cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Morphology and mechanical properties of polypropylene/organoclay nanocomposites

Polypropylene (PP) nanocomposites were prepared by melt intercalation in an intermeshing corotating twin-screw extruder. The effect of molecular weight of PP-MA (maleic anhydride- modified polypropylene) on clay dispersion and mechanical properties of nanocomposites was investigated. After injection molding, the tensile properties and impact strength were measured. The best overall mechanical properties were found for composites containing PP-MA having the highest molecular weight. The basal spacing of clay in the composites was measured by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Nanoscale morphology of the samples was observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The crystallization kinetics was measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and optical microscopy at a fixed crystallization temperature. Increasing the clay content in PP- MA330k/clay, a well-dispersed two-component system, caused the impact strength to decrease while the crystallization kinetics and the spherulite size remained almost the same. On the other hand, PP/PP-MA330k/clay, an intercalated three-component system containing some dispersed clay as well as the clay tactoids, showed a much smaller size of spherulites and a slight increase in impact strength with increasing the clay content. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 85: 1562–1570, 2002
HAEMOPOIETIC TRANSPLANTATION FOR THALASSEMIA IN GREECE 113

Since May 1994, we performed 11 allogeneic transplants in 9 thalassemic children (4 girls), median age 4.25 years (range 2.4-13.38). Patient classification according to Pesaro criteria was: Class I: 1 pt; Class II: 5 pts; Class III: 3 pts. Conditioning consisted of Busulfan (16 mg/kg) and Cyclophosphamide (200 mg/kg). The last 3 children received also ALG (110 mg/kg). All patients received cyclosporine and methotrexate (on days 1.3 and 6) as GVHD prophylaxis.
Interstitial cells of the white matter in the inferior parietal cortex in schizophrenia: An unbiased cell-counting study.

Previous studies have found an increased density of the interstitial cells of the white matter (ICWMs) in the frontal and temporal cortex in schizophrenia. Some data suggested this abnormality was restricted to a subgroup of patients, whose clinical features were consistent with the presence of the deficit syndrome. Clinical studies suggest deficit features are due to an abnormality in a cortical-subcortical circuit that includes dorsolateral prefrontal and inferior parietal cortex. We compared the density of ICWMs labeled for MAP2 immunoreactivity in Brodmann area 39 (inferior parietal cortex) from nine schizophrenia subjects (three deficit and six nondeficit) and nine matched controls using an unbiased cell-counting technique. The density of ICWMs was significantly greater in the deficit syndrome subjects compared to the nondeficit schizophrenia group (respective means 6 SEM, 0.22 6 0.04, and 0.13 6 0.02; P , 0.05). The density of ICWMs in the deficit group was also significantly greater (P , 0.05) than that of the control group (0.09 6 0.02), but the nondeficit and control groups were not significantly different. These findings 1) confirm that an abnormal placement of neurons in the white matter is found in schizophrenia, 2) provide evidence for a microscopic anatomical abnormality in the inferior parietal cortex, and 3) suggest the ICWM abnormality may be confined to deficit patients. Synapse 34:95-102, 1999. r 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
SIMILARITY SOLUTIONS FOR EXPANSION OF A HOLE IN ANISOTROPIC PLASTIC DISKS.

Es werden Ahnlichkeitslosungen hergeleitet fur die Ausweitung eines kreisformigen Loches mit verschwindendem oder endlichem Anfangsradius in einer unendlich ausgedehnten, achsensymmetrischen, anisotropen Scheibe mit ungleichformiger Anfangsdicke. Dabei wird ein lineares Verfestigungsgestz zusammen mit Fliessfunktionen nach von Mises bzw. Trescas und den zugehorigen Fliessregeln benutzt. Eine vollstandige geschlossene Losung wird fur die Trescasche Fliessfunktion samt zugehoriger Fliessregel hergeleitet. Entsprechende Resultate folgen mit der von Misesschen Fliessfunktion nebst Fliessregel; die Darstellung dieser Resultate ist jedoch nicht in geschlossener Form moglich. Zwei illustrative Beispiele werden im Detail gegeben, um die Grundresultate zu demonstrieren, speziell die Effekte der Anisotropie und der Verfestigung.
Tryptophan loading in hyperserotonemic and normoserotonemic adults

Whole blood serotonin (5-HT) (WB5HT) has been found to be elevated in autism in several studies (Schain and Freedman 1961; see Anderson et al 1987 for review). The elevation appears to be due to changes in platelet levels rather than extraplatelet plasma levels (Cook et al 1988). Familiality of platelet 5-HT (Kuperman et al 1985) and WB5HT (Abramson et al 1989; Cook et al 1990; Leventhal et al 1990) levels of autistic probands and their first-degree relatives has been reported and one study has suggested that elevated platelet 5-HT levels may define a genetic subgroup of autistic subjects (Piven et al 1991). The mechanism(s) for elevations of platelet 5-HT in autistic children and their family members has not been determined. A possible mechanism is increased 5-HT synthesis in the enterochromaffin cell of the intestine, leading to increased platelet exposure to 5-1-|T. Yuwiler and colleagues (1981) studied the response of WB5HT as well as serum tryptophan (TRP) to oral administration of 50 and 100 mg/kg of TRP
Feminist anthropology: Sameness, difference, and a question of power

