cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CHAPTER 10 – Physiology of Calcium Homeostasis

The purpose of this chapter is to review the mechanisms underlying extracellular calcium ( Ca ◦ 2+ ) homeostasis, particularly those through which change in the level of Ca ◦ 2+ within the bodily fluids are sensed and transduced into changes in the functions of kidney, bone, and GI tract to normalize Ca ◦ 2+ . Also briefly highlighted is an emerging body of data indicating that Ca ◦ 2+ homeostasis does not operate in isolation but in integration with other homeostatic systems, including those regulating the metabolism of water, sodium chloride, and even protein metabolism. Ca ◦ 2+ homeostasis requires the coordinated functions of both the extracellular calcium-sensing cells that secrete extracellular Ca ◦ 2+ : elevating or lowering hormones as well as the effector tissues that translocate calcium ions into or out of the extracellular fluids in kidney, bone, and intestine. The capacity of not only the cells secreting extracellular calcium-regulating hormones but also the capacity of these effector tissues to sense Ca ◦ 2 + , as well as phosphate ions, add regulatory control to the mineral ion homeostatic system. The G protein-coupled (CaSR) Calcium- Sensing Receptor) has a central role in systemic extracellular calcium homeostasis by enabling maintenance of near constancy of extracellular calcium via its coordinated actions on the various tissues involved in mineral ion homeostasis. In any event, the calcium-sensing receptor's exquisite sensitivity to even minute changes in extracellular calcium permits adjustments in the extracellular calcium homeostatic system's responses— for example, to increases or decreases in dietary Calcium ions intake that produce barely detectable changes in Ca ◦ 2+ .
Comorbid Psychiatric Diagnoses in Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Although comorbid or co-occurring psychiatric diagnoses such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety disorders, depression, and oppositional defiant or conduct disorders have been well...
Redirecting Leviathan: discovering local room to manoeuvre in US-Mexico border policy

ABSTRACTHow do local authorities find room to manoeuvre in the implementation of immigration policies when they are deprived of formal authority? Most scholarship on this topic posits the formal de...
Migration of Quaternary Ammonium Cations from Exfoliated Clay/Low-Density Polyethylene Nanocomposites into Food Simulants.

Clay/polymer nanocomposites (CPNs) are polymers incorporating refined clay particles that are frequently functionalized with quaternary ammonium cations (QACs) as dispersion aids. There is interest...
Exploitable synthetic sensor imagery from high-fidelity, physics-based target and background modeling

It is well established that object recognition by human perception and by detection/identification algorithms is confounded by false alarms (e.g., [1]). These false alarms often are caused by static or transient features of the background. Machine learning can help discriminate between real targets and false alarms, but requires large and diverse image sets for training. The potential number of scenarios, environmental processes, material properties and states to be assessed is overwhelming and cannot practically be explored by field/lab collections alone. High-fidelity, physics-based simulation can now augment training sets with accurate synthetic sensor imagery, but at a high computational cost. To make synthetic image generation practical, it should include the fewest processes and coarsest spatiotemporal resolution needed to capture the system physics/state and accomplish the training. Among the features known or expected to generate false alarms are: (1.) soil/material variability (spatial heterogeneity in density, mineral composition, reflectance), (2.) non-threat objects (rocks, trash), (3.) soil disturbance (physical and spectral effects), (4.) soil processes (moisture migration, evaporation), (5.) surface hydrology (rainfall runoff and surface ponding), (6.) vegetation processes (transpiration, rainfall interception and evaporation, non-saturating rain events, multi-layer canopy, (including thatch), discrete versus parameterized vegetation), and (7.) energy reflected or emitted by other scene components. This paper presents a suite of computational tools that will allow the community to begin to explore the relative importance of these features and determine when and how individual processes must be included explicitly or through simplifying assumptions/parameterizations. The justification for this decision to simplify is driven ultimately by the performance of a detection algorithm with the generated synthetic imagery. Knowing the required level of modeling detail is critical for designing test matrices for building image sets capable of training improved algorithms. A related consideration in the creation of synthetic sensor imagery is validation of these complex, coupled modeling tools. Very few analytical solutions or laboratory experiments include enough complexity to thoroughly test model formulations. Conversely, field data collection cannot normally be characterized and measured with sufficient spatial and temporal detail to support true validation. Intermediate-scale physical exploration of near surface soil and atmospheric processes (e.g., Trautz et al., [2]) offers an alternative that is intermediary to the laboratory column and field scales. This allows many field-scale-dependent processes and effects to be reproduced, manipulated, isolated, and measured within a well characterized and controlled test environment at requisite spatiotemporal resolutions in both the air and soil.
JOSEPH HENRY AND GEOLOGY AT PRINCETON

ABSTRACT The first documented geology lectures at Princeton were given in 1825 by John Finch (circa 1790–circa 1835), an English visitor to the United States. In the 1830s, John Torrey (1796–1873) ...
Credibility in Empirical Legal Analysis

