cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A VCAM-like adhesion molecule on murine bone marrow stromal cells mediates binding of lymphocyte precursors in culture

Two new mAbs (M/K-1 and M/K-2) define an adhesion molecule expressed on stromal cell clones derived from murine bone marrow. The protein is similar in size to a human endothelial cell adhesion molecule known as VCAM-1 or INCAM110. VCAM-1 is expressed on endothelial cells in inflammatory sites and recognized by the integrin VLA-4 expressed on lymphocytes and monocytes. The new stromal cell molecule is a candidate ligand for the VLA-4 expressed on immature B lineage lymphocytes and a possible homologue of human VCAM-1. We now report additional similarities in the distribution, structure, and function of these proteins. The M/K antibodies detected large cells in normal bone marrow, as well as rare cells in other tissues. The antigen was constitutively expressed and functioned as a cell adhesion molecule on cultured murine endothelial cells. It correlated with the presence of mRNA which hybridized to a human VCAM-1 cDNA probe. Partial NH2 terminal amino acid sequencing of the murine protein revealed similarities to VCAM-1 and attachment of human lymphoma cells to murine endothelial cell lines was inhibited by the M/K antibodies. All of these observations suggest that the murine and human cell adhesion proteins may be related. The antibodies selectively interfered with B lymphocyte formation when included in long term bone marrow cultures. Moreover, they caused rapid detachment of lymphocytes from the adherent layer when added to preestablished cultures. The VCAM-like cell adhesion molecule on stromal cells and VLA-4 on lymphocyte precursors may both be important for B lymphocyte formation.
Book review of The new landscape of mobile learning: Redesigning education in an app-based world

This is a book review on The new landscape of mobile learning: Redesigning education in an app-based world, by editors Charles Miller and Aaron Doering. This is an edited book, but one for which the editors sought out specific authors to write about their experiences and expertise on mobile learning. One of Miller and Doering’s goals is to promote greater thinking about mobile learning through the understanding that learning is a complex process built from pedagogical foundations that integrate social interactions with technology. The editors argue that a fundamental aspect to mobile learning is mobility, which is the ability to freely move about and collaborate in an authentic environment in which learners gain insight and construct knowledge. The authors try to address problems in mobile learning and put forth solutions, but this also highlights the fragmented problems of mobile learning as the book in itself is fragmented. Instead of treating mobile learning as its own system or field, it becomes evident that one should be describing mobile learning as mobile integration and explore how to use mobility in the everyday learning context. From the perspective of mobile integration, this book is very practical as the authors did an outstanding job of providing information about and steps of integrating mobile devices into specific areas to assist or augment learning.
An Infrared Target And Backgrounds Data Base

Infrared imagery from various terrain backgrounds have been collected by the Environmental Research Institute of Michigan and analyzed to determine the statistics of both radiometric and spatial features. This paper describes some of the characteristics in the form of histograms, equivalent ellipse statistics, and power spectra for several infrared bands. Data are included for nine wavelength regions of common interest. These were acquired over a variety of terrains during the four seasons and at various times of the day and night. Additionally, the industrial target data collected as part of the development of a DARPA image data base for autonomous terminal homing technology evaluation is described. The terrain backgrounds data were collected with the ERIM M-7 scanner, a multispectral scanner which operates in several wavelength bands in the visible and infrared portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The terrain backgrounds imagery were collected with the scanner looking both downward and in a direction 35° below the horizontal. The industrial target imagery was collected using an ERIM-modified Reconofax X scanner. The target imagery was collected at depression angles of 6, 10, 20, 75, and 90 degrees.
State-of-the-Art Review: Optimal Anticoagulation in Cardiovascular Surgery

Despite current developments in anticoagulant drugs, unfractionated heparin has remained the drug of choice for anticoagulation during cardiopulmonary bypass surgical procedures. The use of heparin has been associated with problems. Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, intra- and postoperative bleeding, heparin resistance, and heparin rebound after heparin neutralization are the major complications. The complexity of hemostatic control during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) must be emphasized. The protocol for anticoagulation during CPB has varied greatly from institution to institution. With the use of the activated clotting time (ACT) and the heparin analyzer, control of anticoagulation has become more uniform and neutralization of heparin with protamine more accurate. The preferred initial dose of heparin is controversial. It varies from 200 U/kg to 450 U/kg. In our institution the initial dose used is 200 U/kg. During cardiopulmonary bypass the ACT is maintained above 400 s. Several doses of 2,000-3,000 U o...
NUCLEAR CONSTRAINTS ON THE MOMENTS OF INERTIA OF NEUTRON STARS

