cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transplantation for myelodysplastic syndrome in the era of hypomethylating agents

PURPOSE OF REVIEW This review summarizes the available data on the role of hypomethylating agents in the setting of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) for myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). RECENT FINDINGS Although hypomethylating agents have been established as standard of therapy for MDS in the nontransplant setting, the role of these agents in patients who are candidates for HCT or are undergoing HCT is less well defined. Hypomethylation therapy has been investigated in both the pre-HCT and post-HCT setting. Patients who are transplant candidates and are given pre-HCT hypomethylating therapy should proceed with HCT when 'best response' is achieved; HCT when hypomethylation has failed is associated with inferior outcome. Only limited data have been presented on the use of hypomethylating agents after HCT. Although this approach may prove to be useful in reducing post-HCT relapse, such therapy should only be given in the setting of clinical trials. SUMMARY Treatment planning for patients with MDS who are HCT candidates should comprise the entire treatment arc including pre-HCT debulking, possibly with hypomethylating agents, conditioning regimen, and potential post-HCT treatment, be it prophylactic, pre-emptive or therapeutic.
Distal phalanx replantation

Microsurgical replantation has been attempted in the distal phalanx of the digits. Twenty-three complete, single digit amputations are reviewed. The patients' ages ranged from 9 months to 48 years. Viability was 78%. Sensory recovery averaged 7 mm static two-point discrimination. Range of motion in the distal interphalangeal joint of the finger and the interphalangeal joint of the thumb averaged 64 and 51 degrees, respectively. Eight of the 17 successfully replanted digits had mild to moderate atrophy. Eighty-two percent of patients were able to use the replanted digit successfully in their daily work. We feel that distal digital replantation is rewarding. In successful cases, it always preserves acceptable function and good appearance at a price of an average of 2.3 months off work.
Factor analysis of regional cerebral glucose metabolic rates in healthy men

Cerebral glucose utilization measured with fluorine-18-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose is characterized by considerable variability both among different persons and for the same person examined on different occasions. The goal of this study was to explore whether some regions of the brain were more variable than others with respect to glucose utilization and whether there was a pattern in their covariance. The global and regional cerebral utilization of glucose was measured in 12 healthy young volunteers on 3 or 4 occasions. In all, 24 regions were examined. The interrelation of the glucose utilization rates of the brain regions was investigated by factor analysis of the metabolic rates. Some 70% of the total variance was attributable to only 1 factor, while 80% of the total variance could be attributed to 2 factors. Regions making up the first factor were the frontal and temporal cortex, cingulate gyrus, caudate nucleus, thalamus and putamen. These regions are functionally related to the limbic system. Regions of the second factor were the parietal cortex, occipital cortex and cerebellum, regions more clearly related to sensory and motor functions. The 2-factor pattern was highly reproducible, being found with different algorithms for factor extraction and rotation. Under resting conditions, the variance of cerebral metabolism seems to be primarily related to regions which are closely involved with the limbic system. Cortical regions involved primarily in motor and sensory functions have less influence on the variance.
Diffuse Scattering of X-Rays by Conduction Electrons

A theoretical expression is obtained for the scattering of x-rays from a completely degenerate free electron gas. Both the classical and the Compton methods are used. The modifications introduced by the periodic potential of the lattice are examined. The scattering by the conduction electrons is found to decrease with the first power of the scattering angle. It is shown that the diffuse scattering by the core electrons decreases as the second power of the angle of scattering. Hence the scattering by the conduction electrons will dominate all other diffuse scattering at sufficiently small angles.
Symmetry relations for elastic neutrino reactions

Abstract General theorems are given relating the reactions ν + n → μ− + p and ν + p → μ + + n based on CPT invariance, hermiticity, lepton locality, and the G transformation properties of the hadronic current.
Magneto-transport in HgSe based solid solutions

Abstract Magneto-transport and transmission data on Hg(Mn)Se–Fe semiconductor structures in high magnetic fields up to the multi-megagauss range are presented. The magnetic fields were generated either by conventional DC-superconducting solenoids, nondestructive solenoids in pulsed operation up to 40 T, single-turn coil technique up to 140 T, or explosive flux compression up to 450 T. The samples investigated range from 3D systems in bulk, 2D in quantum wells, 1D in self-organized quantum wires, and 0D in quantum dots. The semiconductor structures of low dimensionality were grown by MBE. The different experimental results are compared with theoretical concepts.
Reaction of the Primary Alane (2,4,6-t-Bu(3)H(2)C(6)AlH(2))(2) with Nitriles, Isonitriles, and Primary Amines.

