cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Perineural invasion is associated with increased relapse after external beam radiotherapy for men with low-risk prostate cancer and may be a marker for occult, high-grade cancer

Abstract Purpose To investigate the risk of postradiotherapy prostate-specific antigen (PSA) failure on the basis of pretreatment risk factors in prostate cancer patients with and without perineural invasion (PNI) in prostate biopsy specimens and to explain the observation that otherwise low-risk patients with PNI experience decreased freedom from PSA failure after external beam radiotherapy (RT). Methods and materials The study cohort consisted of 381 patients who underwent RT between 1989 and 2000 for clinically localized prostate cancer. A single genitourinary pathologist scored the absence or presence of PNI on all prostate biopsy specimens. Patients were divided into low-, intermediate- and high-risk subgroups on the basis of their 1992 American Joint Committee on Cancer T-stage, pretreatment PSA level, and Gleason score. Cox regression uni- and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate whether the presence or absence of PNI in the biopsy specimen was a predictor of the time to post-RT PSA failure for patients in each pretreatment risk group. PSA failure was defined using the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology consensus definition. Actuarial PSA failure-free survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and comparisons were performed using the log–rank test. Results Cox regression univariate analysis revealed that PNI was a significant predictor of the time to PSA failure in the low-risk ( p = 0.04) and high-risk ( p = 0.03) cohorts. The 5-year PSA failure-free survival rate was 50% vs. 80% ( p = 0.04) in low-risk patients, 70% vs. 75% ( p = 0.72) in intermediate-risk patients, and 29% vs. 53% ( p = 0.03) in high-risk patients with and without PNI, respectively. Cox regression multivariate analysis within the high-risk group revealed that a PSA level ≥20 ng/mL ( p = 0.01) and Gleason score ≥8 ( p = 0.02), but not PNI, were the only significant predictors of the time to PSA failure after RT. However, an association was found between the presence of PNI in the needle biopsy specimen and a biopsy Gleason score of 8–10 ( p = 0.06). The association was stronger between the presence of PNI in the needle biopsy specimen and a biopsy Gleason score of 7–10 ( p = 0. 033). Conclusion A decrement in PSA outcome after RT for low-risk patients with PNI-positive biopsy specimens was found. The association between PNI and high Gleason score provides a possible explanation for the loss of statistical significance of PNI in the Cox regression multivariate analysis of the high-risk cohort. The data suggest that PNI found in the biopsy specimen of an otherwise low-risk patient predicts for occult high-grade disease that is missed owing to the sampling error associated with prostate biopsy. The association between PNI and a high Gleason score argues for the use of more aggressive therapy, such as hormonal therapy with RT and/or dose escalation, in these select patients.
Inhibition of muscle cell development in culture by cells from spinal cord due to production of low molecular weight factor.

Abstract Relatively small numbers of cells cultured from chick embryo spinal cord had the property of inhibiting muscle cell growth and differentiation, as measured by protein synthesis, myoglobin synthesis, and myotube formation, when they had been in culture 4 days before the addition of dispersed muscles cells. Inhibition of pectoral white muscle and thigh red muscle development in culture was similar. Inhibition of this sort was not brought about by similar cocultivation with cells from liver, gizzard, intestine, lung, or skin, although skin cultures were slightly inhibitory. Simultaneous cocultivation of muscle and cord cells failed to result in inhibition of myogenesis. The inhibitory property was present in the medium, and inhibition was reduced by removal of conditioned medium and replenishment with fresh medium before introduction of myoblasts. Medium obtained from other tissues, similarly cultured, did not possess inhibitory properties. The inhibitiory properties of “cord-conditioned” medium were related to a factor or factors able to be concentrated by lyophilization and of relatively low molecular weight, as measured by membrane ultrafiltration and gel filtration chromatography. The nature of the cell type in spinal cord, e.g., neuronal glial, responsible for the production of this factor is not known.
The role of pioneer neurons in the development of mouse visual cortex and corpus callosum.

The primordial plexiform neuropil is very critical to neocortical development. The pioneer neurons, mainly Cajal-Retzius cells in the marginal zone, and subplate neurons in the subplate, differentiate from the primordial plexiform neuropil. In this study, the development of corpus callosum, visual cortex, and subcortical pathways has been observed in C57BL/6 mice with various methods, such as DiI labeling in vitro and in vivo, DiI and DiA in vitro double labeling, immunocytochemistry, and in vivo BrdU and Fast Blue labeling. As early as E14, the primordial plexiform neuropil can be found in the telencephalic wall, and it contains many pioneer neurons. On E15 the primordial plexiform neuropil differentiates into the marginal zone and the subplate. Cajal-Retzius cells exist in the marginal zone, and subplate neurons are in the subplate. Either Cajal-Retzius cells or subplate neurons have long projections toward the ganglionic eminence, suggesting that they migrate tangentially from the ganglionic eminence. Cajal-Retzius cells are involved in radial migration, and subplate neurons participate to guide pathfinding of subcortical pathways. This study reveals how the pioneer neurons, through radial and tangential migration, play an important role in neocortical formation and in the pathfinding of the corpus callosum and subcortical pathways. Furthermore, DiI labeling in vivo has demonstrated the presence of pioneer neurons all along the corpus callosum pathway, especially in the midline. This suggests that pioneer neurons may also play a role in guiding the pathfinding of the corpus callosum.
How to Design Liquid Membrane Separations