Abu‐Lughod, Lila. Writing Women's Worlds: Bedouin Stories. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1992. xxiii + 266 pp. including transcriptions and bibliography. $30.00 cloth, $13.00 paper. del Valle, Teresa, ed. Gendered Anthropology. London: Rout‐ledge, Chapman and Hall, 1993. x + 227 pp. including references and index. $74.95 cloth, $17.95 paper. Lockwood, Victoria S. Tahitian Transformation: Gender and Capitalist Development in a Rural Society. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rien‐ner Publishers, 1992. xii + 180 pp. including references and index. $35.00 cloth, $15.95 paper.
The very‐low‐pressure study of the kinetics and equilibrium: Cl + CH4 ⇄ CH3 + HCl at 298 K. The heat of formation of the CH3 radical

The bimolecular rate constant for the direct reaction of chlorine atoms with methane was measured at 25°C by using the very-low-pressure-pyrolysis technique. The rate constant was found to be k_1^(298) = (0.93 ± 0.05) x 10^(-13) cm^3/molec • sec In addition, the ratio k_1/k_(−1) was observed with about 25% accuracy: K_(1(298)) = 1.3 ± 0.3. This gives a heat of formation of the methyl radical ΔH°_(f 298)(CH_3) = 35.1 ± 0.15 kcal/mol. A bond dissociation energy BDE (CH_3-H) = 105.1 ± 0.15 kcal/mol in good agreement with literature values was obtained.
A Two-Stage Regression Model for Epidemiological Studies With Multivariate Disease Classification Data

Polytomous logistic regression is commonly used to analyze epidemiological data with disease subtype information. In this approach effects of exposures on different disease subtypes are studied through separate exposure odds ratios comparing different case groups to the common control group. This article considers the situation where disease subtypes can be defined using multiple characteristics of a disease. For efficient analysis of such data, a two-stage modeling approach is proposed. At the first stage, a standard polytomous logistic regression model is considered for all possible distinct disease subtypes that can be defined by the cross-classification of the different disease characteristics. At the second stage, the exposure odds ratio parameters for the first-stage disease subtypes are further modeled in terms of the defining characteristics of the subtypes. When the total number of first-stage disease subtypes is small, standard maximum likelihood methods can be used for inference in the proposed...
Production of pigment nanoparticles using a wet stirred mill with polymeric media

Abstract Pigment nanoparticles with a size range of 10∼100 nm were produced from large agglomerates via a stirred media mill operating in the wet-batch mode and using polymeric media. The effects of several operating variables such as the surfactant concentration, polystyrene media loading, and media size on the pigment size distribution of the product were studied. The process dynamics was also investigated. Dynamic light scattering and electron microscopy were used as the characterization techniques. The polymeric grinding media are found to be effective for the production of pigment nanoparticles. The experimental results suggest the existence of an optimum media size and surfactant concentration. A population balance model of the process reveals a transition from first-order breakage kinetics for relatively coarse particles to non-first-order kinetics, with a delay period, for the smaller particles. The model implies that large agglomerates split in a first-order fashion whereas the breakage of individual nanoparticles may depend on induced fatigue of the particles.
27.4 A 0.75-million-point fourier-transform chip for frequency-sparse signals

Applications like spectrum sensing, radar signal processing, and pattern matching by convolving a signal with a long code, as in GPS, require large FFT sizes. ASIC implementations of such FFTs are challenging due to their large silicon area and high power consumption. However, the signals in these applications are sparse, i.e., the energy at the output of the FFT/IFFT is concentrated at a limited number of frequencies and with zero/negligible energy at most frequencies. Recent advances in signal processing have shown that, for such sparse signals, a new algorithm called the sparse FFT (sFFT) can compute the Fourier transform more efficiently than traditional FFTs [1].
Zone Refinement of Germanium Crystals

Purification of commercial germanium with an impurity level of ~1013-14 cm-3 was successfully conducted in two-step zone refining process under an undiluted high-purity hydrogen gas atmosphere. Results for the first step conducted in graphite boats yielded ingots with an impurity level of ~1012 cm-3 near the center of the 60 cm long ingots. These center portions were collected and subsequently zone refined in a high purity quartz boat to reach a purity level of ~1011 cm-3. The best material achieved in a one step process employing a carbon-coated quartz boat yielded material of purity 8×1011 cm-3.
Title XIX progress report

During the adjustment period of the young Title XIX program, states as well as the federal government have found themselves financially overextended and have been forced to make compromises. Because of the necessary changes in expansion or limitation of programs, it is important that the dental profession be represented in such deliberations.
Agenesis of the corpus callosum and autism: a comprehensive comparison

