cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analytical validation of a 47-gene NGS panel for molecular profiling of myeloid neoplasms.

e18526Background: Molecular profiling can help diagnose, classify, and guide treatment of myeloid neoplasms. Next generation sequencing (NGS) is a powerful platform that can facilitate identificati...
Using Expectancy Value Theory to Account for Individuals’ Mathematical Justifications

In mathematics education, researchers commonly infer students’ standards of conviction from the justifications that they produce. Specifically, if students justify a mathematical statement with an ...
Iterative Learning Control for High-Speed Rosette Trajectory Tracking

We demonstrate high-speed tracking of a self-repeating non-raster scan AFM pattern known as rosette. To generate this pattern, the lateral axes of the scanner trace the sum of two sinusoids with different frequencies but identical amplitudes. An iterative learning controller (ILC) is combined with a feedback controller to track this repetitive pattern. The feedback controller is designed based on the internal model principle and incorporates the fundamental reference frequencies while the ILC is employed to eliminate the repeating deterministic disturbances that appear in the tracking error. To verify the efficacy of the control approach, an experiment is conducted using a two-degree-of-freedom microelectromechanical system nanopositioner to track a rosette pattern sequentially at the rate of five frames per second. The experimental results show that the root-mean-square value of tracking error has been reduced by more than 38 % owing to the ILC.
Conceptualizing overdose trauma: The relationships between experiencing and witnessing overdoses with PTSD symptoms among street-recruited female sex workers in Baltimore, Maryland.

Abstract Background The opioid crisis has rendered witnessing and experiencing overdoses a common occurrence, especially among marginalized and drug using populations, including female sex workers (FSW). Such exposures may confer psychological trauma that has gone unrecognized. We explored relationships between experiencing and witnessing overdoses and PTSD symptomology to understand the traumatic nature of these experiences. Methods Data were from FSW (N = 380) in Baltimore City, Maryland, who reported whether they had witnessed/experienced any overdoses in the past 6 months (“overdose traumas”) and PTSD symptoms (PCL-5). We tested for associations between overdose traumas and PTSD diagnoses/symptomology in bivariate logistic regression models and multivariate models, adjusting for sociodemographic, experiences of violence, and drug use characteristics. Results In our sample, 35.3% witnessed a fatal overdose, 51.9% witnessed a non-fatal overdose, and 28.3% experienced an overdose in the past 6 months. More than half (52.4%) met criteria for PTSD. Most endorsed symptoms within each PTSD domain: 63.2% for intrusive, 58.4% for avoidance, 66.1% for cognition/mood, and 64.7% for arousal/reactivity symptoms. Experiencing an overdose was associated with meeting PTSD criteria and symptoms in all domains in bivariate models. Witnessing an overdose was associated with PTSD diagnoses and intrusive and arousal/reactivity symptoms in bivariate models. Adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and drug use, experiencing an overdose was associated with intrusive and cognition/mood symptoms, while neither trauma remained associated with PTSD diagnoses. Conclusions Traumas related to overdose, coined “overdose traumas” appear to be extremely psychologically traumatic, though the relationships vary by type and symptom. Programs should be cognizant of psychological trauma to address the full spectrum of overdose harms. Existing measures of PTSD do not accurately represent the effects of overdose traumas in populations like FSW due to the structural barriers to avoiding locations/situations where overdoses may occur and the overlap between symptoms, drug effects, and adaptive responses to homelessness.
Development of UV Shape-Changing Polymer Ultrasound Contrast Agents for Biomedical Applications

Microbubbles, as contrast agents and drug carriers, have been widely used for theranostic applications with ultrasound technology over the past three decades. Research in microbubbles has undergone numerous improvements from a compositional perspective as researchers aim for enhanced targeted drug delivery. Microbubbles shells, which typically encapsulate a gaseous core, are conventionally classified into three type's proteins, lipids, and polymers. Microbubbles will volumetrically oscillate or crack in an ultrasound field, which can be useful in targeted drug delivery applications. Polylactic Acid (PLA) can be used to fabricate microbubbles; drugs of interest can be encapsulated into the polymer shells. They can be released at the site with the application of ultrasound to achieve targeted drug delivery. However, two limitations encountered with this microbubble are a lack of controlled drug release upon triggering and the elasticity of the polymer shell in an ultrasound field. This research is focused on the development of novel Ultraviolet (UV) sensitive shape changeable polylactic acid (PLA) microbubbles to control shell properties by incorporation of a Poly (beta-aminoester) containing Azobenzene (ABP). We propose that the unique contrast agent developed in this study can be tuned to control shell elasticity and shell porosity for imaging and drug release in vivo, as well as other biomedical applications.
Homoeologous recombination is recurrent in the nascent synthetic allotetraploid Arachis ipaënsis × Arachis correntina4x and its derivatives.

