cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of Testicular Boost on Oncologic Outcomes and Late Effects in Pediatric Patients With Leukemia Receiving Fractionated Total Body Irradiation (TBI): A Single-Institution Experience.

Purpose/Objective(s) Late toxicity of treatment remains a major consideration among survivors of childhood leukemia. Pediatric patients with leukemia who receive fractionated total body irradiation (fTBI) as conditioning prior to stem cell transplantation (SCT) are frequently treated with a 4 Gy testicular boost in addition to fTBI to 12-13.2 Gy to reduce the risk of testicular relapse in this “sanctuary site.” However, total body irradiation can be associated with risk of impaired hormonal function; it is unclear if the 4 Gy testicular boost is needed to reduce risk of testicular relapse, and whether it contributes to the toxicity beyond that imparted by fTBI. This study investigated patients both with and without a boost for risk of recurrence, hormonal function, and fertility. Materials/Methods We retrospectively reviewed records of boys treated for leukemia with fTBI as part of conditioning for SCT at our institution from 1989-present. We included patients with both AML and ALL in our analysis. We excluded patients who died in the peri-transplant period. Cumulative incidence was tested using Gray's Test for Equality of Cumulative Incidence Functions. Endocrine outcomes were tested using chi square test. Results We identified 91 boys (age range 9 months – 22 years), 62 with ALL and 29 with AML. Median follow up was 43.4 months. In addition to fTBI to 12-13.2 Gy, 52 patients received a midplane testicular dose of 4 Gy (49 with ALL, 3 with AML), while 39 patients did not receive the testicular boost (13 with ALL, 26 with AML). There was no difference in time to first relapse or cumulative incidence of relapse between the boost and no-boost groups. There were 2 testicular relapses, one ALL patient who received boost and one AML patient who did not receive boost. The risk of abnormal luteinizing hormone (LH) was 65% in the boost group vs 26% in the non-boost group, P = 0.0063. Serum follicle-stimulating hormone, total testosterone, free testosterone, abnormal sperm studies did not differ between groups, nor did the percentage of patients who required endocrine or fertility treatments. We further investigated the subset of patients with ALL and similarly found no difference in risk of relapse between patients who had received a testicular boost and those who had not boost. Conclusion Omission of boost was associated with comparable risk of recurrence and improved endocrine outcomes, specifically LH levels. Our data suggest that omission of testicular boost in the fTBI program is oncologically safe and results in improved hormonal function.
Military applications of simulation

This chapter provides a selective overview of simulation activities taking place within the U.S. defense community. It touches upon work with virtual reality, entity-level simulation for analysis, highly distributed simulation in exercises and experimentation, and low-resolution exploratory analysis for higher-level force planning.
Cortical actin regulation modulates vascular contractility and compliance in veins

Most cardiovascular research focuses on arterial mechanisms of disease, largely ignoring venous mechanisms. Here we examine ex vivo venous stiffness, spanning tissue to molecular levels, using biomechanics and magnetic microneedle technology, and show for the first time that venous stiffness is regulated by a molecular actin switch within the vascular smooth muscle cell in the wall of the vein. This switch connects the contractile apparatus within the cell to adhesion structures and facilitates stiffening of the vessel wall, regulating blood flow return to the heart. These studies also demonstrate that passive stiffness, the component of total stiffness not attributable to vascular smooth muscle activation, is severalfold lower in venous tissue than in arterial tissue. We show here that the activity of the smooth muscle cells plays a dominant role in determining total venous stiffness and regulating venous return. The literature on arterial mechanics is extensive, but far less is known about mechanisms controlling mechanical properties of veins. We use here a multi-scale approach to identify subcellular sources of venous stiffness. Portal vein tissue displays a severalfold decrease in passive stiffness compared to aortic tissues. The α-adrenergic agonist phenylephrine (PE) increased tissue stress and stiffness, both attenuated by cytochalasin D (CytoD) and PP2, inhibitors of actin polymerization and Src activity, respectively. We quantify, for the first time, cortical cellular stiffness in freshly isolated contractile vascular smooth muscle cells using magnetic microneedle technology. Cortical stiffness is significantly increased by PE and CytoD inhibits this increase but, surprisingly, PP2 does not. No detectable change in focal adhesion size, measured by immunofluorescence of FAK and zyxin, accompanies the PE-induced changes in cortical stiffness. Probing with phospho-specific antibodies confirmed activation of FAK/Src and ERK pathways and caldesmon phosphorylation. Thus, venous tissue stiffness is regulated both at the level of the smooth muscle cell cortex, via cortical actin polymerization, and by downstream smooth muscle effectors of Src/ERK signalling pathways. These findings identify novel potential molecular targets for the modulation of venous capacitance and venous return in health and disease.
Sequential Auctions with Information About Future Goods