Quantitative empirical research is central to both legal scholarship and litigation, but there is little confidence in it. This is because researchers can manipulate data to arrive at any result they seek to find. The root of the problem is data fishing, the practice of using data to search for and selectively report results that are statistically significant or otherwise favorable to the researcher. For reasons explained in this article, data fishing invalidates statistical results by causing false positives and false impressions. It creates an environment in which, at best, readers are highly skeptical of statistical analysis and, at worst, they base important decisions, such as policy decisions and jury verdicts, on incorrect information. The practice is nevertheless prevalent in law—often committed by well-intentioned researchers who are unaware of its harms or unaware that their analysis constitutes data fishing. This article exposes the harm that data fishing in empirical legal research causes. It then develops a framework for eliminating data fishing and restoring confidence in empirical analysis in legal scholarship and litigation. This framework, which I call DASS (an acronym for Design, Analyze, Scrutinize, and Substantiate), builds on methods in statistics and is designed for researchers to use to safeguard against data fishing and for consumers of empirical research—including scholars, courts, policymakers, and members of the public—to use to evaluate the reliability of a researcher’s statistical claims. DASS is designed to be simple and flexible, tailored to suit empirical research in law, and a substantial advancement over current anti-data-fishing practices in the social sciences, which have generally been ineffective. It can be applied broadly as a framework for credibility in empirical legal research, as well as to address a range of classical challenges in litigation, such as the hired-gun and battle-of-the-experts problems in evidence law.
A deep learning approach for the blind logP prediction in SAMPL6 challenge

Water octanol partition coefficient serves as a measure for the lipophilicity of a molecule and is important in the field of drug discovery. A novel method for computational prediction of logarithm of partition coefficient (logP) has been developed using molecular fingerprints and a deep neural network. The machine learning model was trained on a dataset of 12,000 molecules and tested on 2000 molecules. In this article, we present our results for the blind prediction of logP for the SAMPL6 challenge. While the best submission achieved a RMSE of 0.41 logP units, our submission had a RMSE of 0.61 logP units. Overall, we ranked in the top quarter out of the 92 submissions that were made. Our results show that the deep learning model can be used as a fast, accurate and robust method for high throughput prediction of logP of small molecules.
The GaSb-based Y-branch DBR and photonic crystal lasers (Conference Presentation)

We report on development of the mid-infrared antimonide based laser technology targeting dual wavelength operation for intra-cavity difference frequency generation. The devices utilize Y-branch architecture with high order DBR reflectors controlling the laser emission spectrum. The device active region contain asymmetric tunnel coupled quantum well with built in resonant second order nonlinearity. The epitaxially regrown photonic crystal surface emitting GaSb-based lasers will be demonstrated.
Automated Polyaxial Screw Placement Using a Commercial-Robot-Based, Image-Guided Spine Surgery System

Robotic spine surgery systems, used for placing pedicle screws, have been in clinical use since 2004; however, these systems act only as a positioner for guide tubes, which the surgeon uses to manually advance tools to prepare the site and place hardware (e.g., pedicle screws). This article presents the development, operation, and evaluation of a new, commercial-robot-based, image-guided surgery system that automates the process of bone preparation and polyaxial screw placement. The system is based on the KUKA LBR iiwa 7-axis collaborative robot. Fiducial marker and screw locations are defined on a pre-operative CT image using the 3D Slicer open source image visualization platform. The system uses the robot’s internal localization system for registration, by touching fiducial markers in a hand-guiding mode. A rotary-motor end effector with exchangeable tools is used for both hole-drilling and screw placement. A novel single-motor based mechanism was developed for placing polyaxial pedicle screws. An accuracy test was performed by placing polyaxial screws in synthetic vertebrae which mimic the mechanical properties of human bone. In placing 10 screws, the entry point accuracy was 0.49 ± 0.17 mm and the destination point accuracy was 1.49 ± 0.46 mm. The results compare favorably to evaluations of commercial robotic spine surgery systems.
Talking about Mental Health: Dilemmas U.S. Military Service Members and Spouses Experience Post Deployment

A major concern for the U.S. military, its personnel, and their family members, is mental health among the ranks. Suicide rates among military veterans and active duty military personnel steadily i...
Interactions between the WEE-1.3 kinase and the PAM-1 aminopeptidase in oocyte maturation and the early C. elegans embryo.

Puromycin-sensitive aminopeptidases are found across phyla and are known to regulate the cell-cycle and play a protective role in neurodegenerative disease. PAM-1 is a puromycin-sensitive aminopeptidase important for meiotic exit and polarity establishment in the one-cell Caenorhabditis elegans embryo. Despite conservation of this aminopeptidase, little is known about its targets during development. In order to identify novel interactors, we conducted a suppressor screen and isolated four suppressing mutations in three genes that partially rescued the maternal-effect lethality of pam-1 mutants. Suppressed strains show improved embryonic viability and polarization of the anterior-posterior axis. We identified a missense mutation in wee-1.3 in one of these suppressed strains. WEE-1.3 is an inhibitory kinase that regulates maturation promoting factor. While the missense mutation suppressed polarity phenotypes in pam-1, it does so without restoring centrosome-cortical contact or altering the cortical actomyosin cytoskeleton. To see if PAM-1 and WEE-1.3 interact in other processes, we examined oocyte maturation. While depletion of wee-1.3 causes sterility due to precocious oocyte maturation, this effect was lessened in pam-1 worms, suggesting that PAM-1 and WEE-1.3 interact in this process. Levels of WEE-1.3 were comparable between wild-type and pam-1 strains, suggesting that WEE-1.3 is not a direct target of the aminopeptidase. Thus, we have established an interaction between PAM-1 and WEE-1.3 in multiple developmental processes and have identified suppressors that are likely to further our understanding of the role of puromycin-sensitive aminopeptidases during development.
Efficient Lévy walks in virtual human foraging.