The corpus callosum, with its ∼200 million axons, remains enigmatic in its contribution to cognition and behaviour. Agenesis of the corpus callosum is a congenital condition in which the corpus callosum fails to develop; such individuals exhibit localized deficits in non-literal language comprehension, humour, theory of mind and social reasoning. These findings together with parent reports suggest that behavioural and cognitive impairments in subjects with callosal agenesis may overlap with the profile of autism spectrum disorders, particularly with respect to impairments in social interaction and communication. To provide a comprehensive test of this hypothesis, we directly compared a group of 26 adults with callosal agenesis to a group of 28 adults with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder but no neurological abnormality. All participants had full-scale intelligence quotient scores >78 and groups were matched on age, handedness, and gender ratio. Using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule together with current clinical presentation to assess autistic symptomatology, we found that 8/26 (about a third) of agenesis subjects presented with autism. However, more formal diagnosis additionally involving recollective parent-report measures regarding childhood behaviour showed that only 3/22 met complete formal criteria for an autism spectrum disorder (parent reports were unavailable for four subjects). We found no relationship between intelligence quotient and autism symptomatology in callosal agenesis, nor evidence that the presence of any residual corpus callosum differentiated those who exhibited current autism spectrum symptoms from those who did not. Relative to the autism spectrum comparison group, parent ratings of childhood behaviour indicated children with agenesis were less likely to meet diagnostic criteria for autism, even for those who met autism spectrum criteria as adults, and even though there was no group difference in parent report of current behaviours. The findings suggest two broad conclusions. First, they support the hypothesis that congenital disruption of the corpus callosum constitutes a major risk factor for developing autism. Second, they quantify specific features that distinguish autistic behaviour associated with callosal agenesis from autism more generally. Taken together, these two findings also leverage specific questions for future investigation: what are the distal causes (genetic and environmental) determining both callosal agenesis and its autistic features, and what are the proximal mechanisms by which absence of the callosum might generate autistic symptomatology?
Poincaré Gauge Theory for Gravitational Forces in (1+1) Dimensions

Abstract We discuss in detail how string-inspired lineal gravity can be formulated as a gauge theory based on the centrally extended Poincare group in (1 + 1) dimensions. Matter couplings are constructed in a gauge invariant fashion, both for point particles and Fermi fields. A covariant tensor notation is developed in which gauge invariance of the formalism is manifest.
Evaluation of a new fenestrated needle for ultrasound-guided fascia iliaca block

Abstract Study Objective To evaluate a new 20-gauge (G) fenestrated needle designed to be used with ultrasound guidance to deliver local anesthetic into the tissue plane of the fascia iliaca without immediate proximity to the femoral nerve. Design Prospective study. Setting University hospital. Patients 15 male volunteers. Interventions To determine the onset of motor and sensory block after ultrasound-guided injection of 1% lidocaine and iopamidol, fluoroscopy was performed during and after injection to discover the pattern of local anesthetic distribution. The buckling strength of the new needle was compared using a standard mechanical testing protocol to a conventional 22-G needle (Quincke type). Measurements and Main Results Injection through the fenestrated needle consistently produced sensory block in the anterior, medial, and lateral aspects of the thigh. All subjects were also observed to have loss of motor function in the quadriceps muscle. No subject experienced motor effect in the adductor muscles of the thigh. The fenestrated 20-G needle yielded at significantly larger compressive forces than did the standard 22-G needle ( P Conclusion The needle is novel in that it does not require immediate proximity to the femoral nerve or precise placement of the needle tip in the plane of the fascia iliaca. The 20-G fenestrated needle is stronger under compressive force than existing 22-G needles.
Combined modality therapy of esophageal cancer—standard of care?

Because of the controversies and conflicting data described above, it is very difficult to provide strict guidelines for the treatment of patients with locoregional esophageal carcinoma. It is necessary, however, to try to put current knowledge in perspective. Surgery remains a standard of care for potentially resectable disease. Definitive chemoradiation is a standard of care for locoregional disease, particularly if a patient is medically unfit for surgery, if a surgeon experienced in esophagectomies is unavailable, or if the patient has cervical disease, which would require very extensive surgery. Chemoradiation is superior to radiation alone for these patients. Some frail patients may only be able to tolerate palliative radiation. Preoperative chemotherapy is controversial, with two large randomized studies resulting in two different conclusions regarding survival benefit. NCCN guidelines do not suggest this modality as a standard of care. After assessment of the patient's tumor stage, performance status, and personal wishes for aggressive treatment, it is possible that some physicians may consider offering this option to patients. The patient should have advanced disease, an excellent performance status, and understand the controversies and lack of consensus about this option. Preoperative chemoradiation is controversial. Only one of three randomized trials showed a clear survival benefit; however, the patients treated with surgery alone in that trial had an unusually poor outcome. The second trial showed no benefit, and the third trial was negative but statistically powered only to reveal a large survival difference and in multivariate analysis showed a possible trend to improved outcome. The NCCN guidelines do not advocate preoperative chemoradiation as a standard of care. As stated above, however, some physicians may consider offering this option to patients with advanced disease, excellent performance status, and who understand the controversies and lack of consensus about this option. Patients with adenocarcinoma of the GE junction treated with surgery alone should have postoperative chemoradiation, particularly if there is tumor involvement in the lymph nodes. No definitive trial has been performed to determine whether chemoradiation plus surgery is superior to chemoradiation alone.
High frequency (140 GHz) dynamic nuclear polarization: Polarization transfer to a solute in frozen aqueous solution

Dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) transfers the large polarization of unpaired electrons to nuclei and thus significantly enhances the signal strength in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. High frequency/field (140 GHz/5 T) DNP has been implemented in solid state NMR experiments using a nitroxide radical as the paramagnetic polarizing agent in a water:glycerol frozen solution. The 1H and 13C NMR signal strengths of both the solvent and an amino acid solute have been enhanced by a factor of 185, which represents a reduction of ≳102 in sample size requirements or ≳104 in signal acquisition time.
Enriched protein screening of human bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cell secretions reveals MFAP5 and PENK as novel IL-10 modulators

The secreted proteins from a cell constitute a natural biologic library that can offer significant insight into human health and disease. Discovering new secreted proteins from cells is bounded by the limitations of traditional separation and detection tools to physically fractionate and analyze samples. Here, we present a new method to systematically identify bioactive cell-secreted proteins that circumvent traditional proteomic methods by first enriching for protein candidates by differential gene expression profiling. The bone marrow stromal cell secretome was analyzed using enriched gene expression datasets in combination with potency assay testing. Four proteins expressed by stromal cells with previously unknown anti-inflammatory properties were identified, two of which provided a significant survival benefit to mice challenged with lethal endotoxic shock. Greater than 85% of secreted factors were recaptured that were otherwise undetected by proteomic methods, and remarkable hit rates of 18% in vitro and 9% in vivo were achieved.
The Role of Echocardiography in Hypertensive Heart Disease in the Elderly

The evaluation of target organ damage attributable to hypertension is a crucial component of risk stratification to determine the urgency and intensity of treatment as well as the assessment of overall prognosis. In the cardiovascular system, the spectrum of hypertensive damage includes left ventricular and vascular hypertrophy, heart failure secondary to decreased systolic function, impaired left ventricular diastolic relaxation, reduced left ventricular diastolic compliance, coronary microvascular disease, left atrial abnormality, and dilatation and dissection of the aorta. Echocardiography plays an important role and is frequently the diagnostic modality of choice in these conditions. It provides reliable measures of systolic performance, diastolic function, arterial compliance, atrial and ventricular chamber size, and ventricular mass—all of which may play important roles in decisions about treatment and prognosis. The versatility of echocardiography in these conditions, however, does not justify its routine use in all hypertensive patients. In selected patients and especially in the elderly, where the prevalence of hypertensive target organ damage is high, echocardiography is cost-effective in the evaluation and management of hypertensive heart disease.
A Suppression Strategy for Antibiotic Discovery

High-throughput phenotype screening and target identification have been combined in an effort to isolate antimicrobial, small-molecule therapeutics [1]. This approach, developed by Brown and colleagues and reported in this issue, is a major technological advance for antimicrobial drug discovery.
Deficiency of type I interferon contributes to Sle2-associated component lupus phenotypes.

Objective Studies in mice and humans have implicated type I interferon (IFN-I) in the pathogenesis of lupus. Given that the locus for IFN-I is positioned within the Sle2 murine lupus susceptibility interval on chromosome 4, we undertook this study to investigate whether differences in IFN-I levels might potentially contribute to the phenotypes ascribed to this locus. Methods IFN-I, anti–IFN-I, isotype control antibody, or phosphate buffered saline was administered to C57BL/6 and B6.Sle2 mice, and the serologic and cellular phenotypes were studied. In addition, B6.Sle2 mice were examined for structural and expression polymorphisms in the IFN-I gene. Results In both B6.Sle2 congenic mice and C57BL/6 control mice, antibody-mediated blockade of IFN-I augmented serum autoantibody levels and boosted B1a cell numbers. Administration of IFN-I ameliorated these 2 features previously attributed to this disease locus. Importantly, compared with B6 controls, B6.Sle2 mice had reduced levels of IFN-I in their sera and cell culture supernatants, following stimulation. Although several sequence polymorphisms were noted in the Sle2 alleles of various IFN-I genes, it was not established whether any of the noted sequence variations were causally related to the observed phenotypes. Conclusion Unexpectedly, reduction of IFN-I levels reproduced the serologic and cellular phenotypes previously associated with the Sle2 lupus susceptibility interval. Placing these findings in the context of other studies, the effect of IFN-I on systemic autoimmunity appears to be far more complex than originally perceived.
Electrical spin injection and threshold reduction in a semiconductor laser.