When capacity-constrained bidders have information about a good sold in a future auction, they need to take the information into account in forming today's bids. The capacity constraint makes even otherwise unrelated objects substitutes and creates an equilibrium link between future competition and current bidding strategy. This paper proves the existence and uniqueness of a symmetric pure-strategy equilibrium under mild conditions on the population distribution of valuations, characterizes general properties of the equilibrium bidding strategy, and provides a simple technique for numerically approximating the bidding strategy for arbitrary valuation distributions. The key property of the equilibrium is that almost all bidders submit positive bids in the first stage, thereby ensuring trade with probability one. Even bidders who strongly prefer the second object submit a positive bid in the first auction, because losing the first auction is informative about the remaining competitors who also lost, and losing with a low bid indicates that these competitors are quite strong. Because of the guaranteed trade, the sequential auction with information about future goods is a very efficient trading mechanism, achieving more than 98 percent of the potential gains from trade across a wide variety of settings.
A New Species of Anagrus (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) from Tahiti, with Notes on Egg Parasitoids of Proconiine Sharpshooters (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Proconiini) in the World

One new fairyfly (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) species, Anagrus (Anagrus) iti sp. n., described from Tahiti Island, French Polynesia, was reared from eggs of the invasive glassy-winged sharpshooter, Homalodisca vitripennis (Germar) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), which is native to southeastern USA and northeastern Mexico. An overview of the taxonomic and biological studies on the egg parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae, Mymaridae, and Trichogrammatidae) of various proconiine sharpshooters (Cicadellidae: Cicadellinae: Proconiini) in the New World is given. Of particular importance are the natural enemies of H. vitripennis, a notorious vector of the phytopathogenic bacterium, Xylella fastidiosa; with reference to its egg parasitoids and biological control in the non-native range are also provided.
Fibronectin-like immunoreactivity in the developing cerebral cortex

In the developing cerebral cortex of the mouse, binding of antibodies directed against the extracellular matrix glycoprotein fibronectin occurs with a distinct temporal and spatial pattern. On the 10th embryonic day (E10), when the wall of the telencephalic vesicle is made up of only the proliferating cells of the ventricular zone, antifibronectin (aFN) binding is restricted to the blood vessels and pia-arachnoid. Fibronectin-like immunoreactivity first appears in the neuropil as small points of immunofluorescence among the earliest postmitotic neurons that form the preplate (E11-12). A short time later (E12-13), aFN immunoreactivity becomes more diffuse but continues to be restricted to the preplate. As newly arriving neurons form the cortical plate within the preplate (E13-14), aFN binding is present in the marginal zone above the cortical plate and in the subplate below it. Both the marginal zone and the subplate contain early afferents and the cells that were previously part of the preplate. Binding of aFN is transient; by E18-19 it has diminished to the point where it is no longer detectable except in the blood vessels and pia-arachnoid. The transient appearance of fibronectin-like immunostaining in the zones that contain early cortical afferents suggests that fibronectin plays a role in forming the migratory pathway for the growth cones of these axons. In this role it may be acting in concert with other extracellular matrix components such as hyaluronectin, glycosaminoglycans, and laminin, which have been shown to have similar spatial distributions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
How does a Mycobacterium change its spots? Applying molecular tools to track diverse strains of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis

Defining genetic diversity in the wake of the release of several Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) genome sequences has become a major emphasis in the molecular biology and epidemiology of Johne's disease research. These data can now be used to define the extent of strain diversity on the farm. However, to perform these important tasks, researchers must have a way to distinguish the many MAP isolates/strains that are present in the environment or host to enable tracking over time. Recent studies have described genetic diversity of the Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC), of which MAP is a member, through pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, single sequence repeats, variable-number tandem repeats, genome rearrangements, single nucleotide polymorphisms and genomewide comparisons to identify insertions and deletions. Combinations of these methods can now provide discrimination sufficient for dependable strain tracking. These molecular epidemiology techniques are being applied to understand transmission of Johne's disease within dairy cattle herds as well as identify which strains predominate in wildlife.
The dynamics of the aurora—III westward drifting loops

Westward traveling surge auroral substorm degeneration into loop formations as observed near College, Alaska
Toward a framework for the components of green lodging

This article seeks to provide a better understanding of green lodging and its components. The article provides a framework that illustrates how lodging properties interact with the physical environment, the negative environmental externalities created by the interactions and the solutions necessary to eliminate and ameliorate the negative externalities. An inductive approach is utilized, which combines interview data with content analysis. Findings suggest that green lodging is deliberate, and concerted efforts undertaken by lodging operations to mitigate or ameliorate the negative environmental externalities associated with lodging operations. These externalities generally manifest themselves in energy usage, water usage, air quality and waste management. Components of green lodging include the fixtures, facilities, amenities, supplies, equipment, services, consumables, and practices that are adopted, implemented and maintained to reduce or eliminate externalities. Collectively, these components can be described as technical and behavioral components. Technical components are the physical or tangible elements that should be adopted, installed or maintained to eliminate or reduce externalities, whereas the behavioral components relate to behaviors and practices that should be adopted. Future studies are encouraged to explore barriers to implementation of green practices in hotels, lodging managers’ and consumers’ attitudes toward green practices in the lodging industry, and how hoteliers are managing the ‘green’ supply chain.
Diffusion equation for energy in ergodic adiabatic ensembles