The reactions of the sterically encumbered primary alane (MesAlH(2))(2) (Mes = C(6)H(2)-2,4,6-t-Bu(3)) with the nitriles t-BuCN, MesCN (Mes = C(6)H(2)-2,4,6-Me(3)) or MeCN lead eventually to dimeric amido alane products in which one of the ortho t-Bu groups of the Mes ligand is metalated and the nitrile is reduced to the amide ligand N(H)CH(2)R (R = t-Bu, Mes, or Me). The compounds (R = t-Bu, 2 (cis), 3 (trans); Mes, 4 (cis), 5 (trans); Me, 6 (cis)) have been isolated and characterized spectroscopically and also by X-ray crystallography in the cases of 4 and 5. The intermediate, dimeric iminato complex [MesAl(H){m(2)-NC(H)t-Bu}](2) (1), can also be isolated under carefully controlled, mild conditions. Reaction of (MesAlH(2))(2) with the isonitrile t-BuNC affords the cyclic species {MesAlN(t-Bu)CH(2)}(2) (7) featuring a six-membered (AlNC)(2) ring which, when heated, affords the cyclometalated species (8). Recognition that the products 2-6 and 8 were derivatives of primary amides led to an investigation of synthetic approaches to these product types via the direct reaction of (MesAlH(2))(2) with some primary amines. Treatment of (MesAlH(2))(2) with H(2)NCH(2)Mes affords the dimeric amido alane [Mes(H)Al{m(2)-N(H)CH(2)Mes}](2) as a mixture of trans (9) and cis (10) isomers. Further heating of 9 and 10 affords the ortho-metalated compounds 4 and 5. The reaction of (MesAlH(2))(2) with H(2)NSiPh(3) furnishes the bis amido aluminum compound MesAl{N(H)SiPh(3)}(2) (11) and [Mes(H)Al{N(H)SiPh(3)}](2). The latter yields the dimeric imide {MesAlNSiPh(3)}(2) (12) at elevated temperature.
Effect of vorticity on steady water waves

Two-dimensional, finite-depth periodic steady water waves with variable vorticity ω=γ(ψ) and large amplitude a are computed for a large number of cases. In particular, the effect of a shear layer at the top, the middle or the bottom is considered. The maximum amplitude amax varies monotonically with the vorticity function γ(ċ). It is increasing if the stagnation point is at the crest, and is decreasing if the stagnation point is in the interior of the fluid or on the bottom. Relationships between the amplitude, hydraulic head, depth and mass flux are investigated.
Spitzer/IRAC Photometry of the η Chameleontis Association

We present IRAC 3.6, 4.5, 5.8, and 8 μm photometry for the 17 A-, K-, and M-type members of the η Chameleontis association. These data show infrared excesses toward six of the 15 K and M stars, indicating the presence of circumstellar disks around 40% of the stars with masses of 0.1-1 M☉. The two A stars show no infrared excesses. The excess emission around one of the stars is comparable to the median excess for classical T Tauri stars in the Taurus association; the remaining five show comparatively weak excess emission. Taking into account published Hα spectroscopy that shows that five of the six stars are accreting, we argue that the disks with weak mid-infrared excesses are disks in which the inner disks have been largely depleted of small grains by grain growth or, in one case, the small grains have settled to the midplane. This suggests that η Cha has a much higher fraction of disks caught in the act of transitioning into optically thin disks than that measured in younger clusters and associations.
Wet Fractionation of Garbanzo Bean and Pea Flours

ABSTRACT Garbanzo bean and pea flours originating from the central part of the cotyledons were higher in starch but lower in protein and fiber than those from the outer layer of the cotyledon. These flours were fractionated by the wet process into prime starch, tailing starch, and solubles. The patented wet-fractionation method was successfully modified to reduce the total amount of water during the process. The modified process produced comparable yield and purity of separated fractions. Under the recycling water method, the yields of prime starch were 46.7, 33.6, and 41.1%, respectively, in garbanzo bean and two smooth pea cultivars (Latah and SS Alaska). Isolated prime starches were <0.4% in protein and <0.19% in ash, indicating high purity.
Prediction and correlation of accessible area of large multiparticle aggregates

Aggregates (composed of large numbers of primary particles) are produced in many engineering environments. One convenient characterization is the fractal dimension, the exponent describing how the number of primary particles in each aggregate scales with radial distance from its center of mass. The authors describe a finite-analytic pseudo-continuum prediction of the normalized accessible surface area of an isothermal quasi-spherical fractal aggregate containing N ([much gt]1) primary particles, on the surfaces of which a first-order chemical process occurs. Results are displayed for specific fractal dimensions (2.5, 2.18, and 1.8) frequently observed in aggregating systems. An effective Thiele modulus is used to develop an efficient and accurate scheme for predicting/correlating the effectiveness factor for an aggregate containing N primary particles in terms of aggregate fractal dimension, reaction probability, and Knudsen number. The methods now allow calculations of the accessible surface area of populations of aggregates, provided pdf--(N, D[sub f], ...)--is known for the populations of interest.
Giant multinucleated macrophages occur in acute spinal cord injury.

Using a cell-isolation and -culture procedure specific for macrophages, we report the existence of giant (more than 50 µm diameter), multinucleated macrophages within an acute, 5-day-old adult rat spinal cord injury. The size and multinuclearity of these isolated giant cells was confirmed using transmission electron microscopy. Giant macrophages are markers for long-term infection, disease, and chronic injury in other soft tissues and are unexpected in the acute inflammatory stage of central nervous system injury. To our knowledge, this descriptive report is the first confirming the existence of giant macrophages in any injured nervous tissue, with additional data suggesting some of these cells to be multinucleated.
Gestational Diabetes: Should It Be Added to the Syndrome of Insulin Resistance?