The properties and structure of neutron stars are determined by the equation of state (EOS) of neutron-rich stellar matter. While the collective flow and particle production in relativistic heavy-ion collisions have tightly constrained the EOS of symmetric nuclear matter up to about 5 times the normal nuclear matter density, more recent experimental data on isospin diffusion and isoscaling in heavy-ion collisions at intermediate energies have constrained considerably the density dependence of the nuclear symmetry energy at subsaturation densities. Although there are still many uncertainties and challenges to pin down completely the EOS of neutron-rich nuclear matter, heavy-ion reaction experiments in terrestrial laboratories have limited the EOS of neutron-rich nuclear matter to a range much narrower than that spanned by the various EOSs currently used in astrophysical studies in the literature. These nuclear physics constraints could thus provide more reliable information about the properties of neutron stars. Within well-established formalisms using the nuclear-constrained EOSs, we study the moments of inertia of neutron stars. We place special emphasis on component A of the extremely relativistic double neutron star system PSR J0737–3039. Its moment of inertia is found to be between 1.30 × 1045 and 1.63 × 1045 g cm2. Moreover, the transition density at the crust-core boundary is shown to lie in the narrow range ρt = 0.091-0.093 fm−3.
Anomalous Effects of External TEA on Permeation and Gating of the A-Type Potassium Current in H. aspersa Neuronal Somata

The model proposed for external TEA block of Shaker K+ channels predicts a proportional relationship between TEA sensitivity and calculated electrical distance derived from measurements of voltage dependence of TEA block. In the present study, we examined this relationship for the A-type K+ current (IA) of Helix aspersa in neuronal somata using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. External TEA inhibited IA with strong voltage dependence, such that the TEA dissociation constant was increased at depolarized test potentials. The half-inhibition constant (V0.5) for TEA block was ~21 mM at 0 mV, and V0.5 increased to ~67 mM at 50 mV. The calculated electrical distance for TEA block suggested that TEA traversed 65% of the way into the membrane electrical field. TEA also caused significant shifts in the voltage-dependence of A-type K+ channel gating. For example, at TEA concentrations below that required to fully suppress delayed outward currents, TEA caused depolarizing shifts in the voltage-dependence of A-type channel activation, steady-state inactivation, time for removal of inactivation, and slowed channel activation kinetics. Taken together, these observations suggest that TEA biased the local field potential near voltage-sensing domains of A-type K+ channels, causing the transmembrane electrical field to be relatively hyperpolarized in the presence of TEA. In summary, the calculated electrical distance of TEA block of A-type K+ channels in H. aspersa neurons is unprecedented among other K+ channels. This raises concerns about the conventional interpretation of this value. Furthermore, the voltage-dependent properties of IA are modified by TEA at concentrations previously used to isolate delayed rectifier potassium channels (IKDR) selectively. This lack of specificity has important implications for recent, as well as future studies of IA in H. aspersa and possibly other snail neurons.
Diagnosis and management of focal hand dystonia in a rheumatology practice.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW This article reviews current evidence on etiology, diagnosis and clinical management of patients with a challenging movement disorder referred to as focal hand dystonia (FHd). RECENT FINDINGS Patients who present to a rhematologist with a history of repetitive overuse, weakness, pain and involuntary, end-range posturing of the digits when performing a target task may have FHd. The etiology is considered idiopathic and multifactorial. There are no specific laboratory or clinical tests to 'rule in' or 'rule out' the diagnosis. Comparative neuroimaging studies report inadequate inhibition and aberrant sensory and motor processing in patients with FHd. This movement disorder can be recalcitrant to recovery. Current research evidence supports the benefit of quieting muscle contractions with botulinum toxin injections, modifying ergonomics, performance biomechanics, lifestyle, stress, health, personality and practice behaviors and simultaneously beginning a progressive brain-retraining program. SUMMARY Rheumatologist can facilitate effective management of patients with FHd by making an early, accurate diagnosis, providing patient education about the etiology and risk factors associated with the disorder, managing medications and identifying a team to oversee learning-based sensory and motor retraining.
SU-FF-T-336: Patient-Specific QA in MLC-Based GRID Therapy

Purpose: GRID Therapy is an effective technique in treating large tumors and involves large doses in single fractions. This work is to present some dosimetric characteristics of MLC‐based GRIDs, and patient‐specific QA procedures at our institution based on film and diode dosimetry; Methods and Materials: 14 patients received GRID therapy treatments of 1500–2000 cGy at Dmax(1.5cm) in a single fraction with 6 MV photons from January 2006 to February 2007. The treatments were planned on the Pinnacle TPS using a step‐and‐shoot technique to generate chess‐board‐like patterns consisting of abutting opened‐and‐closed cells of 1cm×1cm. The treatments were delivered on a Varian Clinac 21EX with 120MLC. QA for each patient was performed with Kodax EDR2 film placed in a solid water phantom irradiated with the GRID field at normal angle and treatment SSD. Based on the measured optical density and QA MU, the MU to deliver the prescribed dose is calculated and compared with that given by the TPS for the same irradiation geometry. Similar measurements were also carried out with a diode detector in a water phantom; Results: MU derived from film measurements were consistently lower than those given by the TPS, from 1%–7%. Possible causes may be: (1) film over‐response due to high‐Z material and low energy photons in the tail region of dose profile; and (2) small variations in MLC leaf positions having measurable effect on the output of small GRID beamlets. The MUs derived from diode measurements are generally higher than and within 2% from those obtained with films. The valley‐to‐peak ratio ranged from 22%–29%, primarily depending on the number of segments in the beams. Conclusion: With the understanding of their advantages as well as limitations, both film and diode can be effectively used in routine plan verification for GRID therapy.
Making a difference together: discourses of transformation in family voluntourism