A diffusion equation is derived for the distribution of energies of an ensemble of systems governed by an ergodic adiabatic Hamiltonian. We compare the predictions of this equation with previously derived results and find some disagreement. We obtain explicit expressions for the degree to which the ergodic adiabatic invariant is conserved. We demonstrate that our equation gives the expected results for two special cases. Finally, we discuss applications and tests of our theory, as well as directions for future study.
Scanning Magnetic Tunnel Junction Sensor for the Detection of Magnetically Labeled DNA Microarray

In this paper, we introduce a magnetic scanning probe microscope based on a single magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) sensor with a sensitivity of 4 V / mT to detect magnetic particles on DNA microarray. We demonstrate the direct measurement of the magnetic dipole fields associated with both micron size ferromagnetic nickel thin film patterns and monodispersed paramagnetic particles tagged to surface immobilized DNA by large area 2D scanning of sensor over the sample with scan speed of ~500 mu m/s.
'Good farmers' as reflexive producers : an examination of family organic farmers in the US Midwest

In the wake of an explosion in the organic food sector, it is vital to differentiate, not only between conventional and organic producers, but between types of organic producers. By exploring a network of family organic farmers in the US Midwest through participant observation and interviews we can better understand the inherent overlap between the categorisations of producer and consumer through the lenses of identity and the reflexive producer. By studying a small network of organic food producers, I illustrate the emergence of a small, but important category of reflexive producers that shed light on the alternative ideology and actions of family organic farmers concerned with protecting the environment and the health of their customers and people in general. Furthermore, reflexive farmers illustrate the moral care associated with good farming.
Selective apoptosis induction by the cancer chemopreventive agent N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)retinamide is achieved by modulating mitochondrial bioenergetics in premalignant and malignant human prostate epithelial cells

Prostate tumorigenesis is coupled with an early metabolic switch in transformed prostate epithelial cells that effectively increases their mitochondrial bioenergetic capacity. The synthetic retinoid N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)retinamide (4HPR) inhibits prostate cancer development in vivo, and triggers reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent prostate cancer cell apoptosis in vitro. The possibility that 4HPR-induced ROS production is associated with mitochondrial bioenergetics and required for apoptosis induction in transformed prostate epithelial cells in vitro would advocate a prospective mechanistic basis for 4HPR-mediated prostate cancer chemoprevention in vivo. We investigated this tenet by comparing and contrasting 4HPR’s effects on premalignant PWR-1E and malignant DU-145 human prostate epithelial cells. 4HPR promoted a dose- and/or time-dependent apoptosis induction in PWR-1E and DU-145 cells, which was preceded by and dependent on an increase in mitochondrial ROS production. In this regard, the PWR-1E cells were more sensitive than the DU-145 cells, and they consumed roughly twice as much oxygen as the DU-145 cells suggesting oxidative phosphorylation was higher in the premalignant cells. Interestingly, increasing the [Ca2+] in the culture medium of the PWR-1E cells attenuated their proliferation as well as their mitochondrial bioenergetic capacity and 4HPR’s cytotoxic effects. Correspondingly, the respiration-deficient derivatives (i.e., ρ0 cells lacking mitochondrial DNA) of DU-145 cells were markedly resistant to 4HPR-induced ROS production and apoptosis. Together, these observations implied that the reduction of mitochondrial bioenergetics protected PWR-1E and DU-145 cells against the cytotoxic effects of 4HPR, and support the concept that oxidative phosphorylation is an essential determinant in 4HPR’s apoptogenic signaling in transformed human prostate epithelial cells.
Synthesis and characterization of oxomolybdate clusters containing coordinatively bound organo-diazenido units: the crystal and molecular structure of the hexanuclear diazenido-oxomolybdate, (NBun4)3[Mo6O18(N2C6H5)]

Abstract (NBun4)3[Mo6O18(N2C6H5)] has been obtained by treating (NBun4)2[Mo6O19] with an equivalent amount of phenylhdyrazine in benzene. X-ray crsytallography reveals the identity of the deep red crystalline material as a polymolybdate species incorporating a coordinatively bound organo-diazenido unit. The anion [Mo6O18(N2C6H5)]3− is structurally similar to the precursor [Mo6O19]2−, with the terminally bound phenyldiazenido group replacing a terminal oxo unit of the hexamolybdate moiety. (NBun4)3[Mo6O18(N2C6H5)] crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pmcn with a = 17.162(3) A, b = 17.577(3) A, c = 23.860(4) A, V = 7197.7(8) A3, Z = 4, and Dc = 1.56 g cm−3 [μ = 10.60 cm−1, Mo-Kα (λ = 0.71069 A)]. Solution and refinement based on 2118 reflections with Io ⩾ 3σ(Io gave a final reisdual of 0.080.
Chaos, Culture, and Covariance Structures: A Dynamic Systems View of Children's Experiences at Home