A spin-polarized vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser is demonstrated with electrical spin injection from an $\mathrm{Fe}/{\mathrm{Al}}_{0.1}{\mathrm{Ga}}_{0.9}\mathrm{As}$ Schottky tunnel barrier. Laser operation with a spin-polarized current results in a maximum threshold current reduction of 11% and degree of circular polarization of 23% at 50 K. A cavity spin polarization of 16.8% is estimated from spin-dependent rate equation analysis of the observed threshold reduction.
On Spinoza's ‘Free Man’

In this paper, I examine Spinoza's ‘model of human nature’ in the Ethics, and especially his notion of the ‘free man’. I argue that, contrary to usual interpretations, the free man is not an individual without passions and inadequate ideas but rather an individual who is able consistently to live according to the guidance of reason. Therefore, it is not an impossible and unattainable ideal or incoherent concept, as has often been claimed, but a very realizable goal for the achievement of human well-being.
"Keepin' It Real": White Hip‐Hoppers' Discourses of Language, Race, and Authenticity

This study investigates the discursive construction of authenticity among white middle-class young people in the New York City area who affiliate with hip-hop. It explores the ways in which hip-hop mediates the adoption of African American English-influenced speech by these young people and how this phenomenon complicates traditional sociolinguistic conceptions of identity. There is a discourse within hip-hop that privileges the urban black street experience. This forces white middle-class hip-hoppers whose race and class origins distance them from this socially located space to construct themselves linguistically as authentic via both form and content.
Hybrid Theory of P-Wave Electron-Hydrogen Elastic Scattering

We report on a study of electron-hydrogen scattering, using a combination of a modified method of polarized orbitals and the optical potential formalism. The calculation is restricted to P waves in the elastic region, where the correlation functions are of Hylleraas type. It is found that the phase shifts are not significantly affected by the modification of the target function by a method similar to the method of polarized orbitals and they are close to the phase shifts calculated earlier by Bhatia. This indicates that the correlation function is general enough to include the target distortion (polarization) in the presence of the incident electron. The important fact is that in the present calculation, to obtain similar results only 35-term correlation function is needed in the wave function compared to the 220-term wave function required in the above-mentioned previous calculation. Results for the phase shifts, obtained in the present hybrid formalism, are rigorous lower bounds to the exact phase shifts.
New challenges for maturing democracies in Korea and Taiwan, edited by Larry Diamond and Gi-Wook Shin

Korea and Taiwan not only share similar geopolitical conditions, i.e., national division and the presence of strong external security threats, but have also followed quite similar trajectories of e...
Using the Wesleyan Quadrilateral to Teach Biblical Studies in Christian Liberal Arts Colleges

Biblical studies professors in Christian liberal arts colleges typically face greater hostility from students nurtured in fundamentalist churches than they do from those who attend mainline churches. Guiding them through their first academic study of the Bible poses many challenges. To avoid the course becoming a battlefield, and to facilitate integration on a higher level, the Wesleyan Quadrilateral provides a middle way between right-wing and left-wing extremes. This approach gives priority to the Bible as the primary source for determining theology and practice, but relies heavily on tradition, reason, and experience as well. It also promotes interaction with the spiritual, moral, and ethical concerns expressed in the biblical texts. To adopt the Quadrilateral involves active concern for character formation, inspiring students to become better people. If we merely dispense historical-critical or literary information without considering contemporary relevance, we bore students and fail in our duties as educators.
Examining the impact of ancillary ligand basicity on copper(I)–ethylene binding interactions: a DFT study

A theoretical investigation at the density functional theory level (B3LYP) has been conducted to elucidate the impact of ligand basicity on the binding interactions between ethylene and copper(I) ions in [Cu(η 2-C2H4)]+ and a series of [Cu(L)(η 2-C2H4)]+ complexes, where L = substituted 1,10-phenanthroline ligands. Molecular orbital analysis shows that binding in [Cu(η 2-C2H4)]+ primarily involves interaction between the filled ethylene π-bonding orbital and the empty Cu(4s) and Cu(4p) orbitals, with less interaction observed between the low energy Cu(3d) orbitals and the empty ethylene π*-orbital. The presence of electron-donating ligands in the [Cu(L)(η 2-C2H4)]+ complexes destabilizes the predominantly Cu(3d)-character filled frontier orbital of the [Cu(L)]+ fragment, promoting better overlap with the vacant ethylene π*-orbital and increasing Cu → ethylene π-backbonding. Moreover, the energy of the filled [Cu(L)]+ frontier orbital and mixing with the ethylene π*-orbital increase with increasing pK a of the 1,10-phenanthroline ligand. Natural bond orbital analysis reveals an increase in Cu → ethylene electron donation with addition of ligands to [Cu(η 2-C2H4)]+ and an increase in backbonding with increasing ligand pK a in the [Cu(L)(η 2-C2H4)]+ complexes. Energy decomposition analysis (ALMO-EDA) calculations show that, while Cu → ethylene charge transfer (CT) increases with more basic ligands, ethylene → Cu CT and non-CT frozen density and polarization effects become less favorable, yielding little change in copper(I)–ethylene binding energy with ligand pK a. ALMO-EDA calculations on related [Cu(L)(NCCH3)]+ complexes and calculated free energy changes for the displacement of acetonitrile by ethylene reveal a direct correlation between increasing ligand pK a and the favorability of ethylene binding, consistent with experimental observations.
Total therapy 2 without thalidomide in comparison with total therapy 1: role of intensified induction and posttransplantation consolidation therapies

