cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Macrochimerism and clinical transplant tolerance.

Abstract Current theory holds that macrochimerism is essential to the development of transplant tolerance. Hematopoietic cell transplantation from the solid organ donor is necessary to achieve macrochimerism. Over the last 10–20 years, trials of tolerance induction with combined kidney and hematopoietic cell transplantation have moved from the preclinical to the clinical arena. The achievement of macrochimerism in the clinical setting is challenging, and potentially toxic due to the conditioning regimen necessary to hematopoietic cell transplantation and due to the risk of graft-versus-host disease. There are differences in chimerism goals and methods of the three major clinical stage tolerance induction strategies in both HLA-matched and HLA-mismatched living donor kidney transplantation, with consequent differences in efficacy and safety. The Stanford protocol has proven efficacious in the induction of tolerance in HLA-matched kidney transplantation, allowing cessation of immunosuppressive drug therapy in 80% of study participants, with the safety profile of conventional transplantation. In HLA-mismatched transplantation, multi-lineage macrochimerism of over a year’s duration can now be consistently achieved with the Stanford protocol, with complete withdrawal of immunosuppressive drug therapy during the second post-transplant year as the next experimental step and test of tolerance.
Early recognition of chronic kidney disease in patients with diabetes

People with diabetes experience elevated blood sugar over time, which may lead to a range of complications, including chronic kidney disease (CKD). Diabetes is a public health and financial burden, and it is the primary reason many people experience end-stage kidney disease. Pandora Goode and Evelyn Hoover discuss why early detection is an opportunity for preventing CKD.
Critical-magnetic-field anisotropy in single-crystal YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7

We have measured the critical magnetic fields ${H}_{c2\ensuremath{\parallel}}$ (parallel to $a\ensuremath{-}b$ plane) and ${H}_{c2\ensuremath{\perp}}$ (perpendicular to $a\ensuremath{-}b$ plane) of single crystals of ${\mathrm{YBa}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{7}$ as a function of temperature in fields up to 19 T. The slope - $\frac{d{H}_{c2}}{\mathrm{dT}}$ is greater by about a factor of 4 when the field is applied parallel to the $a\ensuremath{-}b$ plane than when it is applied parallel to the $c$ axis.
Detection of Somatic Structural Variants Enables Quantification and Characterization of Circulating Tumor DNA in Children With Solid Tumors.

ObjectiveLiquid biopsies are being rapidly used in adult cancers as new biomarkers of disease. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) levels have been reported to be proportional to disease burden, correlate with treatment response, and predict relapse. However, little is known about how frequently ctDNA is detectable in pediatric patients with solid tumors. Therefore, we developed a next-generation sequencing approach to detect and quantify ctDNA in the blood of patients with the most common pediatric solid tumors.MethodsDetection of ctDNA requires assays sensitive to somatic events typically observed in the cancer type being studied. In pediatric solid tumors, structural variants are more common than recurrent point mutations. We adapted an ultralow passage whole-genome sequencing approach to capture copy number variants and a hybrid capture sequencing assay to detect translocations in liquid biopsy samples from pediatric patients.ResultsCopy number changes seen by ultralow passage whole-genome sequencing enable...
Convolutional Code Structure and Viterbi Decoding

The codes and decoding techniques presented in the previous chapters apply only to block codes. With these codes the information sequence is segmented into blocks which are encoded independently. Thus, the coded sequence becomes a sequence of fixed-length independent code words. This is not done with convolutional codes. Instead, redundant symbols are generated as a function of a span of preceding information symbols. The transmitted sequence is actually a single “semi-infinite” code word.
The Use of Bioinformatics and Chemogenomics in Drug Discovery

The Human Genome Project and the emergence of accompanying technology are beginning to transform the drug discovery process. Sequence and structure databases are offering new avenues for the identification of novel genes and drug targets. This communication reviews how bioinformatics and chemogenomics are used for new gene identification, selection of genes or proteins that may be potential drug targets, and the screening of libraries, both in vitro and in silico, for designation of new lead drug compounds.
Modulation of GPCR Conformationsby Ligands, G-Proteins, and Arrestins

G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) have traditionally been thought to adopt two conformations: the inactive unliganded conformation and the active ligand-bound conformation. Interactions with G-proteins in cells and membranes are known to modulate the affinity of the receptor for ligand and therefore the conformation of the receptor. Such observations led to the proposal of the ternary complex model. However, subsequent studies of constitutively active GPCRs led to the development of an extended version of this model to account for active conformations of the receptor in the absence of agonist. A significant difficulty with many of the studies, upon which this latter model was based, is the lack of knowledge of receptor and G-protein concentrations due to the two-dimensional nature of the membranes used to perform the measurements. Over the past decade, we have studied the interaction of GPCRs, G-proteins, arrestins, and ligands in solubilized systems, where the concentration of each component can be defined. Here we summarize results of these studies as they pertain to the regulation of GPCR conformations and affinities for interacting species.
Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery Resection without Intraoperative Fluoroscopy after CT-Guided Microcoil Localization of Peripheral Pulmonary Nodules.

