cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of the extent of pathologic complete response on outcomes after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Background and objective With advances in systemic therapies for breast cancer, responses to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) have increased. Pathologic complete response (pCR) after NAC is an independent prognostic factor. We examined the impact of breast and/or lymph node (LN) pCR on survival. Methods From a prospectively maintained database, 202 women were identified with LN-positive breast cancer who underwent NAC then surgery. Clinicopathologic factors and survival were compared between four groups: breast/LNs pCR, node-only pCR, breast-only pCR, and residual disease (RD). Results Forty-eight (23.8%) patients had breast/LNs pCR, 43 (21.3%) node-only pCR, 5 (2.5%) breast-only pCR, and 106 (52.5%) had RD. There was no difference in age, stage, or breast operation between groups. With a median follow-up of 48.2 months, patients with any pCR had improved disease-free survival (DFS) (HR, 0.3; 95% CI, 0.157-0.572) and OS (HR, 0.192; 95% CI, 0.057-0.652) compared with RD patients. There were no significant differences in DFS (log-rank P = .18) and OS (log-rank P = 0.12) between patients with node-only pCR, breast-only pCR, and breast/LNs pCR. Conclusion In node-positive breast cancer patients receiving NAC, any pCR was associated with improved survival vs RD. The anatomic site of pCR did not impact survival. This suggests that any favorable response to NAC has prognostic value.
Smart City Internet of Things Reasoning System for Emergency Responders

Increase usage of IoT devices within “Smart Cities” enables new services for individuals in these cities and new avenues for efficiently solving problems and managing resources. To address these possibilities a system that goes beyond having devices emplaced but having a system that considers the features of the device and how they individually and collectively can react to accomplish the tasks is important. A reasoning system can provide this and if integrated at a control center provide support for individuals prior to or as tasks such as responding to emergencies are being performed. With knowledge of the quality of the network (QoN) and Internet of Things (IoT) devices, a database or knowledgebase which consists of IoT devices, their capabilities, their vulnerabilities, and limitations can link of these devices to emergency tasks through a reasoning system, can be developed. This type of system may allow emergency teams to respond more efficiently by accessing the suggestions from a reasoning system. This paper proposes a reasoning system that assists smart city emergency responders to make decisions to emergency situations with the knowledge of IoT Devices and the quality of underlying communication network.
Trends in utilization, conversion rates, and outcomes for minimally invasive approaches to non-metastatic rectal cancer: a national cancer database analysis

This study examined utilization and conversion rates for robotic and laparoscopic approaches to non-metastatic rectal cancer. Secondary aims were to examine short- and long-term outcomes of patients who underwent conversion to laparotomy from each approach. The National Cancer Database (NCDB) was reviewed for all cases of non-metastatic adenocarcinoma of the rectum or rectosigmoid junction who underwent surgical resection from 2010 to 2016. Utilization rates of robotic, laparoscopic, and open approaches were examined. Patients were split into cohorts by approach. Subgroup analyses were performed by primary tumor site and surgical procedure. Multivariable analysis was performed by multivariable logistic regression for binary outcomes and multivariable general linear models for continuous outcomes. Survival analysis was performed by Kaplan–Meier and multivariable cox-proportional hazards regression. From 2010 to 2016, there was a statistically significant increase in utilization of the robotic and laparoscopic approaches over the study period and a statistically significant decrease in utilization of the open approach. The conversion rates for robotic and laparoscopic cohorts were 7.0% and 15.7%, p < 0.0001. Subgroup analysis revealed statistically lower conversion rates between robotic and laparoscopic approaches for rectosigmoid and rectal tumors and for LAR and APR. Converted cohorts had statistically significant higher odds of short term mortality than the non-converted cohorts (p < 0.05).Laparoscopic conversion had statistically higher odds of positive margins (p < 0.0001) and 30-day unplanned readmission (p < 0.0001) than the laparoscopic non-conversion. Increased adjusted mortality hazard was seen for converted laparoscopy relative to non-converted laparoscopy (p = 0.0019). From 2010 to 2016, there was a significant increase in utilization of minimally invasive approaches to surgical management of non-metastatic rectal cancer. A robotic approach demonstrated decreased conversion rates than a laparoscopic approach at the rectosigmoid junction and rectum and for LAR and APR. Improved outcomes were seen in the minimally invasive cohorts compared to those that converted to laparotomy.
How Marston Read His Merchant: Ruled Women and Structures of Circulation in The Dutch Courtesan

This essay argues that The Merchant of Venice was highly influential on John Mar­ston’s The Dutch Courtesan, guiding the changes Marston made to his source text. Marston extends Merchant’s critiques of nascent capitalism and is especially critical of the commodifying male sexuality embodied by Freevill and influenced by the char­acterizations of Portia and Bassanio. Recognizing Courtesan’s debts to Merchant also enables a better understanding of how Marston’s move to the Children of the Queen’s Revels affected his dramaturgy. By showing how Freevill self-consciously and inauthentically performs the role of a romance hero, Marston participates in the com­pany’s characteristic ironizing of romance.
Lignification of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) pericarp tissue during blossom-end rot development

