriptional if, roughly speaking, its referent (at a possible world or other parameter) is not secured by purely descriptive conditions analytically tied to the term. Thus, ‘the inventor of bifocals’ is nonrigid and descriptional, while ‘the unique even and prime integer’ is rigid and descriptional, and ‘Noam Chomsky’ is rigid and non-descriptional.
Estimators and inference in a censored regression model with endogenous covariates

This paper derives the asymptotic distribution theory for censored regression models with endogenous covariates under no parametric assumptions on the disturbance distribution, extending the modeling framework of Powell (1986). While it is well known that under some restrictions the use of reduced form residuals will lead to consistent estimators of the structural parameters, derivation of the asymptotic distribution theory that is essential for inference and the usual hypothesis testing is not obvious for this model. The problem arises because the structural model generates a set of moment restrictions that are discontinuous in the parameters, making standard methods inapplicable. This paper illustrates that the techniques in Pakes and Pollard (1989) can be adapted to this model by treating the multi-stage problem as simultaneously satisfying the joint vector of population moment restrictions, and partitioning the joint asymptotic covariance matrix appropriately. A Monte Carlo study illustrates the high practical power of the estimators, and shows that they will provide a useful alternative to methods that depend on Gaussian or other specified distributions.
Spaceborne laser altimetry

Space-based laser altimeters are effective in providing topographic measurements critically important to the understanding of the formation and early evolution of planetary bodies. Using laser altimetry data, topographic grids can be produced that provide significant insight into the shape, internal structure and evolution of the subject body. Prime examples of space-based altimetry efforts are the Clementine and the Near-Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) missions. Clementine spent two months sampling the Moon, and through its altimetry data, provided a glimpse of the lunar surface previously unseen. NEAR will place a laser altimeter (NLR) in orbit at the near-Earth asteroid 433 Eros for a one year observation period. Specifications for such altimeters are driven by mission requirements and host spacecraft constraints. Mission requirements usually prioritize observation objectives associated with other payload instruments, therefore, altimeter design must readily accommodate other payload instruments. Constraints placed on altimeters include mass, power, and volume; also for deep-space missions, data rates are limited and become an issue especially when imaging instruments are part of the mission. Altimeter performance specification and modeling to meet these requirements are described and approaches to verify instrument performance during pre-launch testing are provided. Lessons provided from laser altimetry missions indicate the technological progression to the next-generation laser altimeters.
Social and Sexual Risk Factors Among Sexual Minority Youth

This study explores the characteristics and risk behaviors of sexual minority high school students using the 2011 Wisconsin Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Among 3,043 students surveyed, 8% of students identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or unsure, and 7% reported having contact with same-sex partners. Findings indicate sexual minority students experience some health disparities, including increased odds of forced sexual activity, although human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) sexual risk behaviors were not significantly associated with sexual minority students. Results suggest a need to address the complex social factors affecting sexual minority youth and broadly target HIV prevention initiatives to all youth, regardless of sexual orientation.
Functional characterization of mammalian mitochondrial carnitine palmitoyltransferases I and II expressed in the yeast Pichia pastoris

Mitochondrial carnitine palmitoyltransferases I and II (CPTI and CPTII), together with the carnitine carrier, transport long-chain fatty acyl-CoA from the cytosol to the mitochondrial matrix for beta-oxidation. Recent progress in the expression of CPTI and CPTII cDNA clones in Pichia pastoris, a yeast with no endogenous CPT activity, has greatly facilitated the characterization of these important enzymes in fatty acid oxidation. It is now well established that yeast-expressed CPTI is a catalytically active, malonyl CoA-sensitive, distinct enzyme that is reversibly inactivated by detergents. CPTII is a catalytically active, malonyl CoA-insensitive, distinct enzyme that is detergent stable. Reconstitution studies with yeast-expressed CPTI have established for the first time that detergent inactivation of CPTI is reversible, suggesting that CPTI is active only in a membrane environment. By constructing a series of deletion mutants of the N-terminus of liver CPTI, we have mapped the residues essential for malonyl CoA inhibition and binding to the conserved first six N-terminal amino acid residues. Mutation of glutamic acid 3 to alanine abolished malonyl CoA inhibition and high affinity malonyl CoA binding, but not catalytic activity, whereas mutation of histidine 5 to alanine caused partial loss in malonyl CoA inhibition. Our mutagenesis studies demonstrate that glutamic acid 3 and histidine 5 are necessary for malonyl CoA inhibition and binding to liver CPTI, but not catalytic activity.
Antitumor agents XXX: Evaluation of α-methylene-γ-lactone-containing agents for inhibition of tumor growth, respiration, and nucleic acid synthesis