Genome instability in newly synthesized allotetraploids of peanut has breeding implications that have not been fully appreciated. Synthesis of wild species-derived neo-tetraploids offers the opportunity to broaden the gene pool of peanut; however, the dynamics among the newly merged genomes creates predictable and unpredictable variation. Selfed progenies from the neo-tetraploid Arachis ipaensis × Arachis correntina (A. ipaensis × A. correntina)4x and F1 hybrids and F2 progenies from crosses between A. hypogaea × [A. ipaensis × A. correntina]4x were genotyped by the Axiom Arachis 48 K SNP array. Homoeologous recombination between the A. ipaensis and A. correntina derived subgenomes was observed in the S0 generation. Among the S1 progenies, these recombined segments segregated and new events of homoeologous recombination emerged. The genomic regions undergoing homoeologous recombination segregated mostly disomically in the F2 progenies from A. hypogaea × [A. ipaensis × A. correntina]4x crosses. New homoeologous recombination events also occurred in the F2 population, mostly found on chromosomes 03, 04, 05, and 06. From the breeding perspective, these phenomena offer both possibilities and perils; recombination between genomes increases genetic diversity, but genome instability could lead to instability of traits or even loss of viability within lineages.
Differences in alcohol-related protective behavioral strategies among female and male college students

Abstract Alcohol use is prevalent among college students, and some are at risk for developing alcohol use disorders. However, many students report using alcohol without experiencing negative consequences, which may be due, in part, to use of protective behavioral strategies (PBS). Although evidence of PBS effectiveness on reducing alcohol use and negative consequences is mixed, gender/sex differences in PBS use remain a consistent finding. To further explore these associations, we used item response theory models and assessed item-level PBS correlations with alcohol outcomes separately for female and males. Results indicated specific items exhibited significant sex differences in the amount of information and location of information across the latent trait. Some items provided little information across females and males, suggesting these items can be removed. All PBS items significantly associated with alcohol outcomes were negative in direction, but effects ranged from small to large in magnitude. These findings suggest strategies that are effective against alcohol-related harms vary across females and males, and PBS measurement may be improved by establishing sex-specific norms and analyzing females and males separately when studying PBS. Future research priorities include examining PBS among intersex, trans, and nonbinary people.
Genetic reduction of tyramine β hydroxylase suppresses Tau toxicity in a Drosophila model of tauopathy.

Abstract Tauopathies are a class of neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the abnormal phosphorylation and accumulation of the microtubule-associated protein, Tau. These diseases are associated with degeneration and dysfunction of the noradrenergic system, a critical regulator of memory, locomotion, and the fight or flight response. Though Tau pathology accumulates early in noradrenergic neurons, the relationship between noradrenaline signaling and tauopathy pathogenesis remains unclear. The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, is a valuable model organism commonly used to investigate factors that promote Tau-mediated degeneration. Moreover, Drosophila contain the biogenic amine, octopamine, which is the functional homolog to noradrenaline. Using a Drosophila model of tauopathy, we conducted a candidate modifier screen targeting tyramine β hydroxylase (tβh), the enzyme that controls the production of octopamine in the fly, to determine if levels of this enzyme modulate Tau-induced degeneration in the fly eye. We found that genetic reduction of tβh suppresses Tau toxicity, independent of Tau phosphorylation. These findings show that reduction of tβh, a critical enzyme in the octopaminergic pathway, suppresses Tau pathogenicity and establishes an interaction that can be further utilized to determine the relationship between noradrenergic-like signaling and Tau toxicity in Drosophila.
Corporate Governance in the Hospitality and Tourism Industry: Theoretical Foundations and Future Research:

Although the importance of effective corporate governance for firm performance is recognized by scholars across hospitality and tourism (HT) as well as finance and general management fields, there ...
Rising sea level

Abstract A topic of increasing concern is sea-level rise (SLR), which is now unstoppable (Hall et al., 2019). Height above (or below) sea level is one of our most basic parameters, but now the reference point is moving. A driving force for the rise is the warming ocean, a key aspect of the larger phenomenon of climate change, also referred to as global warming. The global volume of the ocean is changing due to ice melting on land and the thermal expansion of seawater. As this chapter will explore, we now face the prospect of meters of SLR regardless of the efforts to slow the warming (Hansen et al., 2016). In most situations, out on the “blue ocean,” in water thousands of meters deep, rising sea level is not likely to have substantial effect. That is, in deep water, even adding another 3 m (∼10 feet) of ocean height will rarely be significant. However, in the shallow coastal zone, estuaries, and at low-elevation land areas, the effect of rising sea level will likely have huge significance and effect.
Hard x-ray nano-XANES and implementation deep learning tools for multi-modal chemical imaging

Spectromicroscopy techniques allow the study of local chemical states along with morphology information. At the hard X-ray nanoprobe (HXN) beamline at NSLS-II, we developed nanoscale chemical imaging with high chemical state sensitivity and micron-scale penetration depth. In addition to the chemical images, XRF and phase-contrast images collected simultaneously offer multi-modal, correlative image analysis. We also developed a highly interactive, python-based graphical user interface (NSLS-II MIDAS) that allows multi-modal analysis of nano-XANES and XRF images. Advanced supervised and unsupervised learning algorithms enable users to explore the traditional XANES analysis along with standard machine-learning tools
Thymosin Fraction 5 Treatment of Patients with Cellular Immunodeficiency Disorders