Abstract Blossom-end rot is a physiological disorder causing significant losses in the tomato industry each year. Accumulation of reactive oxygen species has been established as a key characteristic of blossom-end rot development. An increase in peroxidase activity and lignin precursor content are also associated with blossom-end rot symptoms, leading to the hypothesis that lignification may be occurring during blossom-end rot development. To investigate the potential involvement of lignification, hydrogen peroxide content, catalase activity, and peroxidase activity were measured in the top, bottom, and blossom-end rot affected tissue of blossom-end rot affected fruit, and the top and bottom of healthy fruit. Lignin was assayed using histochemical staining, autofluorescence, and thioglycolic acid degradation methods. Hydrogen peroxide content was increased in blossom-end rot affected and blossom-end rot adjacent tissues compared to healthy fruit and the top of blossom-end rot affected fruit. Catalase activity was significantly reduced and ferulic acid peroxidase activity was increased in the blossom-end rot affected and unaffected tissue at the bottom of blossom-end rot affected fruit compared to the bottom of healthy fruit. Lignin analyses showed increased lignin content in blossom-end rot affected tissue compared to tissue from the bottom of healthy fruit. These results show that lignification occurs during blossom-end rot development, likely through a peroxidase-mediated pathway.
Benefits of Surgical Treatment of Stage IV Breast Cancer for Patients With Known Hormone Receptor and HER2 Status

For the 6% of breast cancer patients with a diagnosis of stage IV disease, systemic therapy is the cornerstone of treatment, with an unclear role for surgery. Limited evidence exists to delineate treatment methods with regard to hormone receptor and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status. The National Cancer Database was used to identify 12,838 stage IV breast cancer patients with known hormone receptor and HER2 status from 2010 to 2015. Chi square tests examined subgroup differences between the treatment methods received. Using the Kaplan–Meier method, 5-year overall survival (OS) was assessed. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard models examined factors associated with survival. A survival advantage was noted for patients who received either systemic therapy and surgery (ST + Surg: hazard ratio [HR] 0.723; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.671–0.779) or systemic therapy, surgery, and radiation (Trimodality: HR 0.640; 95% CI 0.591–0.694) (both p < 0.0001) compared with systemic therapy alone (ST). The HER2+ patients who received Trimodality or ST + Surg had a better 5-year OS rate than those who received ST (Trimodality [48%], ST + Surg [41%], ST [29%]; p < 0.0001). The sequence of chemotherapy in relation to surgery is significant, with the greatest survival advantage noted for recipients of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) compared with patients who had adjuvant chemotherapy when they had positive hormone receptor and HER2 status (HER2 + NAC: HR 0.477; estrogen receptor-positive [ER+] NAC: HR 0.453; progesterone receptor-positive [PR+] NAC: HR 0.448; all p < 0.0001). Surgery in addition to ST has a survival benefit for stage IV breast cancer patients with known hormone receptor and HER2 status and should be considered after NAC for patients with ER+, PR+, or HER2+ disease.
A divergence-of-expectations approach to the assessment of country risk

We introduce a new way to conceptualise, assess and manage country risk. Departing from standard approaches that equate risk with expected values (e.g., lower growth implies higher risk), our approach equates risk with the variance of expectations (e.g., greater variation in expectations of growth implies higher risk). The variance-of-expectations approach is more consistent with the manner in which managers conceptualise risk as unpredictability, the chance of loss and the magnitude of loss. The approach is illustrated through the construction of country risk measures derived from cross-national survey data collected by the World Bank. Evidence suggests that the variance-of-expectations approach to country risk assessment introduces new information beyond conventional approaches and may also be more likely to help managers anticipate unfavourable changes in a country's operating environment.
Disclosure Processing Costs and Market Feedback Around the World

We study how disclosure processing costs affect managers’ ability to learn from their own firms’ stock price and incorporate this information into their investment decisions. To provide evidence on this issue, we examine country-level adoptions of centralized electronic disclosure systems. These systems, which digitize and centralize firm disclosures, are among regulators’ most critical technological interventions to reduce disclosure processing costs for investors. Consistent with CEDS crowding out investors’ private-information acquisition, which induces managers to learn less from their stock price, we find a significant decrease in managers’ investment sensitivity to price following these adoptions. Leveraging country-level variation, we also show these effects are heterogeneous across several country-specific dimensions. We find that decreased managerial learning is greatest in places that benefit most from CEDS: smaller and more opaque countries and those with better-developed platforms. Overall, our results show technology that reduces disclosure processing costs have real effects on the global economy.
Book Review: Social Protection and Social Development: International Initiatives by Julie.L. Drolet, New York, London: Springer, 2013, 168 Pp.

The book Social Protection and Social Development: International Initiatives discusses the concept of social protection from a comparative perspective. The emphasis is on low-income countries where social protection is viewed through the prism of economic development without humanitarian grounds. The book comprises a synopsis of theoretical approaches and selected empirical findings in social protection, rather than an extensive reference. The book consists of five chapters.
Steroid hormones in Pacific walrus bones collected over three millennia indicate physiological responses to changes in estimated population size and the environment.

The Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) is an iconic Arctic marine mammal and an important resource to many Alaska Natives. A decrease in sea ice habitat and unknown population numbers has led to concern of the long-term future health of the walrus population. There is currently no clear understanding of how walrus physiology might be affected by a changing Arctic ecosystem. In this study, steroid hormone concentrations (progesterone, testosterone, cortisol and estradiol) were analysed in walrus bones collected during archaeological [3585-200 calendar years before present (BP)], historical [1880-2006 common era (CE)] and modern (2014-2016 CE) time periods, representing ~ 3651 years, to track changes in reproductive activity and cortisol concentrations (biomarker of stress) over time. Our results show that modern walrus samples have similar cortisol concentrations (median = 43.97 ± standard deviation 904.38 ng/g lipid) to archaeological walruses (38.94 ± 296.17 ng/g lipid, P = 0.75). Cortisol concentrations were weakly correlated with a 15-year average September Chukchi Sea ice cover (P = 0.002, 0.02, r2 = 0.09, 0.04, for females and males, respectively), indicating a possible physiological resiliency to sea ice recession in the Arctic. All steroid hormones had significant negative correlations with mean walrus population estimates from 1960 to 2016 (P < 0.001). Progesterone in females and testosterone in males exhibited significant correlations with average September Chukchi Sea ice cover for years 1880-2016 (P < 0.001 for both, r2 = 0.34, 0.22, respectively). Modern walruses had significantly lower (P = < 0.001) reproductive hormone concentrations compared with historic walruses during times of rapid population increase, indicative of a population possibly at carrying capacity. This is the first study to apply bone as a tool to monitor long-term changes in hormones that may be associated with changes in walrus population size and sea ice cover.
A Systematic Review of Parent–Child Shared Book Reading Interventions for Infants and Toddlers:

Parents are encouraged to read to their children as early as possible. Multiple studies of parent–child shared book reading with children ages 3 years and older have shown positive outcomes on pare...
Lower White Matter Volume and Worse Executive Functioning Reflected in Higher Levels of Plasma GFAP among Older Adults with and Without Cognitive Impairment.

Objective There are minimal data directly comparing plasma neurofilament light (NfL) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in aging and neurodegenerative disease research. We evaluated associations of plasma NfL and plasma GFAP with brain volume and cognition in two independent cohorts of older adults diagnosed as clinically normal (CN), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or Alzheimer's dementia. Methods We studied 121 total participants (Cohort 1: n = 50, age 71.6 ± 6.9 years, 78% CN, 22% MCI; Cohort 2: n = 71, age 72.2 ± 9.2 years, 45% CN, 25% MCI, 30% dementia). Gray and white matter volumes were obtained for total brain and broad subregions of interest (ROIs). Neuropsychological testing evaluated memory, executive functioning, language, and visuospatial abilities. Plasma samples were analyzed in duplicate for NfL and GFAP using single molecule array assays (Quanterix Simoa). Linear regression models with structural MRI and cognitive outcomes included plasma NfL and GFAP simultaneously along with relevant covariates. Results Higher plasma GFAP was associated with lower white matter volume in both cohorts for temporal (Cohort 1: β = -0.33, p = .002; Cohort 2: β = -0.36, p = .03) and parietal ROIs (Cohort 1: β = -0.31, p = .01; Cohort 2: β = -0.35, p = .04). No consistent findings emerged for gray matter volumes. Higher plasma GFAP was associated with lower executive function scores (Cohort 1: β = -0.38, p = .01; Cohort 2: β = -0.36, p = .007). Plasma NfL was not associated with gray or white matter volumes, or cognition after adjusting for plasma GFAP. Conclusions Plasma GFAP may be more sensitive to white matter and cognitive changes than plasma NfL. Biomarkers reflecting astroglial pathophysiology may capture complex dynamics of aging and neurodegenerative disease.
Teaching Educators Habits of Mind for Using Data Wisely

BackgroundInstitutions of higher education, specifically schools of education, should play a pivotal role in supporting educators’ development of data literacy for teaching. While novice teachers a...
Nucleopolyhedrovirus Interactions with Their Insect Hosts

It is clear from this brief review that our understanding of the molecular cross-talk between insects and their baculovirus pathogens is still very limited. Studies in cell culture have taught us a great deal about the basic baculovirus molecular machinery and how it is regulated, and in many cases this information has been predictive of what occurs in infected insects. Frequently, however, studies in cell culture do not adequately predict the infection process in insect hosts, as demonstrated by viral mutants (some of which were discussed in this review) that behave identically to wild-type virus in cell culture but differ markedly in larvae. More baculovirus studies, therefore, need to be conducted in vivo if we are to improve our understanding of the complex interactions between baculoviruses and their hosts. Conducting baculovirus studies in insects (or at least in primary cell culture) also offers the opportunity to address questions that reach beyond the baculovirus community in significance. For example, almost all of our knowledge of viral fusion mechanisms comes from infection of cells in culture where the pH is neutral or acidic and the temperature is constant at 27 degrees or 37 degrees C. An answer to the question of how the ODV envelope fuses with the microvillar membrane of columnar epithelial cells in the highly alkaline midgut environment at low temperatures will not only be important for an improved understanding of baculovirus infection in the natural world, but will also constitute a new chapter on viral entry mechanisms. Similarly, the answer to the question of how baculovirus nucleocapsids move basally within microvilli promises to involve factors and/or a mechanism not yet described by cell biologists, and so will constitute a valuable contribution to both baculovirology and cell biology. There are many more such examples of biological mechanisms that can be uniquely explored within the context of baculoviruses and their insect hosts, some of which have been highlighted in this review. As more and more young investigators realize the importance of combining a knowledge of virology, molecular technology, and insect biology, however, many of the outstanding mysteries will be solved.
XV-15 Tilt Rotor Test Progress Report