OBJECTIVE The significance of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) results from its short-term detrimental effects on the fetus and its long-term prediction of NIDDM in the mother. We compared several variables associated with insulin resistance between GDM and non-GDM pregnant women to show the similarities between GDM and NIDDM (and thus insulin resistance). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS On the basis of a 3-h oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), 52 GDM patients and 127 non-GDM patients were recruited from pregnant, non-diabetic women who had a nonfasting 1-h-50-g glucose screening test ≥ 7.2 mmol/l (130 mg/dl) performed between 16 and 33 weeks of gestation (a total of 518 of 3,041 women drawn from six community health care prenatal clinics were screened positive). During the OGTT, several potential markers of insulin resistance were measured at fasting and 2-h time points, in addition to the standard glucose measurements. The relationship of these variables with the diagnosis of GDM was studied. RESULTS GDM patients, compared with non-GDM patients, had 1) higher prepregnancy weight ( P = 0.011), prepregnancy BMI ( P = 0.006), C-peptide at fasting ( P = 0.002) and at 2 h ( P P = 0.001) and at 2 h ( P P = 0.005) and at 2 h ( P = 0.003), free fatty acids at fasting ( P = 0.017), β-hydroxybutyrate at fasting ( P = 0.007); and 2) lower HDL cholesterol at fasting ( P = 0.029). These variables were all predictive of GDM ( P P = 0.019) and 2-h ( P P = 0.031), and fasting β-hydroxybutyrate ( P = 0.036) were statistically significant as jointly predictive of GDM. Comparisons between GDM patients and non-GDM patients matched by BMI confirmed that the metabolic abnormalities persisted when difference in BMI was taken into account. Concomitant blood pressure measurements in women with GDM did not differ significantly from those without GDM. CONCLUSIONS Our results show that many of the known metabolic components of the syndrome of insulin resistance (syndrome X) are predictive of GDM. These results are in keeping with the argument that GDM is one phase of the syndrome of insulin resistance. We suggest that GDM be looked upon as a component of the syndrome of insulin resistance that provides an excellent model for the study and prevention of NIDDM in a relatively young age-group.
Fiber waveguide chemical sensors for detection of explosive related vapors

We report on progress toward development of mid-infrared spectroscopic chemical sensors for explosive related chemicals (ERCs) associated with land mines, particularly 1,3-dinitrobenzene (DNB) and 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT). Our goal is to develop a fast, reversible and sensitive device for mobile, real-time detection of ERCs. Fiber waveguide sensors are fabricated by coating thin polymer films onto a mid-IR transmissive chalcogenide fiber. ERCs partition into the polymer film where they absorb IR radiation at characteristic wavelengths in the evanescent wave region near the fiber-polymer interface. A wide variety of polymers possessing potentially desirable physical and chemical properties for ERC detection have been characterized. We have demonstrated reversible detection of DNB and DNT at low concentrations in air using a dynamic gas flow system.
Estimation of Depreciation for Single‐Family Appraisals

Methods for the estimation of depreciation within the cost approach to appraisal of single-family residential property have been the focus of very few empirical studies. The purpose of this study is to generate empirical evidence related to one such method, specifically the age-life method. Within the context of a hedonic price model, functional form of the model and the design of the age variable are chosen so that we can test for alternative paths of depreciation with just one model. The alternative paths can be concave, convex or straight-line. Contrary to the evidence presented in several previous studies, the empirical evidence presented in this paper supports a path of depreciation for single-family houses that is concave (i.e., initially less rapid than straight-line). Of the standard paths of depreciation often suggested, the reverse sum of the years digits path most closely approximates the path indicated as appropriate by this study, particularly in the early years of the life of a house. If appraisers are looking for an approximation of the path of depreciation for single-family residences, it would appear that the reverse sum of the years digits path is much more appropriate than the straight-line path that is often assumed.
Gifted Students' Perceptions of Their Class Activities: Differences Among Rural, Urban, and Suburban Student Attitudes

The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in attitudes toward classroom activities among rural, urban, and suburban gifted students. More specifically, the instrument My Class Activi...
Ovarian protein synthesis in the South American white shrimp, Penaeus vannamei, during the reproductive cycle

Summary Ovarian development was induced by eyestalk ablation in the South American white shrimp, Penaeus vannamei. During the gonadotrophic cycle, ovarian protein increased from virtually undetectable levels in undeveloped ovaries to >400 mg in mature ovaries. Total protein was separated by SDS-PAGE and high molecular weight polypeptides of ~175–200 kDa were abundant in vitellogenic ovaries but absent in previtellogenic ovaries. These polypeptides are probably the yolk polypeptides. We determined in vitro protein synthesis rates for the ovary and hepatopancreas during ovarian development. Tissues from animals at the onset of vitellogenesis incorporated radiolabelled amino acids at the most active rate. Using autoradiography, we demonstrated that the ovary synthesized many polypeptides, including the major, putative yolk polypeptides. We did not detect synthesis of these polypeptides by the hepatopancreas.
Histochemical demonstrations of actinomycininduced changes of certain oxidative and hydrolytic enzymes of rat incisor pulps