Patients with myeloma, treated on the thalidomide arm of total therapy 2 (TT2), had a higher complete response (CR) rate and improved event-free survival (EFS) but not overall survival (OS). To evaluate the benefit of TT2's posttandem autotransplant consolidation chemotherapy and dexamethasone maintenance, outcomes were compared on TT2 without thalidomide (n = 345; median follow-up, 3.5 years) and on predecessor trial TT1 (n = 231; median follow-up, 11.5 years). CR rates were similar (43% vs 41%); however, 5-year estimates of continuous CR (45% vs 32%, P < .001) and 5-year EFS (43% vs 28%, P < .001) were superior with TT2, with a trend for improved OS (62% vs 57%; P = .11). OS was also superior among patients achieving CR and receiving the second transplantation early after the first transplantation. Superior EFS and OS with TT2 versus TT1 was noted in the two thirds presenting without cytogenetic abnormalities (CAs); 4-year posttandem transplantation OS for patients with CAs was 47% with TT1 and 76% with TT2 when combination chemotherapy rather than DEX was applied for consolidation (P = .040). Thus, TT2 (without thalidomide) improved OS of patients without CAs; those with CAs benefited from posttransplantation consolidation chemotherapy. The favorable effects of CR and rapidly sequenced second transplantation attest to the validity of a melphalan dose-response effect in myeloma.
Direct observation of a cytosine analogue that forms five hydrogen bonds to guanosine: guanidino G-clamp.

A novel heterocyclic base modification, the guanidino G-clamp, is designed to allow two Hoogsteen-type hydrogen bonds to form between the amino and imino nitrogen atoms of a tethered guanidinium group to O6 and N7 of guanosine, which results in a total of five hydrogen bonds (broken lines, see picture). Details of a crystal structure at 1.0-{angstrom} resolution of a modified DNA decamer containing this guanidino G-clamp analogue demonstrate its mechanism of binding.
Gene expression-based enrichment of live cells from adipose tissue produces subpopulations with improved osteogenic potential

Mesenchymal stem cells have been increasingly used for cell-based therapies. Adipose-derived stem/stromal cells (ASCs) from the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) of fat tissue are a particularly attractive option for cell based therapy given their accessibility and relative abundance. However, their application in both clinical and basic science investigations is complicated by the isolation of differentiable cells within the SVF. Current enrichment strategies, such as monolayer passaging and surface marker-based sorting, can be time-consuming or overly stringent. Ideally, a population of cells with great regenerative capacity could be isolated with high yields so that extensive in vitro manipulation is not necessary. The objective of this study was to determine whether SVF cells sorted based on expression of alkaline phosphatase liver/bone/kidney (ALPL) resulted in populations with increased osteogenic differentiation potential. SVF samples were obtained from four, human donors and processed to isolate initial, heterogeneous cell populations. These SVF cells underwent a four day osteogenic priming period, after which they were treated with a fluorescent, oligodeoxynucleotide molecular beacon probe specific for ALPL mRNA. Cells were separated into positive and negative groups using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) then differentiated down the osteogenic lineage. Differentiation was assessed by measuring calcified matrix production in each sample. Cells positive for ALPL expression (ALPL+) represented approximately 34% of the gated population, while cells negative for ALPL expression (ALPL-) represented approximately 18%. ALPL+ cells produced 3.7-fold and 2.1-fold more calcified matrix than ALPL- and unsorted SVF cells, respectively, indicating a significant improvement in osteogenic differentiation. Further, ALPL+ cells showed increases in metabolite production for both adipogenesis and chondrogenesis, suggesting that the enrichment process yields an enhanced multipotent phenotype. Osteogenic differentiation response and cell yields for ALPL+ cells were markedly improved over surface marker-sorted samples. This study demonstrates a novel method to enrich heterogeneous SVF cells for increased osteogenic potential. The procedure requires less time and results in higher yields of therapeutically useful cells than other existing approaches. Gene expression-based sorting of MSCs is a potentially paradigm-shifting approach that could benefit applications spanning from basic science to clinical therapy.
Creating Relevant Science through Urban Planning and Gardening