Abstract In this short review, we want to provide a guide for developing liquid membrane separations. We want to describe how these membranes function, how they can be made selective, and how they can effect fast separations. We don't intend to review the breadth of chemistry possible for liquid membranes, or to detail much of the mathematical development which supports our descriptions. Both chemistry and mathematics have been recently reviewed elsewhere 1, 2 What we want to give is an understandable primer on the design of liquid membrane separations.
The establishment and control of density microstructure in stratified flow experiments

On developpe un systeme d'evacuation selective unique permettant d'etablir des interfaces de densite minces et de les maintenir sur de longues periodes au laboratoire
A path integral time-domain method for electromagnetic scattering

A new full wave time-domain formulation for the electromagnetic field is obtained by means of a path integral. The path integral propagator is derived via a state variable approach starting with Maxwell's differential equations in tensor form. A numerical method for evaluating the path integral is presented and numerical dispersion and stability conditions are derived and numerical error is discussed. An absorbing boundary condition is demonstrated for the one-dimensional (1-D) case. It is shown that this time domain method is characterized by the unconditional stability of the path integral equations and by its ability to propagate an electromagnetic wave at the Nyquist limit, two numerical points per wavelength. As a consequence the calculated fields are not subject to numerical dispersion. Other advantages in comparison to presently popular time-domain techniques are that it avoids time interval interleaving and it does not require the methods of linear algebra such as basis function selection or matrix methods.
Massively parallel computational simulations in light scattering

Described is the Connection Machine, a massively parallel SIMD (single instruction multiple data) computer of 64K processors, used to simulate optical scattering and absorption phenomena where the scattering objects are much larger than the wavelength of the incident light. One processor of the connection machine is assigned to an individual incident ray. The processor tracks the ray through the object system noting the multiple reflections and refractions which occur. The results calculated are the vectors of the outgoing rays which are leaving the object system environment. As each of the interactions of each incident ray are independent of those of all other rays, 64K incident rays can be tracked at a time. The classic communication bottleneck between processors on SIMD machines is nonexistent in this case. Using a stochastic approach, a Monte Carlo technique is used whereby each ray is either reflected or refracted based on probabilities. The object is represented by a collection of small facets enabling almost any shaped object or objects to be modeled from any orientation. The limit on the complexity of the object system is limited only by the size of the host memory of the Connection Machine. The algorithm is such that it runs in linear time to the number of facets which are used to represent the system. >
Bayesian Joint Selection of Genes and Pathways: Applications in Multiple Myeloma Genomics

It is well-established that the development of a disease, especially cancer, is a complex process that results from the joint effects of multiple genes involved in various molecular signaling pathways. In this article, we propose methods to discover genes and molecular pathways significantly associated with clinical outcomes in cancer samples. We exploit the natural hierarchal structure of genes related to a given pathway as a group of interacting genes to conduct selection of both pathways and genes. We posit the problem in a hierarchical structured variable selection (HSVS) framework to analyze the corresponding gene expression data. HSVS methods conduct simultaneous variable selection at the pathway (group level) and the gene (within-group) level. To adapt to the overlapping group structure present in the pathway–gene hierarchy of the data, we developed an overlap-HSVS method that introduces latent partial effect variables that partition the marginal effect of the covariates and corresponding weights for a proportional shrinkage of the partial effects. Combining gene expression data with prior pathway information from the KEGG databases, we identified several gene–pathway combinations that are significantly associated with clinical outcomes of multiple myeloma. Biological discoveries support this relationship for the pathways and the corresponding genes we identified.
The Smoking Abstinence Questionnaire: measurement of smokers' abstinence-related expectancies.

Aims To develop and validate a measure of smokers' expectancies for the abstinence process upon quitting smoking: the Smoking Abstinence Questionnaire (SAQ). Design Principal component analysis and other psychometric analyses of self-report data. Setting San Francisco, California. Participants A total of 507 adult smokers of at least 10 cigarettes per day diverse in gender, sexual orientation and ethnoracial status. Measurements The primary measure was a draft version of the SAQ. Additional measures assessed a variety of other smoking-related constructs. Findings Analyses yielded 10 scales of the SAQ: Withdrawal, Social Improvement/Non-smoker Identity, Adverse Outcomes, Treatment Effectiveness, Common Reasons, Barriers to Treatment, Social Support, Optimistic Outcomes, Coffee Use and Weight Gain. The SAQ scales demonstrated internal consistencies ranging from 0.62 to 0.85 and were associated with tobacco dependence, motivation to quit, abstinence self-efficacy, withdrawal symptoms, dietary restraint, shape and weight concern and tobacco use expectancies. The SAQ predicted smoking-related constructs above and beyond tobacco use expectancies, suggesting that abstinence-related expectancies and tobacco use expectancies are distinct from one another. Conclusions A newly developed questionnaire, the Smoking Abstinence Questionnaire, appears to capture reliably smokers' expectancies for abstinence (Withdrawal, Social Improvement/Non-smoker Identity, Adverse Outcomes, Common Reasons, Optimistic Outcomes, Coffee Use, and Weight Gain) and expectancies related to the success of a quit attempt (Treatment Effectiveness, Barriers to Treatment and Social Support). It remains to be seen how far any of these expectancies predict attempts to quit, withdrawal, treatment utilization and response and quitting success above and beyond existing measures.
Exome sequencing and genome-wide linkage analysis in 17 families illustrate the complex contribution of TTN truncating variants to dilated cardiomyopathy