Efficient foraging depends on decisions that account for the costs and benefits of various activities like movement, perception, and planning. We conducted a virtual foraging experiment set in the foothills of the Himalayas to examine how time and energy are expended to forage efficiently, and how foraging changes when constrained to a home range. Two hundred players foraged the human-scale landscape with simulated energy expenditure in search of naturally distributed resources. Results showed that efficient foragers produced periods of locomotion interleaved with perception and planning that approached theoretical expectations for Levy walks, regardless of the home-range constraint. Despite this constancy, efficient home-range foraging trajectories were less diffusive by virtue of restricting locomotive search and spending more time instead scanning the environment to plan movement and detect far-away resources. Altogether, results demonstrate that humans can forage efficiently by arranging and adjusting Levy-distributed search activities in response to environmental and task constraints.
Evaluation of the Modified Reproductive Concerns Scale Among Emerging Adult Cancer Survivors

Purpose: The reproductive concerns of emerging adult survivors of childhood cancer are not well described, and valid measurement tools tailored to this population are lacking. The purpose of this a...
Spinal Cord Injury

Abstract An estimated three million people live with spinal cord injury (SCI) worldwide, with approximately 12,000 new cases of SCI in the US occurring annually. Currently, there is no effective treatment to restore function in SCI patients. The complexity of the pathophysiology of SCI provides an immense challenge to researchers and clinicians attempting to develop therapeutic interventions. Stem cell therapies can target multiple components of SCI pathology to promote neuroprotection and neuroregeneration, potentially impacting functional recovery and improving quality of life for the patient. Here we will discuss the pathophysiology of SCI, while highlighting potential targets for therapeutic intervention. We also describe a variety of progenitor cells currently being used in preclinical and clinical trials.
Opportunities for reducing college drinking: The roles of drinking attitudes and blackout experience.

Background As many as 35% of college students report having been drunk in the past month, and greater alcohol use and alcohol-related problems are associated with a positive attitude toward heavy drinking. One serious consequence of heavy drinking is alcohol-induced blackout. When they occur, alcohol-induced blackouts present a unique opportunity to increase motivation to change drinking. However, it is unclear under what conditions an alcohol-related heavy drinking attitude and experiencing a blackout represent an opportunity to change and how experiencing a blackout(s) influences an individual's motivation to reduce drinking and actual behavior. Methods This study tested the interplay between one's positive attitude toward heavy drinking and experiencing a blackout in the past year in predicting motivation to reduce drinking (Study 1) and its impact on drinking over time (Study 2). Data were derived from complementary datasets collected at two universities (Study 1 n = 703, mean age = 20.63 years, 44% male, 52% White; Study 2 n = 568, mean age = 19.18 years, 72% male, 84% White). Drinking behavior was measured using a modified Daily Drinking Questionnaire, the Drinking Norms Rating Form, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), and estimated peak blood alcohol concentration (BAC). Regression analyses were conducted to determine whether a blackout would moderate the association between attitude and motivation to reduce drinking (Study 1) and drinking over time (Study 2). Results Results revealed a significant interaction between attitude and blackout, such that individuals who experience a blackout (vs. those who do not) and positively evaluate heavy drinking evidenced lower motivation to reduce drinking (Study 1) and higher levels of estimated peak BAC (Study 2). Conclusions Drinkers with a negative attitude toward heavy drinking who have experienced a blackout have the strongest motivation to reduce drinking and the greatest reductions in peak drinking behavior over time. These effects are over and above that related to the level of alcohol consumed. For young adults who do not positively endorse heavy drinking, blackouts may present a "moment of opportunity" for intervention.
Temporary Shelter: Venezuelan Migrants and the Uncertainty of Waiting in Colombia

In the wake of the social, economic, and political crisis in their own country, millions of Venezuelans have fled to neighboring Colombia. This study aims to understand how temporary shelters in Co...
Incorporating a Series Resistor into Microscale Gas Breakdown Theory

While gas breakdown has historically been considered as governed by Townsend avalanche and described mathematically by Paschen’s law, the mechanism changes for microscale gaps at atmospheric pressure 1 . Under these conditions, the electric field becomes sufficiently strong to strip electrons from the gap by field emission. Instead of the breakdown voltage being characterized by a minimum value with decreasing gap distance, the breakdown voltage instead continues to decrease linearly due to this field emission contribution 1 .
REGIONAL HETEROGENEITY AND DIVERSITY OF ASTROCYTES IN RESPONSE TO HIV-1 PROTEINS AND MORPHINE