Restoration of cellular immunity in children with primary immunodeficiency disorders is best achieved by bone marrow transplantation from a histocompatible donor. In the absence of such a donor, there is no consistent source of cells or factors to reconstitute these patients. Fetal thymus transplantation may result in partial restoration of cellular immunity (Ammann et al., 1975). Steele et al. (1972) suggested that the fetal thymus produces a factor(s) capable of rapidly reconstituting cellular immunity in infants with Di George syndrome following transplantation in a cell-impermeable chamber.
Reasoning and modeling paradigms are incompatible

Object-oriented and logic-programming paradigms are shown to be incompatible as component-based models of computation. This impossibility result, based on a new notion of observability of interactions among components, suggests that combining object-oriented with logic programming is not merely hard but impossible. It implies the more general incompatibility of reasoning and modeling and the impossibility of reducing modeling to reasoning as in automatic program verification. While paradigmatic incompatibility is the most startling result, the novel use of models and metrics is of independent interest. A notion of software complexity with parallels to computational complexity, and a notion of LP-completeness that parallels NP-completeness are introduced. >
Sprouts emerging from the dendrites of axotomized lamprey central neurons have axonlike ultrastructure

We have examined the dendritic and axonal ultrastructure of intact anterior bulbar reticulospinal neurons (ABCs) in the CNS of the larval sea lamprey and compared it with that of the dendrites and neuritic sprouts from ABCs examined 2 months following axotomy. Dendrites and axons of intact ABCs are distinguishable from one another by several ultrastructural criteria: (1) the predominance of microtubules in the dendritic cytoskeleton and neurofilaments in that of the axon, (2) the exclusively postsynaptic status of the dendrites versus the presynaptic status of the axon, and (3) the presence of polyribosomes and large numbers of mitochondria in the dendrites and their respective absence and scarcity in the axon. The ultrastructure of axonal sprouts evoked by axotomy of ABCs 1–1.5 mm from their somata (“intermediate axotomy”) in many ways resembled that of intact axons. Axonal sprouts were presynaptic to other neurons, and their cytoskeletons consisted mainly of neurofilaments. They also exhibited some features not seen in either axons or dendrites, such as numerous clusters of small vesicles that were not associated with synapses and, in some cases, close associations with glial elements. We also examined sprouts emerging from the dendrites of ABCs following axotomy within 500 microns of their somata (“close axotomy”) and found that such “dendritic” sprouts closely resembled axonal sprouts; they possessed neurofilament- dominated cytoskeletons, were presynaptic to other neurons, and were often associated with glial elements. The dendrites of ABCs undergoing dendritic sprouting retained their normal gross morphology but possessed a mixture of “axonal” and “dendritic” ultrastructural characteristics, exhibiting neurofilament-dominated cytoskeletons while remaining entirely postsynaptic to other neurons. However, there were significantly fewer synapses on the dendrites of axotomized cells than were found on the dendrites of intact ABCs. We conclude that sprouts evoked by axotomy are intrinsically axonal in character whether they originate from the axon stump or from the dendritic tree. Our results also suggest that the materials necessary for axonal regeneration may displace elements of the dendritic cytoskeleton as they are transported through the dendrites to the emerging “dendritic” sprouts following close axotomy.
A Hierarchy of Computably Enumerable Reals

Computably enumerable (c.e., for short) reals are the limits of computable increasing sequences of rational numbers. In this paper we introduce the notion of h-bounded c.e. reals by restricting numbers of big jumps in the sequences by the function h and shown an Ershov-style hierarchy of h-bounded c.e. reals which holds even in the sense of Turing degrees. To explore the possible hierarchy of c.e. sets, we look at the h-initially bounded computable sets which restricts number of the changes of the initial segments. This, however, does not lead to an Ershov-style hierarchy. Finally we show a computability gap between computable reals and the strongly c.e. reals, that is, a strongly c.e. real cannot be approximated by a computable increasing sequence of rational numbers whose big jump numbers are bounded by a constant unless it is computable.
Bioconductance as adjunctive technique for evaluation of patients with lung masses detected by chest CT

Introduction: CT screening may reduce LC mortality in high risk subjects but also find many masses with indeterminate features resulting in invasive procedures for benign lesions. Aims: We hypothesize that trans-thoracic bioelectrical conductance measurements may discriminate benign from malignant CT-detected lesions. Methods: 41 subjects with CT-detected masses and or lung cancer symptoms such as cough, hoarseness, dyspnea, hemoptysis, weight loss or recurrent respiratory infections enrolled. Prior to biopsy, measured 9 parameters at 62 sites were conducted with Bioconductance Scan Platform (BSP). For each subject a composite score from collected data was calculated and an optimal cut-point set to discriminate between the malignant and benign outcomes selected. Results: 26 pathology-confirmed NSCLC, 2 SCLC, 1 carcinoid whereas 12 had a benign outcome based on pathology (9) or stable follow-up CT (3). BSP data for LC cases: 26 true positives, 3 false negatives (including the carcinoid), 90% sensitivity. For benign cases, the BSP resulted in 1 false positive,11 true negatives, 92% specificity. The overall ROC from BSP analysis was 91%. Conclusion: BSP bioconductance measurements is associated strongly with a thoracic cancer or benignity. A technology that non-invasively provides adjunctive information to CT scanning to decide whether biopsy or further follow-up is appropriate will be an important clinical tool.
α-Galactosylceramide stimulates splenic lymphocyte proliferation in vitro and increases antibody production in vivo in late neonatal-age mice