AbstractThis article explores the intersection of development discourse, volunteer tourism, and practices of family travel. While research on the emerging trend of voluntourism has tended to focus on young, single, college-aged volunteers, little attention has been paid to families with young children who volunteer abroad. Taking as its starting point the prevalent message that voluntourism can “make a difference”, the article examines the implications of emphasizing the family and the child, rather than structural inequalities, as the objects of transformation. Based on face-to-face and online interactions with worldschooling families, the article uses mobile virtual ethnography to create an in-depth and immersive study of mobile and online social groups. Findings suggest that families undertake voluntourism as a strategy for fostering family bonding and cultivating their children's sense of global citizenship. In both cases, family voluntourism pursues transformation in the private sphere of the family ...
Strain gradient modification of the Mori-Tanaka model to predict the elastic properties of layer by layer (LBL) manufactured polymer/clay nanocomposites

A size-dependent strain gradient Mori-Tanaka model (SGMT) is developed by applying strain gradient elasticity to the classical Mori-Tanka (M-T) method. The SGMT model is shown to be able to accurately predict the experimentally observed increase in stiffness of a layer- by-layer (LBL)-assembled polyurethane-montmorillonite (PU-MTM) nanocomposite with various volume fractions. 3D Finite Element (FE) models of a representative volume element (RVE) are used to study the stiffness enhancement mechanism of the LBL PU-MTM nanocomposite. An effective constant thickness interphase is introduced in the FE simulations, which is analogous to using a formulation that incorporates strain gradient effects. An inverse method to determine the effective thickness and stiffness of the interphase layer using FE simulations is also presented. Nomenclature ij  , ij  = applied constant stress and overall strain at the boundary ij  ~ , ij  ~ = perturbation stress and strain in the matrix pt ij  , = second perturbation stress and strain in the inclusion pt ij  0 ijkl C 0 , = stiffnesses of the matrix and the inclusion
Epstein-Barr virus infection

Introduction Virtually all humans become infected with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). The vast majority of these infections are inapparent, occur early in life, and are associated with lifelong latent infection and persistent shedding of virus. Epidemiology The prevalence of antibody to EBV has been determined in many age groups throughout the world. In developing and tropical areas, infection takes place early in life and is inapparent, with most children demonstrating antibody by age 6 years. Infection is believed to be related to hygiene and crowding as well as to cultural patterns that lead to exposure to saliva (eg, prechewing of food). In contrast, infection in Western Europe and the United States in childhood is less common, with only 35% to 50% of 5-year-olds demonstrating antibody. Infectious mononucleosis (IM) emerges as a significant clinical entity only in populations where a sizable percentage of young adults lack immunity to EBV. Thus, IM is unknown among college freshman in Thailand or the Philippines, virtually all of whom have antibody to EBV at the time of admission. On the other hand, in schools in the USA and England, where the susceptibility percentage is in the range of 35% to 50%, infection is seen commonly. In such university settings, approximately 12% of susceptible students become infected with EBV during the freshman year.
Impact of antimony doping on microdefect formation in Czochralski grown silicon crystals

The impact of antimony doping on the formation of vacancy- and interstitial-type microdefects in Czochralski silicon is studied by growing test crystals with different Sb doping levels, in the range from 0 (undoped) to 3 × 1018 cm–3, and with different pulling rates. Antimony is found to cause a shift from interstitial- to vacancy-type microdefects, observable already at a concentration of ≈1017 cm–3. The shift coefficient K for antimony is estimated to be 7.2 × 10–19 cm3. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Incremental Computation of Success Patterns of Logic Programs

A method is presented for incrementally computing success patterns of logic programs. The set of success patterns of a logic program with respect to an abstraction is formulated as the success set of an equational logic program modulo an equality theory that is induced by the abstraction. The method is exemplified via depth and stump abstractions. Also presented are algorithms for computing most general unifiers modulo equality theories induced by depth and stump
Constraint Classification for Multiclass Classification and Ranking