HIV-infected individuals who abuse opiates have been found to have a higher incidence and a faster progression of HIV encephalitis. Astrocytes, the major support cells in the CNS, are known to play a critical role in the HIV neuropathy. Although astrocytes tend not to be productively infected by the HIV-1 virus, dysregulation of their proand antiinflammatory cytokines/chemokines secretion is usually neurotoxic. Glutamate transport in astrocytes is reported to be impaired as well, which result in extrasynaptic excitatory neurotransmitter accumulation and over stimulation of postsynaptic neurons. It is long known that astrocytes from different brain regions have diverse responses to extracellular stimulants. However, few publications discuss the regional heterogeneity of astrocytes in HIV infected central nervous system. Based on the above information, we hypothesize that astroglia from different brain regions vary in their responses to HIV proteins and the responses could be influenced by co-treatment of morphine. To test this we cultured astrocytes from cerebral cortex, cerebellum and spinal cord, treated them with HIV-1 proteins Tat and gp120 with or without morphine and opioid receptor (mu, delta and kappa receptor) antagonist, naloxone. After 12-18 hours, conditioned medium from each group was analyzed using a Bio-Plex array. Cells from striatal cultures were harvested and lysed; proteins were extracted and evaluated with Western blotting to see whether EAAT2 expression on astrocytes is changed. Results showed that there were significant regional differences among three brain regions in
Stoichiometric relationships in mitochondrial accumulation of calcium and phosphate supported by hydrolysis of adenosine triphosphate.

Abstract Addition of small amounts of Ca++ (∼80 nmoles per mg of protein) to rat liver mitochondria in the presence of adenosine triphosphate, Mg++, and fluoride caused stimulation of ATPase activity, accumulation of Ca++, ejection of H+ ions into the medium, and accumulation of phosphate. The molar ratio of Ca++ taken up-H+ ejected-phosphate accumulated-ATP hydrolyzed was found to be approximately 2.0:2.0:1.2:1.0. Together with earlier evidence, these findings indicate that utilization of a single hypothetical high energy intermediate (or its equivalent), whether generated by electron transport or ATP utilization, can cause accumulation of 2 Ca++ ions, ejection of 2 H+ ions, and accumulation of 1.2 phosphate ions. ATP-supported Ca++ uptake was blocked by 2,4-dinitrophenol, Dicumarol, azide, and oligomycin, but not by aurovertin. Other nucleoside 5'-triphosphates, such as guanosine triphosphate, cytidine triphosphate, and uridine triphosphate, failed to support Ca++ uptake. The stoichiometry between Ca++ uptake and H+ ejection was not significantly influenced by changes in pH between 7.2 and 8.2 or by varying the salt concentration from 80 to 320 mm. At pH 6.5, ATP-supported ejection of H+ in the presence of Ca++ underwent rebounds and oscillations.
Genetics of biological rhythms in drosophila.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses rhythm mutants and to a more limited extent clock molecules; including how several of the former led to examples of the latter, and how certain aspects of mutationally altered rhythms connect with studies revolving around the molecularly based control of the fly's biological oscillations. The most salient rhythm variants in Drosophila are the period mutants. The chapter concludes that one way to extend the knowledge of and insights about the circadian processes are to continue efforts in the area of pure chronogenetics: to isolate novel rhythm mutants and determine whether the genes specify suspected parts of the pacemaker machinery or whether some of the newly identified loci encode heretofore unanticipated molecular contributors. This kind of clock gene hunting, by mutations and position cloning, is how molecular chronobiology started is discussed.
Ultrastructure of the Sunflower Nectary

SummaryHoneybees (Apis mellifera) exercise distinct foraging preferences among sunflower (Helianthus annuus) seed-parent lines and hybrid cultivars. Floral nectaries of over 100 sunflower cultivars/species were examined and compared to develop correlations between particular anatomical characteristics and honeybee predilection. The nectary, as revealed by light, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, may be circular or a 4- to 8-sided ring surrounding the base of the style directly above the ovary. Size of the nectary and number and placement of stomata differed among the genotypes and species studied. Florets of highly attractive genotypes had larger nectaries with more stomata than florets of less attractive ones. Results suggest that nectary characteristics may be heritable and that it may be possible through breeding to alter the relative attractiveness of plants to honeybees.
Interaction of aromatic amines with rat liver proteins in vivo. II. Binding of N-2-fluorenylacetamide-9-14C to nuclear proteins.

Abstract A number of stable protein adducts formed by the interaction of trace amounts of a metabolite or metabolites of the carcinogenic aromatic amide, N-2-fluorenylacetamide-9-14C, with the nuclear proteins of rat liver have been isolated and purified to constant specific radioactivity with the use of gel filtration on Sephadex G-25 and of ion exchange chromatography on carboxymethyl cellulose. Certain of the nuclear proteins which bound the reactive metabolite or metabolites were characterized as the lysine-rich and the arginine-rich histones by their amino acid composition. The highest level of binding comparable to that of the previously described specific cytoplasmic protein receptor of this metabolite or metabolites was attained by a group of basic nuclear proteins which were identified as the acid-insoluble proteins previously isolated from rat liver nuclei by Laurence and Butler. Binding of the metabolite by the arginine-rich histones was 2-fold greater than that by the remaining basic nuclear proteins.
Body-Centered Representation and Perception