The neonatal stage is characterized by weak responses to various infections and vaccines, thus the development of efficient formulas to improve vaccine effectiveness is of high priority. The glycolipid alpha galactosylceramide (αGalCer) is known as a potent immune modulator due mainly to natural killer (NK) T cell activation. Using a mouse tetanus toxoid (TT) immunization model, we observed that neonatal mice given αGalCer at the time of primary immunization on postnatal day (pnd) 17 had a significantly higher TT-specific immunoglobulin (Ig)M response as well as a memory IgG response, while αGalCer given on pnd 7 resulted in only marginal boosting. Consistently, immunostaining of the spleen sections from αGalCer-treated pnd 17 immunized neonates showed a higher number of Ki67+ cells in the splenic germinal centre area, suggesting a stronger response after immunization. In-vitro kinetic studies revealed that spleen cells from newborn to pnd 7 neonates did not respond to αGalCer stimulation, whereas cell proliferation was increased markedly by αGalCer after pnd 7, and became dramatic around neonatal pnd 17–18, which was accompanied by increased B, T and NK T cell populations in the spleen. In addition, in pnd 17 spleen cells, αGalCer significantly stimulated the production of NK T cytokines, interleukin (IL)-4 and interferon (IFN)-γ, and promoted the proliferation of CD23+ B cells, a subset of B cells enriched in germinal centres. These data suggest that αGalCer is an effective immune stimulus in the late neonatal stage, and thus may be useful in translational studies to test as a potential adjuvant to achieve a more efficient response to immunization.
Studies on the membranes of bacilli. I. Phospholipid biosynthesis.

Abstract Ghosts of a Bacillus sp. isolated from a culture of Bacillus megaterium KM were prepared by the lysozyme technique and found to be free of several typical cytoplasmic and cell wall components. All of the enzymes responsible for the synthesis of phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol from phosphatidic acid were found to be present in the ghosts. The biosynthesis of phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol was shown to proceed via CDP-diglyceride as a common intermediate. When synthesized in vitro this intermediate, as well as the end products, were found to be associated with the ghosts. In studies of the properties of the individual enzymes, it was found that all of the enzymatic activities were stimulated by addition of Mg++ and a nonionic detergent, and had similar pH optima.
Strategies for the development of gadolinium-based ‘q’-activatable MRI contrast agents

The emergence and rapid development of activatable contrast agents (CAs), whose relaxivity changes in response to the variation of a specific marker in the surrounding physiological microenvironment, have expanded the scope of MRI beyond anatomical and functional imaging to also convey information at the cellular and molecular level. The essence of an activatable MRI CA is the difference in relaxivity before and after a change in a physiological variable: the larger the difference, the better the CA. In this review, strategies for the design of activatable gadolinium CAs, with a switching mechanism based on the modulation of hydration (q), sensitive to common variables in the physiological microenvironment, such as pH, light, redox and metal ions, are illustrated and discussed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Quantum dot fluorescence quenching pathways with Cr(III) complexes. photosensitized NO production from trans-Cr(cyclam)(ONO)2+.

Described is the photoluminescence (PL) of water-soluble CdSe/ZnS core/shell quantum dots (QDs) as perturbed by salts of the chromium(III) complexes trans-Cr(cyclam)Cl2+ (1), trans-Cr(cyclam)(ONO)2+ (2), and trans-Cr(cyclam)(CN)2+ (3) (cyclam = 1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclo-tetradecane). The purpose is to probe the characteristics of such QDs as antennae for photosensitized release of bioactive agents (in the present case, the bioregulatory molecule NO) from transition metal centers. Addition of 1 or 2 to a QD solution results in concentration-dependent quenching of the band edge emission, but 3 has a minimal effect. Added KCl strongly attenuates the quenching by 1, and this suggests that the Cr(III) cations and the QDs form electrostatic assemblies via ion pairing on the negatively charged QD surfaces. Quenching by 2, a known photochemical NO precursor, was accompanied by photosensitized NO release. All three, however, do quench the broad red emission (∼650−850 nm) attributed to radiative decay of surface trapp...
A Comparative Study of Fibronectin Cleavage by MMP-1, -3, -13, and -14:

Fibronectin fragments are important for synovial inflammation and the progression of arthritis, and thus, identifying potential enzymatic pathways that generate these fragments is of vital importance. The objective of this study was to determine the cleavage efficiency of fibronectin by matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-1, MMP-3, MMP-13, and MMP-14). Intact human plasma fibronectin was co-incubated with activated MMPs in neutral or acidic pH for up to 24 hours at 37 °C. The size and distribution of fibronectin fragments were determined by Western blot analysis using antibodies that recognized the N-terminals of fibronectin. All MMPs were able to cleave fibronectin at neutral pH. MMP-13 and -14 had the highest efficiency followed by MMP-3 and -1. MMP-3, -13, and -14 generated 70-kDa fragments, a known pro-inflammatory peptide. Further degradation of fibronectin fragments was only found for MMP-13 and -14, generating 52-kDa, 40-kDa, 32-kDa, and 29-kDa fragments. Fibronectin fragments of similar size were also found in the articular cartilage of femoral condyles of normal bovine knee joints. At acidic pH (5.5), the activities of MMP-1 and -14 were nearly abolished, while MMP-3 had a greater efficiency than MMP-13 even though the activities of both MMPs were significantly reduced. These findings suggest that MMP-13 and -14 may play a significant role in the cleavage of fibronectin and the production of fibronectin fragments in normal and arthritic joints.
AMPHIDINIUM OPERCULATUM VAR. NOV. GIBBOSUM (DINOPHYCEAE), A FREE-SWIMMING MARINE SPECIES PRODUCING CYTOTOXIC METABOLITES1

A single-cell isolate of Amphidinium from the northern Caribbean Sea was identified as A. operculatum Clap. et Lack. var. nov. gibbosum Maranda et Shimizu based on a morphological and ultrastructural study. This free-swimming dinoflagellate, which was found to produce potent antitumor metabolites, is elongate and asymmetrical. It is compared with two close relatives A. klebsii Kofoid et Swezy and A. carterae Hulburt. Amphidinium operculatum var. gibbosum can be distinguished from A. klebsii on the basis of shape while it differs from A. carterae on the basis of size, shape, cell surface, and chloroplast arrangement. The shape and size of the nucleus and the presence of mucocysts also differentiate the gibbosum variety from its two relatives. The architecture of the pusule may ultimately provide the best ultrastructural discriminating character. Otherwise, the general ultra-structure of the Caribbean isolate is typical of many unarmored photo synthetic dinoflagellates with amphiesma, condensed chromosomes, trichocysts, mitochondria with tubular cristae, and trilamellar chloroplasts.
Integrated Langmuir Devices: Structural And Microprocessing Methods

Integrated Langmuir devices: structural and microprocessing methodsScott E. Rickert and Jerome B. LandoDepartment of Macromolecular Science, Case Western Reserve UniversityCleveland, Ohio 44106 U.S.A.AbstractIntegrated Langmuir Devices ( "ILD's ") are hybrid microelectronic and microptic devicesdeveloped at the Polymer Microdevice Laboratory ( "PML ") at Case Western Reserve University.These devices are part organic /polymeric and part inorganic, utilizing the more desirablefeatures of each to create multifunctional devices. Langmuir films prepared by the Lang -muir- Blodgett technique have been successfully integrated into the conventional batch pro-cessing methodologies of usual semiconductors. ILD's processing techniques and severalproducts from this process technology are described.IntroductionOne of the greatest challenges facing the field of microptics is the development of ap-propriate materials for large scale integration. Although large single crystals of a vari-ety of inorganic and organic, optically active materials can now be easily grown, thesematerials tend to be brittle, fragile, and almost impossible to reliably process in this
Water desorption properties of separated manure solids

Abstract Separated manure solids were collected from three dairy farms with different solid-liquid manure separators. Desorption isotherms were obtained for water desorption equilibria at five temperature levels. Three isotherm models were fitted to the data. Equations for estimating the isosteric and integral heats of desorption were also developed.
Changes in the fine structure of rat visceral yolk-sac placenta during prolonged pregnancy.

Visceral yolk-sac membranes were obtained surgically from viable rat fetuses which had been retained experimentally in utero in lactating animals for as long as 3 days beyond delivery of their littermates. They were examined with the electron microscope. The fine structure of the yolk-sac placental membrane (i.e., the tissues separating vitelline capillary lumina from the uterine cavity) remained unimpaired during the delay period. Progressive changes included a decrease in the height of the endodermal epithelium, but a thickening of the basement membrane underlying it by repeated replication of the subepithelial basal lamina and an increase in collagen fiber content in the reticular lamina. Transcytosis across the endothelium of the capillaries of the peripheral vitelline circulation remained unchanged throughout the delay period; endocytosis of materials, presumably maternal serum proteins, from the uterine cavity into the apices of the endodermal epithelium, however, decreased with time. At the oldest stage (26 days post-coitum) most endocytosed materials had been stored for hydrolysis in large subapical vacuoles which were identified as secondary lysosomes; and evidence of uptake from the uterine lumen was essentially absent. Accordingly, placental transport of protein by the visceral yolk sac of the rat can be regarded as a perinatal process. The action of an elaborately developed and well-preserved Golgi apparatus in both cellular mechanisms, viz., digestion of maternal proteins and protein transfer, was inferred.
Carcinoma of the cervix, FIGO Stage IB: Treatment failures