In a continuing effort to expand the versatility of their aircraft, VTOL designers have for many years tried to combine the desirable features of various concepts into a single aircraft. This is a formidable task and most efforts have met with limited success. This paper explores the need for an aircraft combining the efficient VTOL capability of a helicopter with the efficient high speed characteristics of a fixed wing turboprop. The ability of the tilt rotor concept to fill this requirement and examples as to its potential usefulness in both military and civil missions is discussed. The history of the concept and the status of the current Army/NASA/Bell XV-15 program and its role in proving the viability of the concept are reviewed.
Etanercept blocks inflammatory responses orchestrated by TNF-α to promote transplanted cell engraftment and proliferation in rat liver

Engraftment of transplanted cells is critical for liver-directed cell therapy but most transplanted cells are rapidly cleared from liver sinusoids by proinflammatory cytokines/chemokines/receptors after activation of neutrophils or Kupffer cells. To define whether TNF-α served roles in cell-transplantation-induced hepatic inflammation, we used TNF-α antagonist, etanercept, for studies in syngeneic rat hepatocyte transplantation systems. After cell transplantation, multiple cytokines/chemokines/receptors were overexpressed, whereas etanercept prior to cell transplantation essentially normalized these responses. Moreover, ETN downregulated cell transplantation-induced intrahepatic release of secretory cytokines, such as high mobility group box 1. These effects of etanercept decreased cell transplantation-induced activation of neutrophils but not of Kupffer cells. Transplanted cell engraftment improved by several-fold in etanercept-treated animals. These gains in cell engraftment were repeatedly realized after pretreatment of animals with etanercept before multiple cell transplantation sessions. Transplanted cell numbers did not change over time indicating absence of cell proliferation after etanercept alone. By contrast, in animals preconditioned with retrorsine and partial hepatectomy, cell transplantation after etanercept pretreatment significantly accelerated liver repopulation compared with control rats. We concluded that TNF-α played a major role in orchestrating cell transplantation-induced inflammation through regulation of multiple cytokines/chemokines/receptor expression. As TNF-α antagonism by etanercept decreased transplanted cell clearance, improved cell engraftment and accelerated liver repopulation, this pharmacological approach to control hepatic inflammation will help optimize clinical strategies for liver cell therapy.
Removal of Glycans from FFPE tissue sections enhances specific binding of antibodies against glycoproteins (LB481)

Immunocytochemistry (IHC) is widely used by pathologists to determine whether a biopsied sample is cancerous or not and to determine the grade level of the tumor. The diagnosis of the cancer is based on the positive staining of specific biological markers which have been determined and validated to be present in specific areas of the tissue section. In some cases, the antigen of interest can be a glycoprotein which is overexpressed in various tissues or used to differentiate between different types of malignancies. An example of such glycoproteins is CA19-9 or sialylated Lewis (a) antigen, a tumor marker used to detect pancreatic cancer and BG8 or Lewis (y) antigen, used to differentiate epithelioid pleural (EP) mesotheliomas from pulmonary peripheral adenocarcinoma (PPA). In people with pancreatic masses, CA19-9 can be useful in distinguishing between cancer and other diseases of the gland. BG8 is considered a positive marker for PPA and negative marker for EP mesothelioma and is used in conjunction with...
Ultrasonic Wave Propagation through an Interface with a Step Discontinuity

The condition of an interface through which an ultrasonic wave passes as it enters a material is an important factor in ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation. Most modeling studies of ultrasonic inspection assume that this interface is smooth. However, in real life this may not be the case. In the case of nuclear reactor components, factors such as weld overlay, claddings, grinding and diametrical shrink can give part surfaces a wavy, corrugated or abruptly stepped topography. M. S. Good [1] has provided some estimate of what surface conditions exist in nuclear reactor components, with some examples being illustrated in Fig. 1. These irregular surfaces can severely distort or redirect the ultrasonic beam, leading to false indications of size and location of defects.
Safer Sex and the Health Belief Model