Intuitive notions of shape, object, and part are informative for perception and modeling. Intuitive sense of shape is a volume concept, not a surface concept; shape relates surfaces typically as ratios of diameters.
Molecules-in-molecules fragment-based method for the evaluation of Raman spectra of large molecules

We present the first implementation of the evaluation Raman spectra of large molecules using the molecules-in-molecules (MIM) fragment-based method (MIM-Raman). Molecular fragments and associated overlapping subsystems are constructed by cutting the C–C bonds in the large molecule based on the connectivity information and a number-based fragmentation scheme. After saturating the dangling bonds with hydrogen link-atoms, independent energy and Raman frequency calculations are performed on each subsystem. Subsequently, link-atom-related forces, Hessian and polarisability derivative matrix elements are projected back onto the corresponding host and supporting atoms through the Jacobian projection method. In the two-layer model (MIM2), the long-range interactions, absent in the single layer model (MIM1), are taken into account through a second layer at a lower level of theory. The MIM-Raman method is benchmarked on a set of large linear and cage molecules. The MIM extrapolated energy and Raman spectra are comp...
On the idea of there being something of everything in everything

Notoriously, the Presocratic philosopher Anaxagoras maintained that there is something of everything in everything. ‘All things have a portion of everything’, he wrote (B6). He supplied an important qualification when he also said this: ‘In everything there is a portion of everything except mind, but mind is in some things, too’ (B11). So maybe his idea was that in every portion of material stuff there is always something of every other sort of material stuff. As if that startling claim were not baffling enough, Anaxagoras added, perhaps thinking to reassure us, that ‘each single thing is and was most plainly those things of which it contains most’ (B12). But now, instead of being helped to find his view more intelligible, we seem to have crossed the line from mere enigma to outright incoherence. For consider: My watch chain is ‘most plainly’ gold if, and only if, my watch chain contains more pure gold than anything else it contains. But, if there is no such thing as pure gold, my watch chain will not contain more of that than anything else, there being no such thing as that. ‘You can always imagine that there is such a thing as pure gold,’ someone might say, trying to help Anaxagoras out. But I’m not sure Anaxagoras would have accepted the help. It wasn’t that he thought all things are hopelessly mixed up just as a matter of chance circumstance. His thought seems to have been that things are in each other this way by nature. Thus, even if it were conceivable that one could refine gold to utter purity, that conceivability would tell us nothing about our real world; in particular, it would tell us nothing about my watch chain. One might think to solve this problem by speaking simply of what is mostly gold, or mostly blood, or whatever. Then one could perhaps admit that the portion of blood in a vial of liquid that makes the whole quantity of liquid mostly blood is itself only mostly blood. Moreover, what makes the contained portion mostly blood is some sub-portion that is also only mostly blood, and so on ad infinitum. The first difficulty with such a solution is this. What is only mostly (mostly (mostly ... blood ...)) will not be guaranteed to be mostly blood. Certainly what is 0.6 (0.6 (0.6 ... blood ...)) will not be mostly blood. There is, however, an even more basic difficulty. It is certainly coherent to speak of the liquid in a given vial as being mostly blood if one can as-
Effects of environmental stress on intertidal mussels and their sea star predators

Consumer stress models of ecological theory predict that predators are more susceptible to stress than their prey. Intertidal mussels, Mytilus californianus, span a vertical stress gradient from the low zone (lower stress) to the high zone (higher thermal and desiccation stress), while their sea star predators, Pisaster ochraceus, range from the low zone only into the lower edge of the mussel zone. In summer 2003, we tested the responses of sea stars and mussels to environmental stress in an experiment conducted on the Oregon coast. Mussels were transplanted from the middle of the mussel bed to cages in the low and high edges of the mussel bed. Sea star predators were added to half of the mussel cages. Mussels and sea stars were sampled between June and August for indicators of sublethal stress. Mussel growth was measured, and tissues were collected for heat shock protein (Hsp70) analyses and histological analyses of reproduction. Sea stars were weighed, and tissues were sampled for Hsp70 analyses. Mussels in high-edge cages had higher levels of total Hsp70 and exhibited spawning activity earlier in the summer than mussels in the low-edge cages. Sea stars suffered high mortality in the high edge, and low-edge sea stars lost weight but showed no differences in Hsp70 production. These results suggest that stress in the intertidal zone affected the mobile predator more than its sessile prey, which is consistent with predictions of consumer stress models.
Adiponectin in Human Pregnancy: Implications for Regulation of Glucose and Lipid Metabolism

Aims/hypothesis Adiponectin is upregulated during adipogenesis and downregulated in insulin-resistant states. The mechanism(s) governing the re-arrangements from adipogenesis to facilitated lipolysis during pregnancy are unknown. Our purpose was to analyse the role of adiponectin relative to the metabolic changes in human pregnancy.
Solitary thyroid nodules in 71 children and adolescents.

Thirty-ine children and adolescents with a solitary nodule of the thyroid gland were seen over a 16-yr period and 35 had their nodules removed surgically. All of the patients had preoperative thyroid scintiscans, of which 27 showed a cold nodule. The most common cause of solitary thyroid nodules was follicular adenoma. Five of the 27 cold nodules were malignant (18.5%) while no malignancies were present in the warm or hot nodules. Available diagnostic methods of attempting differentiation of benign from malignant solitary nodules are reviewedd and an approach to the clinical management of such nodules as derived from our experience is presented.
Regulation of Cell Proliferation: Role of A Chromosome-Matrix Protein.