BACKGROUND- Familial dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a genetically heterogeneous disease with >30 known genes. TTN truncating variants were recently implicated in a candidate gene study to cause 25% of familial and 18% of sporadic DCM cases. METHODS AND RESULTS- We used an unbiased genome-wide approach using both linkage analysis and variant filtering across the exome sequences of 48 individuals affected with DCM from 17 families to identify genetic cause. Linkage analysis ranked the TTN region as falling under the second highest genome-wide multipoint linkage peak, multipoint logarithm of odds, 1.59. We identified 6 TTN truncating variants carried by individuals affected with DCM in 7 of 17 DCM families (logarithm of odds, 2.99); 2 of these 7 families also had novel missense variants that segregated with disease. Two additional novel truncating TTN variants did not segregate with DCM. Nucleotide diversity at the TTN locus, including missense variants, was comparable with 5 other known DCM genes. The average number of missense variants in the exome sequences from the DCM cases or the ≈5400 cases from the Exome Sequencing Project was ≈23 per individual. The average number of TTN truncating variants in the Exome Sequencing Project was 0.014 per individual. We also identified a region (chr9q21.11-q22.31) with no known DCM genes with a maximum heterogeneity logarithm of odds score of 1.74. CONCLUSIONS- These data suggest that TTN truncating variants contribute to DCM cause. However, the lack of segregation of all identified TTN truncating variants illustrates the challenge of determining variant pathogenicity even with full exome sequencing.
ETIOLOGIC EVIDENCE AND PRIMARY PREVENTION OF CANCER

For many decades, primary prevention of cancer was implemented on the basis of evidence for a causal relationship between exposure and human cancer that took into consideration biological plausibility, but did not depend on the degree of understanding of the underlying mechanisms. One of the credos of public health is that primary prevention can be implemented before reaching a complete understanding of mechanisms that could confirm/explain causality. Measures of primary prevention are taken on the basis of what is recognized as causative factors of human cancer. The most authoritative lists of recognized human carcinogens are those compiled from the evaluations of carcinogenic risk carried out by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the evaluations that the U.S. National Toxicology Program (NTP) publishes in its periodical Report on Carcinogens. Knowledge of mechanisms is accumulating at a fast pace, and although it has not yet led to the definition of an efficient strategy for primary prevention for the majority of cancer cases, it may drive the scientific establishment toward a high-risk approach to prevention. The most reasonable and socially acceptable development of primary prevention should be the blending of a population approach; that is, the shifting of the distribution of risk factors across an entire population in a favorable direction (e.g., a general decrease of the levels of exposure to environmental carcinogens) with the high-risk approach that will concern individuals with extreme values of genetically determined weaknesses in the interactions with the environment.
What is menstruation for? On the projectibility of functional predicates in menstruation research

In 1993, biologist Margie Profet captured the attention of the popular press with the publication of her radical thesis: menstruation has a function. Traditional theories, she claims, typically view menstruation as a functionless by-product of cyclic flux. The details of Profet’s functional account are similarly radical: she argues that menstruation has been naturally selected to defend the female reproductive tract from sperm-borne pathogens. There are a number of weaknesses in Profet’s evolutionary analysis. However, I focus on a set of pragmatic problems that arise prior to any details of her evolutionary account. In arguing for the importance of pragmatic considerations, I draw from the linguistic analyses of Nelson Goodman. I conclude that critical investigation of the evolutionary details of Profet’s pathogen defense account will be more feasible if and when biologists more frequently feature the female system of pathogen defense in their inductive generalisations. The system needs to be better entrenched before its functional components, such as menstruation, can be thoroughly investigated.  2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Proof techniques for distributed algorithms for deadlock handling

The authors consider deadlock handling in distributed systems in which processes may reside at different sites interconnected by a communication network. In particular attention is given to distributed deadlock handling in which no site has the knowledge of the global state of process dependencies. A review of two distributed algorithms for deadlock handling is presented with emphasis on the proof technique. It is shown that the distributed algorithms for deadlock detection can be classified based on the technique used for dissemination of dependency information, namely, top-down or bottom-up. The algorithms when presented without details of implementation mechanisms permit proofs of correctness which are simpler. >
Standards Setting Consortia: A Transaction Cost Perspective