Abstract The aim of this brief report is to determine the safety and reliability of minimally invasive video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) resection without the aid of intraoperative fluoroscopy after computed tomography (CT)–guided microcoil localization of small peripheral pulmonary nodules. Twenty patients with peripheral lung nodules underwent percutaneous needle localization with a microcoil that was tagged back to the visceral pleural surface. Same-day VATS resection was performed without the use of intraoperative fluoroscopy. All 20 nodules were successfully localized in the CT procedure room, and all 20 nodules were resected with negative margins and no major complications.
A 2-Year Cost Analysis of Maximum Nonoperative Treatments in Patients With Symptomatic Lumbar Stenosis or Spondylolisthesis That Ultimately Required Surgery.

Study Design:Retrospective cohort study.Objectives:The purpose of this study is to characterize the utilization and costs of maximal nonoperative therapies (MNTs) within 2 years prior to spinal fus...
Intra-seasonal and seasonal variability of the Northern Hemisphere extra-tropics

The natural variability of the Northern Hemisphere extra-tropics is studied at seasonal and intra-seasonal time scales. Nonlinear oscillations in the extra-tropics are extracted from daily anomalies of 500-hPa geopotential height for the period 1979–2012 using a data-adaptive method. Three propagating oscillations with broad-band spectra centered at 120, 45, and 28 days are found. When combined, the oscillations explain up to 30% of the natural variability of the extra-tropics on the intra-seasonal to seasonal time scales. These oscillations share some features with the circumglobal wave guide and in some phases of their lifecycles they project onto the canonical teleconnection patterns. When used as predictors in a simple linear regression model with 2-m temperature as predictand, the mid-latitude oscillations extend the potential predictability of dependent variable to about 20 days.
The preparation of some tetradecyl-substituted benzocarbazoles and benzacridines

The preparation are described of 10-dodecyl- and 10-tetradecylbenzo[a]acridines, 9-tetradecylbenzo[c]acridine, and some 8-tetradecylbenzo[a]carbazoles and 10-tetradecylbenzo[c]carbazoles
Where Is the Patient? Finding the Person in Patient-Centered Health Care

Below we present a case study to illustrate one of the more hazardous drawbacks we must work to avoid in our embrace of technology and process efficiency in the American health-care system. The case presented below comes from a series of focus groups conducted with African American men who had a stroke and their care partners. Mr. and Mrs. Green (pseudonyms) are 50ish year-old African Americans from Cleveland. Before suffering an ischemic stroke (about 6 months before the focus group), Mr. Green worked as a pastor in his church. In the verbatim transcript below, the couple relays to the group the narrative of Mr. Green’s acute care experience on discharge day of his post-stroke hospital stay.
The reliability and validity of a digital version of the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool.

Purpose: The Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool is a common patient reported outcome used to assess those with Chronic Ankle Instability. However, paper versions of the Cumberland Ankle Instability ...
Temporally-variable productivity quotients on a coral atoll: Implications for estimates of reef metabolism

Abstract Measurements of net ecosystem productivity (NEP) and calcification (NEC) from contemporary coral reefs provide a baseline for monitoring the impacts of future stressors like ocean acidification and sea-surface warming. However, separating secular trends from natural variability requires NEP and NEC records across a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. One promising way to make these measurements is with autonomous pH and O2 sensors. Crucially, the accuracy of this approach relies on knowledge of the in situ ecosystem productivity quotient (Q), which indicates the moles of O2 consumed per mole CO2 produced. Using co-located measurements of total dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), total alkalinity, and dissolved O2, we empirically determined Q during a three-year field campaign on Tetiaroa Atoll, French Polynesia. Empirical values of daily net Q (−1.02 ≤ Qnet ≤ −0.47) frequently differed from both the canonical value of −1.45 for the ocean and the value of −1 often assumed for tropical reef ecosystems. Furthermore, Q changed on hourly timescales, and integrated daily values differed between days. We hypothesize that captive bubbles on the surfaces of coral, macroalgae and other substrates can explain these variations in Q, with other influential mechanisms being mixing between parcels of water, sedimentary denitrification, and ammonium-fueled primary productivity. Our findings, which are robust to changes in the model that is used to correct for advection and gas exchange, as well as changes in model parameters, suggest that future investigations of metabolism on reefs should be based on measurements of carbonate chemistry variability, rather than O2 evolution. Otherwise, large biases in NEP and NEC could result (>40%).
Clinical Decisions: Detecting Vibriosis in the Modern Era

Abstract The accurate identification of Vibrio infections in the clinical microbiology laboratory can have important medical, as well as public health, implications in the detection of fulminant gastroenteritis (cholera) and invasive systemic illnesses, including bacteremia and necrotizing fasciitis. Despite their relatively infrequent occurrence in the United States, an accurate and definitive diagnosis is vital. Due to an ongoing revolution in molecular diagnostics in infectious diseases, which employ techniques such as multiplex PCR and whole-genome sequencing, the field is rapidly changing with respect to the identification of new infectious agents and the use of syndromic-based panels for the detection of enteritis. Despite these advances many issues remain regarding the decision-making process and the detection of vibriosis.
Characterization of Philadelphia-negative myeloproliferative neoplasm patients with chromosome 12 abnormalities.