Abstract Levels of succinic and lactic dehydrogenases, cytochrome oxidase, alkaline and acid phosphatase activities of the rat incisor pulp were examined following a sublethal dose injection of actinomycin D. Control animals injected with physiological saline were pair-fed. Succinic dehydrogenase and cytochrome oxidase activities were low in the pulp and presented insignificant alterations throughout the experiment. Lactic dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatase activities of the dental pulp dropped rapidly during the first several days of the experiment and returned to the normal level by the end of the third week. Acid phosphatase activity showed rapid recovery after an initial drop, reached a peak on day 7, and returned to normal by the end of the second week. The significant increase in acid phosphatase activity occurred at the time when cytoplasmic degenerations are most pronounced. While succinic dehydrogenase and cytochrome oxidase activities remained constant during theexperiment, the normally higher lactic dehydrogenase activity showed a marked reduction in the experimental animals suggesting the dependence of pulp cells on anaerobic glycolysis, which is suppressed by actinomycin D. Variations in the level of enzyme activities observed in control animals are attributed to pair-feeding. Results of the present work give further supports to data obtained from previous ultrastructural studies.
Abstract A45: Chromatin dynamics of the zebrafish retina during development and aging

During organogenesis, the retina develops from a single sheet of undifferentiated neuroepithelium into a layered mature tissue composed of Muller, photoreceptor, horizontal, bipolar, amacrine, interplexiform and ganglion cells. This differentiation of various retinal cell types requires the transcription of distinct sets of genes in precise temporal orders. It is unclear how chromatin organization and modifications are specifically regulated at global and regional levels to facilitate the generation of distinct transcriptional profiles required for different retinal cell types. Nor do we know to what extent chromatin structure and organization are altered during retinal aging, or how such alterations lead to unbalanced gene expression profiling and subsequent cell degeneration. In this study, we analyzed the dynamic characteristics of nuclear structures and chromatin organizations of zebrafish retinal cells during development and aging. We show that the degrees of chromatin condensation vary significantly among different retinal cell types, as suggested by varying nuclear volumes and heterochromatin/euchromatin organization. These structural features are altered during the aging process as well. For example, the nuclear volumes of cone photoreceptors increase significantly during aging. The distribution patterns of H3K9me3 and H4K20me3 heterochromatin modifications also vary dramatically among different retinal cell types and at different ages. The gross alterations in nuclear structures and chromatin condensation may suggest extensive changes in gene expression activities. These findings provide insight into how chromatin organization and modifications underlie balanced global transcriptional profiles and consequently, the overall fitness of retinal cells, as well as how such regulations might be altered during the aging process. Our study may have significant social impact because with increasing life expectancy, more and more older people will suffer from age-related macular degeneration and the identification of proper interventions to slow down the retinal aging process would dramatically enhance quality of the life for the elderly. Citation Format: Xiangyun Wei. Chromatin dynamics of the zebrafish retina during development and aging. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Chromatin and Epigenetics in Cancer; Jun 19-22, 2013; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(13 Suppl):Abstract nr A45.
Two-Component Control of Guest Binding in a Self-Assembled Cage Molecule

A self-assembled M2L4 palladium–pyridyl cluster with a “paddle-wheel” structure shows binding affinity in competitive organic solvents for neutral organic guests that possess both the correct size and electrostatic complementarity.
Electroweakinos in the Light of the Higgs Boson

Given the increasingly more stringent bounds on Supersymmetry (SUSY) from the LHC searches, we are motivated to explore the situation in which the only accessible SUSY states are the electroweakinos (charginos and neutralinos). In the minimal SUSY framework, we systematically study the three general scenarios classified by the relative size of the gaugino mass parameters M_1, M_2 and the Higgsino mass parameter \mu, with six distinctive cases, four of which would naturally result in a compressed spectrum of nearly degenerate LSPs. We present the relevant decay branching fractions and provide insightful understanding about the decay modes in connection with the Goldstone-boson Equivalence Theorem. We show the cross sections for electroweakino pair production at the LHC and ILC, and emphasize the unique signals involving the Standard Model-like Higgs boson as a new search reference. The electroweakino signal from pair production and subsequent decay to Wh/Zh (h to b\bar{b}) final state may yield a sensitivity of 95% C.L. exclusion (5sigma discovery) to the mass scale M_2, \mu ~ 350-400 GeV (220-270 GeV) at the 14 TeV LHC with an luminosity of 300 fb^{-1}. Combining with all the other decay channels, the 95% C.L. exclusion (5sigma discovery) may be extended to M_2, \mu ~ 480-700 GeV (320-500 GeV). At the ILC, the electroweakinos could be readily discovered once the kinematical threshold is crossed, and their properties could be thoroughly studied.
Fed-batch fermentation for n-butanol production from cassava bagasse hydrolysate in a fibrous bed bioreactor with continuous gas stripping

