cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Long-term Effects of Local Irradiation of the Marrow on Erythron and Red Cell Function

Changes in erythron and RE cell function were examined in the marrow of the rabbit after 250-5000 R of localized irradiation by comparing the amount of 59Fe and 99mTc sulfur colloid concentrated in the irradiated tibiofibula to that in the unirradiated control. At all levels of irradiation, there was immediate and severe loss of erythron function while RE cell activity remained nearly intact. Erythron function showed prompt partial recovery to a maximum level at approximately 8 days but with doses greater than 1000 R there was a secondary decline to 20 per cent of normal during the next 8 weeks. After 15 days, RE cell function had decreased to the same level as the erythron and subsequently fell in parallel with it. After 15 months, the marrow showed a secondary recovery of both RE cell and erythron function to 50 and 66 per cent of normal. The results of these experiments suggest that radiocolloid photoscans of the marrow showing decreased or absent RE cell activity will reflect a similar degree of erythropoietic damage if the studies are obtained weeks or months following radiation therapy.
Laboratory sources of error for algal community attributes during sample preparation and counting

Applied algal studies typically require enumeration of preserved cells. As applications of algal assessments proliferate, understanding sources of variability inherent in the methods by which abundance and species composition data are obtained becomes even more important for precision of measurements. We performed replicate counts of diatoms on permanently fixed coverglasses and all algae in Palmer–Maloney chambers to assess precision and accuracy of measurements derived from common counting methods. We counted diatoms and all algae with transects and random fields. Variability estimates (precision) of diatom density, species diversity, and species composition on permanent coverglasses were low between replicate subsamples and between replicate transects. However, average density estimates of diatoms settled on coverglasses determined with transect methods were 42–52% greater than density estimates made with random fields. This bias was due to a predictable, nonrandom distribution of diatoms on the coverglass with few diatoms near edges. Despite bias in density when counting diatoms along coverglass transects, no bias was observed in estimates of species composition. Estimates of density and taxa richness of all-algae in Palmer–Maloney chambers also had low variability among multiple transects and high similarity in species composition between transects. In addition, counting method in Palmer–Maloney chambers did not affect estimates of algal cell density, taxa richness, and species composition, which suggested that counting units were distributed randomly in the chambers. Thus, most sources of variability in sample preparation and analysis are small; however, transect counts should not be used to estimate cell density, and sufficient numbers of random fields must be counted to account for edge effects on cell distribution with material settled on permanently fixed coverglasses.
Evaluation of Abdominal Hodgkin’s Disease

Staging laparotomy is the definitive method to establish the extent of abdominal involvement in Hodgkin’s disease. This information will result in a change in the stage in 25% to 50% of patients with clinical stage I to III. The procedure should be performed only when a change in tumor stage will result in a change in therapy. Staging laparotomy is being used less frequently because of improvements in computed tomography and expanded indications for systemic chemotherapy.
Production of IL‐35 by Bregs is mediated through binding of BATF‐IRF‐4‐IRF‐8 complex to il12a and ebi3 promoter elements

IL-10 and IL-35 suppress excessive immune responses and therapeutic strategies are being developed to increase their levels in autoimmune diseases. In this study, we sought to identify major cell types that produce both cytokines in-vivo and to characterize mechanisms that regulate their production. Experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU) is a CNS autoimmune disease that serves as model of human uveitis. We induced EAU in C57BL/6J mice and investigated whether T cells, B lymphocytes, or myeloid cells are the major producers of IL-10 or IL-35 in blood, lymph nodes (LNs), spleen, and at the site of ocular inflammation, the neuroretina. Analysis of these tissues identified B cells as the major producers of IL-10 and IL-35 in-vivo. Compared to regulatory T cells (Tregs), IL-10- or IL-35-producing regulatory B cells (Bregs) are substantially expanded in blood, LNs, spleen, and retina of mice with EAU. We performed EMSA and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays on activated B cells stimulated with IL-35 or TLR agonists. We found that BATF, IFN regulatory factor (IRF)-4, and IRF-8 transcription factors were recruited and bound to AP1-IRF-composite elements (AICEs) of il12a, ebi3, and/or il10 loci, suggesting their involvement in regulating IL-10 and IL-35 transcriptional programs of B cells. Showing that B cells are major source of IL-10 and IL-35 in-vivo and identifying transcription factors that contribute to IL-10 and IL-35 expression in the activated B-cell, suggest that the BATF/IRF-4/IRF-8 axis can be exploited therapeutically to regulate physiological levels of IL-10/IL-35-Bregs and that adoptive transfer of autologous Bregs might be an effective therapy for autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases.
Cell of Origin and Genetic Alterations in the Pathogenesis of Multiple Myeloma