Consortiums are highly successful organizational systems for IT standard setting. However, it is not clear what advantages consortiums offer over the traditional approaches to standard-setting. We apply transaction cost economics to examine how and why consortiums are successful for standard-setting. We show that when standards are viewed as bundles of complementary patents, consortiums economize on transaction costs relative to the market. Further consortiums also economize on transaction costs relative to hierarchies, provided coordination costs are relatively lower than other types of transaction costs.
On the treatment of the second partial derivative of the integral of the Green's function

A method to evaluate the second normal partial derivative of the integral, of the Green's function is presented in this short paper. Such a derivative appears in the solution of aperture problems in electrostatics. When computing the self-elements of the moment matrix, interchanging the order of differentiation and integration leads to integrals that are very unstable numerically and hence undesirable. This is due to the fact that these integrals grow in proportion to the reciprocal of the radius of the circle deleted around the singularity. In this paper, we present a method to avoid this difficulty for triangular patches. Plane triangular patches were chosen for their usefulness and popularity for arbitrarily shaped apertures. The theory is applicable to other surfaces of interest, such as polygons. The results obtained are simple and very convenient for numerical purposes. >
Cellular and Molecular Regulation of Vaccination with Heat Shock Protein 60 from Histoplasma capsulatum

Vaccination with heat shock protein 60 (Hsp60) from Histoplasma capsulatum induces a protective immune response in mice. We explored the cellular and molecular requirements for the efficacy of recombinant Hsp60 in mice. Depletion of CD4(+), but not CD8(+), cells during the inductive phase of vaccination abolished protection, as assessed by survival and by the fungal burden in lungs and spleens. In the expressive phase, the elimination of CD4(+) or CD8(+) cells after immunization did not significantly alter fungal recovery or survival from a lethal challenge. Depletion of both subpopulations after Hsp60 vaccination resulted in a failure to control a lethal infection and a higher fungal burden in lungs and spleens. Cytokine release by spleen cells from mice vaccinated with Hsp60 produced substantially more gamma interferon and interleukin-10 and -12 than that of cells from mice immunized with either H. capsulatum recombinant Hsp70 or bovine serum albumin. The generation of gamma interferon, but not of interleukin-10, was dependent on T cells, in particular CD4(+) cells. Treatment of Hsp60-immunized mice with monoclonal antibody to gamma interferon or interleukin-10 or -12 in the inductive phase of vaccination was accompanied by increased recovery of yeast cells from lungs and spleens and 100% mortality. Likewise, the neutralization of gamma interferon or interleukin-12 abolished the protective effect of Hsp60 in the expressive phase. These results delineate the complexity of the regulatory elements necessary for vaccination against this fungus.
Bud6 Directs Sequential Microtubule Interactions with the Bud Tip and Bud Neck during Spindle Morphogenesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In budding yeast, spindle polarity relies on a precise temporal program of cytoplasmic microtubule–cortex interactions throughout spindle assembly. Loss of Clb5-dependent kinase activity under conditions of attenuated Cdc28 function disrupts this program, resulting in diploid-specific lethality. Here we show that polarity loss is tolerated by haploids due to a more prominent contribution of microtubule–neck interactions to spindle orientation inherent to haploids. These differences are mediated by the relative partition of Bud6 between the bud tip and bud neck, distinguishing haploids from diploids. Bud6 localizes initially to the bud tip and accumulates at the neck concomitant with spindle assembly. bud6Δ mutant phenotypes are consistent with Bud6's role as a cortical cue for cytoplasmic microtubule capture. Moreover, mutations that affect Bud6 localization and partitioning disrupt the sequential program of microtubule–cortex interactions accordingly. These data support a model whereby Bud6 sequentially cues microtubule capture events at the bud tip followed by capture events at the bud neck, necessary for correct spindle morphogenesis and polarity.
Rebuttal from David M. MacLean