INTRODUCTION. LFM-1 is a recently described chromosomal-matrix component cell-cycle dependent 1 . Preliminary experiments have suggested a regulatory role of LFM-1 in normal cell proliferation in human epithelia 2 . Lens Posterior Capsule Opacification (PCO) is a common and disabling health condition due to proliferation of Lens Epithelial Cells (LECs) to the posterior capsule of the lens 3 after cataract surgery. PCO is a widely studied condition with no effective medical treatment up to date. The purpose of this work is to develop an assay to control the proliferation of Lens Epithelial Cells by blocking LFM-1 protein synthesis and its potential function(s) in this mechanism. METHODS. LECs were harvested from rabbit’s lens capsules, dissociated and cultured under standard tissue culture conditions to be used as biological model for experiments. Phosphorothioate ODNs 4 (S-oligos, 23-mer) were designed, synthesized in the specific antisense (AS-ODNs) and random directions of the LFM-1 mRNA, and employed for treatment of cells during 4 days with replacement of fresh media/oligos every other day. Indirect immunofluorescence and western blot were performed to study the LFM-1 molecular specie(s), its rate of synthesis and sub-cellular distribution. Cell proliferation was simultaneously asserted by quantization of number of cells, and DNA cellular content measured by spectrofluorometry and video analysis as a function of the LFM-1 knocked translation. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION. Cell proliferation was analyzed as a function of the expression of LFM-1 protein at the translational level. Indirect immunofluorescence images of cells treated with specific LFM-1 antisense oligonucleotides showed inhibition of LFM-1 endogenous synthesis and DNA replication with a 2n DNA content, and concomitant arrest of cell proliferation after 48hs of treatment. Approximately 70% of the cultures consisted of sparse cells, and no groups exceeding 4 cells per islet were observed with a viability rating between 90-96%. In contrast, LFM-1 protein displayed sub-cellular nuclear distribution (sparse fluorescent dots) in untreated and random controls during G1 and S phases of the cell cycle suggesting a co-localization in areas of DNA replication and an involvement in the DNA synthesis machinery. No LFM-1 electrophoresis bands (87kDa precursor, 65-intermedia and 58kDa chromosome polypeptides) were detected in parallel samples treated with LFM-1 AS ODNs confirming the immunofluorescence results and supporting our previous reports in other human epithelia.
S-Curve at the industry level: evidence from US–UK commodity trade

Backus et al. in (Am Econ Rev 84(1):84-103, 1994) found that the cross-correlation function between terms of trade and trade balance resembles the letter S and labeled it the S-curve. Support for S-curve is rather weak in some cases, most notably US when aggregate trade data are used. Empirical regularities based on aggregate trade data may suffer from a potential bias stemming from aggregation. Indeed, by employing US bilateral trade data excellent support for the S-curve is re- covered. The support, however, was rather weak at the level of US-UK bilateral trade. Suspecting aggregation bias again, we employ US-UK trade data at the industry level and find overwhelming support for the S-curve. Furthermore, commodity attributes play no role.
Role of nitric oxide, cyclic nucleotides, and the activation of ATP-sensitive K+ channels in the contribution of adenosine to hypoxia-induced pial artery dilation.

Previously, it had been observed that nitric oxide (NO) contributes to hypoxia-induced pial artery dilation in the newborn pig. Additionally, it was also noted that activation of ATP-sensitive K+ channels (KATP) contribute to cGMP-mediated as well as to hypoxia-induced pial dilation. Although somewhat controversial, adenosine is also thought to contribute to hypoxic cerebrovasodilation. The present study was designed to investigate the role of NO, cyclic nucleotides, and activation of KATP channels in the elicitation of adenosine's vascular response and relate these mechanisms to the contribution of adenosine to hypoxia-induced pial artery dilation. The closed cranial window technique was used to measure pial diameter in newborn pigs. Hypoxia-induced artery dilation was attenuated during moderate (PaO2 ≈ 35 mm Hg) and severe hypoxia (PaO2 ≈ 25 mm Hg) by the adenosine receptor antagonist 8-phenyltheophylline (8-PT) (10−5 M) (26 ± 2 vs. 19 ± 2 and 34 ± 2 vs. 22 ± 2% for moderate and severe hypoxia in the absence vs. presence of 8-PT, respectively). This concentration of 8-PT blocked pial dilation in response to adenosine (8 ± 2, 16 ± 2, and 23 ± 2 vs. 2 ± 2, 4 ± 2, and 6 ± 2% for 10−8, 10−6, and 10−4 M adenosine before and after 8-PT, respectively). Similar data were also obtained using adenosine deaminase as a probe for the role of adenosine in hypoxic pial dilation. Adenosine-induced dilation was associated with increased CSF cGMP concentration (390 ± 11 and 811 ± 119 fmol/ml for control and 10−4 M adenosine, respectively). The NO synthase inhibitor, L-NNA, and the cGMP antagonist, Rp 8-bromo cGMPs, blunted adenosine-induced pial dilation (8 ± 1, 14 ± 1, and 20 ± 3 vs. 3 ± 1, 5 ± 1, and 8 ± 3% for 10−8, 10−6, and 10−4 M adenosine before and after L-NNA, respectively). Adenosine dilation was also blunted by glibenclamide, a KATP antagonist (9 ± 2, 14 ± 3, 21 ± 4 vs. 4 ± 1, 8 ± 2, and 11 ± 2% for 10−8, 10−6, and 10−4 M adenosine before and after glibenclamide, respectively). Finally, it was also observed that adenosine-induced dilation was associated with increased CSF cAMP concentration and the cAMP antagonist, Rp 8-bromo cAMPs, blunted adenosine pial dilation. These data show that adenosine contributes to hypoxic pial dilation. These data also show that NO, cGMP, cAMP, and activation of KATP channels all contribute to adenosine induced pial dilation. Finally, these data suggest that adenosine contributes to hypoxia-induced pial artery dilation via cAMP and activation of KATP channels by NO and cGMP.
In Vitro Evaluation of BL-S640 Cephalosporin Antibiotic