B cell activation and differentiation yields plasma cells with high affinity antibodies to a given antigen in a time-frame that allows for host protection. Although the end product is most commonly humoral immunity, the rapid proliferation and somatic mutation of the B cell receptor also results in oncogenic mutations that cause B cell malignancies including plasma cell neoplasms such as multiple myeloma. Myeloma is the second most common hematological malignancy and results in over 100,000 deaths per year worldwide. The genetic alterations that occur in the germinal center, however, are not sufficient to cause myeloma, but rather impart cell proliferation potential on plasma cells, which are normally non-dividing. This pre-malignant state, referred to as monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance or MGUS, provides the opportunity for further genetic and epigenetic alterations eventually resulting in a progressive disease that becomes symptomatic. In this review, we will provide a brief history of clonal gammopathies and detail how some of the key discoveries were interwoven with the study of plasma cells. We will also review the genetic and epigenetic alterations discovered over the past 25 years, how these are instrumental to myeloma pathogenesis, and what these events teach us about myeloma and plasma cell biology. These data will be placed in the context of normal B cell development and differentiation and we will discuss how understanding the biology of plasma cells can lead to more effective therapies targeting multiple myeloma.
Classification and unsupervised clustering of LIGO data with Deep Transfer Learning

The exquisite sensitivity of the advanced LIGO detectors has enabled the detection of multiple gravitational wave signals. The sophisticated design of these detectors mitigates the effect of most types of noise. However, advanced LIGO data streams are contaminated by numerous artifacts known as glitches: non-Gaussian noise transients with complex morphologies. Given their high rate of occurrence, glitches can lead to false coincident detections, obscure and even mimic gravitational wave signals. Therefore, successfully characterizing and removing glitches from advanced LIGO data is of utmost importance. Here, we present the first application of Deep Transfer Learning for glitch classification, showing that knowledge from deep learning algorithms trained for real-world object recognition can be transferred for classifying glitches in time-series based on their spectrogram images. Using the Gravity Spy dataset, containing hand-labeled, multi-duration spectrograms obtained from real LIGO data, we demonstrate that this method enables optimal use of very deep convolutional neural networks for classification given small training datasets, significantly reduces the time for training the networks, and achieves state-of-the-art accuracy above 98.8%, with perfect precision-recall on 8 out of 22 classes. Furthermore, new types of glitches can be classified accurately given few labeled examples with this technique. Once trained via transfer learning, we show that the convolutional neural networks can be truncated and used as excellent feature extractors for unsupervised clustering methods to identify new classes based on their morphology, without any labeled examples. Therefore, this provides a new framework for dynamic glitch classification for gravitational wave detectors, which are expected to encounter new types of noise as they undergo gradual improvements to attain design sensitivity.
Prevalence of Parent Reported Health Conditions Among 0‐ to 17‐Year‐Olds in Rural United States: National Survey of Children's Health, 2016‐2017

Purpose This study's purpose was to determine the prevalence of physical, mental, and developmental health conditions among US children and assess the association with urban versus rural residence. Methods Bivariate/multivariable analyses were conducted with cross-sectional data for children aged 0-17 years (N = 71,811) from the 2016-2017 National Survey of Children's Health. Prevalence estimates of excellent/very good health were derived from parents' qualitative judgments. Parent-reported health conditions were aggregated by condition type (physical, mental, developmental). Prevalence was determined for condition type and severity. Adjusted risk ratios assessed the effect of residence on having physical, mental, or developmental conditions. Results Among rural children in the general population, we found lower crude rates of excellent/very good overall health and higher rates of ≥1 physical condition(s) and ≥1 mental condition(s), as well as these 2 conditions in combination with ≥1 developmental condition(s). Rural children in the general population were also more likely to have physical and mental conditions that parents rated as moderate/severe in unadjusted analyses. To a lesser extent, these differences held true for the children with special health care needs. Risk ratios for rural residence were largely nonsignificant in adjusted analyses. Conclusions While rural children had lower crude rates of parent-reported excellent/very good health and higher crude rates of parent-reported or doctor-diagnosed physical and mental health conditions compared to urban children, the same pattern of urban-rural differentials was not evident in the adjusted analyses. Compositional and contextual differences in the urban/rural populations suggest that social determinants of health may have accounted for rate disparities in child health conditions.
Increased Susceptibility to Glaucomatous Damage in Microfibril Deficient Mice.

Purpose To test whether mice with microfibril deficiency due to the Tsk mutation of fibrillin-1 (Fbn1Tsk/+) have increased susceptibility to pressure-induced retinal ganglion cell (RGC) degeneration. Methods Intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation was induced in Fbn1Tsk/+ and wild type (wt) mice by injecting microbeads into the anterior chamber. Mice were then followed up for four months, with IOP measurements every three to six days. Retinas were stained for Brn3a to determine RGC number. Optic nerve cross-sections were stained with p-phenylene diamine to determine nerve area, axon number, and caliber and thickness of the pia mater. Results Microbead injection induced significant IOP elevation that was significantly less for Fbn1Tsk/+ mice compared with wt. The optic nerves and optic nerve axons were larger, and the elastic fiber-rich pia mater was thinner in Fbn1Tsk/+ mice. Microbead injection resulted in reduced optic nerve size, thicker pia mater, and a slight decrease in axon size. Fbn1Tsk/+ mice had significantly greater loss of RGCs and optic nerve axons compared with wt (14.8% vs. 5.8%, P = 0.002, and 17.0% vs. 7.5%, P = 0.002, respectively). Conclusions Fbn1Tsk/+mice had altered optic nerve structure as indicated by larger optic nerves, larger optic nerve axons and thinner pia mater, consistent with our previous findings. Despite lower IOP elevation, Fbn1Tsk/+mice had greater loss of RGCs and optic nerve axons, suggesting increased susceptibility to IOP-induced optic nerve degeneration in microfibril-deficient mice.
P01.02 HLA class-I and class-II restricted neoantigen loads predict overall survival in breast cancer