The constraint classification framework captures many flavors of multiclass classification including winner-take-all multiclass classification, multilabel classification and ranking. We present a meta-algorithm for learning in this framework that learns via a single linear classifier in high dimension. We discuss distribution independent as well as margin-based generalization bounds and present empirical and theoretical evidence showing that constraint classification benefits over existing methods of multiclass classification.
Design and optimization of a new class of actively compensated filters for high frequency applications

The paper presents the design details of a new class of actively-compensated filters for high frequency applications. Design steps were provided for the design of bandpass (BP) filters of this class earlier by Natarajan and Chase (1994). Similar design guidelines for the optimal performance of the lowpass (ZP) and highpass (HP) filters are given. The theoretical results are verified using the PSPICE simulations. >
Analysis of VLSI multiconductor systems by bi-level waveform relaxation

A novel algorithm to compute the transient response of a coupled, dispersive multiconductor system terminated in nonlinear loads such as transistors is developed. The characterization of the multiconductor system is obtained from a full-wave analysis based on the spectral domain approach, and it is suitable for circuit simulation. The transient response of such a system is computed by a bi-level waveform relaxation method. The solution process consists of two steps. One is to obtain a time domain solution at the input and output interfaces by local waveform relaxation, and the second is to transform the waveforms into the frequency domain and obtain the necessary updates for the next global relaxation step. The method allows the interconnects to be separated from the rest of the system so that both the nonlinear termination circuit and the multiconductor system can be analyzed in the most efficient way. The method has been applied to multiconductor systems terminated in MOS, ECL (emitter coupled logic), and GaAs transistors and it is shown that reflections and couplings can create logic errors in the system. The program that implements the algorithm is written in C. >
Hemodynamic and norepinephrine responses to pacing-induced heart failure in conscious sinoaortic-denervated dogs

Brandle, Marian, Kaushik P. Patel, Wei Wang, and Irving H. Zucker. Hemodynamic and norepinephrine responses to pacing-induced heart failure in conscious sinoaortic-denervated dogs.J. Appl. Physiol....
Metastatic pattern in dogs with splenic haemangiosarcoma: Clinical implications

A retrospective study was undertaken to characterise the biological behaviour of splenic haemangiosarcoma (HSA) in dogs. Metastatic pattern data for 25 dogs with splenic HSA that were presented for clinical signs relating to splenic lesions (eg, abdominal mass and, or, haemoperitoneum) and had undergone necropsy were analysed. Six of 25 dogs with splenic HSA that were presented for abdominal mass/haemoperitoneum had right atrial HSA. Fifteen of 19 (79 per cent dogs) with splenic HSA associated with abdominal mass/hemoperitoneum without right atrial involvement had disease confined to the peritoneal cavity. The most common metastatic sites in these dogs were liver, omentum and mesentery. Extraperitoneal metastases were seen in four of 19 (21 per cent) dogs without right atrial involvement. Analysis of signalment data of dogs in this series and the literature revealed no differences between dogs with disease confined to the peritoneal cavity and dogs with extraperitoneal metastases. The subjectivity of primary site designation, importance of ante mortem identification of individuals with concurrent right atrial involvement, and need for more aggressive therapy directed at intraperitoneal metastases are discussed.
Development of a social monitoring system at the local level: An experiment in the Southern Region of the Democratic Republic of Sudan

The first phase of the social monitoring project finished in four provinces out of the six provinces in the Southern Region. It is intended through what has been described as a ‘development monitoring system’ to establish a link between potential users and producers of data, to ensure that the data are actually used, and in turn that the clients at any level obtain the kind of data they want. Regarding the accuracy of data, two kinds of checks are made, one through comparison with data from external sources (secondary data available in various sectoral departments located in the provinces and area councils) and the other through internal consistency controls. The results of the survey are very useful for planners and policy makers as well as in the day to day administration. It is worthwhile to mention that the information collected from this project is widely used for the district development programmes. The sketch map and the information collected are being used for the demarcation of the enumeration areas for the forthcoming National Population Census. The experience of the Social Monitoring Project in the Southern Region finally resulted in draft proposals in other developing countries like Somalia and Tanzania. As mentioned, the scheme will achieve its full usefulness only after several years when changes over time can be measured with some confidence.
Validation of Parameterized Algorithms Used to Derive TRMM–CERES Surface Radiative Fluxes

Abstract Parameterized shortwave and longwave algorithms developed at the Langley Research Center have been used to derive surface radiative fluxes in the processing of the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) data obtained from flight aboard the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite. Retrieved fluxes were validated on an instantaneous–footprint basis using coincident surface measurements obtained from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program's Southern Great Plains (SGP) central facility, the ARM/SGP network of extended facilities, and a number of surface sites of the Baseline Surface Radiation Network (BSRN) and the Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory (CMDL). Validation was carried out separately for clear-sky and all-sky conditions. For the shortwave, systematic errors varied from −12 to 10 W m−2 for clear skies and from −5 to 35 W m−2 for all-sky conditions. Random errors varied from 20 to 40 W m−2 for clear skies but were much larger (45–85 W m−2) f...
CAM: a mobile paper-based information services architecture for remote rural areas in the developing world