The main effects of the transmembrane AMPA receptor (AMPAR) auxiliary proteins (TARPs) on AMPAR gating are slowing of deactivation and desensitization, increasing peak Popen and speeding of recovery from desensitization (Priel et al. 2005; Tomita et al. 2005). All of these observations can be reproduced by increasing the rate of recovery from desensitization, γ, and by one of two additional means: either increasing the open rate, β (as proposed by Dr Howe, 2013), or reducing the cleft opening rate, CO, and desensitization rate, δ (as suggested by myself, MacLean, 2013). Moreover, increasing the channel opening rate or decreasing the cleft open rate both result in the reported substantial left-shift in steady-state glutamate EC50 values produced by TARPs (Priel et al. 2005; Tomita et al. 2005; Kott et al. 2007) as well as the smaller left-shift in peak EC50 values (Morimoto-Tomita et al. 2009). Therefore, such concentration–response data are not helpful in distinguishing an effect on gating transitions from an effect on pre-gating transitions such as stabilizing closed-cleft states. However, peak inhibition curves using NBQX and CNQX may provide some support for the hypothesis that TARPs affect pre-gating transitions by promoting states with closed ligand-binding domains (LBDs). The LBDs of AMPARs exist in multiple closed-cleft conformations, both when the agonist is bound and in the apo state (Landes et al. 2011). If the presence of TARPs causes AMPAR LBDs to adopt more closed conformations, then even in the apo state the binding cleft would be, on average, slightly more shut. Consequently, larger ligands such as NBQX or CNQX would have slower binding rates since there would be fewer favourable collisions between these compounds and the more closed LBDs. Such slowed binding rates of larger antagonists would result in right-shifts of peak inhibition curves and this is precisely what is observed experimentally. The peak response IC50 values obtained using rapid perfusion on outside-out patches for both CNQX and NBQX are right-shifted approximately 2-fold by stargazin (MacLean & Bowie, 2011). While this observation is consistent with TARPs stabilizing more closed LBD conformations, more compelling evidence is needed. Ultimately, to discriminate between these mechanisms, direct measurements of both the degree of LBD closure and coupling between LBD closure and channel opening will be required.
Geometrical Theory Of Diffraction And Telescope Stray-Light Analysis

In today's telescopes, especially the infrared telescopes the importance of controlling diffraction effects impacts directly on the form of the optical design chosen for a given mission. It is of paramount importance that the designer understand the diffraction processes involved. It has been found that the geometrical theory of diffraction, developed over the last 20 years, provides a lucid picture of the diffraction processes and provides a convenient computational tool for evaluating them. The nature of the geometrical theory of diffraction is briefly reviewed. Application of the concepts to typical telescope diffraction problems is discussed. It is shown that the geometrical theory of diffraction provides a useful conceptual picture of the diffraction process especially multiple diffraction processes. The importance and sizes of telescope stops required to minimize diffraction effects in telescopes are discussed.
Evolution of the nucleoprotein gene of influenza A virus.

Nucleotide sequences of 24 nucleoprotein (NP) genes isolated from a wide range of hosts, geographic regions, and influenza A virus serotypes and 18 published NP gene sequences were analyzed to determine evolutionary relationships. The phylogeny of NP genes was determined by a maximum-parsimony analysis of nucleotide sequences. Phylogenetic analysis showed that NP genes have evolved into five host-specific lineages, including (i) Equine/Prague/56 (EQPR56), (ii) recent equine strains, (iii) classic swine (H1N1 swine, e.g., A/Swine/Iowa/15/30) and human strains, (iv) gull H13 viruses, and (v) avian strains (including North American, Australian, and Old World subgroups). These NP lineages match the five RNA hybridization groups identified by W. J. Bean (Virology 133:438-442, 1984). Maximum nucleotide differences among the NPs was 18.5%, but maximum amino acid differences reached only 10.8%, reflecting the conservative nature of the NP protein. Evolutionary rates varied among lineages; the human lineage showed the highest rate (2.54 nucleotide changes per year), followed by the Old World avian lineage (2.17 changes per year) and the recent equine lineage (1.22 changes per year). The per-nucleotide rates of human and avian NP gene evolution (1.62 x 10(-3) to 1.39 x 10(-3) changes per year) are lower than that reported for human NS genes (2.0 x 10(-3) changes per year; D. A. Buonagurio, S. Nakada, J. D. Parvin, M. Krystal, P. Palese, and W. M. Fitch, Science 232:980-982, 1986). Of the five NP lineages, the human lineage showed the greatest evolution at the amino acid level; over a period of 50 years, human NPs have accumulated 39 amino acid changes. In contrast, the avian lineage showed remarkable conservatism; over the same period, avian NP proteins changed by 0 to 10 amino acids. The specificity of the H13 NP in gulls and its distinct evolutionary separation from the classic avian lineage suggests that H13 NPs may have a large degree of adaptation to gulls. The presence of avian and human NPs in some swine isolates demonstrates the susceptibility of swine to different virus strains and supports the hypothesis that swine may serve as intermediates for the introduction of avian influenza virus genes into the human virus gene pool. EQPR56 is relatively distantly related to all other NP lineages, which suggests that this NP is rooted closest to the ancestor of all contemporary NPs. On the basis of estimation of evolutionary rates from nucleotide branch distances, current NP lineages are at least 100 years old, and the EQPR56 NP is much older.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
An advocacy intervention program for women with abusive partners: six-month follow-up

Presented the 6-month follow-up findings of an experimental intervention designed to provide postshelter advocacy services to women with abusive partners. The intervention involved randomly assigning half the research participants to receive the free services of an advocate, 4 to 6 hours per week, for the first 10 weeks postshelter. One hundred forty-one battered women were interviewed about their experiences immediately upon their exit from a domestic violence shelter: 95% of the sample were interviewed 10 weeks thereafter (postintervention), and 93% were successfully tracked and interviewed 6 months later. At the 6-month follow-up, participants in both groups reported increased social support, increased quality of life, less depression, less emotional attachment to their assailants, and an increased sense of personal power. Although women in both groups reported some decrease in physical abuse over time, there were no statistically significant differences between those with and those without advocates, and abuse continued to be a problem for many women. Those who were still involved with their assailants continued to experience higher levels of abuse and had been more economically dependent upon the men prior to entering the shelter. Women who had worked with advocates continued to report being more satisfied with their overall quality of life than did the women in the control group.
A light-weight scalable truthful routing protocol in MANETs with selfish nodes