Concentrated cassava bagasse hydrolysate (CBH) containing 584.4 g/L glucose was studied for acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation with a hyper-butanol-producing Clostridium acetobutylicum strain in a fibrous bed bioreactor with gas stripping for continuous butanol recovery. With periodical nutrient supplementation, stable production of n-butanol from glucose in the CBH was maintained in the fed-batch fermentation over 263 h with an average sugar consumption rate of 1.28 g/L h and butanol productivity of 0.32±0.03 g/L h. A total of 108.5 g/L ABE (butanol: 76.4 g/L, acetone: 27.0 g/L, ethanol: 5.1 g/L) was produced, with an overall yield of 0.32±0.03 g/g glucose for ABE and 0.23±0.01 g/g glucose for butanol. The gas stripping process generated a product containing 10-16% (w/v) of butanol, ~4% (w/v) of acetone, a small amount of ethanol (<0.8%) and almost no acids, resulting in a highly concentrated butanol solution of ~64% (w/v) after phase separation.
Friendship Networks of Unpopular, Average, and Popular Children

Existence of friendship and friendship network characteristics were examined among children who differed in popularity status using a relatively unrestricted friendship nomination procedure. Fifth and sixth graders (N=227) completed a rating-scale sociometric to index popularity and provided information on up to 15 good friends. Results indicated that all children reported having at least one unilateral friend. Unpopular children were less likely than popular children to have at least one reciprocal friend, although the large majority (77%) did have a reciprocal friend. Results also indicated that unpopular children's unilateral friendship networks, in comparison to the networks of their more popular peers, contained a greater number of younger school-age friends and fewer same-age friends, more friends located outside of the school but within the same school district, and more unpopular and fewer popular school friends. Unpopular children's reciprocal friendship networks were significantly smaller, were more evenly distributed within and outside of the classroom, and contained fewer average and popular friends as well as friends of the opposite sex. Findings suggest advantages to using an unrestricted friendship nomination instrument and emphasize the need to consider both popularity and friendship when investigating children's peer relationships.
Effect of Antibiotics on the Adherence of Enterobacteriaceae to Human Buccal Cells

Antibiotics at bacteriostatic concentrations (four times the minimal inhibitory concentration) decreased the attachment of Enterobacteriaceae to human buccal cells in vitro and augmented the reversibility of such adherence. These actions of antibiotics may influence colonization by nosocomial bacteria and the subsequent infection that they cause.
Effects of the peptide HP228 on nerve disorders in diabetic rats.

Motor and sensory nerve conduction velocities (MNCV and SNCV) were reduced in the sciatic nerve of rats after 4 weeks of untreated streptozotocin-induced diabetes, and declined further during the following 4 weeks. Treating diabetic rats with the novel peptide HP228 had no effect on the decline of MNCV after the first 4 weeks of diabetes but attenuated the decline in SNCV. HP228 treatment also prevented any further decline in MNCV or SNCV between weeks 4 and 8 of diabetes. Consequently, at the conclusion of the study, the nerve conduction velocities (NCVs) in treated rats were significantly (both P < .001) higher than in untreated diabetic rats. Reduced nerve homogenate Na+,K+-adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) activity in diabetic rats was significantly (P < .05) increased by HP228 but remained significantly (P < .05) lower than in untreated controls. HP228 treatment also reduced nerve Na+,K+-ATPase activity of control rats compared with untreated controls (P < .05). There was no effect of HP228 on the hyperglycemia, nerve polyol accumulation, myo-inositol depletion, reduced nerve laser Doppler blood flow, thermal hypoalgesia, or reduced mean axonal caliber in diabetic rats or on any of these parameters in control rats. These data demonstrate that a novel peptide may protect against the slowing of nerve conduction in prolonged diabetes and that the mechanism of action is unrelated to aldose reductase inhibition, prevention of nerve ischemia, or axonal atrophy. HP228 may prove a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of prolonged diabetic neuropathy.
Specific heat of wool in the temperature range −50 to 100°C

The specific heat of wool containing 2.6, 2.9, and 8.9 g. of water per 100 g. 01 dry wool has been measured over the temperature range −50 to 100°C. All of the wool samples showed an approximately linear increase of cp, with temperature, but small increments appeared at −30, 20, 50, and 70°C. With increasing water content at any one temperature the specific heat increased. The specific heat of the sorbed water seemed to be more nearly like that of ice than of liquid water; if the sorbed water is assumed to have the specific heat of ice a t all compositions and temperatures, an apparent specific heat of the wool can be calculated. With increasing water content the apparent specific heat of the wool approaches that of the synthetic polymer, nylon 6.
Risk Perception: Using Conditional Versus General Base Rates for Risk Communication1