This Special Issue contains several efforts aimed at constructing efficient, yet valid measures of the home environment that can be used for a wide variety of families. This commentary reflects on those efforts with a view that devolves from the nature of what is being measured and a view of children as members of diverse and dynamic family systems. Attention is given to the critical distinction between "cause" and "effect" indicators and its implications for constructing and evaluating measures of the home environment. Attention is also given to the importance of establishing functional relations between indicators used in home environment measures and measures of child well-being. In addition, there is a focus on the importance of having sufficient indicators of environmental constructs so that there is adequate coverage of the diverse ways that different cultures might accomplish the same goals for children. Particular attention is given to the challenge of selecting and organizing indicators of key en...
Application of Large Elastic Deformation Theory to the Calculation of Liquid Drop Shapes of Some Polymers

Boundary tension is the best known property of liquid surfaces. This property is of outstanding importance in the phenomenon of adhesion which is an interdisciplinary subject involving surface chemistry, rheology, polymer physics, and fracture mechanics. Adhesion plays an important role in various industrial applications such as in packaging, construction and manufacturing. Also, the behavior of solder and printing inks in their respective practical applications is influenced by boundary tension.
Estimation of parameters in partial differential equations from noisy experimental data

Abstract The estimation of constant parameters in nonlinear partial differential equations and boundary conditions from noisy experimental data is considered. Nonsequential techniques based on the method of steepest descent, quasilinearization, and collocation methods are developed. A method of determining confidence intervals for parameter estimates is presented, and the determination of the optimal location of measurements is considered. Examples presented include the estimation of the diffusivity in the heat equation, the estimation of the activation energy for a single reaction from dynamic plug flow reactor data and the estimation of the permeabilities in a two-region reservoir model.
The effects of chromium on NiAl intermetallic alloys: Part II. Slip systems

Abstract One of the principal obstacles to room temperature tensile ductility in NiAl is an insufficient number of independent slip systems, due to the sole operation of the {011} system. It has been both predicted and reported that Cr additions to NiAl induce {112} slip, increasing the number of independent slip systems to five, a number sufficient for general plasticity. However, no attendant increase in tensile ductility has been observed. The present study reexamines the effects of Cr on the predominant room temperature slip system in polycrystalline NiAl, as a function of Cr content, Ni/Al ratio and processing route. It is shown that Cr has essentially no effect on the slip system in NiAl at room temperature, while processing by extrusion, compared with casting and homogenization, produces a small, yet significant, proportion of {110} dislocations. Possible explanations for the discrepancy of the present results with those of previous work are discussed, as well as the presence and implications of the {110} dislocations.
Osteomyelitis of the clavicle: clinical, radiologic, and bacteriologic findings in ten patients.

Most lesions of the clavicle are traumatic and pose few diagnostic difficulties. Nontraumatic clavicular lesions, on the other hand, are rare and frequently present problems in diagnosis. This report reviews the clinical, radiologic, and bacteriologic findings in ten patients, six of whom were diagnosed as having acute osteomyelitis and four chronic osteomyelitis. The differential diagnosis of clavicular osteomyelitis is also discussed. The clinical duration of the infectious process in these patients ranged from 2 weeks to 1.5 years. All patients presented with pain; six had fever, three had localized swelling or a mass, and three had soft tissue abscesses. The radiographic findings also varied: the lesion was predominantly sclerotic in four patients, lytic in three, and mixed in two patients; in the one patient in whom magnetic resonance imaging was the only imaging study performed, these features could not be properly evaluated. Periosteal reaction was detected in three patients. Staphylococcus aureus was the causal organism in four patients, while in the remaining six patients different microorganisms were cultured, including Coccidioides immitis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Six patients required biopsy for final diagnosis. Although clavicular osteomyelitis is rare, particularly in adults, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a clavicular lesion. The final diagnosis often depends on the results of biopsy and cultures.
Clinical use of and future perspectives on antiarrhythmic drugs

Cardiac arrhythmias are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Antiarrhythmic drug therapy was traditionally the mainstay of arrhythmia treatment; however, the limited efficacy and proarrhythmic potential of conventional antiarrhythmic drugs has generated interest in new approaches to the treatment of arrhythmias. Over the last decade, there has been improved characterization of the molecular pathways that culminate in arrhythmias. By analyzing mechanisms that increase susceptibility to arrhythmias in individuals with genetic syndromes, it might be possible to not only improve current therapies but also to develop novel approaches to treat and prevent common arrhythmias.
Regional Vulnerability: A Conceptual Framework

Regional vulnerability assessment, or ReVA, is an approach to place-based ecological risk assessment that is currently under development by the Office of Research and Development of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The assessment is done at the scale of EPA regions and builds on data collected for the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) of the EPA. The pilot ReVA is being developed for the U.S. mid-Atlantic region to identify those ecosystems, together with the ecological goods and services they provide, that are most vulnerable to being lost in the next 20 years. The project is currently exploring different conceptual approaches to integrated assessment. In this article, we give an operational approach to estimating ecosystem vulnerability and discuss important issues arising from it. The first issue is estimating vulnerability at the regional scale as opposed to the more familiar local scale. The second issue is integrating information about different sorts of risks in order to prioritize them at the regional scale. The challenge of integration is considerable because of the possibility of synergistic (mutually reinforcing) interactions between different environmental stresses. Synergistic effects are often too poorly known to include, yet potentially too important to ignore. Vulnerability at the regional scale may provide a pragmatic, middle-road approach to this problem by highlighting and characterizing geographic areas that are expected to change the most in the future. The goal is not exact predictions, but a first-cut early warning system to identify and prioritize the risks of undesirable environmental changes over the next few decades.
Association between serotonin transporter polymorphisms and problem behavior in adult males with intellectual disabilities.