7112 Background: Chromosome 12 (Chr 12) abnormalities have been reported as infrequent events in myelofibrosis (MF). Structural abnormalities at 12q13-15 and 12q24 have been reported in primary MF ...
13 – Biomedical Systems

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses specific requirements and challenges that are unique to the development of biomedical devices, with particular focus on therapeutic systems. The biomedical applications of microsystems are divided into the two categories of diagnostic and therapeutic systems. Diagnostic applications include DNA diagnostics, systems on a chip, and cell and molecule sorting. Therapeutic systems include drug and gene delivery, tissue augmentation/repair, micro/minimally invasive surgical systems, and biocapsules. Biomedical microsystems improve the way in which ailments are diagnosed and treated. The chapter discusses the material requirements for biomedical microsystems, presents some information on biocompatible materials, and explores some of the methods used for micromachining these materials. The materials used in biomedical microsystems, and their physical dimensions, necessitate the use of tools from both semiconductor microfabrication and conventional machining in their manufacture. The chapter describes various tools, such as laser machining and electrodischarge machining, that have made significant inroads but lack the massive batch process capability of lithography, which is the key to lowering costs.
Comparison of Ligament Isometry and Patellofemoral Contact Pressures for Medial Patellofemoral Ligament Reconstruction Techniques in Skeletally Immature Patients

Background:Adult medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) reconstruction techniques are not appropriate for the skeletally immature patient given the proximity of the distal femoral physis. Biomechani...
Robust Lensless Image Reconstruction via PSF Estimation

Lensless imaging is a new, emerging modality where image sensors utilize optical elements in front of the sensor to perform multiplexed imaging. There have been several recent papers to reconstruct images from lensless imagers, including methods that utilize deep learning for state-of-the-art performance. However, many of these methods require explicit knowledge of the optical element, such as the point spread function, or learn the reconstruction mapping for a single fixed PSF. In this paper, we explore a neural network architecture that performs joint image reconstruction and PSF estimation to robustly recover images captured with multiple PSFs from different cameras. Using adversarial learning, this approach achieves improved reconstruction results that do not require explicit knowledge of the PSF at test-time and shows an added improvement in the reconstruction model’s ability to generalize to variations in the camera’s PSF. This allows lensless cameras to be utilized in a wider range of applications that require multiple cameras without the need to explicitly train a separate model for each new camera.
Effect of lidocaine on fetal heart rate and fetal brain metabolism and function.

Abstract The effect of lidocaine (xylocaine) on fetal heart rate and fetal cerebral metabolism and function was studied in 15 fetal sheep experiments. A significant bradycardia occurred in each experiment. Vagectomy did not influence the bradycardic effect. The electroencephalogram (EEG) showed either slowing, slowing followed by an isoelectric (flat) record, or the development of low-voltage fast activity. While cerebral blood flow decreased significantly, cerebral metabolism was unaffected. Fetal heart rate, blood flow, and cerebral function in terms of the EEG recovered within 20 minutes of injection.
Reinventing Mass Production: China's Specialization in Innovative Manufacturing

Based on more than one hundred firm-level interviews conducted between 2010 and 2012, this paper examines the political economy of China’s emergence as a global manufacturing powerhouse. Our argument is that China’s industrial growth trajectory cannot be fully explained by either factor the cost advantages associated with markets or the policy interventions associated with the developmental state. Instead, we argue that China’s rise stems from the development of unique capabilities in innovative manufacturing. We provide a typology for understanding the phenomenon of innovative manufacturing, and show how it has led to a complex distribution of risks and rewards, as well as multidirectional learning, across a variety of national contexts. Thus, through our analysis of Chinese industrial upgrading, we generate new frameworks for understanding national competitiveness and industrial catch-up in the contemporary global economy.
A Systems Model for Child Protective Services.