We introduce a Light-weight Scalable Truthful rOuting Protocol (LSTOP) for selfish nodes problem in mobile ad hoc networks where a node may use different cost to send packets to different neighbours. LSTOP encourages nodes' cooperation by rewarding nodes for their forwarding service according to their cost. It incurs a low overhead of O(n2) in the worst case and only O(n) on the average. We show the truthfulness of LSTOP and present the result of an extensive simulation study to show that LSTOP approaches optimal (cost) routing and achieves significant better network performance compared to ad hoc-VCG.
Descriptions of New Species of DESMOPACHRIA Babington (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae: Hydroporinae: Hyphydrini) with a Reassessment of the Subgenera and Species Groups and a Synopsis of the Species

Abstract Four new species of Desmopachria Babington are described from Bolivia: D. amyae Miller, new species, D. challeti Miller, new species, D. signatoides Miller, new species, and D. volatidisca Miller, new species. The female genitalia of members of the genus are described and illustrated in detail for the first time. A discussion of the taxonomy and characters historically used for the classification of subgenera and species groups is presented. It is concluded that recognition of subgenera in the genus, despite the large size of the group and existence of good characters for grouping some species, is not desirable since some groups are weakly supported by character evidence and/or are probably paraphyletic. Use of all previous subgenus names is rejected. The species are organized into informal groups, most of which correspond with historically used subgenera. Several species are left ungrouped.
Prevention and Management of Infectious Complications in Kidney Transplant Recipients

Kidney transplant recipients are at risk for infections from a multitude of organisms. These organisms include bacteria, viruses, fungi, and mycobacterium. Infections can be a significant source of morbidity and mortality in this population. It is important for kidney transplant practitioners to have a solid understanding of the different infections that occur in their patients. This chapter discusses several organisms, their presentation, diagnosis and treatment, and, in some cases, prophylactic measures.
Alternative and Critical: The Contribution of Research and Scholarship on Developing Countries to International Legal Theory

The first set of articles provides an explanation of international law from the viewpoint that international law is culturally constitutive and historically contingent. Obiora Okafor’s article demonstrates that the frailty of the nation state in Africa is partly connected to the impositions of Eurocentric notions of the nation-state on culturally heterogenousheterogeneous African nations, which led to a view of illegitimacy in the eyes of sub-state groups. Balakrishnan Rajagopal uses an ahistorical reading of international legal history to show how Third World resistance as a factor in expansion, consolidation, and renewal of international institutions has been underestimated. The second set of articles argues that international law can play a mediating role in addressing some legal gaps in market reform. Amy Chua explains the fundamental conflict between free markets and democracy. Eleanor Fox demonstrates that market failures in competition policy can result from the removal of market restraints. Kenneth Vandevelde examines bilateral investment treaties and raises concerns about their narrow focus. The last set of articles argues that notions of international law, development policy, and local custom do not have predetermined outcomes. Amr Shalakany discusses how bias is not the discernible and determinate outcome of doctrines and institutions in his examination of international commercial arbitration. Celestine Nyamu examines gender hierarchy and demonstrates that custom has both positive and negative impacts on women, which runs counter to the assumptions in human rights and development policy.
Changes in intrafollicular concentrations of free IGF-1, activin A, inhibin A, VEGF, estradiol, and prolactin before ovulation in mares

Changes in intrafollicular growth factors and hormones were evaluated in vivo in postdeviation and impending ovulation follicles. Mares (n = 30) were randomly assigned to five experimental groups based on target diameters of 25, 30, 35, 40 mm, and impending signs of ovulation. Furthermore, data belonging to two or more proximal diameter groups that were not different were combined and regrouped for each factor separately. Follicular fluid-free insulin-like growth factor 1 was highest (P 0.05) among groups. Additionally, follicular fluid activin A tended (P < 0.06) to be higher in impending ovulation follicles when compared with the 25- to 40-mm follicle group. Concentrations of intrafollicular estradiol were higher (P < 0.0001) in 40-mm and impending ovulation follicles than in the other follicle groups. Follicular fluid concentrations of inhibin A and vascular endothelial growth factor were lower (P < 0.05) in the 40-mm and the impending ovulation follicle group when compared with the 25- to 35-mm follicle group. Systemic and intrafollicular prolactin levels were lower (P < 0.05) in the impending ovulation group when compared with the 25- to 40-mm follicle group. Prolactin concentrations were higher (P < 0.05) in the follicular fluid than in the plasma. The novel findings of this study, a decrease in intrafollicular-free insulin-like growth factor 1, inhibin A, vascular endothelial growth factor, and prolactin during the final stages of follicular growth, document for the first time the occurrence of dynamic changes among intrafollicular factors and hormones during the stages of follicle dominance and as ovulation approaches.
Sternite Modification in Males of the Drosophilidae (Diptera)