Abstract The goal of the present study was to build on the Health Belief Model (HBM) by adding predictors of late adolescent safer sex behavior: perceptions of peer norms for sexual behavior, and sexual attitudes that emerge from socialization. Sexually active, late adolescent college students (N = 154, 62.3% female; mean age 20.8 years, 76% European American) participated in the study. Predictors from the original HBM included perceived vulnerability, condom use self-efficacy, and attitudes about condoms. In addition, peer norms for condom use and sexual behavior, general sexual attitudes, and endorsement of the sexual double standard were included as predictors of safer sex behavior. Attitudes about condoms, perceived vulnerability, condom use self-efficacy, and the sexual double standard emerged as significant correlates of condom use. General sexual attitudes and the sexual double standard were significantly correlated with alcohol use before or during sex. With the addition of these variables, the re...
Lactobacillus acidophilus counteracts enteropathogenic E. coli-induced inhibition of butyrate uptake in intestinal epithelial cells

Butyrate, a key short-chain fatty acid metabolite of colonic luminal bacterial action on dietary fiber, serves as a primary fuel for the colonocytes, ameliorates mucosal inflammation, and stimulate...
A Review of “Trust in the land; New directions in tribal conservation”

If you are looking for creative solutions to preserve lands with cultural value, this book will serve as a primer of private conservation tools for tribal lands. Trust in the Land addresses the cha...
A Contemporary Policy-Making Perspective Concerning Supermarket Pricing and Quality

This manuscript presents a methodology from which supermarket management who, faced with competition, must provide recommendations for profit-maximizing price, quality, and capacity. It is assumed that service quality and price impact jointly on demand for service, and that both demand and service quality impact on the costs of providing service. A service quality constraint is applied to the mathematical optimization model in order to guarantee that recommended optimal service standards are met. We generate conditions that characterize optimal solutions and provide illustrative results based on empirical data obtained from a supermarket study.
Microbial and Viral Filtration

Several physicochemical methods exist to ensure the safety of biological and biopharmaceutical products in manufacture. Whereas physical methods such as heat and radiation may be used, these are often not viable options owing to detrimental effects on product quality. For example, in the case of products that are heat labile or biochemically complex, these methods may result in alteration of the chemistry or function of the product, or random adsorption of key components. Filtration is the separation of particles from a fluid (liquid or gas) by passage of that fluid through a permeable medium. Sterile filtration ensures complete removal of viable organisms. Advances in membrane technology have resulted in the availability of filtrative devices for the removal of viruses in addition to bacteria. Thus membrane filtration is becoming increasingly the method of choice for sterilization of biologicals, especially when the product is heat labile, because the filtration process in inherently nondestructive. An overview of the general principles of filtration having specific application to bacterial and viral removal is given herein. The emphasis is on ensuring that the sterility and/or safety of biologicals and biopharmaceuticals be maintained. Keywords: filtration; Bacterial removal; Principles; Sterile filtration; Gases. Liquids; Virus removal; Membrane filtration; Integrity testing
Magnesium Transport in Patients with Thyroid Disease

The kinetics of radiomagnesium exchange in hyper- and hypothyroid patients was studied by administering high specific activity 28Mg intravenously and utilizing conventional and analog and digital computer techniques of data analysis. In hyperthyroidism, the size of the largest of the 3 exchangeable tissue magnesium fractions derived from the digital computer analysis was increased by 58% compared to control subjects, and in hypothyroidism the size was decreased by 24%. The flux rate of magnesium was increased by 60 to 120 % in all 3 tissue fractions in the hyperthyroid patients compared to the hypothyroid patients. The urinary excretions of 28Mg and 24Mg were 80% greater in the hyperthyroid and 30% smaller in the hypothyroid patients than in the control subjects. In the 4 patients restudied after restoration of euthyroidism, some or all of the abnormalities in magnesium transport returned toward normal. These data indicate that thyroid hormone has a direct stimulatory action on the cellular transport of m...
Predicting Injury Severity Levels in Traffic Crashes: A Modeling Comparison

This paper investigates the use of two well-known artificial neural network (ANN) paradigms: the multilayer perceptron (MLP) and fuzzy adaptive resonance theory (ART) neural networks in analyzing driver injury severity. The objective of this study is to investigate the viability and potential benefits of using the ANN in predicting driver injury severity conditioned on the premise that a crash has occurred. The performance of the ANN was compared to a calibrated ordered probit model. Modeling results showed that the testing classification accuracy was 73.5% for the MLP, 70.6% for the fuzzy ARTMAP, and 61.7% for the ordered probit model. This result indicates a more accurate prediction capability of injury severity for ANN (particularly the MLP) over other traditional methods. The results of the models showed that gender, vehicle speed, seat belt use, type of vehicle, point of impact, and area type (rural versus urban) affect the likelihood of injury severity levels.
Differences in histochemical attributes between diaphragm and hindleg muscles of the rat

Muscle fibers of the diaphragm and hindleg muscles of the rat were characterized bistochemically by their mitochondrial distribution (succinic dehydrogenase activity) as A, B and C (after Stein and Padykula, '62), by their myofibrillar, alkali-stabile ATPase activity as α, β and αβ (after Samaha et al., '70), and by their acid-stabile ATPases (intermyofibrillar and myofibrillar) as D (dark), M (moderate) and L (light). Comparisons of the differentially stained serial sections revealed profound dissimilarities between the fibers of functionally disparate muscles. The majority of fibers of the hindleg muscles were distinguishable as the conjugates AαβM, BβTD and CαL (figs. 1-3), whereas those of the diaphragm were principally AαM, BαL and CβD (figs. 4-6). Thus, no one histochemical reaction could accurately predict the multiple attributes of fibers of both muscle groups. Previous studies suggest that additional discrepancies in histochemical appearance would arise were other specialized muscles, e.g., extraocular muscles (Yellin, '69), compared with the more common muscles of body and limb. Any extrapolation of data on the basis of limited histochemical analyses is not without risk, whether comparing the same muscle in different species (Yellin and Guth, '70), or different muscles in the same species.
Fine structural changes of myelinated nerve associated with copperhead envenomation.