All patients with carcinoma of the cervix, FIGO Stage IB, treated at the University of Minnesota Hospitals during a 10-year period were reviewed. Of the 220 patients 31 (14.0%) developed recurrent disease and did not survive. Thirteen patients had pelvic wall recurrences, with concurrent cervical involvement. No patient had a resectable pelvic recurrence. Hysterectomy was subsequently performed on 10 of the 172 patients who received radiation therapy. Carcinoma was not present in any of the operative specimens although two patients with adenocarcinoma later died of metastatic cancer. Median time of recurrence was 9 months, with median survival following recurrence of 6 months. Cervical cytology was not of value in the early diagnosis of recurrent disease. The 5-year adjusted actuarial survival rate for patients with adenosquamous carcinoma was significantly lower than that for patients with squamous cell carcinoma. The median age of patients not surviving with adenosquamous carcinoma was significantly lower than that for patients not surviving with squamous cell carcinoma. Patients with invasive carcinoma presumably confined to the cervix may have disseminated disease. It is essential such selected patients receive primary treatment that includes systemic therapy.
Fulminant disseminated carcinomatosis arising from squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue

Squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue tends to be an indolent disease. Tumors that present as small, localized lesions of the anterior tongue have a median five-year survival greater than 70 percent whether treated by irradiation or surgery. Distant metastases occur in only 7.5 percent. This report describes a well-differentiated T1N0M0 squamous cell carcinoma of the anterior tongue that progressed from diagnosis to death of the patient in less than nine months. At autopsy, the tumor had disseminated widely, including simultaneous metastases to all layers of the heart. It is concluded that factors other than morphology and anatomic extent at presentation may modify prognosis in squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue.
No Sliding during Homology Search by RecA Protein

The RecA protein of Escherichia coli is a prototype of the RecA/Rad51 family of proteins that exist in virtually all the organisms. In a process called DNA synapsis, RecA first polymerizes onto a single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) molecule; the resulting RecA-ssDNA complex then searches for and binds to a double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) molecule containing the almost identical, or "homologous, " sequence. The RecA-ssDNA complex thus can be envisioned as a sequence-specific binding entity. How does the complex search for its target buried within nonspecific sequences? One possible mechanism is the sliding mechanism, in which the complex first binds to a dsDNA molecule nonspecifically and then linearly diffuses, or slides, along the dsDNA. To understand the mechanism of homology search by RecA, this sliding model was tested. A plasmid containing four homologous targets in tandem was constructed and used as the dsDNA substrate in the synapsis reaction. If the sliding is the predominant search mode, the two outermost targets should act as more efficient targets than the inner targets. No such positional preference was observed, indicating that a long range sliding of the RecA-ssDNA complex does not occur. These and other available data can be adequately explained by a simple three-dimensional random collision mechanism.
Electron energy loss spectroscopy; history and related matters

This paper begins with some historical remarks regarding the author’s early interest in the use of electron energy loss spectroscopy to probe dynamical phenomena on crystal surfaces. We then discuss the physical nature of the interactions responsible for vibrational and spin waves losses, with attention to their role in related phenomena.
Scaling of Nonlinear Susceptibility in MnCu and GdAl Spin-Glasses

SQUID measurements of susceptibility X versus field 0 are fitted by X= yp —p~H at a given temperature T, for two classic spin-glasses: 4.6' Mn in Cu (polycrystalline) and 37% Gd in Al (amorphous). X&(T) shows a much stronger anomaly than po(T), while a(T) has a minimum at the freezing temperature T~. The data can also be scaled according to y, —X=H' f((T Tf)—/H' ~) with 6= 5+1 and y = 4 5+p 5.
Altering thoughts and judgements through repeated association

The present studies tested the idea that consistently pairing an attitude object with positive or negative words would colour subsequent thoughts and judgements about the object. The results of the first experiment revealed that countries were judged to possess more favourable economic conditions after pairing country names with positive as opposed to negative words. The second experiment replicated the findings of the first, and revealed a tendency to produce thoughts about the attitude obje***ct that were congruent with the valence of previously paired associates. These studies demonstrate that repeated association can have implications for subsequent, seemingly unrelated, assessments of an attitude object.
Transport rate of drifting snow and the mean wind speed profile

Transport rates, measured by weighing snow blown into a filter fabric trap, were greater over hard snow or ice than for the same wind speed over soft, fresh snow surfaces. Analysis of wind speed profiles from nine blizzards showed that friction between moving particles and the surface was less, and particle speeds were greater over hard surfaces. Transport rates at a given wind speed increased rapidly as aerodynamic roughness decreased in the rough-smooth transition region. Bagnold's theory for bed load transport provided a useful framework for the analysis.
Magnetic-field-driven destruction of quantum Hall states in a double quantum well.