BL-S640, a new oral cephalosporin analogue, was evaluated in vitro against 102 gram-negative and 80 gram-positive bacteria. The antimicrobial spectrum was similar to that of previous cephalosporin analogues. Good antimicrobial activity against strains of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella, staphylococci, and streptococci was demonstrated. Relatively poor activity and/or resistance was noted among most strains of Proteus, Providencia, Pseudomonas, and Serratia. In comparative studies BL-S640 had better activity against strains of Hemophilus influenzae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Enterobacteriaceae than many cephalosporin analogues. Variation of susceptibility results was dependent upon the type of media and inoculum size. Cross-resistance between BL-S640 cephalexin, cephalothin, and cefazolin was demonstrated. Among strains of Klebsiella the more rapid selection of resistance ot other cephalosporins was in contrast to BL-S640. Experience in vitro with BL-S640 has documented its antimicrobial activity,and further studies of pharmacokinetics and therapeutic efficacy are indicated.
A Model of Superlattice Yield Stress and Hardness Enhancements

A model is presented that explains the yield stress and hardness enhancements that have been observed in superlattice thin films. The predicted strength/hardness enhancement increased with increasing superlattice period, Λ, before reaching a saturation value that depended on interface widths. The results indicate that superlattice strength/hardness depends strongly on interface widths and the difference in shear moduli of the two components for Λ values below the maximum, and on the average shear modulus for larger Λ.
Conjugate Lateral Gaze Nystagmus and Free Phenytoin Concentrations in Plasma: Lack of Correlation

Electrooculographic recordings during left and right conjugate lateral gaze fixation from 10 degrees to 50 degrees were made in 29 patients being treated with phenytoin. At the time of electrooculographic recordings, venous blood samples were drawn for analysis of total and free phenytoin plasma concentrations. Rhythmic horizontal nystagmus occurred in 7 patients, and only at extreme (40 degrees, 50 degrees) later gaze in 6 of these. Measurable free phenytoin levels in the 29 patients ranged from 0.2 to 3.2 mug/ml, and in the 7 patients with nystagmus were 0.6, 0.8, 1.0, 1.0, 1.7, 1.8, and 3.2 mug/ml. Neither the occurrence of nystagmus nor the degree of lateral gaze at onset could be correlated with free phenytoin concentrations in plasma.
CALCULATED ELECTRON DYNAMICS IN AN ELECTRIC FIELD

We present the details of a theoretical method for calculating the wave-packet dynamics of a Rydberg electron in a strong electric field. Results for Rb are presented, and are compared to recent experiments that measure the time dependence of the electron flux. These interesting experiments provide a different possibility for the experimental detection of wave packets. The results of fully quantum and classical calculations are compared to each other. Several aspects of this system that are easier to study theoretically are presented. The main property that can only be obtained theoretically is the form of the wave function near the nucleus. We found that the flux of electrons entering the detector accurately reflects the flux of electrons leaving a sphere of radius 2000 a.u. centered on the atomic nucleus. The classification of the autoionizing states contributing to the wave packet is also easier to obtain theoretically. @S1050-2947~97!06307-5#
Computer Modelling of a Plane Flame Furnace Firing Low Volatile Fuels

Abstract A computer model of a plane flame furnace firing low volatile fuels has been modelled as a one dimensional flow problem between plane-parallel boundaries. The dominant element of the model is the radiation flux, with reaction included by adoption of experimental data for char particles cited in the literature (Field, 1969), modified by inclusion of a “reactivity” parameter, β that takes values from unity to zero. The objective of the modelling was to explain otherwise anomalous experimental values of ignition distance (50 cm) of low reactivity, low-volatile fuels (Cogoli et al., 1977) that simple radiation theory (Essenhigh and Csaba, 1963) could not account for although it did account for the ignition distance (5 cm) of high reactivity fuels. The more complete model described in this paper did account for ignition distances up to 50 cm with flame lengths and temperatures reasonably comparable to those found experimentally, when the reactivity parameter lay between 0.5 and 0.1. The results show t...
Solar cycle effects in planetary geomagnetic activity: Analysis of 36-year long OMNI dataset