Evidence is presented that a number of sesquiterpene lactones isolated from plants and synthesized pyrimidines containing the α-methylene-γ-lactone moiety are potent inhibitors of Walker 256 carcinosarcoma and Ehrlich ascites tumor growth and marginal inhibitors of P-388 lymphocytic leukemia and Lewis lung tumor growth. In vitro aerobic basal respiration and oxidative phosphorylation processes of Ehrlich ascites cells were inhibited by these agents as well as deoxyribonucleic acid polymerase and thymidylate synthetase enzymatic activities. These studies indicate that the α-methylene-γ-lactone moiety, the β-unsubstituted cyclopentenone ring, and the α-epoxycyclopentanone system are the essential moieties for inhibition of these biochemical parameters.
Theory of Landau diamagnetism of dirty metals.

On donne une formulation de la reponse lineaire de ce diamagnetisme qui caracterise le tenseur de susceptibilite diamagnetique a desordre non moyenne. La susceptibilite moyenne d'un metal desordonne est identique a un metal propre
Randomized, phase II study of the thrombospondin-1-mimetic angiogenesis inhibitor ABT-510 in patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma.

Purpose Sarcomas are among the most proangiogenic malignancies in preclinical models. Phase I study results for ABT-510, which inhibits angiogenesis via a novel thrombospondin-mimetic mechanism, suggested activity in soft tissue sarcoma (STS) patients. This phase II study further evaluated the safety and efficacy of ABT-510 in advanced STS patients. Patients and Methods Patients with metastatic or unresectable STS were randomly assigned to treatment with one of two ABT-510 dose schedules (20 mg once a day [20 mg], n = 42; or 100 mg twice a day [200 mg], n = 46), which were self-administered subcutaneously in 28-day treatment periods. End points included progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), overall survival (OS), and safety. Results Median PFS for the 20-mg arm was 94 days, with 4- and 6-month PFS rate estimates of 42% and 24%, respectively. Median PFS for the 200-mg arm was 64 days, with 4- and 6-month PFS rate estimates of 41% and 32%, respectively. Although only one objective ...
The Fowler breathholding study revisited: continuous rating of respiratory sensation

The respiratory distress of breathholding has been shown to be relieved by breathing, even without correction of worsening blood gases (Fowler, 1954). We repeated the study by having untrained normal subjects perform maximal breathholds which were followed by the rebreathing of a gas mixture containing 7.5% CO2 and 8.2% O2, and then by second breathholds. In addition, we had the subjects continuously rate their respiratory distress using a visual analog scale (VAS). The ratings were easy to perform and were highly reproducible on repeated trials in a given subject. Subjects experienced increasing distress during the breathhold, rapid and substantial relief upon rebreathing, and then were capable of performing second breathholds, all consistent with Fowler's results. The findings are consistent with animal studies in which a neural mechanism associated with stimulation of pulmonary stretch receptors inhibits the firing of midbrain neurons which may be involved in transmission to the cortex of sensory information about breathing.
Numerical and Experimental Study on Micro-Electrical Discharge Micromachining Characteristics on Molybdenum