Abstract Although the systems perspective has become a part of social work's theoretical knowledge base, educators need to have practice models that demonstrate the uses of the systems approach for specific populations and problems. A model is presented that addresses the use of the systems perspective in social work with abused, neglected, and at-risk children in disadvantaged neighborhoods. This Neighborhood Center Model incorporates practice at the systems levels of (a) the individual, (b) the family, and (c) the neighborhood. Explication of the theoretical framework enables new perspectives on several practice dilemmas and issues. An illustrative case example is presented, and methods for teaching the model are discussed.
It's Only A Matter of Time (Reversal): A New Search For The Electric Dipole Moment Of The Neutron

An international collaboration has undertaken a project to search for the electric dipole moment (EDM) of the neutron with a sensitivity of 10−28 e⋅cm. The search should span a region of sensitivity where effects are expected from supersysmmetric models and from models of time reversal violation that might explain electroweak baryogenesis. The technique utilizes the special properties for producing and storing ultra‐cold neutrons in a bottle filled with liquid 4He and doped with a small amount of 3He. The technique will be discussed and compared to that of competing experiments. The extensive R&D program undertaken by the collaboration will be reviewed. The status of the DOE project will be explained.
Exploring the Gauge Hierarchy Problem at N = 2 with TeV^-1 -sized Black Holes

A mass Hierarchy of magnitude O(10^16) GeV separates the gravitational and electroweak interactions. Traditional proposed resolutions of this anomaly have included supersymmetric theories (most notably, the MSSM and ESSM) and string theory. However, energiers at which supersymmetric particles are expected to appear are not accessible to experiment, and string theory is only testable at around M_pl. A novel idea involves introducing extra dimensions into a Minkowski space-time to reduce the effective separation between the gauge and gravitational couplings. Theoretical developments of the so-called Arkani-Dinopolous-Dvali (ADD) extra-dimensional scenario, and its experimental verification, are presented here.
The role of visual-spatial abilities in the performance of certain motor skills

Abstract Forty-two college women were used to study the relationship of visual-spatial orientation, visualization, and perceptual speed to the performance of specific gross motor skills at successive stages of learning. Analysis of the data indicated that visual-spatial orientation was related to performance of a two-hand speed pass in the early stages of learning, and to practice on a balance beam routine throughout the period of learning. Perceptual speed appeared to be related to performance on both skills, while visualization could not be shown to have an effect on either of them.
A new class of geometric-optical semiempirical kernels for global BRDF and albedo modeling

Two approximations to the Li-Strahler geometric-optical mutual shadowing BRDF model provide new kernels for sparse and dense discrete-crown canopies to be used in linear kernel-driven BRDF models.
Estimation of transient voltage fluctuations in the CMOS-based power distribution networks

Decreased power supply levels have reduced the tolerance to voltage changes within power distribution networks in CMOS integrated circuits. High on-chip currents, required to charge and discharge large on-chip loads while operating at high frequencies, produce significant transient IR voltage drops within a power distribution network. These transient IR voltage drops can affect the propagation delay of a CMOS logic gate, creating delay uncertainty within data paths. Analytical expressions characterizing these transient IR voltage drops are presented in this paper. Circuit and layout-level design constraints are also discussed to manage the peak value of the transient IR voltage drops.
An Object-Based Approach to the Specification of Office Entities

Office-specific systems are often difficult and costly to implement and/or prototype. One reason for this difficulty is the unavailability of an appropriate office specification language. In this paper, we introduce an object-based language to formally specify the externally observable behavior of office objects as well as their computations. This language is called Absl and is based on the actor model. The overall structure of Absl objects as well as some of their properties are presented.
Implementing Extended Producer Responsibility Legislation

Summary The goal of this article is to contribute to the understanding of how the multiple, and sometimes conflicting, stakeholder perspectives and prevailing conditions (economic, geographic, etc.) in the implementation locality shape extended producer responsibility (EPR) “on the ground.” We provide an in-depth examination of the implementation dimension of EPR in a specific case study by examining concrete activities at the operational front of the collection and recycling system, and probing the varying stakeholder preferences that have driven a specific system to its status quo. To this end, we conduct a detailed case study of the Washington State EPR implementation for electronic waste. We provide an overview of various stakeholder perspectives and their implications for the attainment of EPR policy objectives in practice. These findings shed light on the intrinsic complexity of EPR implementation. We conclude with recommendations on how to achieve effective and efficient EPR implementation, including improving design incentives, incorporating reuse and refurbishing, expanding product scope, managing downstream material flows, and promoting operational efficiency via fair cost allocation design.
The synthesis of 1-cyclohexyl-2-phenyl-3-nitroaziridine and the stereochemistry of cyclization

The title compound was synthesized by the cyclization of α,β-dibromonitrostyrene with three moles of cyclohexylamine. Evidence for the steric course of the cyclization reaction is also reported.
The combined retrolabyrinthine/retrosigmoid approach

Surgical approaches to the posterior skull base are designed to give the surgeon direct access to the pathology. This straight, line-of-sight trajectory is best achieved with a transmastoid orientation. The approach must have the necessary versatility to accommodate the various pathologies, extent of disease, and the anatomical variation frequently encountered. These requirements must be satisfied with concomitant preservation of cranial nerve function and minimal cerebellar retraction. The expansion of the true retrolabyrinthine exposure to include a retrosigmoid or transsigmoid dissection satisfies all of the above criteria. The retrolabyrinthine/retrosigmoid operation is routinely used at our institution for tumors, aneurysms, and other pathologies of the posterior and lateral skull base. This exposure strategy clearly provides a wide array of options for the treatment of complex lesions.
Effects of a zinc-blende-diamond order-disorder transition on the crystal, electronic, and vibrational structures of metastable (GaAs) 1-x (Ge 2 ) x alloys