Sternites of the dipterous abdomen, as seen in cleared preparations at about 430x magnification, typically possess a pair of minute sensilla trichodea along the basal border. By using these as markers of modified or “lost” sternites, it was determined that males (as well as females) of the Drosophilidae possess seven sternites in the preabdomen, and that reduction has occurred in varying degrees among the species examined. Reduction, leading toward ultimate loss, includes loss of macrochaetae, loss of sclerotization, and loss of sensilla; some sternites have become separated into two pieces in this process. Various types of vestigial sternites still present indicate that the sequence of steps leading toward sternite disappearance is not constant. Suggestions are made as to the steps which might have been involved in sternite modification leading to incorporation as genitalial pieces.
Abstract 250: Growth characteristics of breast cancer stem cellsin vitroandin vivo.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Breast cancer (BCa) is the most common malignancy in United States women, accounting for greater than 40,000 deaths each year. Studies have attributed the presence of cancer stem cells (CSC) with resistance to chemotherapy as a key component of refractories of treatments in BCa. Breast cancer stem cells (BCa-SC) are characterized by CD24lo and CD44hi phenotype with mesenchymal properties, which differ from the epithelial CD24hi and CD44hi phenotype expressed in the majority of BCa cells. Thus, further understanding properties of BCa-SC may lead to the development of novel treatment options towards treating refractory cancer cells. Fundamental to this, further characterization of BCa-SC will be needed to identify therapeutic targets based CSC biology. To this end, we sought to characterize the plasticity of BCa-SC based on cell cycle in vitro and growth kinetics in vivo. A murine BCa cell line, 4T1, was cultured in CSC medium and analyzed every 6 hrs for CD24 and CD44 expression by flow cytometry. Results of this analysis indicated that specific BCa-SC markers peaked every 24 hours. This data supports a possible reprogramming of BCa-SC based on cell cycle regulation, suggesting the use of cell cycle inhibitors to block cells in particular stages of the cell cycle, which may improve therapeutic approaches to induce cell death. The stemness of these cells was further confirmed by real-time PCR. BCa-SC showed increased expression of ALDH1, TWIST, and TGF-β3 with decreased E-Cadherin and CD24 levels correlating to the phenotypic changes observed with CD24 and CD44 expression. To further examine the role of BCa-SC in tumor growth in vivo, BALB/c mice were subcutaneously implanted with populations of 4T1 cells that constituted CSC and non- cancer stem cells (NCSC) in different combinations and tumor growth was analyzed. Results showed that the growth kinetics CSC and NCSC when used alone was significantly lower in vivo compared to mixed populations containing both CSC and NCSC, suggesting CSC may attribute for the repopulation of the disease but an aggressive growth requires differentiated non-stem cells in the tumor microenvironment. Citation Format: Carnella M. Lee, Anandi Sawant, Ha-Ram Cha, Selvarangan Ponnazhagan. Growth characteristics of breast cancer stem cells in vitro and in vivo . [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 250. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-250
Suppression of the natural killer cell activity of murine spleen cell cultures by dexamethasone (41489).

AbstractInvestigations into the mode of action of glucocorticoids on natural killer (NK) cell activity have been hindered by the lack of an in vitro model system. We report that the NK activity of spleen cell cultures of several inbred strains of mice was suppressed by treatment with dexamethasone. The in vitro suppression of NK activity was time dependent, requiring at least 5 hr incubation in dexamethasone to achieve maximal levels of suppression, and was dose dependent at pharmacologic concentrations. Thus, based on the results of these studies, an in vitro model system for studying glucocorticoid effects on NK activity has been established.
Effects of age on lipids and sensitivity of Na + ,K + -ATPase to ouabain in rat spinal cord

Reports have suggested that variation in phosopholipid and cholesterol content and/or ratio affects cellular membrane fluidity. Quantitative changes in these lipids may provide evidence of age-associated changes in membrane structure which, in turn, may influence functional parameters of the cell. Male, Fischer 344 rats (ages 3, 6, 12, 24, 28 months) were sacrificed and spinal cords removed. Lipids were extracted and phospholipid and cholesterol content was measured. Significant increases in the content of both lipids occurred between 3 and 6 months and between 24 and 28 months of age. The ratios of phospholipids to cholesterol decreased significantly between 3 and 6 months of age. From 6 to 28 months of age the increase in phospholipids generally paralleled those of cholesterol having a smaller effect on the ratio. The altered lipid content was accompanied by increased sensitivity of spinal cord microsomal Na+, K+-ATPase to the cardiac glycoside ouabain. The changes in absolute content as well as ratios of phospholipids and cholesterol, in addition to increased sensitivity of Na+,K+-ATPase to cardiac glycosides, suggest that membrane structure in rat spinal cord may change as a result of age.
On Study: Giorgio Agamben and educational potentiality