Electrical discharge micromachining (micro-EDM) is an ideal process for obtaining burr-free machined micron-size apertures. Molybdenum is one of the most attractive high energy and power aperture materials due to its mechanical and physical properties, mainly its high melting temperature and relatively high thermal conductivity. In this paper, fundamental machining characteristics for micro-EDM of molybdenum were investigated both numerically and experimentally. A thermo-numerical model was created to simulate a single spark discharge process. Experimental crater size is investigated using scanning electron microscopy and optical evaluation methods. The effects of important EDM parameters such as the pulse duration on crater shape, temperature distribution, tool wear percentage, and eroded volume were studied. Correlations between numerical and experimental data are also discussed. The model effectively estimates the size of single spark craters in molybdenum. The results show that the developed thermo-numerical model can be an effective tool in predicting the size of a crater formed by a single spark discharge in the micro-EDM process.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Cor-pulmonale and cardio-pulmonary schistosomiasis

Abstract 1. (1) The criteria generally accepted for the diagnosis of cardio-pulmonary schistosomiasis are given. 2. (2) In Rhodesia where schistosomiasis is endemic, chronic cor-pulmonale is not uncommonly seen amongst Africans, but not in all cases are these requirements for a diagnosis of schistosomal cor-pulmonale fulfilled. 3. (3) Three cases of cor-pulmonale are described to illustrate this point. All three were alike clinically but only one provided the desiderata for a diagnosis of schistosomal cor-pulmonale. 4. (4) In an endemic bilharzial region one should be careful not to label a patient as suffering from schistosomal cor-pulmonale even if ova are present in the excreta. 5. (5) It may also be argued that even if ova are present in the lungs of a patient presenting with the features of chronic cor-pulmonale, these may be coincidental to a disease of the pulmonary arterioles quite apart from schistosomiasis.
Effects on plasma corticosterone levels and brain serotonin from interference with methamphetamine-induced corticosterone release in neonatal rats.

Methamphetamine (MA) induces multiple effects in rats including alterations to corticosterone (CORT) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). This effect is age dependent showing a U-shaped function similar to that of other stressors during the stress hyporesponsive period. Neonatal MA treatment leads to adult learning and memory impairments, but whether these are related to MA-induced CORT release is unknown. Here in, four methods were tested in neonatal rats previously established in adult rats for inhibiting stress-induced CORT release: inhibiting synthesis (metyrapone (MET) or ketoconazole (KTZ)) or surgically by adrenalectomy or adrenal autotransplantation (ADXA). Pretreatment on postnatal day 11 with MET or KTZ prior to four doses of 10 mg/kg of MA initially suppressed MA-induced increases in plasma CORT, but 24 h later, even with additional inhibitor treatment, a large CORT increase was seen which exceeded that of MA alone. Adrenalectomy blocked MA-induced increases in CORT but caused a secondary ef...
Strain-Dependent Photoluminescence Behavior of CdSe/CdS Nanocrystals with Spherical, Linear, and Branched Topologies

The photoluminescence of CdSe/CdS core/shell quantum dots, nanorods, and tetrapods is investigated as a function of applied hydrostatic and non-hydrostatic pressure. The optoelectronic properties of all three nanocrystal morphologies are affected by strain. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the unique morphology of seeded tetrapods is highly sensitive to non-isotropic stress environments. Seeded tetrapods can thereby serve as an optical strain gauge, capable of measuring forces on the order of nanonewtons. We anticipate that a nanocrystal strain gauge with optical readout will be useful for applications including sensitive optomechanical devices and biological force investigations.
Racial Identity, African Self-Consciousness, and Career Decision Making in African American College Women.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among racial Identity, African self-consciousness, and career decidedness in 212 African American women classified as first year or senior at an historically Black university and a predominantly White university. It was hypothesized that senior women at both institutions would have higher levels of racial identity and African self-consciousness and would be more career decided than first year women. The findings provided partial support for the hypothesis.
Partial amelioration of AZT-induced macrocytic anemia in the mouse by folic acid

CBA/Ca mice being maintained on azidothymidine (AZT) in drinking water were given vitamin B12 and folate in an effort to ameliorate the macrocytic anemia associated with AZT administration. The B12/folate regimen was ineffectual, but higher doses of folate given daily resulted in an increase in RBC and a decrease in mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) and polychromatophilic erythrocytes (PCE) while mean corpuscular volume (MCV) remained relatively constant. The implications of these findings on RBC production and hemoglobin synthesis are discussed.
Electrical Potential Differences in Cells of Barley Roots and Their Relation to Ion Uptake