The fine structure of right sciatic nerves of Swiss white mice was studied after being exposed to a venom solution ofAgkistrodon contortrix laticinctus (broad-banded copperhead) and to 0.9% NaCl solutions for periods of 1, 2 or 3 h. There was some “Wallerian-like” degeneration in all groups of nerves in the experiment. Additional neuropathological changes were noted in the nerves exposed to venom solutions. The connective tissue was affected most severely, while the basal lamina was unaffected. Schwann cells were vacuolated, and in the most extreme case, a type of myelin splitting occurred which was considered as a “demyelinative” effect. The results were compared to those of Martin and Rosenberg (1968) [15] on studies of the giant squid axon. References to additional fine structural studies of various other neuropathies were given.
Metal cluster topology 16. Macropolygons and macropolyhedra in coinage metal iron carbonyl cluster anions and related compounds

Abstract The diamagnetic copper-iron carbonyl cluster anions Cu3[Fe(CO)4]33−, Cu5[Fe(CO)4]43− and Cu6[Fe(CO)4]42− with triangular, butterfly and tetrahedral structures, respectively, have the expected electron counts for a large iron macropolygonal or macropolyhedral network with FeCuFe edges containing a smaller copper polygonal or polyhedral network which is the line graph of the iron network. Similarly, the paramagnetic silver-iron carbonyl cluster anion Ag12(Ag)[Fe(CO)4]84− with an outer Fe8 macrocube and an inner Ag12 cuboctahedron has the expected electron count for an outer diamagnetic Ag12[Fe(CO)4]84− unit encapsulating a neutral paramagnetic silver atom in accord with its ESR spectrum.
Latino Gender and Generation Gaps in Political Ideology

The 2012 U.S. presidential election reminded both political parties and political researchers about the electoral impact of racial/ethnic minorities and women. In addition, the 2013 U.S. Congress included for the first time in history a majority Democratic delegation made up of women and minorities, while the Republican delegation continued “to be overwhelmingly white and male” (Homan 2012).
A fully anisotropic single crystal model for high strain rate loading conditions with an application to α-RDX

Abstract In this paper, we develop a fully anisotropic, nonlinear, thermodynamically consistent model for single crystals under high rates of loading with thermodynamically consistent decoupling of the stress tensor into hydrostatic and deviatoric components. A new slip resistance model, which accounts for the main high-pressure mechanisms arising at the microscale including the effects of phonon drag, has been developed. When applied to α-RDX single crystals, the model is capable of predicting the salient elastic-plastic wave characteristics observed in gas gun experiments which include stress relaxation behind the elastic wave, elastic wave decay and increasing separation between the elastic and plastic waves with propagation. At lower pressures, slip activity is observed to occur over a longer period of time resulting in a distinct elastic plastic wave, which is missing at higher pressures.
Abstract 1374: Identification of a transcription factor driving BET dependency in SCLC

The regulation, and subsequent recognition, of covalent chromatin modifications by an array of cellular proteins are key determinants of gene expression. For instance, the binding of bromodomain and extra terminal domain (BET) proteins to acetylated histone tails has been shown to regulate c-MYC transcription in some cell types. Consequently, pharmacological inhibition of BET proteins leads to an anti-proliferative activity in cancers dependent on c-MYC activity such as multiple myeloma and acute myelogenous leukemia. Since c-MYC has been implicated as a driver of cell proliferation in many cancer types, we investigated if BET inhibitors may have anti-proliferative activity in solid tumor cancer cell lines as well. Strikingly, in a panel of over 100 mixed histology lung cancer cell lines we identified selective growth inhibition of lines derived from small cell lung cancer (SCLC) histology. To better understand the mechanism of this dependency we performed 12-point dose response microarray analyses using the BET inhibitor, JQ1, in order to identify genes that are regulated by BET proteins in SCLC. In contrast to what has been observed in myeloma and leukemia, BET inhibition is not always accompanied by inhibition of c-MYC expression in the SCLC cell lines. From this analysis a lineage-specific transcription factor was found to be highly regulated in a dose-dependent manner. Previous studies have reported this transcription factor to be essential in maintaining the differentiated neuroendocrine phenotype characteristic of human SCLC. It has also been shown that loss of this transcription factor results in growth inhibition in SCLC tumor models. We have confirmed the growth dependency of SCLC to BET via dysregulation of this transcription factor using RNAi and a small molecule inhibitor. Furthermore, chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by deep-sequencing confirmed binding of BRD4, a BET family member, and RNA polymerase II, a marker of active gene transcription, to the enhancer region of this target gene in two sensitive SCLC cell lines. This binding is disrupted in the presence of BET compound treatment. SCLC is a disease with high unmet medical need, and the results of our studies have identified BET inhibition as a potential novel therapeutic opportunity for this subtype of lung cancer. Our results have also provided a mechanistic basis for the sensitivity of SCLC to BET inhibition, and a rationale for the clinical development of BET inhibitors beyond hematologic cancers. Citation Format: Susan Wee, Tai Wong, BMS. Identification of a transcription factor driving BET dependency in SCLC. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 1374. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-1374
Insulin release in response to calcium in the diagnosis of insulinoma.