Background Tumors acquire numerous mutations during development and progression. These mutations give rise to neoantigens that can be recognized by T cells and generate antibodies. Tumor mutational burden (TMB) is correlated with, and has often been used as a surrogate of, neoantigen load, although that relationship is different depending on cancer types. Recent studies reported correlations between higher TMB and better overall survival after immune checkpoint blockade therapies in bladder, colorectal, head and neck, and lung cancers but not in breast cancer. On the other hand, the relationship between neoantigen load and survival has been controversial in literature. Higher neoantigen load has been linked to better overall survival in ovarian cancer and melanoma, but worse survival in multiple myeloma. Recently, no clear associations were found between neoantigen load and survival in 33 cancer types although only class-I restricted neoantigens were included. Materials and Methods We developed a bioinformatics workflow, REAL-neo, for identification, quality control (QC), and prioritization of both class-I and class-II human leukocyte antigen (HLA) bound neoantigens that arise from tumor somatic single nucleotide mutations (SNM), small insertions and deletions (INDEL), and gene fusions. The correlations between TMB and neoantigen load per sample were calculated using Pearson Correlation Coefficient. TMB and neoantigen load comparisons between various groups were performed using Student’s t-test. The survival analyses were performed using the Cox proportional hazards models while correcting for covariates. Results We applied REAL-neo to 835 primary breast tumors in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and performed comprehensive profiling and characterization of the predicted neoantigens. SNMs contributed to only 6.25% of the total neoantigens (# of class-I vs. class-II neoantigens = 1: 3.5); INDELs accounted for 57.17% of the total (class-I : class-II= 1:2), and gene fusions were responsible for 36.58% of the total (class-I : class-II = 1:2.2). TMB were positively correlated with total and each sub-categories of neoantigen load (class I: SNM: r = 0.59, p Conclusions Our study highlighted the importance of accurate and comprehensive neoantigen profiling and QC, and is the first to report the predictive value of neoantigen load for overall survival in breast cancer. This work was support by the State of Florida Cancer Center Grant, the bioinformatics program of Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine, and the Mayo Clinic inter-SPORE development grant. Disclosure Information Y.W. Asmann: None. Y. Ren: None. D.P. Wickland: None. V. Sarangi: None. S. Tian: None. J.M. Carter: None. A.S. Mansfield: None. M.S. Block: None. M.E. Sherman: None. K.L. Knutson: None. Y. Lin: None.
Concurrent atom transfer radical polymerization and nitroxide radical coupling relay polymerization

Simultaneous atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and nitroxide radical coupling (NRC) seems impossible because the presence of nitroxide radicals would quench the radical polymerization immediately. However, by combining a nitroxide radical and an ATRP active halogen, a halogen group that can initiate one polymer chain by ATRP, into one functional reagent and adding this functional reagent to an ATRP system, concurrent ATRP-NRC relay polymerization was carried out successfully under proper reaction conditions. The key to success was the conjugate radical trapping and re-initiation took place repeatedly, resulting in polymers with inserted alkoxyamine linkages. This novel relay polymerization method provides numerous possibilities for macromolecular architecture/functionality tailoring by using of different functional reagents.
The Rhetoric of Redemption in African-American Prison Memoirs

Some critics have theorized redemption in prison memoir as capitulation to prison’s disciplinary gaze. But a closer look at African-American memoirs emerging from the War on Drugs reveals that rede...
Factors Associated with Consumer Knowledge of Garlic Health Properties, Garlic Preparation Knowledge and Garlic Intake

Background: Garlic has been shown to provide numerous health benefits attributed to its innate compound allicin. However, this compound is highly unstable when exposed to various cooking methods as it is affected by temperature and pH changes. There is limited information about health and preparation knowledge of garlic among consumers with various nutrition education levels including future nutrition professionals such as registered dietitian nutritionists. Purpose: To determine if consumer garlic health knowledge and perceptions were associated with garlic intake and if nutrition education level was associated with garlic health and preparation knowledge. Methods: An online survey was conducted to examine garlic health and preparation knowledge, garlic health perceptions, garlic intake, and garlic cooking methods among undergraduate students with and without a major. Results: There was a significant moderate positive correlation between garlic health knowledge and garlic intake (rs=.421, p<.001). Those with a nutrition major had significantly greater garlic health knowledge than non-majors (p<0.001), while there was no difference between nutrition majors and non-majors on cooking methodology knowledge. Conclusion: Knowledge of the health benefits of garlic appears to be associated with its intake. Nutrition education should focus more on appropriate garlic preparation in relation to its health benefits.
Subjective, neuropsychological, and neural markers of memory in older adults.