X-ray diffraction data, ellipsometry data, Raman-scattering data, and theory combine to provide strong evidence of a zinc-blende\char21{}diamond order-disorder transition with ${x}_{c}$\ensuremath{\simeq}0.3 that affects the crystal, electronic, and vibrational structures of (GaAs${)}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{x}}$(${\mathrm{Ge}}_{2}$${)}_{\mathrm{x}}$ metastable, substitutional, crystalline alloys. It is argued, based on analyses of extended x-ray-absorption fine-structure data for (GaSb${)}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{x}}$(${\mathrm{Ge}}_{2}$${)}_{\mathrm{x}}$, that the number of anion-anion bonds in these (${A}^{\mathrm{III}}$-${B}^{{\mathrm{V})}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}x}/B\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}({C}_{2}\mathrm{IV}{)}_{x}}$ alloys is significant, and requires a theory that goes beyond the mean-field approximation.
Modeling the remaining strength of structural composite materials subjected to fatigue

Abstract One scheme for reliability-based design that is growing in popularity for civil and naval applications is the load and resistance factor design (LRFD). Our goal in this research is the development of a simulation to predict the remaining strength of structural composites subjected to variable fatigue loading and environmental exposure. The results of this simulation can then be used in LRFD to determine appropriate material “knockdown” factors for use in engineering design applications. The work so far focuses on modeling the response of the material to fatigue damage only. The proposed Monte-Carlo style simulation combines a phenomenological residual strength based life prediction model for composites materials with an empirical stiffness based damage accumulation model. This model is demonstrated using data for two glass reinforced vinyl-ester polymer composite systems. The analysis of these results has led to new insight into how the changes in mechanical properties of these materials exposed to fatigue loading can be modeled.
Finite element method for optimal guidance of an advanced launch vehicle

A temporal finite element based on a mixed form of Hamilton's weak principle is summarized for optimal control problems. The resulting weak Hamiltonian finite element method is extended to allow for discontinuities in the states and/or discontinuities in the system equations. An extension of the formulation to allow for control inequality constraints is also presented. The formulation does not require element quadrature, and it produces a sparse system of nonlinear algebraic equations. To evaluate its feasibility for real-time guidance applications, this approach is applied to the trajectory optimization of a four-state, two-stage model with inequality constraints for an advanced launch vehicle. Numerical results for this model are presented and compared to results from a multiple-shooting code. The results show the accuracy and computational efficiency of the finite element method.
The social behaviour of doucs ( Pygathrix nemaeus nemaeus ) at San Diego Zoo

A group of six doucs was observed for 200 hours at San Diego Zoo. Patterns of social behaviour (including communicatory patterns) are described and compared with those of other colobine monkeys. Most aspects of the douc's social behaviour appear to be typical for colobines, although an eyelid display may be unique within the sub-family and the copulatory patterns are at least unusual.
USING GROUP THERAPY TO FOSTER THE PSYCHOSEXUAL DEVELOPMENT OF PATIENTS WITH EATING DISORDERS

When eating-disordered patients participate in long-term eating-dis-order groups, they move through phases of group development that parallel phases of psychosexual development. In the trust (oral) phase, members have an opportunity to experience a positive symbiosis, a suitable holding environment, and optimal frustration. In the control (anal) phase, members learn to identify and express anger constructively. In the intimacy (oedipal) phase, members learn to compete and be intimate. Individual and group movement is facilitated by the group leader being able to identify stages of group development and being able to utilize phase-related techniques.
Sex-specific expression of estrogen receptors α and β and Kiss1 in the postnatal rat amygdala.

The rodent amygdaloid complex is composed of numerous subnuclei important for the sex specific regulation of sociosexual behavior. Although estrogen receptors (ERs) are critical for organizing functional and cytoarchitectural sex differences in these subnuclei, a detailed developmental profile of ER expression in the amygdaloid complex is not available. Moreover, the kisspeptin gene (Kiss1) was recently identified in the adult amygdala, but it remains unknown if it is expressed during development. To fill these data gaps, rat brains (5–7/group) were assessed on postnatal days (PNDs) 0, 2, 4, 7 and 19 for ER alpha (ERα; Esr1), beta (ERβ; Esr2) and Kiss1 expression using in situ hybridization. Expression was quantified in the posterodorsal portion of the medial amygdala MePD, lateral (PLCo) and medial (PMCo) components of the posterior cortical nucleus, and the amygdalohippocampal area (AHi). ERα expression was high throughout the amygdala at birth, but sexually dimorphic only in the AHi. ERα expression in the MePD and the PLCo showed a U-shaped expression pattern over time. In the PMCo, ERα expression decreased from PND 2 and remained low through PND 19. Sexually dimorphic expression of ERβ in the MePD was observed on PND 0, with higher levels in females, but reversed by PND 4 due to declining levels in females. No Kiss1 signal was observed in the postnatal amygdala, suggesting that expression arises after puberty. These data reveal that ER expression is region specific within the neonatal amygdala. These differences likely contribute to sex differences in sociosexual behavior across the lifespan.
THE 0.5-MEV GAMMA-RAY AND THE LOW-ENERGY GAMMA-RAY SPECTRUM TO 6 GRAMS PER SQUARE CENTIMETER OVER MINNEAPOLIS