During our work with microfinance groups in rural India, we found that paper plays a crucial role in many local information practices. However, paper-based record keeping can be inefficient, so we need to link paper with the flexibility of modern information tools. A mobile phone can be the perfect bridging device. Here we present the CAM mobile document processing system, in which a camera-equipped mobile phone is used as an image capture and data entry device. Our system is able to process paper forms that contain CAMShell programs - embedded instructions that are decoded from an electronic image. By combining 1) paper, 2) audio, 3) numeric-data entry, 4) narrative scripted execution and 5) asynchronous connectivity, we have synthesized five years of design experience into a usable and locally harmonious system that has the potential to impact billions of people.
Maternal effects on behavior and white blood cells of isolated female mice.

Abstract Study of aggressive behavior and white blood cell counts of isolated and control-paired female albino mice revealed significant increases in the frequency of the aggressive behavior of the isolated mice (12th–26th week) as well as significant decreases in total white blood cells and eosinophil counts (22nd and 24th week). After mating the female mice, analyses of the data of the isolated females which successfully raised litters indicated significant decreases in the aggressive behavior of the mothers after weaning their off-spring (42nd–48th week). This occurred even following a secondary 7 week re-isolation period. No significant differences were noted in the total white blood cell and eosinophil counts of the isolated versus control mothers at the 43rd, 46th, and 49th week of the study. It is apparent that either during gestation or during the period of nursing and maternal-offspring interaction, modifications occured in the hormonal imbalances induced by isolation. Further studies are to be undertaken to determine which experimental period or factor was responsible for the alteration in behavior and white blood cell frequencies.
Low-angle normal faults in the south-central Brooks Range fold and thrust belt, Alaska

A north-south structural transect through the south-central Brooks Range, Alaska, exposes three lithologically distinct, fault-bounded packages of rock, all regionally metamorphosed during the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous contractional deformation that formed much of the Brooks Range fold and thrust belt. These are, from south to north and structurally highest to lowest, (1) the prehnite-pumpellyite facies ophiolitic rocks of the Angayucham terrane, (2) the low-grade metasedimentary rocks of the Rosie Creek allochthon, and (3) pumpellyite-actinolite to glaucophane-epidote facies metamorphic rocks of the schist belt. The presence of rocks metamorphosed and deformed at shallow levels of the fold and thrust belt (the Angayucham terrane and Rosie Creek allochthon) lying structurally above rocks representing the deepest exposed levels of the fold and thrust belt (the schist belt) indicates that the imbricate stack is disrupted by south-dipping, low-angle normal faults along the southern margin of the Brooks Range. We propose that normal faults developed in response to the uplift of the schist belt and the overlying metasedimentary and ophiolitic allochthons by northdirected thrusting in the late Early Cretaceous. Thrusting resulted in the oversteepening of the imbricate stack, causing compensatory normal faulting along the southern flank of the ramp structure. Normal faults may have provided at least local structural control of the locus of Albian and younger sedimentation in the Koyukuk basin.
Developing a Test of Scientific Literacy Skills (TOSLS): Measuring Undergraduates’ Evaluation of Scientific Information and Arguments

Life sciences faculty agree that developing scientific literacy is an integral part of undergraduate education and report that they teach these skills. However, few measures of scientific literacy are available to assess students' proficiency in using scientific literacy skills to solve scenarios in and beyond the undergraduate biology classroom. In this paper, we describe the development, validation, and testing of the Test of Scientific Literacy Skills (TOSLS) in five general education biology classes at three undergraduate institutions. The test measures skills related to major aspects of scientific literacy: recognizing and analyzing the use of methods of inquiry that lead to scientific knowledge and the ability to organize, analyze, and interpret quantitative data and scientific information. Measures of validity included correspondence between items and scientific literacy goals of the National Research Council and Project 2061, findings from a survey of biology faculty, expert biology educator reviews, student interviews, and statistical analyses. Classroom testing contexts varied both in terms of student demographics and pedagogical approaches. We propose that biology instructors can use the TOSLS to evaluate their students' proficiencies in using scientific literacy skills and to document the impacts of curricular reform on students' scientific literacy.
Divergence in trophic ecology characterizes colonization of extreme habitats