Objectives To investigate the relationship between the P300 event-related potential, neuropsychological measures of memory, subjective memory complaints (SMCs), and indicators of psychosocial functioning. Design, setting, and participants In this cross-sectional study of 79 community-based older adults, aged 60-75 years, participants completed online surveys and in-person neuropsychological and electroencephalogram (EEG) assessments. Measurements Measures included: the Change subscale of the Metamemory in Adulthood Questionnaire, NIH Toolbox Emotions battery (Perceived Stress and Psychological Well-Being), Geriatric Depression Scale, Geriatric Anxiety Scale, electrocortical measures (EEG), California Verbal Learning Test, 3rd Edition, and diagnostic ratings for mild and major neurocognitive disorders based on full neuropsychological battery, clinical interview, and two-clinician consensus. Results P300 amplitude was associated with long-delay verbal memory recall and diagnostic rating. SMCs were not associated with objective memory or diagnostic rating. SMCs were associated with higher perceived stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms and lower psychological well-being. Conclusions Neural indicators such as the P300 may be useful for early detection of cognitive impairment. SMCs were not a reliable indicator of early memory impairment in relation to neuropsychological or neural indicators, but may be a useful indicator of unreported stress and mood symptoms in clinical settings.
The Next Wave of EGFR Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors Enter the Clinic

The T790M mutation in EGFR accounts for approximately half of all lung cancer cases with acquired resistance to the current clinical EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors. In tyrosine kinase inhibitor-resistant lung tumors, rociletinib and AZD9291 are highly active when T790M is present and modestly active when T790M is absent.
Self-effect in expanding electron beam plasma

Summary form only given. An analytical model of plasma flow from metal plates hit by intense, pulsed, electron beams aims to bridge the gap between radiation-hydrodynamics simulations and experiments, and to quantify the self-effect of the electron beam penetrating the flow. Does the flow disrupt the tight focus of the initial electron bunch, or later pulses in a train? This work aims to model the spatial distribution of plasma speed, density, degree of ionization, and magnetization to inquire.
A Method for Runtime Recognition of Collective Communication on Distributed-Memory Multiprocessors

In this paper, we present a compiler optimization for recognizing patterns of collective communication at runtime in data-parallel languages that allow the dynamic data decomposition. It has a calculation time of the order O(m), and is appropriate for large numerical applications and massively parallel machines. The previous approach took O(nO + ... + nm−1) time, where m is the number of dimension of an array and ni is the array size on the i-th dimension. The new method can be used for data redistribution and intrinsic procedures, as well as data pre-fetch in parallelized loops.
The Contribution of Body Protein to the Supply of Energy in Starved Newborn Piglets Is Not Preferentially Suppressed by Intravenous Provision of Glucose and Fat

Newborn piglets were used to study body protein preservation because it is critical to the survival of premature infants. Quantitative estimates of endogenous fuel use were obtained from 12 to 72 h of age in male piglets. Of the 40 piglets used (1300 +/- 205 g, mean +/- SD), 16 served as a 12-h-old body composition reference (R), 16 were starved (S) and received water only, and 8 received supplemental energy (E), obtaining 70% [210 kJ/(kg x d)] of their resting energy requirement as an i.v. mixture of glucose and Intralipid (65:35 energy ratio). Urine was collected continuously from the bladder via an umbilical urachal catheter. Total body water, glycogen, lipid, ash, and Kjeldahl-N were determined on whole-pig homogenates. Comparative slaughter was used to estimate the disappearance of body constituents of S and E pigs from 12 to 72 h of age. Midpoint body weight was used in these calculations. Supplemental energy decreased use of all body energy sources as indicated by the decrease in body dry matter disappearance, 41.6 +/- 8.8 vs. 25.5 +/- 5.9 g/kg (P = 0.0021) and protein (urinary N excretion), 995 +/- 508 vs. 329 +/- 135 mg/kg (P = 0.0119) over 60 h. Supplemental energy did not preferentially spare the percentage of the resting energy expenditure supplied by endogenous body protein (protein 37.6% +/- 9.6 vs. 41.7% +/- 10.4; lipid 25.7% +/- 5.2 vs. 20% +/- 4.1; glycogen 36.8% +/- 7.5 vs. 38.3% +/- 9.9; S vs. E) because it made up approximately 40% of the total in food-deprived and supplemented piglets.
Thermoelectric power in half-filled bands

We examine the conditions under which a system of interacting electrons exhibits zero thermoelectric power. We show, in particular, that a half-filled-band system described by the one-dimensional Hubbard model has zero thermoelectric power. These results are discussed in relation to the organic charge-transfer salts based on the acceptor molecule TCNQ (tetracyanoquinodimethan).
Loose anchoring suture to secure a free flap after laser in situ keratomileusis.