Abstract A calcium infusion (4 mg Ca++/kg/hr) significantly increased plasma insulin levels and reduced blood glucose in 4 patients with insulin-secreting pancreatic islet cell tumors. These parameters were not altered by a similar infusion of calcium in normal volunteers, 2 patients with alimentary hypoglycemia, and 2 with functional hypoglycemia. No difference in response was observed between patients with benign and malignant β-cell tumors. Infusion of diazoxide (600 mg) with calcium blocked the stimulation of the latter on insulin secretion. The results indicate the usefulness of calcium infusion in the diagnosis of insulin-secreting tumor.
The essentials of unemployment compensation

Compensatin for involuntary unemployment, to be paid for a limited time, and only to the extent of a part of the wage loss, the basis of all unemployment insurance laws.
Fetal tracheal occlusion for severe congenital diaphragmatic hernia in humans : a morphometric study of lung parenchyma and muscularization of pulmonary arterioles

Abstract Objective The aim of this study is to examine structure of lung parenchyma (Pp) and muscularization of pulmonary arterioles (PAs) in human fetuses that underwent tracheal occlusion (TO) therapy for severe congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). Material Fifteen fetuses underwent TO, with 5 survivors ( Am J Obstet Gynecol . 2000:183;1059-1066). Paraffin-embedded lung specimens from 7 of 10 nonsurvivors (CDH-TO) and 6 age-matched fetuses (CDH) were available for morphometric analysis, which included measurements of point fraction of lung Pp and surface density. The PAs were categorized according to external diameter ( μ m and 70 ≤ 140 μ m). Percent medial wall thickness (%MWT) was calculated by dividing raw measurements of MWT by external diameter. Results Gestational age at TO was 27.6 ± 0.9 weeks with a mean duration of TO of 32.6 ± 6.8 days. Gestational age at delivery (CDH-TO 31.9 ± 0.9 vs CDH 35.4 ± 1.8 weeks; P = .18) and postnatal survival time (CDH-TO 20.5 ± 6.0 vs CDH 18.6 ± 7.8 days; P = .85) were not significantly different between groups. Tracheal occlusion significantly increased the lung–to–body weight ratio (CDH-TO 13.0 ± 2.2 vs CDH 6.6 ± 0.9; P = .02). Tracheal occlusion tended to decrease right-lung Pp (CDH-TO 54.6% ± 2.6% vs CDH 65.7% ± 5.9%; P = .05), whereas left-lung Pp was not different between groups (CDH-TO 63.0% ± 3.5% vs CDH 66.7% ± 4.1%; P = .51). Surface density of airspaces was not different between groups in either left (CDH-TO 171.3 ± 16.1 cm −1 vs CDH 151.1 ± 8.1 cm −1 ; P = .34) or right (CDH-TO 172.0 ± 10.6 cm −1 vs CDH 160.8 ± 3.6 cm −1 ; P = .33) lungs. The %MWT in small and large PA was similar between groups. Conclusions Open prenatal TO in human fetuses increased lung growth, as evidenced by an increase in lung weight, but did not improve parenchymal structure or muscularization of PAs.
The scotopic threshold response of the cat ERG is suppressed selectively by GABA and glycine

Ahstract-Comeal electroretinograms (ERGS) were recorded from anesthetized cats under scotopic conditions. We examined whether the scotopic threshold response (STR) of the ERG could be functionally distinguished from scotopic PII and a-wave using intravitreal application of neuroactive agents. We found that neurotransmitters with active sites on third order neurons had several different effects. Results were: (1) glycine and y-amino butyric acid (GABA) selectivity suppressed the STR but had relatively small and/or opposite effects on PII; (2) serotonin, acetylcholine and dopamine were nonselective and suppressed both STR and PII; (3) strychnine blocked the suppression of the STR by glycine. GABA-o antagonists alone only partially blocked GABA effects on the STR, and GABA-b antagonists were ineffective; (4) strychnine enhanced the STR. Bicuculline also increased STR amplitudes, but only in the presence of haloperidol. Our results suggest that the retinal pathway that contributes to the rod-driven STR is strongly influenced by cells that release glycine or GABA in the dark. These cells are possibly third order neurons in the retina. Our results also suggest that picrotoxin and bicuculline can facilitate the release of dopamine in the cat retina. Furthermore, the data indicate a light evoked release of dopamine which was first noticeable at about two log units above ERG threshold.
Comments on "Stabilization of uncertain systems subject to hard bounds on control with application to a robot manipulator" by M. Hached et al