The magnetotransport of double-quantum-well structures reveals a high-magnetic-field regime in which quantum Hall states at odd-integer \ensuremath{\nu} are missing, where \ensuremath{\nu} is the number of filled energy levels. In these double wells, the \ensuremath{\nu}=odd quantum Hall states originate from the symmetric-antisymmetric energy gap. With increasing barrier thickness between the two wells, initially the magnetic field destroys only the \ensuremath{\nu}=1 state, then both the \ensuremath{\nu}=1 and \ensuremath{\nu}=3 states disappear. We attribute their destruction to the onset of interwell electron density fluctuations.
Terahertz sensing using ferroelectric nanowires.

Molecular dynamics simulations are used to study the interaction of ferroelectric nanowires with terahertz (THz) Gaussian-shaped pulses of electric field. The computational data indicate the existence of two interaction scenarios that are associated with ‘lossless’ and dissipative, or ‘lossy’, interaction mechanisms. A thermodynamical approach is used to analyze the computational data for a wide range of THz pulses. The analysis establishes the foundation for understanding the nanowires’ response to the THz pulses and reveals the potential of ferroelectric nanowires to function as nanoscale sensors of THz radiation. Various aspects of this THz nanosensing are analyzed and discussed.
Multiple forms of inducible drug-metabolizing enzymes: a reasonable mechanism by which any organism can cope with adversity.

All organisms possess a number of genetically regulated mechanisms in order to cope with rapid adverse changes in the environment. The two systems which appear to respond to a seemingly endless array of chemical specificities are the immune response and the induction of drug-metabolizing enzymes. Similarities and differences between the immunoglobulin and the cytochrome P-450-mediated monooxygenase systems are described. DNA insertion sequences, plasmid “transposons,” maize “controlling elements,” gene duplication, intervening sequences, and high-frequency intergenic recombination are all discussed as possible methods by which organisms can “adapt” quickly to a new selective pressure. If the regulation of P-450 induction resembles in any way the other methods by which pro- and eukaryotes cope genetically with numerous forms of environmental adversity, therefore, it is very likely that mammalian tissues contain hundreds, if not thousands, of inducible forms of P-450.
Dexamethasone inhibition and phorbol myristate acetate stimulation of plasminogen activator in human embryonic lung cells.

Abstract Treatment of human embryonic lung cells with dexamethasone resulted in a decrease in plasminogen activator activity measured in the fibrinolytic assay. The decrease in activity could at least partially be explained by the presence of an inhibitory substance(s) based on the following observations of lysates of dexamethasone-treated vs. control cells: a) an increase in specific activity following subcellular fractionation; b) an increase in fibrinolytic activity following separation by gel electrophoresis; c) an increase in fibrinolytic activity following mild acid-treatment; and d) a decrease in urokinase-directed fibrinolytic activity in mixing experiments. Phorbol myristate acetate increased plasminogen activator activity without affecting the level of inhibitory substance.
Self-reported cannabis use characteristics, patterns and helpfulness among medical cannabis users

Objectives: Little research has investigated the demographic and symptom profile of medical cannabis users in states in the USA that have legalized cannabis use. Methods: In the present cross-secti...
Phase II study of accelerated fractionation radiation therapy with carboplatin followed by vincristine chemotherapy for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme

Abstract Purpose: To conduct a Phase II one-arm study to evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of accelerated fractionated radiotherapy combined with intravenous carboplatin for patients with previously untreated glioblastoma multiforme tumors. Methods and Materials: Between 1988 and 1992, 83 patients received 1.9 – 2.0 Gy radiation three times a day with 2-h infusions of 33 mg/m 3 carboplatin for two 5-day cycles separated by 2 weeks; following radiotherapy, patients received procarbazine, lomustine (CCNU), and vincristine (PCV) for 1 year or until tumor progressed. Results: Eighty-three patients were evaluable for analysis. Seventy-four of the 83 patients (89%) received one or more courses of PCV; their median survival was 55 weeks. Total resection was performed in 20% (15 of 74), subtotal resection in 69% (51 of 74), and biopsy in 11% (8 of 74); reoperation (total or subtotal resection) was performed in 28 patients (37%). Survival was worst for those ≥ 61 year old (median 35 weeks). Fits of the Cox proportional hazards regression model showed covariates individually predictive of improved survival were younger age ( p p = 0.008), total or subtotal resection vs. biopsy ( p = 0.056), and higher Karnofsky performance status ( p = 0.055) A. multivariate analysis showed that age ( p = 0.013) and extent of initial surgery ( p = 0.003) together were predictive of a better survival with no other variables providing additional significance. Only 8.4% (7 of 83) of patients had clinically documented therapy-associated neurotoxicity ("radiation necrosis"). Conclusion: When comparable selection criteria were applied, the survival in this study is similar to the results currently attainable with other chemoradiation approaches. The relative safety of accelerated fractionated radiotherapy, as used in this study with carboplatin, enables concomitant full-dose administration of chemotherapy or radiosensitizing agents in glioblastoma multiforme patients.
Filler leachability during water storage of six composite materials