We describe the use of a single loose anchoring suture to secure a free flap with good outcomes. We believe this simple, safe technique combines the advantages of previously reported methods, including stability and minimal invasiveness. Financial Disclosure Neither author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.
Hydrology comes of age: Impact of the International Hydrological Decade

The IHD (International Hydrological Decade), 1965 to 1974, was conceived as a concerted international effort to bring into focus the badly fragmented subdiscipline of hydrology, to evolve a global perspective on water, and to provide global information on water. Until the last decade or so, hydrology was a laggard science. The science was also fragmented among surface-water hydrology, agricultural hydrology, groundwater hydrology, oceanology, hydrometeorology, and hydrogeochemistry. All these disciplines were bona fide members of the hydrological family, but there was little interchange, so there was no central focus for the science as a whole.
Breast implants in patients with differentiated and undifferentiated connective tissue disease.

Objective. To assess the frequency of breast implantation and the relationship of the implants to the onset of symptoms in patients with differentiated and undifferentiated connective tissue disease (CTD). Methods. We evaluated an inception cohort of patients with differentiated and undifferentiated CTD and symptoms of < 12 months duration when enrolled in 1983–1987. The risk of having breast implants in those patients with early symptoms of CTD was determined in comparison with that in a non-concurrent control group. Results. Only 3 of 323 women in the cohort had historical, physical, or chest radiographic evidence of breast implantation. In 1 of the 3 patients, the symptoms of CTD began before the breast implantation. The odds ratio was calculated at 1.15, with a 95% confidence interval ranging from 0.23 to 3.41. Conclusion. This study showed an absence of significant risk for prior breast implantation surgery in patients with well-defined or undifferentiated CTD.
Effectance Motivation, Perceived Scholastic Competence, and Higher-Order Thinking in Two Cooperative Computer Environments.

The purpose of the study was twofold. First, we examined social-contextual experiences hypothesized to contribute to the development of effectance motivation and perceived competence. We took obser...
Energy Absorption and Damping in Magnetostrictive Composites

The mechanical energy absorption characteristics of several polymer matrix Terfenol-D composites were evaluated experimentally. Magnetostrictive composites absorb energy through domain level processes that couple mechanical and magnetic energies. The testing consisted of mechanically cycling the materials at different stress amplitudes (combined compression and tension) at a single frequency. Results indicate that the magnetostrictive composites exhibit a unique combination of high damping properties in conjunction with a relatively high modulus. The measured tan delta values for the materials are functionally dependent upon the stress amplitude. In general, as the stress amplitude increased, the damping or energy absorbed during one cycle decreased. Results also indicate that damping is directionally dependent (i.e. anisotropic) and that bias magnetic fields decrease the energy absorption. The volume fraction of the composites did not play a significant role in the magnitude of damping. This effect may be related to the inherent pre-stress imparted on the particle by the resin during cure.
The ART-Rsp5 ubiquitin ligase network comprises a plasma membrane quality control system that protects yeast cells from proteotoxic stress

Cells have evolved elaborate mechanisms for the detection of misfolded or damaged proteins, and for targeting their degradation. Since the accumulation of misfolded proteins is toxic to the cell, these protein quality control systems are critical for the maintenance of normal cellular function over the lifetime of an organism. The breakdown of this quality control correlates with the progression of neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's, Huntington's and Parkinson's disease. Normal function of the protein quality control machinery can also cause disease: this is the case with channelopathies such as cystic fibrosis, in which mutant ion channels are targeted for degradation and therefore cannot function correctly at the cell surface. Understanding how protein quality control systems recognize misfolded proteins and target their degradation, and designing ways to stabilize or destabilize specific targets, particularly at the cell surface, could thus lead to the development of new therapeutic strategies. While protein quality control mechanisms in the cytosol and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) have been studied extensively, much less is known about quality control of integral membrane proteins after they exit the ER. Maintaining the quality of cell surface proteins impacts many critical biological functions including nutrient uptake, signaling and the functioning of specialized surface structures such as cell junctions. Here, Zhao et al. describe a new quality control mechanism that prevents misfolded proteins from accumulating in the plasma membrane. Building upon earlier work describing a network of adaptor proteins (called ARTs) for the Rsp5 ubiquitin ligase, Zhao et al. show that subjecting cells to proteotoxic stress, particularly thermal stress, triggers ART-Rsp5-mediated clearance of misfolded plasma membrane proteins. When ART-Rsp5-mediated clearance is abrogated, misfolded proteins accumulate at the cell surface, resulting in a rapid loss of cellular integrity. In the brain, such proteotoxicity can lead to cell death and neurodegeneration, thereby highlighting the importance of this plasma membrane quality control system.
Source Identification of Lead Contamination in Residential and Undisturbed Soil Adjacent to a Battery Manufacturing Facility (Part I)