Example 1 of the above-named work (see ibid., vol.4, no.3, p.310-23, June 1988) is considered. The commenters present modifications that seem to be necessary to make the derivations of the problem considered consistent with its earlier analysis. >
Identification of multiple B-cell transcriptional repressor elements in Sμ−Cμ intron of mouse IgH chain locus

The S mu-C mu intron of the IgH chain locus is conserved in rodents, but its biological function is unknown. It has been shown that switch recombination breakpoints are concentrated within the repetitive sequences in the S mu region in mitogen-activated normal B cells. In Ig-secreting hybridomas these breakpoints occur most frequently at the most 5' end, and immediately upstream of the S mu DNA. The S mu-C mu intron appears remarkably protected from recombination. Because the nucleoprotein complexes that drive transcription and recombination may overlap, the transcriptional characteristics of this fragment were studied. The cis-acting regulatory elements in the S mu-C mu intron were identified by ligating the entire intron, or a series of subfragments to the TK promoter and bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene. Expression of these constructs was tested in activated B cells and the nonlymphoid cell lines HeLa and HepG2. The complete S mu-C mu intron (1 kb) had a negative effect on TK promoter activity in activated B cells only when placed upstream of the promoter, in both orientations. Segmentation of the S mu-C mu intron has revealed that this region contains multiple negative elements active in B cells. A subfragment located at the 3' end of the S mu-C mu intron contains a B-cell-specific negative element, while the subfragment located at the 5'end has cell-type-independent repressing activity.
Diabetes, lipoproteins, and atherosclerosis.

Certain lipoproteins are deemed to be atherogenic because ( a ) they are found in plasmas of patienta with various dyslipoproteinemias who also have atherosclerosis. ( b ) they appear in plasmas and arterial walls of animals during the experimental induction of atherosclerosis, and ( c ) they convert cultured macrophages and arterial smooth muscle cells into lipid-laden foam cells such as are found in atherosclerotic lesions. These lipoproteins are low-density lipoproteins (LDL), very low density lipoproteins (VLDL), and the α -VLDL of hypertriglyceridemic patients. Low levels or the absence of high-density lipoproteins (HDL) in patients is also associated with atherosclerosis. Poorly controlled diabetics may have higher levels of VLDL and/or LDL and lower levels of HDL than are found in well-controlled diabetics. These quantitative changes place poorly controlled patients into higher coronary risk categories. Several qualitative alterations of lipoprotein also may be present that may make them more atherogenic, among these, glycosylation of apoprotein could be very important.
Effect of hydration on lung interstitial conductivity response to electrically charged solutions

In interstitial segments of rabbit lung, we compared the flow of a solution containing cationic protamine sulfate (0.08 mg/ml) or cationic dextran (0.1%) to that of Ringer or neutral dextran solution. Also compared, were the flow of solutions containing anionic dextran (0.1 or 1.5%) to those containing neutral dextran and the flow of hyaluronidase solution (0.02%) to that of Ringer solution, at mean interstitial pressures (Pm) between −5 and 15 cmH2O. Driving pressure was set at 5 cmH2O. Cationic protamine or cationic dextran-to-Ringer flow ratio increased with Pm (presumably as hydration increased) but in nonedematous interstitium (−5 cmH2O Pm), flow ratio was 1, indicating a viscosity-dependent flow. In contrast, the flow of anionic dextran solution decreased relative to that of neutral dextran; this decrease was constant with hydration, but was greater at the higher concentration of dextran. Interstitial conductivity to the flow of hyaluronidase increased with hydration. However, this behavior was absent after the flow of 1.5% anionic dextran, indicating an inhibitory effect of the higher concentration of anionic dextran on the hyaluronidase response. A negative charge in microvascular filtrate may control fluid clearance in normal interstitium, while a positive charge would enhance clearance only in edema formation.
The chemical status of cadmium ion in the placenta

Abstract The chemical status of cadmium ion in the chorioallantoic and yolk sac placentas of SWV strain mice during the critical phase of embryonic organogenesis was investigated. Twenty-four hours after a single teratogenic dose of cadmium ion, both placentas contained significant amounts of a macromolecular chelator. Gel filtration data and disc electrophoresis data suggest that the cadmium-binding macromolecule of the chorioallantois (which binds 61% of the cadmium ion content of the tissue) is a metallothionein dimer.
Microwave spectral study of the axial and equatorial conformers of cyanocyclopentane

Abstract The microwave spectrum of cyanocyclopentane has been observed and analyzed in the 26.5 to 40.0-GHz frequency region. Rotational transitions were assigned for both an axial and an equatorial conformer. These data and those for the molecule deuterated in the 1-position (1- d -cyanocyclopentane) show that both conformers adopt the C s envelope structure. For the normal isotopic species the rotational constants have the following values, in megahertz: axial , A = 4297.196, B = 2210.245, C = 2057.205; equatorial , A = 6324.905, B = 1790.937, C = 1497.792. Relative intensity measurements indicate that the ground-state energy difference of the two conformers is 0 ± 200 cal/mole. The low-frequency (pseudorotational) potential surface has been discussed and compared with that of chlorocyclopentane.