Gamma ray measurement and low energy gamma ray spectrum in atmosphere produced by cosmic ray
Astrocyte‐specific neurofibromatosis 1 gene deletion is insufficient for astrocytoma formation in mice

Children with neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) develop low-grade astrocytomas. To study the role of the NF1 gene product, neurofibromin, in astrocyte growth and NF1-associated astrocytoma formation, we generated astrocyte-specific NF1 conditional knockout mice (NF1GFAP CKO) using the Cre/LoxP recombination system. Astrocyte-specific Nf1 conditional knockout mice (NF1 CKO mice) were generated by crossing GFAP-Cre-IRES-LacZ mice with LoxP targeted NF1 mice. NF1GFAP CKO mice were monitored for astrocytoma formation and neurological abnormalities for 20 months and no tumors were detected. Increased numbers of astrocytes were found in several regions of the brains of NF1GFAPCKO mice. Cultured astrocytes derived from NF1GFAP CKO mice show a 1.8-fold increase in proliferation, but do not grow in soft agar or serum free media. In addition, embryonic day 13 astrocyte cultures from conventional NF1 knockout mice were generated. We also deleted the NF1 gene in vitro in postnatal day 2 NF1 CKO astrocytes with Cre adenovirus. Embryonic and postnatal NF1−/− astrocytes show a growth increase in vitro, but they do not grow in soft agar or serum free media, and do not form tumors when injected in the brains of immunocompromised nude (nu/nu) mice. In addition, NF1-null cultured astrocytes were injected into wild type and NF1+/−; mouse brains to determine the effect of the brain genetic environment of astrocytoma formation. Collectively, our results suggest that loss of neurofibromin might not be sufficient for astrocytoma formation in the mouse and that other genetic or environmental factors may influence tumorigenesis.
Cranial motor neurons contain either galanin- or calcitonin gene-related peptidelike immunoreactivity

The demonstration of coexistence of a peptide or peptides in neurons that produce a small molecule neurotransmitter has become increasingly frequent. The calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is known to be colocalized in the cholinergic neurons of both cranial and spinal motor nuclei. The present study demonstrates that all somatic motor cranial nerve nuclei contain CGRP- and galaninlike immunoreactivity. The perikaryal content of both peptides is increased by colchicine pretreatment and by transecting axons arising from the perikarya, and both peptides are found in nerve fibers innervating striated musculature. CGRP- and galaninlike immunoreactivity appear to be present in different populations of neurons. In contrast to CGRP, galaninlike immunoreactivity was not detected in spinal motor neurons. These observations suggest that galanin and CGRP participate in the process of synaptic transmission at the neuromuscular junction of cranial motor neurons.
Work Values and Work Interests: Are They the Same?.

Abstract The hypothesis that the VPI and WVI are measuring the same domain based on theoretical similarities was tested using 195 male freshmen students. The data were analyzed by correlational technique including discriminant analysis. The results allow for the interpretation that the VPI and WVI are in fact measuring two distinctive domains.
Shock pattern of a triple-shock turbulent interaction

We validate the computed structure by comparison with planar laser scattering observations. Subsequently, the computations are employed to map the details of the shock intersections
Chemistry and function of mandibular gland products of bees of the genus Exoneura (Hymenoptera, Anthophoridae)

FemaleExoneura richardsoni, E. bicolor, andE. bicincta (Hymenoptera: Anthophoridae) release a pungent, staining liquid from their mandibular glands upon disturbance. This secretion is primarily composed of ethyl dodecanoate, with lesser amounts of homologous ethyl and methyl esters, salicylaldehyde, and 1,4-benzoquinone. The secretion elicits vigorous grooming when topically applied to antennae ofFormica ants. The shared, unique combination of mandibular gland lipids of these threeExoneura species supports their monophyletic classification, while the presence of salicylaldehyde may associateExoneura (Allodapini) withPithitis (Ceratinini).
Palliative Treatment of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: What is the Optimal Approach?