Bulk elemental soil concentrations and individual particle analysis were used to identify the presence and sources of anthropogenic lead (Pb) contamination in residential and undisturbed soil adjacent to an automobile battery manufacturer. Automobile exhaust was also an important suspected source of Pb contamination in the soil of the residential area, a trailer park next to a busy highway. Soil was analyzed from the trailer park, battery facility, adjacent undisturbed wooded areas, and a roadside 2.4 km from the site. Also analyzed were trailer park attic dust and process material, dust, and air filters from the battery facility. Elemental concentrations in bulk soil indicated Pb levels of up to 2,760 and 3,860 mg/kg were the result of anthropogenic contamination in the residential and undisturbed wooded areas, respectively. Abundant Pb-bearing particles in air filters and attic dust, decreasing Pb concentrations with soil depth, and Pb particle size data indicated most of the Pb contamination in the res...
Nonenzymatic displacement of chlorine and formation of free radicals upon the reaction of glutathione with PCB quinones.

The reactions of glutathione (GSH) with polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) quinones having different degrees of chlorination on the quinone ring were examined. EPR spectroscopy and MS revealed 2 types of reactions yielding different products: (i) a nonenzymatic, nucleophilic displacement of chlorine on the quinone ring yielding a glutathiylated conjugated quinone and (ii) Michael addition of GSH to the quinone, a 2-electron reduction, yielding a glutathiylated conjugated hydroquinone. The pKa of parent hydroquinone decreased by 1 unit as the degree of chlorination increased. This resulted in a corresponding increase in the oxidizability of these chlorinated hydroquinones. The reaction with oxygen appears to be first-order each in ionized hydroquinone and dioxygen, yielding hydrogen peroxide stoichiometrically. The generation of semiquinone radicals, superoxide, and hydroxyl radicals was observed by EPR; however, the mechanisms and yields vary depending on the degree of the chlorination of hydroquinone/quinone and the presence or absence of GSH. Our discovery that chlorinated quinones undergo a rapid, nonenzymatic dechlorination upon reaction with GSH opens a different view on mechanisms of metabolism and the toxicity of this class of compounds.
Pattern recognition receptors : A contemporary view on liver diseases

Pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) function as sensors of microbial danger signals enabling the vertebrate host to initiate an immune response. PRRs are present not only in immune cells but also in liver parenchymal cells and the complexity of the cell populations provide unique aspects to pathogen recognition and tissue damage in the liver. This review discusses the role of different PRRs in pathogen recognition in the liver, and focuses on the role of PRRs in hepatic inflammation, cholestasis, ischemia, repair and fibrosis. PRRs as novel therapeutic targets are evaluated.
A simplified motion model for estimating respiratory motion from orbiting views

We have shown previously that the internal motion caused by a patient’s breathing can be estimated from a sequence of slowly rotating 2D cone-beam X-ray projection views and a static prior of of the patient’s anatomy. 1,2 The estimator iteratively updates a parametric 3D motion model so that the modeled projection views of the deformed reference volume best match the measured projection views. Complicated motion models with many degrees of freedom may better describe the real motion, but the optimizations assiciated with them may overfit noise and may be easily trapped by local minima due to a large number of parameters. For the latter problem, we believe it can be solved by offering the optimization algorithm a good starting point within the valley containing the global minimum point. Therefore, we propose to start the motion estimation with a simplified motion model, in which we assume the displacement of each voxel at any time is proportional to the full movement of that voxel from extreme exhale to extreme inhale. We first obtain the full motion by registering two breathhold CT volumes at end-expiration and end-inspiration. We then estimate a sequence of scalar displacement proportionality parameters. Thus the goal simplifies to finding a motion amplitude signal. This estimation problem can be solved quickly using the exhale reference volume and projection views with coarse (downsampled) resolution, while still providing acceptable estimation accuracy. The estimated simple motion then can be used to initialize a more complicated motion estimator.
Representations of Anisotropic unitary groups. II

Abstract Let SU( f ) be the special unitary group of an anisotropic hermitian form f over a field k . Assume f represents only one norm class in k . The representations α : SU ( f )→ SL ( n , R ) are characterized when R is a commutative local ring with 3 a unit and n =dim f ⩾4.
Long-term streamflow observations in relation to basin development

Abstract Watersheds located in rapidly developing areas undergo complex land-use transitions in relation to the more unidirectional trends generally displayed in more rural areas. The Chester Creek basin, located in southeastern Pennsylvania is representative of developing areas in the Northeast. Streamflow estimated by the Thornthwaite Water Balance Method was used as an unbiased control to demonstrate an increase in actual runoff during the 51-yr. period of record. Relationships between streamflow and the historical trends of five land cover classes, forest, urban, residential, cultivated crop land and open grass were investigated. While urban and residential areas experienced an increase, crop lands steadily decreased. Forested areas initially decreased, then increased, while open areas first increased then decreased rapidly. The net effect on the basin has been an increase in overland flow and a decrease in evapotranspiration. Annual, growing and dormant season streamflow were found to have increased 51, 57 and 46% respectively. Evidence suggests that these increases are the direct result of changes in the surface character of the basin.
The curious citation practices of Avner Greif: Janet Landa comes to grief