In general, people judge their chance of experiencing a health risk as being less than the general base rate because of their favorable status on risk factors (e.g., history of stroke). Presenting base rates for high and low risk groups (conditional base rates) were hypothesized to lessen people's tendency to adjust downward from the base rate because risk factors are included in conditional base rates (CBRs). Young (M= 19 years) and older women (M= 46 years) were presented with either a general base rate (GBR) or CBRs for high- and low-risk groups for 5 health risks. The CBR groups were significantly less likely to adjust their probability judgments from the base rate for the risk group that they believed applied to them (e.g., smoker vs. nonsmoker). The CBR effect was replicated in a second experiment in which women (M = 19 years) were informed of either a GBR, a CBR for a high-risk group, or a CBR for a low-risk group. The findings suggest that people might estimate subjective probabilities by considering both the base rate for a health risk and self-assessments on risk factors. Biases about one's status on risk factors, however, may limit people's identification with relevant risk groups and warrant further investigation.
Cellular Localization of Transforming Growth Factor-α mRNA in Rat Forebrain

The cellular localization of transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF alpha) mRNA in juvenile and adult rat forebrain was examined using in situ hybridization with a 35S-labeled cRNA probe. TGF alpha cRNA-labeled neuronal perikarya were distributed across many forebrain regions including the olfactory bulb, caudate-putamen, nucleus accumbens, olfactory tubercle, ventral pallidum, amygdala, hippocampal stratum granulosum and CA3 stratum pyramidale, and piriform, entorhinal, and retrosplenial cortices. TGF alpha cRNA-hybridizing cells were also localized to several thalamic nuclei and to the suprachiasmatic, dorsomedial, and ventromedial nuclei of the hypothalamus. In addition, labeled cells were present in regions of white matter including the corpus callosum, anterior commissure, internal and external capsules, optic tract, and lateral olfactory tract. Thus, both neurons and glia appear to synthesize TGF alpha in normal brain. Hybridization densities were greater in neuronal fields at 2 weeks of age compared with the adult, suggesting a role for TGF alpha in the development of several forebrain systems. Our results demonstrating the prominent and wide-spread expression of TGF alpha mRNA in forebrain, combined with the extremely low abundance of epidermal growth factor mRNA in brain, support the argument that TGF alpha is the principal endogenous ligand for the epidermal growth factor receptor in normal brain.
Oncogenic Transformation, Initiation, Promotion and Mutagenesis in C3H/10T1/2 Cells

In our laboratory we have developed the C3H/10T1/2 cloned line of mouse embryo fibroblasts that is highly contact inhibited, has a very low rate of spontaneous transformation, and does not produce tumors in immunosuppressed C3H mice. These cells undergo a dose-dependent morpho logical and oncogenic transformation by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, X-rays, ultraviolet light, neutrons, α-particles, and a variety of other chemical carcinogens. These cells metabolically activate benzo(a)pyrene by the cytochrome P450 monooxygenase system, have individual tumor associated transplantation antigens, and their transformation does not involve activation of a retrovirus. In this system we have reproduced two-stage carcinogenesis and can measure chemical mutagenesis to ouabain resistance. Thus, in these cells we can study mechanisms of and assay for oncogenic transformation and its initiation and promotion, and mutagenesis.
Feline Hodgkin's-like Lymphoma: 20 Cases (1992–1999)

We identified 20 cases of feline lymphadenopathy that conform to many clinical and histologic manifestations of human Hodgkin's disease. Histologic subtypes encountered included lymphocyte predominance (nine cases), mixed cellularity (nine cases), and nodular sclerosis (two cases). Two cases were not easily classified; fibrous bands were present, but the absence of nodules supported a subclassification of mixed cellularity Hodgkin's disease. Immunohistochemical staining of the tissues using antibodies against the pan T-cell antigen CD3, the human B-lymphocyte antigen 36 (BLA.36), the pan B-lymphocyte and plasma cell marker CD79a, and a myeloid antigen (MAC387) confirmed the phenotypic heterogeneity of the tumor. Classic Reed-Sternberg (RS) cells and mononuclear, multinucleate, and lacunar cell variants did not stain with any of the antibodies used. In contrast, lymphohistiocytic RS variants (L+H cells) reacted positively to BLA.36 and CD79a B-cell markers. Eighteen of 20 affected cats were > or = 6 years of age (range, 1-14 years). A sex predilection could not be identified. These findings support the existence of Hodgkin's-like lymphoma in the cat. Proper identification of this disease in the cat will enable further characterization of clinical features and biologic behavior to determine whether there are significant differences in the treatment and prognosis of feline Hodgkin's-like lymphoma compared with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
In a Sea of Bitterness: Refugees During the Sino-Japanese War, by R. Keith Schoppa

R. Keith Schoppa’s new book is a study of Zhejiang province during the Anti-Japanese War from 1937 to 1945. It tells the stories of the many people who became refugees, fleeing from the invading Ja...
Size tunable elemental copper nanoparticles: extracellular synthesis by thermoanaerobic bacteria and capping molecules