Six different dental composite materials were investigated regarding leaching of filler elements such as silicon, barium, and zinc. The leaching was conducted by storing the samples in distilled water at 60 degrees C for half a year. The results could not prove that the leaching behavior of filler elements in most of the investigated cases decreases with time. The practical implications of this study could be important. If other elements follow the same leaching pattern, therapeutic elements such as fluoride could be incorporated in filler particles. The tendency of composites to leach filler elements almost linearly with time, could be used to generate a constant release rate of such therapeutic elements over time. Such an application could have a major impact on controlling caries adjacent to composite restorations and sealants.
Walking the walk: conceptual foundations of the Sustainable Personality

Abstract Systems Theory in sustainability studies has normally not been extended beyond environmental, economic, and social contexts. The role of the individual is critical to the success of sustainability efforts across other contexts. Sustainable Personality explores the fundamental conceptual foundations for sustainable behavior and the role of the individual in environmental, social, and economic sustainability. This paper provides a broad historical foundation, starting with Greek philosophy, for the concept of Sustainable Personality. The authors' purpose is to demonstrate that our global sustainability problems stem largely from individual limitations, and that meaningful human change begins with individual change. In particular, the challenge of increasing sustainable action by empowering individuals to align their behaviors with their admirable values is explored.
A Simple Method for Estimating the Parameters of the Beta Distribution Applied to Modeling Uncertainty in Gas Turbine Inlet Temperature

The beta distribution is a particularly convenient model for random variables when only the minimum, maximum and most likely values are available. It is also very useful for estimating the mean and standard deviation given this information. In this paper a simple method is proposed to estimate the beta parameters from these three values. The proposed method has advantages over the conventional approach. In the conventional approach, the four parameters of the beta distribution are determined from only three values by assuming a standard deviation that is one-sixth the range. In contrast, the new method assumes a value for one of the beta shape parameters based on an analogy with the normal distribution. This new approach allows for a very simple algebraic solution of the beta shape parameters in contrast to the simultaneous solution required by the conventional method. The results of the proposed method are very similar to the conventional method. However, the proposed method generally gives a slightly higher (more conservative) estimate of the standard deviation when the distribution is skewed. In addition, the new approach allows the standard deviation to vary as the shape or skew of the distribution varies. Both methods were applied to modeling the probability distribution of temperature.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Delayed transition to new cell fates during cellular reprogramming

In many embryos specification toward one cell fate can be diverted to a different cell fate through a reprogramming process. Understanding how that process works will reveal insights into the developmental regulatory logic that emerged from evolution. In the sea urchin embryo, cells at gastrulation were found to reprogram and replace missing cell types after surgical dissections of the embryo. Non-skeletogenic mesoderm (NSM) cells reprogrammed to replace missing skeletogenic mesoderm cells and animal caps reprogrammed to replace all endomesoderm. In both cases evidence of reprogramming onset was first observed at the early gastrula stage, even if the cells to be replaced were removed earlier in development. Once started however, the reprogramming occurred with compressed gene expression dynamics. The NSM did not require early contact with the skeletogenic cells to reprogram, but the animal cap cells gained the ability to reprogram early in gastrulation only after extended contact with the vegetal halves prior to that time. If the entire vegetal half was removed at early gastrula, the animal caps reprogrammed and replaced the vegetal half endomesoderm. If the animal caps carried morpholinos to either hox11/13b or foxA (endomesoderm specification genes), the isolated animal caps failed to reprogram. Together these data reveal that the emergence of a reprogramming capability occurs at early gastrulation in the sea urchin embryo and requires activation of early specification components of the target tissues.
Dynamic characterization for tumor- and deformation-induced thermal contrasts on breast surface: a simulation study

Understanding the complex relationship between the thermal contrasts on the breast surface and the underlying physiological and pathological factors is important for thermogram-based breast cancer detection. Our previous work introduced a combined thermal-elastic modeling method with improved ability to simultaneously characterize both elastic-deformation-induced and tumor-induced thermal contrasts on the breast. In this paper, the technique is further extended to investigate the dynamic behaviors of the breast thermal contrasts during cold stress and thermal recovery procedures in the practice of dynamic thermal imaging. A finite-element method (FEM) has been developed for dynamic thermal and elastic modeling. It is combined with a technique to address the nonlinear elasticity of breast tissues, as would arise in the large deformations caused by gravity. Our simulation results indicate that different sources of the thermal contrasts, such as the presence of a tumor, and elastic deformation, have different transient time courses in dynamic thermal imaging with cold-stress and thermal-recovery. Using appropriate quantifications of the thermal contrasts, we find that the tumor- and deformation-induced thermal contrasts show opposite changes in the initial period of the dynamic courses, whereas the global maxima of the contrast curves are reached at different time points during a cold-stress or thermal-recovery procedure. Moreover, deeper tumors generally lead to smaller peaks but have larger lags in the thermal contrast time course. These findings suggest that dynamic thermal imaging could be useful to differentiate the sources of the thermal contrast on breast surface and hence to enhance tumor detectability.