This commentary demonstrates that Avner Greif, through his citation practices, has denied Janet Landa her full intellectual property rights with respect to her contributions to the economic analysis of trust and identity. He has done so by systematically failing to cite her published papers in this field, incidentally promoting his own publications as meriting priority. In consequence, he has effectively blocked out Janet Landa’s work from the mainstream economics literature, albeit not from the literature of law and economics, where his own writings have not been directed.
Inverse relationship between surface brightness and polarization

There is an inverse relationship between surface brightness and polarization in the wavelength range from the ultraviolet to the near infrared. This relationship was first observed by the French astronomers B. Lyot and A. Dollfus in the early 20th century for planetary surfaces and laboratory models. The relationship was later confirmed principally by Egan and his coworkers in the Grumman Research Department in lunar simulation experiments prior to the Lunar Module landing. The observations indicate that the percent polarization (The percent polarization is the ratio of the difference between two orthogonal polarized measurements ratioed to the sum multiplied by 100) is an inverse function of the surface brightness (albedo). The Grumman instrument was a unique large scale polarimeter/photometer that allowed measurements not only of coated surfaces, but of particulates or structural surfaces up to 10 centimeters in diameter. It was found that, for instance, a diffuse surface having a reflectance of 2% could have a percent polarization of nearly 100%. The polarization was found to be a function of the optical complex index of refraction of the surface and the surface structure, and the relationship was found to be true for farm soils, agricultural and forested areas and was useful to characterize them. Astronomical and recent laboratory data will be presented to illustrate the relationship. More recent polarimeters will be discussed that permit polarization measurements accurate to plus or minus 0.1% from 0 to 100%.
Optical Imaging of Cerebral Oxygen Delivery and Consumption Across Length Scales

I will review advances in utilizing Near Infrared Spectroscopy and Diffuse Correlation Spectroscopy to measure oxygen delivery/consumption in humans, and then transition to microscopic measurements in animals with Optical Coherence Tomography and oxygen quenched phosphoresence lifetime microscopy.
Fusion in Sensor Networks

Sensor networks are gaining considerable attention nowadays. Pre and post processing of the measured data in such networks is crucial to the conservation of power and communication resources. We address the optimization of these processing requirements in addition to the tradeoff between network parameters.
A culture of harm: Taming the dynamics of cruelty in supermax prisons.

This article examines the heightened risk of prisoner abuse that is created in supermax prison settings. It suggests that a combination of powerful contextual forces to which correctional officers are exposed can influence and affect them in ways that may engender a culture of mistreatment or harm. Those forces include a problematic set of ideological beliefs, a surrounding environment or ecology that is structured in such a way as to encourage cruelty, and a particularly intense—even desperate—set of interpersonal dynamics created between prisoners and guards. The importance of taking this heightened potential for abuse into account when discussing the negative effects of supermax and proposals for its reform is discussed.
Family Communication Patterns and Teen Drivers' Attitudes Toward Driving Safety

Abstract Introduction Family communication patterns (FCPs) play an important role in reducing the risk-taking behaviors of teens, such as substance use and safer sex. However, little is known about the relationship between family communication and teen driving safety. Method We analyzed the baseline data from a randomized trial that included 163 parent-teen dyads, with teens who would be receiving their intermediate driver's license within 3 months. FCPs were divided into four types—pluralistic, protective, consensual, and laissez-faire — and were correlated with the frequency of parent-teen discussions and teens' driving safety attitudes. Results The ratings on four types of FCPs were distributed quite evenly among teens and parents. Parents and teens agreed on their FCP ratings ( p = .64). In families with communication patterns that were laissez-faire, protective, and pluralistic, parents talked to their teens less about safe driving than did parents in families with a consensual communication pattern ( p p = .03). Discussion Health care providers need to encourage parents, particularly those with non-consensual FCPs, to increase frequency of parent-teen interactions.
Colonic diverticulitis in chemotherapy patients: Should operative indications change? A retrospective cohort study

Abstract Introduction : Management of the immunosuppressed patient with diverticular disease remains controversial. We report the largest series of colon cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and hospitalized for acute diverticulitis, to determine whether recent treatment with systemic chemotherapy is associated with increased risk for/increased severity of recurrent diverticulitis. Methods : Retrospective cohort study of adult patients hospitalized for an initial episode of acute colonic diverticulitis at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1988–2004. Outcomes in patients receiving systemic chemotherapy within one month of admission for diverticulitis ("Chemo") were compared to outcomes of patients not receiving chemotherapy within the past month ("No-chemo"). Results : A total 131 patients met inclusion criteria. Chemo patients did not differ significantly from No-chemo group in terms of severity of acute diverticulitis at index admission (13.2% vs. 4.4%, respectively, p = 0.12), resumption of chemotherapy (median 2 months), failure of non-operative management (13.2% vs 4.4%, respectively, p = 0.12), frequency of recurrence (20.5% vs 18.5%), hospital length of stay ( p = 0.08), and likelihood of interval resection (24.0% vs. 16.2%, respectively, p = 0.39). Chemo patients recurred with more severe disease, were more likely to undergo emergent surgery (75.0% vs. 23.5%, respectively, p = 0.03), and were more likely to be diverted (100.0% vs. 25.0%, respectively, p = 0.03). Chemo patients were significantly more likely to incur a postoperative complication (100% vs 9.1% p Conclusion : Our data do not support routine elective surgery for acute diverticulitis in patients receiving chemotherapy. Non-operative management in the acute or interval setting appears preferable whenever possible.
Phase Studies Within the System ZrO 2 -MgO