Worldwide, colorectal cancer (CRC) is responsible for over 600,000 deaths annually and remains a significant public health concern. Because of therapeutic advancements over the past two decades, patients with metastatic CRC are living longer with an improved quality of life. This review will highlight recent trial evidence that improves outcomes for patients with metastatic disease. Topics will include the optimal use of first-line combination chemotherapy, bevacizumab in patients with advanced age or comorbidities, maintenance chemotherapy, first-line use of anti-EGFR therapies, first-line cetuximab versus bevacizumab, anti-angiogenic therapies past progression, and management of treatment-refractory disease. Clinical trial evidence will be presented, along with guidance on how to integrate recent evidence into clinical practice. Finally, this review will examine innovative drug development strategies, and will discuss potentially actionable targets identified by molecular testing.
Comparative assessment study of aboveground soft X-ray technology

Summary form only given, as follows. The soft X-ray regime accessible at our laboratory nominally extends from photon energies of 10 eV to 10 keV. The technology relies on capacitor-based, short-pulse energy storage devices to generate a high-energy-density plasma 1 cc in volume and lasting about 10 ns. The hot plasma is created either by conversion of short-pulse electrical energy into light ions that heat the plasma or into a magnetically-driven imploding plasma. Applications of these intense soft X-rays include evaluation of their interaction with materials, as an energy source for weapons effects, as a source for ICF experiments, and as a source for weapons physics experiments. Because of management's interest in encouraging the development of new applications to this technology, we did a year-long comparative assessment study that involved surveying scientists engaged in such research. The literature is filled with examples of "benchmarking" in the manufacturing and service industries; however, we found only one documented case where scientific research had been benchmarked. Our experience in benchmarking an area of scientific research and some of our findings are described in the paper.
Risk factors for perineal wound complications following abdominoperineal resection

Perineal wound complications are common following abdominoperineal resection. This study investigates the factors contributing to these complications. Patients undergoing abdominoperineal resection at our institution from June 1997 to May 2003 were reviewed. Significant predictors associated with minor (separation 2 cm of separation, reoperation required, or readmission) wound complications were ascertained. Of 153 patients, there were 22 major (14 percent) and 32 minor (24 percent) wound complications. Patients with anal cancer had a higher rate of major complications than those with rectal cancer or inflammatory bowel disease. Minor wound complications were more common in patients with anal cancer and inflammatory bowel disease than those with rectal cancer. Factors associated with a higher rate of major wound complications included flap closure, tumor size, body mass index, diabetes, and indication for the procedure. When the subset of patients with rectal cancer was considered, higher rates of major wounds were associated with increased body mass index, diabetes, and stage. Minor complications were associated with a two-team approach and increasing body mass index. This is currently the largest review of perineal wound complications following abdominoperineal resection. Patients with anal cancer and inflammatory bowel disease were at higher risk for perineal wound complications than those with rectal cancer. Preoperative radiation and primary closure were not associated with increased complications following abdominoperineal resection for rectal cancer.
Partial Sums of Infinite Series, and How They Grow

(1977). Partial Sums of Infinite Series, and How They Grow. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 84, No. 4, pp. 237-258.
Angiotensin II-induced endothelial dysfunction is temporally linked with increases in interleukin-6 and vascular macrophage accumulation

Angiotensin II (Ang II) is associated with vascular hypertrophy, endothelial dysfunction and activation of a number of inflammatory molecules, however the linear events involved in the development of hypertension and endothelial dysfunction produced in response to Ang II are not well defined. The goal of this study was to examine the dose- and temporal-dependent development of endothelial dysfunction in response to Ang II. Blood pressure and responses of carotid arteries were examined in control (C57Bl/6) mice and in mice infused with 50, 100, 200, 400, or 1000 ng/kg/min Ang II for either 14 or 28 Days. Infusion of Ang II was associated with graded and marked increases in systolic blood pressure and plasma Ang II concentrations. While low doses of Ang II (ie, 50 and 100 ng/kg/min) had little to no effect on blood pressure or endothelial function, high doses of Ang II (e.g., 1000 ng/kg/min) were associated with large increases in arterial pressure and marked impairment of endothelial function. In contrast, intermediate doses of Ang II (200 and 400 ng/kg/min) while initially having no effect on systolic blood pressure were associated with significant increases in pressure over time. Despite increasing blood pressure, 200 ng/kg/min had no effect on endothelial function, whereas 400 ng/kg/min produced modest impairment on Day 14 and marked impairment of endothelial function on Day 28. The degree of endothelial dysfunction produced by 400 and 1000 ng/kg/min Ang II was reflective of parallel increases in plasma IL-6 levels and vascular macrophage content, suggesting that increases in arterial blood pressure precede the development of endothelial dysfunction. These findings are important as they demonstrate that along with increases in arterial pressure that increases in IL-6 and vascular macrophage accumulation correlate with the impairment of endothelial function produced by Ang II.
Use of laboratory assays to predict subsequent growth and survival of Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) families planted in coastal waters