Single cell electropotentials of barley (Hordeum vulgare L., cv. ;Compana') root cortex were measured at different external concentrations of KCl in the presence of Ca(2+). The roots were low in salt from seedlings grown on 0.5 mm aerated CaSO(4) solution. Thus, the conditions were equivalent to those used to define the dual mechanisms found with radioactive tracer-labeled ion uptake. In 0.5 mm CaSO(4) alone, there is an increase with time of cell negativity from about -65 millivolts 15 minutes after cutting segments to about -185 millivolts in 6 to 8 hours. Two possible hypotheses, not mutually exclusive, are offered to explain this aging effect: that cutting exposes plasmodesmata which are leaky initially but which seal in time, and that some internal factors, e.g., hormones diffusing from the apex, have a regulatory effect on the cell potential, an influence which becomes dissipated in isolated segments and permits the development of a higher potential difference. In any case changes in selective ion transport must be involved. The cell potentials at KCl concentrations above 2.0 mm are more negative than would be expected for a passive diffusion potential. It is suggested that this discrepancy may be due to an electrogenic pump or to a higher K(+) concentration in the cytoplasm than in the remainder of the cell, or perhaps to both. Whether there is a clear relationship between cell potential and mechanisms 1 and 2 of cation transport depends upon whether the cell potentials of freshly cut or of aged tissue represent the values relevant to intact roots.
Intersection theorems for systems of finite vector spaces

A theorem of Erdos, Ko and Rado states that if S is an n-element set and F is a family of k-element subsets of S, k= = 2k, ...F... = = 2k + 1, ...F... = = 2k + 2 and n >= 2k + 1, q >= 3. Application of these methods to the analogous subset problem leads to improvement on the Erdos-Ko-Rado bounds.
The EBV Latent Antigen 3C Inhibits Apoptosis through Targeted Regulation of Interferon Regulatory Factors 4 and 8

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is linked to a broad spectrum of B-cell malignancies. EBV nuclear antigen 3C (EBNA3C) is an encoded latent antigen required for growth transformation of primary human B-lymphocytes. Interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4) and 8 (IRF8) are transcription factors of the IRF family that regulate diverse functions in B cell development. IRF4 is an oncoprotein with anti-apoptotic properties and IRF8 functions as a regulator of apoptosis and tumor suppressor in many hematopoietic malignancies. We now demonstrate that EBNA3C can contribute to B-cell transformation by modulating the molecular interplay between cellular IRF4 and IRF8. We show that EBNA3C physically interacts with IRF4 and IRF8 with its N-terminal domain in vitro and forms a molecular complex in cells. We identified the Spi-1/B motif of IRF4 as critical for EBNA3C interaction. We also demonstrated that EBNA3C can stabilize IRF4, which leads to downregulation of IRF8 by enhancing its proteasome-mediated degradation. Further, si-RNA mediated knock-down of endogenous IRF4 results in a substantial reduction in proliferation of EBV-transformed lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs), as well as augmentation of DNA damage-induced apoptosis. IRF4 knockdown also showed reduced expression of its targeted downstream signalling proteins which include CDK6, Cyclin B1 and c-Myc all critical for cell proliferation. These studies provide novel insights into the contribution of EBNA3C to EBV-mediated B-cell transformation through regulation of IRF4 and IRF8 and add another molecular link to the mechanisms by which EBV dysregulates cellular activities, increasing the potential for therapeutic intervention against EBV-associated cancers.
UV dielectric constants of a-Ge as a function of film density

Abstract The reflectance of a-Ge has been measured in situ on thin films deposited at various substrate temperatures Ts. Kramers-Kronig analysis of this data yields the uv dielectric constants as a function of film density. Trends in the dielectric constants are consistent with the presence of submicroscopic voids whose volume fraction decreases as s increases. These voids are partially aligned and will therefore lead to anistropy in several physical properties.
Spin precession, flips, and transmission through a ring: Relation between the spin–orbit interaction strengths and the final spin orientation