Abstract Research on aggression over the past two decades has focused on gene–environment interaction models to explain the relative contribution of each to this behavioral phenotype in various clinical populations. Recent investigations suggest a link between aggression in people with intellectual disabilities the functionality of the serotonin transporter. The aims in this study were to examine the possible association of the STin2 and/or the 5-HTTLPR serotonin transporter polymorphisms in adult males with and without intellectual disabilities, and to examine the association of these polymorphisms with aggression in people with intellectual disabilities. DNA samples and behavioral records were obtained from adult males with intellectual disabilities, distinguished only by the presence or absence of aggression. No association was found between either transporter polymorphism for aggression. However, the long 5-HTTLPR allele, and not the short allele or the heterozygous state, was associated with the severity of aggression. The association with aggression appears to be genetically complex, suggesting there may be other genes, interactions between genes, and/or environmental relations occasioning aggression in people with intellectual disabilities.
Matrix metalloproteinase activity correlates with blastema formation in the regenerating MRL mouse ear hole model.

The MRL mouse was proposed as a model of mammalian regeneration because it can close ear holes completely with the restoration of normal tissue. This regeneration process involves the formation of a blastema during healing, the re-appearance of cartilage and hair follicles, and healing without scarring. Such a process requires extensive tissue remodeling. To characterize differences in ear wounding responses between regenerating and nonregenerating mice, we examined and compared the extracellular matrix remodeling and the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP) response in the MRL and C57BL/6 mouse strains after injury. We found a correlation between the MRL's ability to break down the basement membrane, form a blastema, and close ear hole wounds and an inflammatory response with neutrophils and macrophages seen in the ear after injury. These cells were positive for MMP-2 and MMP-9 as well as TIMP-2 and TIMP-3. Clear differences between the MRL and B6 response to injury were seen that could explain the differences in healing and blastema formation in the MRL and lack of it in the B6 mice. This finding was further supported by enzyme activity as determined by gelatin zymography.
Locked Nucleic Acid Flow Cytometry-fluorescence in situ Hybridization (LNA flow-FISH): a Method for Bacterial Small RNA Detection

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is a powerful technique that is used to detect and localize specific nucleic acid sequences in the cellular environment. In order to increase throughput, FISH can be combined with flow cytometry (flow-FISH) to enable the detection of targeted nucleic acid sequences in thousands of individual cells. As a result, flow-FISH offers a distinct advantage over lysate/ensemble-based nucleic acid detection methods because each cell is treated as an independent observation, thereby permitting stronger statistical and variance analyses. These attributes have prompted the use of FISH and flow-FISH methods in a number of different applications and the utility of these methods has been successfully demonstrated in telomere length determination1,2, cellular identification and gene expression3,4, monitoring viral multiplication in infected cells5, and bacterial community analysis and enumeration6. Traditionally, the specificity of FISH and flow-FISH methods has been imparted by DNA oligonucleotide probes. Recently however, the replacement of DNA oligonucleotide probes with nucleic acid analogs as FISH and flow-FISH probes has increased both the sensitivity and specificity of each technique due to the higher melting temperatures (Tm) of these analogs for natural nucleic acids7,8. Locked nucleic acid (LNA) probes are a type of nucleic acid analog that contain LNA nucleotides spiked throughout a DNA or RNA sequence9,10. When coupled with flow-FISH, LNA probes have previously been shown to outperform conventional DNA probes7,11 and have been successfully used to detect eukaryotic mRNA12 and viral RNA in mammalian cells5. Here we expand this capability and describe a LNA flow-FISH method which permits the specific detection of RNA in bacterial cells (Figure 1). Specifically, we are interested in the detection of small non-coding regulatory RNA (sRNA) which have garnered considerable interest in the past few years as they have been found to serve as key regulatory elements in many critical cellular processes13. However, there are limited tools to study sRNAs and the challenges of detecting sRNA in bacterial cells is due in part to the relatively small size (typically 50-300 nucleotides in length) and low abundance of sRNA molecules as well as the general difficulty in working with smaller biological cells with varying cellular membranes. In this method, we describe fixation and permeabilzation conditions that preserve the structure of bacterial cells and permit the penetration of LNA probes as well as signal amplification steps which enable the specific detection of low abundance sRNA (Figure 2).
Expanded Criteria to Identify Men Eligible for Active Surveillance of Low Risk Prostate Cancer at Johns Hopkins: A Preliminary Analysis