NSSDC's OMNI dataset, which now spans 1963-1999, contains a collection of hourly means of inter- planetary magnetic field (IMF) and solar wind (SW) plasma parameters measured near the Earth's orbit, as well as some auxiliary data. We report a study of solar cycle effects in planetary geomagnetic activity in which 27-day averages of several OMNI parameters are compared with equivalent Kp and Dst averages. Some established trends in these parameters over solar cycles are confirmed; for example, it is concluded that changes in the magnitude (rather than in direction) consti- tute the primary solar cycle variation in the IMF. However, this study also reveals that long-term changes in planetary geomagnetic activity are driven more actively by solar wind-magnetosphere coupling of an electrodynamic nature rather than by plasma transport into the magnetosphere. This suggests that ambient (background) interplanetary "electric" environment (in which the Earth's magnetosphere is im- mersed over the solar cycles) may play a more significant role in causing changes in the frequency of geomagnetic storms and substorms than previously realized.
A RATIO CODE FOR VIBROTACTILE PITCH

Subjective impressions of pitch for 80 different sinusoidal vibrotactile stimuli delivered to the index finger were measured by free magnitude estimation in four subjects. In three of the subjects, pitch at a given frequency decreased as stimulus amplitude increased. The data of these subjects were well described by a model of pitch based on the relative levels of activation of the three major tactile channels. The main element in this model was a ratio of P channel activity to the sum of the activity levels of the P, NPI, and NPIII channels. Activity levels of the channels were estimated on the basis of the psychophysical literature, including a study of vibrotactile loudness using the same subjects and stimuli as those employed here. A fourth subject, whose pattern of loudness judgments had previously been shown to differ from those of the other subjects, did not conform to this pitch model: her data revealed significant increases in pitch with increases in amplitude, and appear to reflect an inability ...
Mammalian stress response: induction of the glucose-regulated protein family

The glucose-regulated protein family consists of a set of stress-inducible proteins localized in the endoplasmic reticulum. Since their discovery in 1977, significant advances in our understanding of their structure, function and regulation have been made. Recent findings concerning the physiological roles played by the glucose-regulated proteins, and their regulations at the transcriptional, post-transcriptional, translational and post-translational levels are summarized.
Secular trends in cesarean delivery rates among macrosomic deliveries in the United States, 1989 to 2002.

Secular Trends in Cesarean Delivery Rates among Macrosomic Deliveries in the United States, 1989 to 2002
Focal tight junctions between mesenchymal cells of fetal dermis

This freeze fracture study shows the presence of focal tight junctions (maculae occludentes) between the mesenchymal cells in the connective tissue matrix of embryonic and fetal dermis. The overall outline of these unique junctions varies from circular to very angular. The junctional elements are most frequently present in a groove on the E fracture face. The corresponding P fracture face has ridges delineating the junction. These intercellular junctions may provide a means of informational or metabolic coupling between cells, may serve a structural role as scaffolding in the deposition and orientation of extracellular materials, or may be involved in the early stages of angiogenesis.
An experimental study of the thermal performance of refractory coatings exposed to a tokamak plasma

Abstract A thermal diagnostic for evaluating the performance of refractory coatings under a variety of heat loads is demonstrated. Heat flow through refractory coatings of TiC exposed to the edge plasma of Microtor II was measured using coated copper samples instrumented with thermocouples. Using interior temperature data, the inverse heat conduction problem was solved numerically to obtain the surface temperature and heat flux during the plasma pulse (50–70 ms typical duration). Features in the thermal profiles could be resolved to within less than 10 ms.
TH-C-19A-07: Output Factor Dependence On Range and Modulation for a New Proton Therapy System

Purpose: Proton treatment planning systems are not able to accurately predict output factors and do not calculate monitor units (MU) for proton fields. Output factors (cGy/MU) for patient-specific fields are usually measured in phantoms or modeled empirically. The purpose of this study is to predict the output factors (OFs) for a given proton (R90) and modulation width (Mod) for the first Mevion S250 proton therapy system. Methods: Using water phantoms and a calibrated ionization chamber-electrometer, over 100 OFs were measured for various R90 and Mod combinations for 24 different options. OFs were measured at the center of the Mod, which coincided with the isocenter. The measured OFs were fitted using an analytic model developed by Kooy (Phys.Med.Biol. 50, 2005) for each option and a derived universal empirical-based polynomial as a function of R90 and Mod for all options. Options are devised for ranges of R90 and Mod. The predicted OFs from both models were compared to measurements. Results: Using the empirical-based model, the values could be predicted to within 3% for at least 90% of measurements and within 5% for 98% of the measurements. Using the analytic model to fit each option with the same effective source position, the predictionmore » is much more accurate. The maximal uncertainty between measured and predicted is within 2% and the averaged root-mean-square is 1.5%. Conclusion: Although the measured data was not exhaustive, both models predicted OFs within acceptable uncertainty. Both models are currently used for a sanity check of our continual patient field OF measurements. As we acquire more patient-field OFs, the model will be refined with an ultimate goal of eliminating the time-consuming patient-specific OF measurements.« less