Abstract We study spin precession and transmission through a mesoscopic ring in the presence of the Rashba and Dresselhaus terms of the spin–orbit interaction (SOI), respectively, of strengths α and β , and of a magnetic field B . The Rashba field, the effective Dresselhaus field as well as B have perpendicular and radial components. The final spin orientations depend importantly on α , β , and B . In the absence of B the outgoing spins trace rings perpendicular to well-defined directions for β = 0 or α = 0 . For β = 0 ( α = 0 ) incident spins polarized along these well-defined directions exit the ring undeflected. For α ≠ β ≠ 0 the trace rings become spirals. The values of α and β are related to the final spin orientation. For weak magnetic fields this precession picture does not hold. Spin flips occur when α or β is varied as the angles describing the final spin orientation change drastically in a very narrow range of α or β values in which the total transmission vanishes.
Coprostanol formation. I. The effect of sodium taurocholate and Tween 80 on the sterol composition of rat feces

Abstract 1. 1. The addition of sodium taurocholate to fat-free diets containing 0.25% cholesterol led to significant inhibition of coprostanol formation. Added Tween 80 produced similar results. Complete absence of bile had no effect on the extent of coprostanol formation. 2. 2. The addition of sodium taurocholate and Tween 80 to cholesterol diets enhanced the cholesterol absorption as indicated by increased blood and liver cholesterol levels, and a corresponding decrease in total sterol excretion characterized by depressed coprostanol and increased cholesterol excretion. 3. 3. The amounts of the Δ7-sterols excreted increased with age, but were not greatly affected by the presence of cholesterol or of the emulsifiers in the diet.
Reduced adrenocortical responsiveness to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) in socially subordinate female marmoset monkeys.

Abstract Socially subordinate female common marmoset monkeys undergo pronounced, chronic reductions in basal plasma cortisol levels, which appear to result both from socially induced suppression of reproductive hormones and from direct effects of social subordination. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that this cortisol suppression is mediated by reduced adrenocortical responsiveness to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). Dominant, subordinate, and ovariectomized females were given dexamethasone (5 mg/kg, IM), followed the next morning by human ACTH 1–39 (10 μg/kg, IV) or sterile saline (0.5 ml/kg, IV); blood samples were collected at −20 through 150 min from ACTH or saline treatment and assayed for cortisol. ACTH, but not saline, caused a marked elevation of plasma cortisol levels. Prior to ACTH treatment, dominant females tended to have higher dexamethasone-suppressed cortisol levels than subordinate and ovariectomized females. After ACTH treatment, dominant females had significantly higher cortisol concentrations, as well as higher peak and net integrated cortisol responses to ACTH, than did subordinate and ovariectomized animals; the latter two groups showed comparable cortisol responses to ACTH. These results suggest that dampened adrenocortical responsiveness to ACTH contributes to chronic reductions in cortisol levels in subordinate female marmosets and may be mediated by suppression of reproductive hormones.
Molecular biology and pathogenesis of prion diseases.

Prions cause a group of human and animal neurodegenerative diseases, which are now classified together because their etiology and pathogenesis, involve modification of the prion protein (PrP). Prion diseases are manifest as infectious, genetic and sporadic disorders. These diseases can be transmitted among mammals by the infectious particle designated 'prion'. Despite intensive searches over the past three decades, no nucleic acid has been found within prions, yet a modified isoform of the host-encoded PrP designated PrPSc is essential for infectivity. In fact, considerable experimental data argue that prions are composed exclusively of PrPSc. Earlier terms used to describe the prion diseases include transmissible encephalopathies, spongiform encephalopathies and slow virus diseases. The human prion disorders include kuru, Creutzfeldt-Jackob disease (CJD), Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker syndrome (GSS) and fatal familial insomnia (FFI).
Duality without supersymmetry: the case of the SO(16) × SO(16) string