Purpose: At our institution the eligibility criteria used to enroll patients in active surveillance are clinical stage T1, prostate specific antigen density less than 0.15 ng/ml, biopsy Gleason score 6 or less, 2 or fewer positive biopsy cores and 50% or less involvement of any biopsy core. We hypothesized that these criteria may be excessively strict, precluding many men from active surveillance.Materials and Methods: We studied pathological outcomes in men treated with radical prostatectomy between 1995 and 2012 who met 4 or more of the 5 active surveillance criteria. Outcomes included a definition of significant tumor (pathological Gleason 7 or greater, or nonorgan confined). We compared adverse pathology rates between men who met all 5 vs 4 of 5 active surveillance criteria.Results: Of 8,261 men 1,890 (22.9%) met all active surveillance eligibility criteria and 2,133 (25.8%) met 4. Men with values exceeding prostate specific antigen density and biopsy Gleason criteria were at increased risk for advers...
Using the Internet for image transfer in a regional trauma network: effect on CT repeat rate, cost, and radiation exposure.

Purpose The aims of this study were to evaluate an Internet-based and compact disc-based image transfer system and to compare this system with others in the literature, specifically regarding effects on repeat imaging rate, cost, and radiation dose to patients transferred to a level I regional trauma center. Methods Five hundred consecutive trauma patients transferred to a level I trauma center between June 1 and July 15, 2009, were included in the study. Images were transferred from an outside facility to the trauma center using the Internet and compact discs and uploaded to the trauma center's PACS. Radiographic studies and CT scans at the trauma center were classified as outside studies, completion studies, or repeat studies. Repeat rate, costs, and radiation doses of transferred and repeated CT scans were calculated. Results Four hundred ninety-one patients met the inclusion criteria. The patients' average age was 40.5 years, and 70% were men. The average Injury Severity Score was 14.7. Three hundred eighty-three patients had 852 CT studies and 380 nonextremity radiographs imported into the trauma center's PACS. At the trauma center, 494 completion CT scans and 2,924 radiographic studies were performed on these patients. Sixty-nine repeat CT scans were performed on 55 patients, equalling a 17% repeat rate. The total value of imported CT studies was $244,373.69. Repeat imaging totaled $20,495.95, or $84.65 per patient with transferred CT studies. Conclusions Using a combination of the Internet and compact discs to transfer images during inter-hospital transfer is associated with much lower repeat rates than those in the literature, suggesting that regional PACS networks may be useful for reducing cost and radiation exposure associated with trauma.
Microemulsions of triglyceride and non-ionic surfactant — effect of temperature and aqueous phase composition

Abstract The phase behavior of soybean oil, polyoxyethylene (40) sorbitol hexaoleate and water—ethanol was investigated. Regions of water-in-oil (W/O) microemulsions were determined and were found to be strongly dependent on temperature and water:alcohol ratios. At a water:ethanol ratio of 80/20 (wt.%), an oil:surfactant ratio of 2/3 and a temperature of 25°C, the microemulsion region extended continuously from the oil—surfactant axis to the phase diagram center. However, at the hydrophilic—lipophilic balance (HLB) temperature (20–22°C) and a water:ethanol ratio of 80/20 or 75/25 (wt.%), a single-phase area separated from the original microemulsion region. Conductivity measurements and dynamic light scattering intensifies at 25°C indicated that association structures were formed with increasing aqueous phase concentrations above 15 wt.%. At 20°C, the single-phase scattering intensifies increased sharply with increasing aqueous phase concentrations (38–46 wt.%) and a plateau in the conductivity was detected. Transmission electron microscopy results supported the finding that more particles are formed with increasing aqueous phase and form connected particles, resulting in constant conductance.
Minimum Inhibitory Concentration Studies of Antimicrobic Combinations Against Saccharomyces cerevisiae in a Model Broth System

Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) studies were conducted to observe synergistiC., antagonistic or additive effects produced by combinations of butylparaben, ethanol, potassium sorbate and sodium metabisulfite against growth of two Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains (Montrachet 522 and NCSU 76) in yeast nitrogen base-glucose broth at pH 3.30. Results suggested antagonistic effects between SO2/sorbate, SO3/butylparaben and butylparaben-ethanol. Additive effects were observed between ethanol/sorbate, ethanol/SO2, and butylparaben/sorbate. No synergistic effects were detected. NCSU 76 had higher MICs than Montrachet 522 for all individual antimicrobial agents indicating greater resistance to these compounds. On an individual molar basis, MIC results indicated butylparaben was more inhibitory than the other antimicrobial agents alone.
Chromosome aberrations in four ependymomas