Extreme habitats are characterized by the presence of physio-chemical stressors, but also differ in aspects of the biotic environment, such as resource availability or the presence of competitors. The present study quantifies variation in trophic ecology of a small livebearing fish (Poecilia mexicana, Poeciliidae) across four different habitats that included nonsulphidic and sulphidic surface waters, as well as a nonsulphidic and a sulphidic cave. Resource use in different habitat types was investigated using gut content analysis. Populations diverged in resource use from a diet dominated by algae and detritus in nonsulfidic surface habitats to a diet including invertebrate food items in the other habitats. Poecilia mexicana in cave habitats further exhibited a higher dietary niche width than conspecifics from surface habitats. The condition of P. mexicana was analysed using storage lipid extractions. Fish from sulphidic and cave habitats exhibited a very poor condition, suggesting resource limitation and/or high costs of coping with extreme conditions. Finally, divergence in resource use was correlated with variation in viscerocranial morphology. A common garden experiment indicated both a genetic and plastic basis to the morphological variation observed among field populations. It is suggested that the morphological diversification is an adaptation to the differential use of resources among populations. © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 95, 517‐528.
Effects of contrast material on single-volume proton MR spectroscopy.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Administration of contrast material before proton MR spectroscopy may allow more accurate placement of the volume of interest, particularly in tumors; yet, some data have suggested that contrast material may alter the results of MR spectroscopy. To determine the validity of this contention, we performed pre- and postcontrast MR spectroscopy in patients with brain tumors and compared the results with those obtained from a phantom. METHODS: Ten patients with astrocytomas were examined with single-volume MR spectroscopy before and after administration of contrast material. Voxel placement was identical for all studies. Peak area, peak height, and width at half maximum were measured for N-acetyl aspartate (NAA), creatine (Cr), and choline (Cho) in all studies. A phantom containing a 10-mmol concentration of NAA, Cr, and Cho was prepared in phosphate-buffered saline and mixed with contrast concentrations varying from 0.1 to 1.0 mmol. The phantom was studied by MR spectroscopy with the same parameters as used for the clinical studies. RESULTS: No significant differences were found between the pre- and postcontrast MR spectroscopy studies for the three parameters measured. In phantom studies, there was a significant decline in the Cho peak area and height and an increase in the width at half maximum as the concentration of contrast material increased from 0.1 to 1.0 mmol. NAA and Cr peaks showed no significant changes in peak height or area. CONCLUSION: Contrast material may be administered before clinical MR spectroscopy without affecting its interpretation.
A CMOS technology roadmap for the next fifteen years

A technology roadmap for semiconductors, which forecasts CMOS technology for the next 15 years, was published recently by the SIA in the USA. A major goal of the roadmap is to provide a guide that can be used for R&D investment decisions and selection of roles by R&D organizations. The roadmap development process, the principal technology characteristics, as well as the key assumptions and major technical issues are discussed. Areas of focused development will include scaling with power supply voltage reduction, power dissipation reduction, transient-current reduction, and SOI CMOS technology.
Improving Working Memory in Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: The Separate and Combined Effects of Incentives and Stimulant Medication

Working memory (WM) is considered a core deficit in Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), with numerous studies demonstrating impaired WM among children with ADHD. We tested the degree to which WM in children with ADHD was improved by performance-based incentives, an analog of behavioral intervention. In two studies, WM performance was assessed using a visuo-spatial n-back task. Study 1 compared children (ages 9–12 years) with ADHD–Combined type (n = 24) to a group of typically developing (TD) children (n = 32). Study 1 replicated WM deficits among children with ADHD. Incentives improved WM, particularly among children with ADHD. The provision of incentives reduced the ADHD-control group difference by approximately half but did not normalize WM. Study 2 examined the separate and combined effects of incentives and stimulant medication among 17 children with ADHD-Combined type. Both incentives and a moderate dose of long-acting methylphenidate (MPH; ~0.3 mg/kg t.i.d. equivalent) robustly improved WM relative to the no-incentive, placebo condition. The combination of incentives and medication improved WM significantly more than either incentives or MPH alone. These studies indicate that contingencies markedly improve WM among children with ADHD–Combined type, with effect sizes comparable to a moderate dose of stimulant medication. More broadly, this work calls attention to the role of motivation in studying cognitive deficits in ADHD and in testing multifactorial models of ADHD.
Mutation of FIG4 causes a rapidly progressive, asymmetric neuronal degeneration