Bimodal sized elemental copper (Cu) nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized from inexpensive oxidized copper salts by an extracellular metal-reduction process using anaerobic Thermoanaerobacter sp. X513 bacteria in aqueous solution. The bacteria nucleate NPs outside of the cell, and they control the Cu2+ reduction rate to form uniform crystallites with an average diameter of 1.75 ± 0.46 μm after 3 days incubation. To control the size and enhance the air stability of Cu NPs, the reaction mixtures were supplemented with nitrilotriacetic acid as a chelator, and the surfactant capping agents oleic acid, oleylamine, ascorbic acid, or L-cysteine. Time-dependent UV-visible absorption measurements and XPS studies indicated well-suspended, bimodal colloidal Cu NPs (70–150 and 5–10 nm) with extended air-stability up to 300 min and stable Cu NP film surfaces with 14% oxidation after 20 days. FTIR spectroscopy suggested that these capping agents were effectively adsorbed on the NP surface providing oxidation resistance under aqueous and dry conditions. Compared to previously reported Cu NP syntheses, this biological process substantially reduced the requirement for hazardous organic solvents and chemical reducing agents, while reducing the levels of Cu oxide impurities in the product. This process was highly reproducible and scalable from 0.01 to 1 L batches.
Detouring: Translating software to circumvent hard faults in simple cores

CMOS technology trends are leading to an increasing incidence of hard (permanent) faults in processors. These faults may be introduced at fabrication or occur in the field. Whereas high-performance processor cores have enough redundancy to tolerate many of these faults, the simple, low-power cores that are attractive for multicore chips do not. We propose Detouring, a software-based scheme for tolerating hard faults in simple cores. The key idea is to automatically modify software such that its functionality is unchanged but it does not use any of the faulty hardware. Our initial implementation of Detouring tolerates hard faults in several hardware components, including the instruction cache, registers, functional units, and the operand bypass network. Detouring has no hardware cost and no performance overhead for fault-free cores.
Transactivation specificity is conserved among p53 family proteins and depends on a response element sequence code

Structural and biochemical studies have demonstrated that p73, p63 and p53 recognize DNA with identical amino acids and similar binding affinity. Here, measuring transactivation activity for a large number of response elements (REs) in yeast and human cell lines, we show that p53 family proteins also have overlapping transactivation profiles. We identified mutations at conserved amino acids of loops L1 and L3 in the DNA-binding domain that tune the transactivation potential nearly equally in p73, p63 and p53. For example, the mutant S139F in p73 has higher transactivation potential towards selected REs, enhanced DNA-binding cooperativity in vitro and a flexible loop L1 as seen in the crystal structure of the protein-DNA complex. By studying, how variations in the RE sequence affect transactivation specificity, we discovered a RE-transactivation code that predicts enhanced transactivation; this correlation is stronger for promoters of genes associated with apoptosis.
Assessment of Fetal Brain Uptake of Paraquat In Utero Using In Vivo PET/CT Imaging

Prenatal in utero conditions are thought to play a role in the development of adult diseases including Parkinson's disease (PD). Paraquat is a common herbicide with chemical structure similar to 1-methyl-4-phenyl 1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine, a neurotoxin known to induce parkinsonism. In order to assess the role of in utero paraquat exposure in PD, uptake in maternal and fetal brains were measured using positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) imaging. Two anesthetized pregnant rhesus macaques in the late second trimester of pregnancy were given bolus iv injections of 11C-paraquat, and whole-body PET/CT imaging was performed. Using maternal ventricular blood pool as the input function, the unidirectional influx rate constants (Kis), a measure of the irreversible transport of paraquat from plasma to brain, were calculated for the maternal and fetal brains using Patlak graphical analysis. Results indicate minimal uptake of paraquat by both maternal and fetal brains with average Kis of 0.0009 and 0.0016 per minute, respectively. The highest regional cerebral uptake in the maternal brain (0.0009% injected dose) was seen in the pineal gland, a structure known to lack a blood brain barrier. The finding of minimal paraquat uptake in maternal and fetal brains is similar to previous findings in adult male macaques and extends the contention that a single acute paraquat exposure, prenatally or postnatally, is unlikely to play a role in PD.
Cloning and Molecular Characterization of a Multicopy, Linear Plasmid-Carried, Repeat Motif-Containing Gene from Borrelia turicatae, a Causative Agent of Relapsing Fever

Borrelia turicatae is one of several spirochete species that can cause relapsing fever. Here, we describe the identification and characterization of a gene from B. turicatae and other relapsing-fever spirochetes that exhibits homology with the rep+ and ORF-E gene families of the Lyme disease spirochetes. This gene, which we have designated repA, encodes a putative protein of 30.2 kDa with an isoelectric point of 4.69. The central region of RepA harbors a series of amino acid repeat motifs which exhibit homology with casein kinase 2 phosphorylation sites. Through Southern hybridization analyses, we demonstrate that repA (or a closely related sequence) is multicopy in the relapsing-fever spirochetes and is carried on variably sized linear plasmids in both Borrelia parkeri and B. turicatae. Transcriptional analyses demonstrate that repA is expressed, albeit at low levels, during in vitro cultivation of B. turicatae. Transcriptional start site analysis revealed that repA is preceded by a consensus ribosomal binding site and an appropriately spaced promoter element. The sequence conservation, unique features, and multicopy status of repA and its homologs suggest that RepA may play an important genus-wide role in the biology of the Borrelia.
Model Validation of a Bolted Beam Using Spatially Detailed Mode Shapes Measured by Continuous-Scan Laser Doppler Vibrometry