Abstract Cytogenetic analysis of short-term cultures from three untreated and one recurrent ependymoma revealed clonal aberrations in three of the four tumors. A posterior fossa ependymoma from a 3-year-old male patient showed trisomy 11 as the sole clonal chromosome aberration. A recurrent spinal ependymoma from a 35-year-old male showed hypertriploid clones with abnormalities involving chromosomes 1p11,7q21, and 10p13. A 62-year-old male patient with a cerebellar ependymoma showed a hypodiploid stem-cell line with clonal structural aberrations of both the long and short arms of chromosome 1, an interstitial deletion of 2q, trisomy 7, and monosomy for chromosomes 11, 13, and 16. A 3-year-old female patient with posterior fossa ependymoma showed a normal 46,XX karyotype. Chromosome 1 aberrations appear to be the most consistent finding in this small series of tumors, with the net loss or rearrangement of chromosome 1 pter→p22 material from two of the four tumors. These findings, in addition to a previously published case [1], suggest a possible role for genes on the short arm of chromosome 1 in the cytogenetic evaluation of ependymomas.
Transfer of Training and Physical Restriction of Responses

Transfer of training may be positive because of stimulus or response similarity. This paper is largely concerned with the effects of physical restriction of potential responses upon transfer of training. By controlling the range of responses allowed, it should be possible to assure different training experiences among groups. Any subsequent differences in transfer tests are rhen relatable to differences in prior practice of responses. The methods of response restriction appear to be subsumable under the broader ropic of part-whole methodology because rescricring the range of responses fractionates the total response dimension into a number of parts. The procedure used in the present experiment was to have S practice a coordinated tracing within the confines of a walled pathway. In this way, the range of errors which S could commit was drastically reduced, while a control group, practicing without walls, was free to commit and then to correct error responses. The procedure outlined above is reminiscent of earlier srudies by Carr and his students (2) where human and animal Ss were guided in various ways through maze problems. In summary, Carr has concluded thac, "For the most part, the efficacy of the tuition tended to decrease with the amount given and the later the stage at which it was inserted. The most effective results were generally secured by giving a small amount of tuition relatively early in the process of learning" (2, p. 204). Although Carr was wary of generalizing his findings to other tasks, he nevertheless identified learning of a maze with the learning of motor skill. Such identification and the results of early studies are yet the mainstay of reviews on the effects of guidance (4). In contrast, the results to be reported here suggest thac some early guidance may not be worthwhile, and that relatively large amounts of guidance can be beneficial. It is believed thac this comes about largely because the effect of extended guidance is to make- the cues and training responses more and more similar to those of the transfer test.
Structural response of A2TiO5 (A = La, Nd, Sm, Gd) to swift heavy ion irradiation

Abstract Different compositions of orthorhombic A 2 TiO 5 (A = La, Nd, Sm, Gd) have been irradiated with swift Xe ions (1.47 GeV). Systematic analysis of the structural modifications induced by ion track formation was completed using transmission electron microscopy, synchrotron X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy. Significant radiation-induced amorphization occurred, but the size of the amorphous regions within the tracks decreased as smaller cations (higher Z) occupied the A-site. This decrease in the amorphous domain size is attributed primarily to epitaxial recrystallization of a disordered phase at the outer edge of the tracks, the stability of which is related to the ratio of the ionic radii of the A- and B-site (B = Ti) cations. While similar ion track recrystallization phenomena have been observed in pyrochlores of varying composition, A 2 TiO 5 is unique in that the disordered phase is not a high-temperature polymorph, suggesting kinetic control of the radiation-induced transformation.
The effects of pentoxifylline on rat erythrocytes of different age.

Abstract Age-separated rat erythrocytes were exposed to pentoxifylline, a dimethylxanthine derivative which increases erythrocyte deformability. A comparison of drug-induced effects in young and old erythrocytes yielded age-specific alterations in: (1) accumulation of intracellular Ca 2+ ; (2) membrane protein prosphorylation; (3) ATP concentrations; and (4) membrane associated protein kinase activity. The effect of Ca 2+ accumulation and membrane protein phosphorylation appears to be biphasic. Low drug concentrations (0.5–2.5 mM) reduced intracellular Ca 2+ and increased membrane protein phosphorylation, whereas higher concentrations (4.0–5.0 mM) increased Ca 2+ levels and reduced membrane protein phosphorylation. Young cells exhibited increased ATP levels over the whole range of pentoxifylline tested; however, older erythrocytes demonstrated higher ATP levels at 5.0 mM drug only. Membrane-associated protein kinase activity was enhanced 10% in young erythrocytes at 1.0 mM pentoxifylline and decreased to 30% of control values at 4.0 and 5.0 mM drug. Protein kinase of old erythrocytes exhibited gradual inbition over the entire drug concentration range. In general, younger erythrocytes appear to be more responsive to pentoxifylline exposure. Based on these studies, it appears that the ageing of the erythrocyte and loss of deformability in vivo may be a consequence of increased Ca 2+ entry into the cell.
Laser Raman Microscopy of Chromosomes in Living Eukaryotic Cells: DNA Polymorphism In Vivo