We extend strong/weak coupling duality to string theories without spacetime supersymmetry, and focus on the case of the unique ten-dimensional, nonsupersymmetric, tachyon-free SO(16) × SO(16) heterotic string. We construct a tachyon-free heterotic string model that interpolates smoothly between this string and the ten-dimensional supersymmetric SO(32) heterotic string, and we construct a dual for this interpolating model. We find that the perturbative massless states of our dual theories precisely match within a certain range of the interpolation. Further evidence for this proposed duality comes from a calculation of the one-loop cosmological constant in both theories, as well as the presence of a soliton in the dual theory. This is therefore the first known duality relation between nonsupersymmetric tachyon-free string theories. Using this duality, we then investigate the perturbative and nonperturbative stability of the SO(16) × SO(16) string, and present a conjecture concerning its ultimate fate.
Reminder: Reliability of Global Judgments:

Reliability as measured by the extent of agreement is often a problem for complex global judgments. Empirically, the use of multiple raters improved reliability consistent with predictions from the Spearman-Brown formula. Implications for the reliability of clinical diagnosis are suggested.
Anchoring characteristics and interfacial interactions in a polymer dispersed liquid crystal: a molecular dynamics study

Abstract Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were carried out to gain an understanding of the interfacial interactions and the phase separation process in a polymer dispersed liquid crystalline (PDLC) system. The most important components of the PDLC system of interest are: E7 (an eutectic mixture of cyanobiphenyl liquid crystals), a crosslinked polyacrylate, and octanoic acid (OA). The miscibility of the different components was investigated and the anchoring characteristics of 4- n -pentyl-4′-cyanobiphenyl (5CB) molecules on the penta-acrylate polymer surface were analyzed. The effects of introducing a surfactant on the miscibility and the anchoring strengths were also studied. Bilayers of polymer and liquid crystal (LC) of different alignments, show that an amorphous 5CB structure on the polymer surface was energetically most favorable, whereas homeotropic alignment had the next higher energy and planar alignment was the least favorable. Calculated solubility parameters indicate that prior to polymerization, the prepolymer and LC are miscible and OA is equally immiscible with both of them. Upon polymerization, the polymer is no longer miscible with the LC; phase separation occurs and OA acts as a surfactant forming a layer between the polymer and the LC. Anchoring energies calculated from the interfacial tensions indicate that the LC and polymer interface is strong. On addition of the surfactant, the anchoring energy at the interface of the LC and the surfactant becomes weaker. This decrease in anchoring strength may be one of the major factors responsible for a reduction in droplet size and also a lowering of critical field for switching, both of which are observed experimentally in volume holograms made of these PDLC materials.
Interlaced dynamical decoupling and coherent operation of a singlet-triplet qubit.

We experimentally demonstrate coherence recovery of singlet-triplet superpositions by interlacing qubit rotations between Carr-Purcell (CP) echo sequences. We then compare the performance of Hahn, CP, concatenated dynamical decoupling (CDD), and Uhrig dynamical decoupling for singlet recovery. In the present case, where gate noise and drift combined with spatially varying hyperfine coupling contribute significantly to dephasing, and pulses have limited bandwidth, CP and CDD yield comparable results, with ${T}_{2}\ensuremath{\sim}80\text{ }\text{ }\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{s}$.
Maximal deviation theory of some estimators of prior distribution functions

Let\(\left( {\theta _1 ,x_1 } \right), \cdots \left( {\theta _n ,x_n } \right), \cdots \) be a sequence of independent identically distributed random variables withθ 1∼G and the conditional distribution ofx 1 givenθ 1=θ given by\(F_{\theta _1 } \left( \cdot \right)\). HereG is unknown andF θ(·) is known. This paper provides estimators\(\hat G_n \) ofG based onx 1, …,x n such that the random variable sup\(\left\{ {{{\left| {\hat G_n \left( x \right) - G\left( x \right)} \right|} \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{\left| {\hat G_n \left( x \right) - G\left( x \right)} \right|} {c_n }}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} {c_n }}\left( x \right)\left| {c_1 \leqq x} \right. \leqq c_2 } \right\}\) has an asymptotic distribution asn→∞ under certain on conditionsG and for certain choices ofF θ. A simulation model has been discussed involving the uniform distribution on (0, θ) forF θ and an exponential distribution forG.