The purpose of this article is to describe a community-based science project that was coproduced with urban teenagers and to elaborate on my understanding of what it means to create a practicing culture of science learning. This understanding will be positioned in relation to various educationally relevant discourses and research on urban science education, concluding with an exploration of these questions: In what ways did an urban planning and community gardening project help to create a learning environment in which science was relevant? To whom was science relevant and toward what ends? It is argued that in a practicing culture of science learning, science was relevant because (a) it was created from participants' concerns, interests, and experiences inside and outside science, (b) it was an ongoing process of researching and then enacting ideas, and (c) it was situated within the broader community. fl 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 38: 860 - 877, 2001
Better cooperative control with limited look-ahead

This paper is an extension of the current planning methods used in UAV tactical decision-making areas. We propose a repetitive online optimization method with limited look-ahead intervals. A theoretical foundation is built and the condition of its applicability is given. Optimal solutions can be approached by iteration. The relationship of this method with other well-known control methods is described. Advantages and disadvantages are discussed with suggestions for possible remediation. Interesting examples are presented to demonstrate the strength of this method. Possible applications are suggested.
Nonrigid Registration Using Regularization that Accommodates Local Tissue Rigidity

Regularized nonrigid medical image registration algorithms usually estimate the deformation by minimizing a cost function, consisting of a similarity measure and a penalty term that discourages “unreasonable” deformations. Conventional regularization methods enforce homogeneous smoothness properties of the deformation field; less work has been done to incorporate tissue-type-specific elasticity information. Yet ignoring the elasticity differences between tissue types can result in non-physical results, such as bone warping. Bone structures should move rigidly (locally), unlike the more elastic deformation of soft issues. Existing solutions for this problem either treat different regions of an image independently, which requires precise segmentation and incurs boundary issues; or use an empirical spatial varying “filter” to “correct” the deformation field, which requires the knowledge of a stiffness map and departs from the cost-function formulation. We propose a new approach to incorporate tissue rigidity information into the nonrigid registration problem, by developing a space variant regularization function that encourages the local Jacobian of the deformation to be a nearly orthogonal matrix in rigid image regions, while allowing more elastic deformations elsewhere. For the case of X-ray CT data, we use a simple monotonic increasing function of the CT numbers (in HU) as a “rigidity index” since bones typically have the highest CT numbers. Unlike segmentation-based methods, this approach is flexible enough to account for partial volume effects. Results using a B-spline deformation parameterization illustrate that the proposed approach improves registration accuracy in inhale-exhale CT scans with minimal computational penalty.
The Sarbanes‐Oxley Act of 2002 and Capital‐Market Behavior: Early Evidence*

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (“the Act”) was enacted in response to numerous corporate and accounting scandals. It aims to reinforce corporate accountability and professional responsibility in order to restore investor confidence in corporate America. This study examines the capital-market reaction to the Act and finds a positive (negative) abnormal return at the time of several legislative events that increased (decreased) the likelihood of the passage of the Act. We interpret this finding as evidence supporting the notion that the Act is wealth-increasing in the sense that its induced benefits significantly outweigh its imposed compliance costs. We also find that the market reaction is more positive for firms that are more compliant with the provisions of the Act prior to its enactment.
Use of Statins in Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus

Statins are the only lipid-lowering drugs that have been shown to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular events and mortality in patients with diabetes mellitus. This review article will discuss the studies demonstrating the efficacy of statins in reducing cardiovascular events and mortality in adults with diabetes mellitus and the current guidelines supporting this use of statins.
Assessing the viability of preimplantation embryos in vitro

Abstract Tests of the viability of preimplantation embryos prior to culture have to date been limited to morphological examination with the light microscope. Although relatively easy to accomplish, morphological examination is subjective and has not proved highly accurate in selecting embryos for transfer. A highly accurate, objective test of embryo viability prior to transfer would be useful not only in increasing pregnancy rates but also for determination of optimal holding and culture conditions for embryos from livestock and exotic species. In this paper, a number of possible viability tests are considered. The advantages and disadvantages of each proposed test are discussed. In addition, limitations inherent to all viability tests as well as the characteristics of an ideal test of viability are examined.
Implementation of an intelligent roving robot using multiple sensors

The objective of this paper is to present a voice activated roving robot with a stand-alone 8031 microcontroller system using two DC motors. In order to secure the robot, four types of sensors are interfaced. They are four compressive wire sensors, two current sensors, an ultrasonic sensor, and two temperature sensors. The compressive wire sensors detect touching obstacles, the ultrasonic sensor provides the robot the range information of long-distance objects, the current sensors are used to protect the motors from surge current, and the temperature transducers are used to detect overheating. A voice activated synthesizer is employed to translate verbal commands to control signals for the robot. The experiment results indicate that the robot works as we expected. This device could be used as a tool for education, or modified as a robotic mail cart system in an office building. Features of this system are flexibility, high reliability, and simplicity. >
Asteroid rotation III. 1978 Observations