1: From Being Willful to More Willing: The Agency of the Studier 2: Im-Potentiality: The Ontology of Study 3: The Aesthetics of Study: Poetic Rhythm, Mood, and the Melancholic Angel 4: The Method of Study or, Collecting Signatures 5: The Space and Time of Study: Weak Utopianism and Education 6: The Work of Studious Play: Overcoming the Problem of Transmission 7: Studying with Friends 8: Public, Collective Studying as an Im-Potential Political Gesture
Current Alcohol Use is Associated with Sleep Patterns in First-Year College Students.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To examine whether differences exist in self-reported sleep patterns and self-reported alcohol use for first-semester college students who do or do not report drinking during the last 6 mo of high school. METHODS: Participants were 878 first-year college students. Students completed a survey in late May/early June about alcohol use and consequences, during the last 6 mo of high school; they later completed a daily record of sleep behavior and alcohol use across the first 9 w of the first semester of college. High school drinking status (past 6 mo) was classified as positive (HS-6mo+) or negative (HS-6mo-) based on any indication of drinking on the May/June survey. Collegiate drinking was determined from first-semester daily diary alcohol reports as nondrinkers (0 reported drinks), drinkers (one or fewer heavy episodic drinking episodes (HED)), and drinkers reporting more than one HED episode. Sleep patterns were compared for nondrinkers, drinkers, and HED with no high school drinking history (HS-6mo-/HED). In addition, a separate analysis compared sleep patterns for college HED with (HS-6mo+/HED) and without (HS-6mo-/HED) high school self-reported alcohol use. RESULTS: Increased alcohol consumption in the first semester of college was associated with later bedtimes and rise times. We found no association of high school alcohol use and sleep in those with collegiate HED. CONCLUSIONS: Later sleep timing in those with greater alcohol use, supports a connection between sleep patterns and alcohol use. Such an early appearance of this connection may herald the development of alcohol use disorder in some individuals.Copyright © 2016 Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC. All rights reserved. Language: en
Direct Observation of the Hole Carriers in DNA Photoinduced Charge Transport.

The excited state behavior of DNA hairpins possessing a diphenylacetylenedicarboxamide (DPA) linker separated from a single guanine–cytosine (G–C) base pair by zero-to-six adenine–thymine (A–T) base pairs has been investigated. In the case of hairpins with zero or one A–T separating DPA and G, formation of both DPA anion radical (DPA–•) and G cation radical (G+•) are directly observed and characterized by their transient absorption and stimulated Raman spectra. For hairpins with two or more intervening A–T, the transient absorption spectra of DPA–• and the adenine polaron (An+•) are observed. In addition to characterization of the hole carriers, the dynamics of each step in the charge separation and charge recombination process as well as the overall efficiency of charge separation have been determined, thus providing a complete account of the mechanism and dynamics of photoinduced charge transport in these DNA hairpins.
Survival rates of translocated and native Mountain Quail in Oregon

We estimated survival rates for 232 radio-tagged native ( n = 157) and translocated ( n = 75) Mountain Quail ( Oreortyx pictus ) from 1997 to 1999 in Hells Canyon National Recreation Area (HCNRA) in northeastern Oregon and in the Cascade Mountain Range (CMR) of southwestern Oregon. For the combined areas the estimated survival rate during 150-day intervals was 0.42 ± 0.04. Estimated survival was 0.41 ± 0.04 for Mountain Quail in HCNRA and 0.34 ± 0.34 for quail in CMR. There were no differences in survival functions for native quail in HCNRA and CMR ( P = 0.91), for translocated and native quail in HCNRA ( P = 0.93), for native quail in CMR and translocated quail in HCNRA ( P = 0.97), or for birds released in the fall and birds released in the winter ( P = 0.57). Male and female survival functions were significantly different ( X 2 1 = 4.61, P = 0.02). The estimated risk ratio for males was 0.66 that of females. Translocated wild Mountain Quail appeared to have survival rates similar to native quail. Mountain Quail experienced mortalities of > 50% over a 150-day interval in both the conifer forests of the western Cascade Mountain Range and the semiarid habitats of northeastern Oregon. With the ability to rapidly expand their populations and exploit marginal habitats, Mountain Quail are excellent candidates for reintroduction programs, and translocated wild Mountain Quail could be used to supplement declining populations.
The Importance of Independence II: Freedom and Integrity

This chapter makes six first-best ethical arguments for respecting personal independence, arguing that individual consent is a constituent part of what makes most social interaction and economic interaction just. The final section responds to a potential criticism.
The Discovery of Oligosaccharins

This chapter is a personal historical account of the events leading to the discovery of oligosaccharins. The discovery was not the result of a eureka-type event but rather lots of well-designed laboratory experiments. In the early days, including most of the time period covered by this chapter, oligosaccharins were called elicitors. The chronology of the chapter ends in 1984, for by that time the biological regulatory properties of structurally defined oligosaccharides were established. The biological activities and structures of two oligosaccharins originating from fungal mycelial wall polysaccharides and two from plant cell wall polysaccharides are described.