Recessive Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type-4J (CMT4J) and its animal model, the pale tremor mouse (plt), are caused by mutations of the FIG4 gene encoding a PI(3,5)P2 5-phosphatase. We describe the 9-year clinical course of CMT4J, including asymmetric, rapidly progressive paralysis, in two siblings. Sensory symptoms were absent despite reduced numbers of sensory axons. Thus, the phenotypic presentation of CMT4J clinically resembles motor neuron disease. Time-lapse imaging of fibroblasts from CMT4J patients demonstrates impaired trafficking of intracellular organelles because of obstruction by vacuoles. Further characterization of plt mice identified axonal degeneration in motor and sensory neurons, limited segmental demyelination, lack of TUNEL staining and lack of accumulation of ubiquitinated protein in vacuoles of motor and sensory neurons. This study represents the first documentation of the natural history of CMT4J. Physical obstruction of organelle trafficking by vacuoles is a potential novel cellular mechanism of neurodegeneration.
Dietary Self-Control Is Related to the Speed With Which Attributes of Healthfulness and Tastiness Are Processed

We propose that self-control failures, and variation across individuals in self-control abilities, are partly due to differences in the speed with which the decision-making circuitry processes basic attributes, such as tastiness, versus more abstract attributes, such as healthfulness. We tested these hypotheses by combining a dietary-choice task with a novel form of mouse tracking that allowed us to pinpoint when different attributes were being integrated into the choice process with temporal resolution at the millisecond level. We found that, on average, tastiness was processed about 195 ms earlier than healthfulness during the choice process. We also found that 13% to 39% of observed individual differences in self-control ability could be explained by differences in the relative speed with which tastiness and healthfulness were processed.
Antigens, antibodies and genes.

Summary This article is a survey of a few pertinent findings about antigens as they occur in one species of bacteria, the pneumococcus, and in the cells and organs of mammals and birds. The main points of general biological interest emphasized are as follows: (1) The fact that carbohydrates, not proteins, are responsible for the specificity of the different types of pneumococci points the way to a comparable concept of specificity in organisms other than bacteria. That is, substances other than proteins, if linked to proteins, may account for some part of known specificities. (2) Changes within each type of pneumococcus may take place from a smooth, capsulated form to a rough, non-capsulated form, and vice versa. Under certain conditions a rough form of one type may be changed to the smooth form of an entirely different type. The activating principle in one such change has been found to be a nucleic acid. (3) The antigens of the blood cells of man are gene-determined. There are, however, antigens of the blood cells, tissues or organs of other species which have not yet been explained genetically. (4) It has been possible by immunological techniques to make a sharp distinction between the cells or sera of closely related species. Reagents prepared by absorbing the antisera to the cells or serum of one species by the corresponding antigens of the other were reactive with the homologous antigen, but not with that used in the absorption. From these results it may be deduced that each species possesses ‘species-specific’ antigens in comparison with a related species, as well as those common to the two species. (5) In bird species which produce viable hybrids the antigens have been found to be gene-controlled. (6) The cellular antigens are generally thought to be the more or less direct products of their causative genes. However, a few instances are known of cellular antigens which are the result of complementary action of genes. Also, within the group of genes which act directly on the respective antigens there appear to be some which singly are capable of effecting the same combination of antigens as two (or more) alleles may produce.
Permanent draft genome sequence of Frankia sp. strain ACN1ag, a nitrogen-fixing actinobacterium isolated from the root nodules of Alnus glutinosa

ABSTRACT Frankia strain ACN1ag is a member of Frankia lineage Ia, which are able to re-infect plants of the Betulaceae and Myricaceae families. Here, we report a 7.5-Mbp draft genome sequence with a G+C content of 72.35% and 5,687 candidate protein-encoding genes.
Between Fixity and Fantasy: Assessing the Spatial Impact of Colonial Urban Dualism

This essay seeks to historicize shifting views of colonial urbanism since the 1960s. Dualistic oppositions once dominated scholarly understandings of colonial cities, but more recently postcolonial visions of hybridity and indeterminacy have come to the fore. More than shifts in academic paradigms are at stake; indeed, such divergent discourses raise critical questions as to how we should interpret urban forms and processes more generally. Instead of championing either side, the author seeks to bring these ostensibly divergent perspectives together, arguing for a more integrated historical and analytic approach to urban landscapes. Rather than opposing colonial accounts and postcolonial narratives, materialism and discourse, social sciences and humanities, the real and the ideal, we need to articulate these frameworks in order to grasp the actual complexities of colonial urban dynamics. Analyzing flawed urban interventions in East Africa, the author shows how colonial dualities were often asserted but rar...
Drug Use and Abuse in an Urban Veteran Spinal Cord Injured Population