Abstract Selective breeding programs for improving Pacific oyster ( Crassostrea gigas ) stocks are expensive, labor-intensive, and typically rely on lengthy field trials in which selection for survival is compromised by inherent stochasticity of outbreaks of “summer mortality syndrome.” Reliable laboratory assays that identify and eliminate poor-performing families prior to planting could improve selection efficiency. We tested the hypotheses that juvenile survival after heat shock and/or gene transcription before or after heat shock predicts adult weight and survival at harvest for full-sib families of the Pacific oyster. We heat-shocked (41 °C for 1 h) juveniles from each of 46 families, monitored their survival for 6 d and classified families with > 69% survival as high-surviving and those with P > 0.05). In a separate experiment, we heat-shocked (39 °C, 1 h) another 25 juveniles from four low-surviving and four high-surviving families from the same cohort, extracted mRNAs from whole bodies collected before and at 6 h and 24 h after heat shock, and measured the mRNA concentrations of 14 candidate ESTs relative to a housekeeping gene ( elongation factor 1 ) using real-time quantitative PCR. The mRNA concentration of galectin was greater in low-surviving families before heat shock, whereas that of cystatin B at all sampling times and of glutathione S-transferase omega at 24 h after heat shock were greater in high-surviving families. The pre-stress differences in transcription between the family types suggest that survival of stress may be related to both constitutive differences in transcription between family types as well as induced responses to heat shock. The concentrations of heat shock protein 27 , catalase , prostaglandin E receptor , gpox , and superoxide dismutase mRNA in juveniles were significantly correlated with adult survival, final individual weight or both. Additionally, mRNA concentrations of galectin and a gene with no match in Genbank, BQ426658 , were correlated with average weight at either the intertidal or subtidal site. We conclude that assays measuring gene transcription in whole bodies of juveniles hold promise for predicting performance of C. gigas families planted in coastal waters.
Perspectives on newer oral antimicrobials: what do they add?

Since oral antimicrobials have been commercially available, the few select compounds of the 1950s have evolved into an array of choices from the multiple classes currently approved for human use. This proliferation resulted primarily from the need for extended spectrum antimicrobials because of changing resistance patterns among established pathogens and emergence of new pathogens. However, it is not clear that newer oral cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones or macrolides necessarily provide clear advantages over existing drugs for many common or routine infections. Other goals of new drug development include minimizing adverse events and improving convenience. The dilemma facing clinicians is when to use these new or soon to be released compounds. This presentation addresses these and other questions as the elusive search for the ideal oral antimicrobial continues
Purification and characterization of the immunoglobulin switch sequence-specific endonuclease (Endo-SR) from bovine spleen

Abstract Mature B lymphocytes are able to specifically alter their Ig isotype expression in response to extracellular stimuli via a highly regulated, deletional recombination process called isotype switch recombination. Switch recombination breakpoints predominantly map to large (1–10 kb), G-rich and highly repetitive switch regions that are located directly upstream of immunoglobulin heavy-chain constant region genes. Switch region repeat structures vary considerably both within and between species, but all switch regions contain disproportionate numbers of two pentamer motifs, TGGGN and TGAGC, that are found at or directly adjacent to most analysed switch junctions. We have recently identified an endonuclease activity, Endo-SR, that preferentially cleaves TGGGN and TGAGC switch motifs. We have purified the bovine endonuclease activity to homogeneity and have identified a protein with a molecular weight of ∼ 32 000 that directly correlates with enzyme activity. As discussed in this report, we have found that murine and bovine Endo-SR are preferentially enriched in lymphoid tissue nuclear extracts and that both enzymes demonstrate highly similar physical and biochemical characteristics. However, each enzyme demonstrates related but distinctive specificities for consensus and degenerate TGGGN and TGAGC switch pentamer motifs.
Why teach programming languages

In 1991, the year I received my doctorate, I was discussing my thesis topic with the dean of a top-three research department in Computer Science. He remarked, “I don’t see what the issue is. The programminglanguage problem has been solved; the name of the solution is C.” Several years later, I reminded him of this claim, and, suitably chastened, he amended his point of view, saying, “OK, Java.” So it does not surprise me that the importance of programming languages, as a field of study within Computer Science, is not understood as well as it should be. My belief, on which I’ll expand in this essay (or, more accurately, this collection of mini-essays), is that the study of programming languages (PL) is central to the study of Computer Science. I would go further, in fact: not only is PL a core component in the curriculum for students specialising in Computer Science, it is an important element of a general, liberal-arts education. Consider other major elements of a liberal-arts education. We do not think it’s important for college students to study Physics or History because they plan to become physicists or historians. We wish students to have knowledge of Physics, because it illuminates the world in which we live and informs our experience in that world—when we skid a car, for example, or pick up a heavy box, or vote on government proposals to fund ethanol fuel production. We could say the same of History, or Literature, or Economics. . . or, for that matter, Computer Science: it is important for students to understand something about computation, as this also illuminates the world in which they live, a world whose connective tissue is increasingly composed of pervasive computational systems. The mechanisms of programming languages, in turn, inform a student’s understanding of computation itself, its power and its limitations. Studying these mechanisms, and—critically—putting them to work to design and implement programs, is the fundamental means by which students grapple with the nature of computation. The only way to really understand computation is to write programs; students can only write programs by means of programming languages.