Photoelectric observations of 32 asteroids observed from Table Mountain Observatory during the second half of 1978 are reported. Rotation periods were obtained for most objects. Absolute magnitudes and phase functions were not determined for any of these asteroids. The geometric mean rotation period of the 32 asteroids observed is 14.2 + or - 1.6 hr, as compared to 9.38 + or - 0.35 hr for 182 asteroids analyzed in Harris and Burns (1979). This difference is attributed to an observational selection effect which favors detection of fast rotation. If this is true, then the present sample contains the reverse bias, since it is complete in that a period (in some cases very approximate) was obtained for each object observed, but fast rotators are underrepresented due to prior discovery of their rotation properties.
Air-core photonic-bandgap fiber-optic gyroscope

We report the demonstration of the first air-core photonic-bandgap fiber gyroscope. Because the optical mode in the sensing coil travels largely through air, which has much smaller Kerr, Faraday, and thermal constants than silica, far lower dependencies on power, magnetic field, and temperature fluctuations are predicted. With a 235-m fiber coil, we observe a minimum detectable rotation rate of ~2.7deg/h and a long-term stability of ~2deg/h, which are consistent with the Rayleigh backscattering coefficient of the fiber and comparable to that measured with a conventional fiber
Effect of Sodium Chloride and Storage Temperature on the Growth of Salmonella oranienburg in Egg Yolk

Abstract METHODS for controlling salmonellae in foods are of concern to processors and public health officials. From April 1962 to March 1963, 32 outbreaks of salmonellosis were investigated. Sources of 22 were definitely established and 64% were due to poultry and poultry products (U. S. Public Health Service, 1963). Methods to control salmonellae in dried egg products have been reported by Ayres and Slosberg (1949), Banwart and Ayres (1956) and Wilson (1948). Pasteurization was reported by Winter et al. (1946) and Goresline et al. (1951) to be effective in controlling salmonellae in liquid whole egg. Altering of pH to reduce salmonellae in liquid egg white was reported by Banwart and Ayres (1957). The effects of salt in egg products on salmonellae apparently have not been studied. The USDA grading regulations (1963) state that egg products must be cooled to 45°F. within1½ hours after draw off from the holding vat. Products containing…
Effects of Sustained HIV-1 Plasma Viremia on HIV-1 Gag-Specific CD4+ T Cell Maturation and Function

An in vitro proliferative defect has been observed in HIV-1-specific CD4+ T cells from infected subjects with high-level plasma HIV-1 viremia. To determine the mechanism of this defect, HIV-1 Gag-specific CD4+ T cells from treated and untreated HIV-1-infected subjects were analyzed for cytokine profile, proliferative capacity, and maturation state. Unexpectedly high frequencies of HIV-1-specific, IL-2-producing CD4+ T cells were measured in subjects with low or undetectable plasma HIV-1 loads, regardless of treatment status, and IL-2 frequencies correlated inversely with viral loads. IL-2-producing CD4+ T cells also primarily displayed a central memory (TCm; CCR7+CD45RA−) maturation phenotype, whereas IFN-γ-producing cells were mostly effector memory (TEm, CCR7−CD45RA−). Among Gag-specific, IFN-γ-producing CD4+ T cells, higher TEm frequencies and lower TCm frequencies were observed in untreated, high viral load subjects than in subjects with low viral loads. The percentage of HIV-1 Gag-specific CD4+ TCm correlated inversely with HIV-1 viral load and directly with Gag-specific CD4+ T cell proliferation, whereas the opposite relationships were observed for HIV-1-specific CD4+ TEm. These results suggest that HIV-1 viremia skews Gag-specific CD4+ T cells away from an IL-2-producing TCm phenotype and toward a poorly proliferating TEm phenotype, which may limit the effectiveness of the HIV-1-specific immune response.
Functional Distribution of the Peripheral Cardiac Sympathetic Pathways

The functional peripheral cardiac sympathetic pathways of the dog were delineated in isovolumetric left ventricle preparations. In unpaced hearts, supramaximal stimuli at 2 cycles/sec to the right stellate ganglion caused the heart rate to increase 2.8 times more than stimuli applied to the left side. In paced hearts, such stimuli evoked rises in left ventricular systolic pressure which were 2.3 times greater when applied to the left than to the right stellate ganglion. Tonic cardiac sympathetic impulses appear to funnel through the stellate ganglia. Decentralization of the stellate ganglia abolished the ventricular responses to stimulation of the carotid baroreceptors and cephalic ischemia. Approximately two thirds of the tonic and baroreceptor reflex influences to the left ventricle entered the stellate ganglia from lower segments of the thoracic paravertebral chain, and one third entered from the communicating rami of the stellate ganglia. The ratio of the effects of complete decentralization of the left to those of decentralization of the right stellate ganglion was 1.6, both with respect to eliminating sympathetic tone and abolishing the baroreceptor reflex.