Substance abuse in the spinal cord injured (SCI) population has been addressed in a few controlled studies. These reports have led to the belief that many SCI patients were illicit drug users prior to their injury and that their drug abuse was a contributing cause of their accidents. One large study determined from answers obtained on a questionnaire that drug abuse, other than alcohol, was prevalent among injured veterans. Our study uses urine toxicology to determine the frequency of drug use and abuse, excluding alcohol, in 72 inpatients and 81 outpatients associated with an urban Veterans Affairs Medical Center. In a blinded experiment, urinary concentrations of opiates, barbiturates, amphetamines, methadone, benzodiazepines, and cocaine were determined with Syva reagents on an Abbott VP. Urinary cannabinoids were determined using Abbott TDX and the FPIA method. The use of illicit (unprescribed) drugs was surprisingly low (< or = 13 percent) for an urban medical center. Outpatient cannabinoid abuse was significantly more frequent than inpatient usage (p < 0.01). Barbiturates were not found in any patient. Benzodiazepines were taken most commonly (29 percent). Since benzodiazepine usage is the direct result of physician prescription, wide-spread usage of this agent is avoidable. Physicians should pay attention to the probable deleterious consequences of benzodiazepine addiction related to depressive effects on the central nervous system caused by its chronic use.
Enhancing the Cassini mission through FP applications after launch

Although rigorous pre-emptive measures are taken to preclude failures and anomalous conditions from occurring in JPL spacecraft missions prior to launch, unforeseeable problems can still surface after liftoff. In the case of the Cassini/Huygens Mission-to-Saturn spacecraft, several problems were observed post-launch: 1) immediately after takeoff, the collected engineering/science data stored on the Solid State Recorders (SSR) contained a significantly higher number of corrupted bits than was expected (considerably over spec) due to human error in the memory mapping of these devices, 2) numerous Solid State Power Switches (SSPS) sporadically tripped off throughout the mission due to cosmic ray bombardment from the unique space environment, and 3) false assumptions in the pressure regulator design in combination with missing heritage test data led to inaccurate design conclusions, causing the issuance of two waivers for the regulator to close properly (a potentially mission catastrophic single-point failure which occurred 24 days after launch) — amongst other problems. For Cassini, some of these anomalies led to arduous work-arounds or required continuous monitoring of telemetry variables by the ground-based Spacecraft Operations Flight Support (SOFS) team in order to detect and fix fault occurrences as they happened. Fortunately, sufficient funding and schedule margin allowed several Fault Protection (FP) solutions to be implemented into post-launch Flight Software (FSW) uploads to help resolve these issues autonomously, reducing SOFS ground support efforts while improving anomaly recovery time in order to preserve maximum science capture. This paper details the FP applications used to resolve the above issues as well as to optimize solutions for several other problems experienced by the Cassini spacecraft during its flight, in order to enhance the spacecraft's overall mission success throughout the 18 years of its 20 year expedition to and within the Saturnian system.1
Basketball and Volleyball

Basketball and volleyball are clearly similar sports with regard to their ballistic nature and the need for lateral (side-to-side) movement. The primary difference is that there is no consistent running in volleyball and basketball does not generally involve lunging or diving on a regular basis. Current design strategies in court shoes are aimed at lateral stability, torsional flexibility, cushioning, and traction control to decrease the risk of injury [1].
Fibroblast growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor play a critical role in endotheliogenesis from human adipose-derived stem cells.

Objective Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) are a potential adult mesenchymal stem cell source for restoring endothelial function in patients with critical limb ischemia. Fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) play a major role in angiogenesis and wound healing. This study evaluated the effects of FGF and VEGF on the proliferation, migration, and potential endothelial differentiation of human ASCs with regards to their use as endothelial cell substitutes. Methods ASCs were isolated from clinical lipoaspirates and cultured in M199 medium with fetal bovine serum (10%), FGF2 (10 ng/mL), VEGF (50 ng/mL), or combinations of FGF2 and VEGF. Cell proliferation rates, viability, and migration were measured by growth curves, MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide), and scratch assays. For cell attachment determinations, ASCs were seeded onto a scaffold of small intestinal submucosa for 5 days. Endothelial differentiation capabilities of ASCs were confirmed by expression of endothelial cell-specific markers using quantitative polymerase chain reaction, immunofluorescence staining, and cord formation on Matrigel (BD Biosciences, San Jose, Calif). PD173074, a selective inhibitor of FGF receptor, was used to confirm the importance of FGF signaling. Results ASCs treated with FGF or combinations of FGF and VEGF showed increased proliferation rates and consistent differentiation toward an endothelial cell lineage increase in platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule (CD31), von Willebrand factor, endothelial nitric oxide synthase, and vascular endothelial cadherin message, and in protein and cord formation on Matrigel. FGF and VEGF stimulated ASC migration and increased the attachment and retention after seeding onto a matrix graft of small intestinal submucosa. Blockade of FGF signaling with PD173074 abrogated ASC endothelial cell differentiation potential. Conclusions These results indicate that FGF and VEGF are ASC promoters for proliferation, migration, attachment, and endothelial differentiation. FGF and VEGF have a costimulatory effect on ASC endotheliogenesis. These results further suggest that ASCs with enhanced FGF signaling may potentially be used for tissue engineering and cell-based therapies in patients with critical limb ischemia.