THE phase diagram for the system, ZrO2–MgO, was re-investigated by means of the quenching technique and a ribbon element diffractometer furnace. Duwez et al.1 had first established a tentative phase diagram for this system. Recently, Hinz and Dietzel2 tried to determine the phase boundaries of the cubic solid solution field. They claimed that 7 moles per cent of MgO is the lowest limit for the formation of single phase cubic solid solutions between 1,800° C and the melting point. Similar results were obtained by Stocker3. However, it is very probable that in their experiments the specimens containing less than 7 moles per cent MgO had at least partly converted to the monoclinic phase during the quenching.
Functional adaptation of venous smooth muscle response to vasoconstriction in proximal, distal, and varix segments of varicose veins

Background Varicose veins (VarVs) are a common disorder of venous dilation and tortuosity with unclear mechanism. The functional integrity and the ability of various regions of the VarVs to constrict is unclear. This study tested the hypothesis that the different degrees of venodilation in different VarV regions reflect segmental differences in the responsiveness to receptor-dependent vasoconstrictive stimuli and/or in the postreceptor signaling mechanisms of vasoconstriction. Methods Varix segments and adjacent proximal and distal segments were obtained from patients undergoing VarV stripping. Control great saphenous vein specimens were obtained from patients undergoing lower extremity arterial bypass and coronary artery bypass grafting. Circular vein segments were equilibrated under 2 g of tension in a tissue bath, and changes in isometric constriction in response to angiotensin II (AngII, 10 –11 -10 –7 M), phenylephrine (PHE, 10 –9 -10 –4 M), and KCl (96 mM) were recorded. The amount of angiotensin type 1 receptor (AT 1 R) was measured in vein tissue homogenate. Results AngII caused concentration-dependent constriction in control vein (max 35.3 ± 9.6 mg/mg tissue, pED 50 8.48 ± 0.34). AngII caused less contraction and was less potent in proximal (max 7.9 ± 2.5, pED 50 6.85 ± 0.61), distal (max 5.7 ± 1.2, pED 50 6.74 ± 0.68), and varix segments of VarV (max 7.2 ± 2.0, pED 50 7.11 ± 0.50), suggesting reduced AT 1 R-mediated contractile mechanisms. VarVs and control veins had similar amounts of AT 1 R. α-adrenergic receptor stimulation with PHE caused concentration-dependent constriction in control veins (max 73.0 ± 13.9 mg/mg tissue, pED 50 5.48 ± 0.12) exceeding that of AngII. PHE produced similar constriction and was equally potent in varix and distal segments but produced less constriction and was less potent in proximal segments of VarVs (max 32.1 ± 6.4 mg/mg tissue, pED 50 4.89 ± 0.13) vs control veins. Membrane depolarization by 96 mM KCl, a receptor-independent Ca 2+ -dependent response, produced significant constriction in control veins and similar contractile response in proximal, distal, and varix VarV segments, indicating tissue viability and intact Ca 2+ -dependent contraction mechanisms. Conclusions Compared with control veins, different regions of VarV display reduced AngII-mediated venoconstriction, which may be involved in the progressive dilation in VarVs. Postreceptor Ca 2+ -dependent contraction mechanisms remain functional in VarVs. The maintained α-adrenergic responses in distal and varix segments, and the reduced constriction in the upstream proximal segments, may represent a compensatory adaptation of human venous smooth muscle to facilitate venous return from the dilated varix segments of VarV.
Differential inclusions and the control of forest fires

Abstract This paper introduces a new class of variational problems for differential inclusions, motivated by the control of forest fires. The area burned by the fire at time t > 0 is modelled as the reachable set for a differential inclusion x ˙ ∈ F ( x ) , starting from an initial set R 0 . To block the fire, a wall can be constructed progressively in time, at a given speed. In this paper, we study the possibility of constructing a wall which completely encircles the fire. Moreover, we derive necessary conditions for an optimal strategy, which minimizes the total area burned by the fire.
Critical temperatures of triangular Ising lattice with small second neighbor interaction

Abstract The next-nearest neighbor correlation function for isotropic triangular Ising system has been evaluated. This function is used to determine the shifts in the critical temperatures of ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic triangular lattice after introduction of a small next-nearest neighbor interaction in zero field.