In order to answer the question of what the structure of DNA is in the nucleus of a living cell where its long length must be subjected to repeated folds in order to pack it into such a small space, a laser Raman microscope was designed and built to take the Raman spectra of DNA in the packaged state in which it occurs in nature. Spectra were taken of the DNA in salmon sperm, squid sperm and the nucleus of the salivary gland of Drosophila melano-gaster. These measurements show that the majority of the deoxynucleotide residues in the DNA in the nucleus belongs to the B-type family of conformations. However, the DNA in the nucleus may have a different furanose ring pucker than it does in solution, which may be evidence of some significant polymorphism.
Dissociation and recombination rate constants for CN on Cu and Ni group transition metal surfaces

We report dissociation and recombination reaction rate constants for N2 on the fcc(1 1 1) surfaces of Ni, Pd, Pt, Cu, Ag and Au from molecular dynamics simulations employing our normalized bond index-reactive potential functions. The Arrhenius pre-exponentials for recombination of N2 on these surfaces are three to four orders of magnitude greater than the dissociation pre-exponentials, which is similar to results we obtained for CN. On the series of metals considered herein, the reaction energetics favor dissociation on the more active metals and favor recombination on the least active metals. The recombination of N2 on gold and silver is diffusion controlled. The large differences in the dissociation/recombination pre-exponentials express the tendency of the reaction entropy to favor the recombination on the surfaces investigated. We discuss the low sticking probability of N2 in terms of our previous modeling of adsorption/desorption processes.
Aggregation and thermo-inactivation of glutamine synthetase from an extreme thermophile, Bacillus caldolyticus.

The extreme thermophile, Bacillus caldolyticus, contains two regulatory isoforms of glutamine synthetase (glutamate-ammonia ligase, EC 6.3.1.2), E-I and E-II, produced as separate gene products. Light scattering and electron microscopy data indicate that these thermophilic enzymes aggregate to higher molecular weight species in two stages: initial polymerization of native dodecamers, followed by 'melting' of the aggregated species to produce amorphous denatured protein. The initial stages of the aggregation occurred at temperatures below those for time-dependent denaturation, especially for E-II. In contrast, mesophilic (B. subtilis) enzyme showed no evidence of temperature-dependent aggregation. Thus, aggregation may be a stabilizing mechanism for the thermophilic systems. Bound metal ions and substrates caused dramatic increases in the temperatures at which aggregation and loss of activity occurred for thermophilic enzymes. Certain combinations of ligands (e.g., MnATP + L-glutamate) acted synergistically, so that these complexes denatured only above 90 degrees C. Various models were considered for heat-driven aggregation followed by denaturation, plus ligand stabilization. Taken together, the data are most consistent with unfolding of subunits within the dodecameric unit, rather than unfolding to monomers prior to aggregation.
Fracture related reflectors in basement rock from vertical seismic profiling at Cajon Pass

Multi-azimuth VSP data acquired between 500 and 2000 meters deep in crystalline rock penetrated by the Cajon Pass deep scientific borehole show several reflectors intersecting the hole. The reflectors correlate with VSP amplitude data, drilling and cutting logs, and various geophysical logs. Most appear to be related to fracture zones or lithologic transitions accompaanied by fracturing, mineral alteration and fluid circulation. Amplitude systematics from two azimuthally different offsets are consistent with the presence of a high angle fault in the neighborhood of the well.
Temporal and Mosaic Tsc1 Deletion in the Developing Thalamus Disrupts Thalamocortical Circuitry, Neural Function, and Behavior

Summary Tuberous sclerosis is a developmental genetic disorder caused by mutations in TSC1 , which results in epilepsy, autism, and intellectual disability. The cause of these neurological deficits remains unresolved. Imaging studies suggest that the thalamus may be affected in tuberous sclerosis patients, but this has not been experimentally interrogated. We hypothesized that thalamic deletion of Tsc1 at distinct stages of mouse brain development would produce differential phenotypes. We show that mosaic Tsc1 deletion within thalamic precursors at embryonic day (E) 12.5 disrupts thalamic circuitry and alters neuronal physiology. Tsc1 deletion at this early stage is unique in causing both seizures and compulsive grooming in adult mice. In contrast, only a subset of these phenotypes occurs when thalamic Tsc1 is deleted at a later embryonic stage. Our findings demonstrate that abnormalities in a discrete population of neurons can cause global brain dysfunction and that phenotype severity depends on developmental timing and degree of genetic mosaicism.
Linkage ofaconitase-1 andmajor urinary protein-1 loci in male rats

A new major urinary protein alleleMup-lc with “null” activity was detected in males of the COP strain. The (BN X COP)F1 X COP backcross had significant segregation distortion of theMup-lc andAco-1 alleles that indicated a linkage between the genes, at a map distance of 13 ± 4 cM. The loci reside on the linkage group II of the rat with theb locus. According to our data and the results published previously, the map distance and the orientation of genes isb - 8 ± 4 -Mup-1 - 13 ±4-Aco-1. These genes form a syntenic group in both the mouse and the rat.
How to cheat in morphology: the renal ultrafilter.

Abstract It is easy to distort the “truth” in morphological reports in order to confirm a previously established dogma by selecting from a field of view only such details which are in accordance with the dogma and by ignoring parts contradictory to it. The renal corpuscle is used in this paper as an example and as a guide to the readers for future fraud.