The mode shapes of a structure are typically more sensitive than its natural frequencies to local features such as cracks, joints or other anomalies. However, when updating a finite element model for a complicated structure, the analyst is typically only provided with mode shape measurements at a very small number of sensors, so they must rely primarily on the frequencies. With the advent of the Laser Doppler Vibrometer (LDV), one can obtain an unprecedented level of spatial resolution in an automated manner. However, there still may be limitations on the information that can be obtained due to variation in the input to the structure from point to point, the large time required to acquire measurements at each point sequentially for some structures, and logistical issues. Continuous-scan laser vibrometry has the potential to overcome some of these limitations. The continuous-scan approach involves sweeping the laser spot continuously over the structure during a measurement, and then processing the measurement to estimate the mode shapes over a line or surface from that single measurement. This work explores the impact of a spatially detailed measurement set on model validation of a simple structure comprised of a straight beam with a bolted lap joint. The natural frequencies of the system are found to change by 1-3% due to the joint, but when the experimental natural frequencies are compared with those of the model the expected trends are not observed, so it is difficult to ascertain whether the joint model is correct based on the natural frequencies alone. On the other hand, mode shapes measured by CSLDV clearly reveal the presence of the joint, showing a 16-26% reduction in a few of the shapes in a 10-20 centimeter region surrounding the joint. The observed changes in the mode shapes correlate well with those estimated by the model.
Improving Kd-tree quality at a reasonable construction cost

We consider construction of high-quality kd-tree and investigate the effect of techniques based on perfect splits. The main idea of perfect splits is clipping of objects straddling the splitting planes during the construction. This effectively results in reducing the number of references in leaves while also generating new potential split positions. We derive an efficient algorithm for triangle clipping/assignment and show how to avoid problems for parallel construction using clipping. Investigating the influence of using clipping results at different kd-tree construction stages, we finally come up with on-the-fly pruning algorithm that improves rendering performance by up to 25% decreasing construction time as well.
What are the essential generic teaching competencies

Peter F. Oliva Florida International University Kenneth T. Henson Texas A&M University Continuing efforts have been made over the years to describe the attitudes of an effective teacher, to delineate the teaching act, or to identify the skills which able teachers must possess. The presumption is that once the necessary skills have been identified, training programs may be established by the professional education institutions so that preservice teachers may achieve these skills. Earlier attempts to describe an effective teacher concentrated on the teacher's behavior or performance as opposed to the competencies students were expected to demonstrate. The former approach to analysis of teaching was through examining what an effective teacher is rather than what an effective teacher does. Peter F. Oliva described an effective teacher as one who:
Antibacterial Agents and Release of Periplasmic Pertussis Toxin from Bordetella pertussis

Pertussis toxin accumulates in the periplasm of Bordetella pertussis prior to secretion, and we examined its fate following treatment with antimicrobial agents. Both antibiotics that inhibit protein synthesis (erythromycin and chloramphenicol), transcription (rifampin), or cell wall biosynthesis (cefoperazone and piperacillin) and magnesium sulfate (which inhibits transcription of pertussis toxin, but not bacterial growth) did not prevent release of preformed toxin. In contrast, agents that affect bacterial membranes, such as polymyxin B, lidocaine, procaine, and ethanol, inhibited release of preformed pertussis toxin. These results suggest new protein synthesis is not required for pertussis toxin secretion, but a functional membrane complex is required.
A Grid Resource Discovery Method under the Circumstances of Heterogeneous Ontologies

In this paper we presented a novel approach to semantic resource discovery in the Grid, Where different organizations may use different ontologies to describe the resource and application requirements. We do not require a central ontology for resource description and matching. The relation matrix is defined to describe relations between concepts in any two ontologies. Then, a method of rewriting resource queries based on the relation matrix is presented to solve the ontology heterogeneity problem. It rewrites the resource queries in one ontology to approximate queries in another ontology based on the relations between concepts. Machines can process this procedure automatically.
Gaussian Model Adaptive Processing in Time Domain (GMAP-TD) for Weather Radars

AbstractThe Gaussian model adaptive processing in the time domain (GMAP-TD) method for ground clutter suppression and signal spectral moment estimation for weather radars is presented. The technique transforms the clutter component of a weather radar return signal to noise. Additionally, an interpolation procedure has been developed to recover the portion of weather echoes that overlap clutter. It is shown that GMAP-TD improves the performance over the GMAP algorithm that operates in the frequency domain using both signal simulations and experimental observations. Furthermore, GMAP-TD can be directly extended for use with a staggered pulse repetition time (PRT) waveform. A detailed evaluation of GMAP-TD performance and comparison against the GMAP are done using simulated radar data and observations from the Colorado State University–University of Chicago–Illinois State Water Survey (CSU–CHILL) radar using uniform and staggered PRT waveform schemes.