cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multistatic echo imaging in remote sensing and diagnostic medicine

Summary form only given. The problem of echo imaging when the imaging system is composed of a group of phased arrays with arbitrary coordinates in the spatial domain (multistatic configuration) has been addressed. Each phase array has a finite aperture and is used for transmitting, receiving, or both functions. A receiving phased array may make a synchronous or asynchronous detection of the backscattered signal. The task in this imaging problem is to integrate the data collected by the phased arrays and relate them to the object under study. The imaging problem is first formulated for a plane wave source in a bistatic configuration. These results are extended for the radiation patterns of a multistatic imaging system. Methods for processing the backscattered signals to reduce the artifacts in the reconstructed image caused by the finite size of the phased arrays have been developed. Phase processing techniques have been examined for the case in which the backscattered signal is detected in a noncoherent environment. It has been shown that these array processing principles can be utilized to formulate a system model and inversion for synthetic aperture radar imaging that incorporates wavefront curvature. >
Culture, race and spirit: a reflective model for the study of African‐Americans

The author introduces a reflective model of racial, cultural and spiritual engagement for researchers and research participants in an attempt to guide them in the development of perhaps more empowering research about African‐Americans. The model focuses on three essential areas to help guide researchers and participants: the cultural self, the racial self and the spiritual self. Maintaining and centralizing these areas in the study of African‐Americans can be critical in developing empowering research that produces knowledge to inform theory, research and practice. The interrelated phases of reflection in the model are (a) researcher/participant racial and cultural identity reflection; (b) spiritual reflection; (c) history/literature on race, culture and spirit; and (d) situational context. After a review of the literature on the cultural, racial and spiritual line, the author introduces the model and concludes with examples of the model in practice.
Isoperimetric inequalities and conjugate points on Lorentzian surfaces

Recently, an isoperimetric inequality for a sector on the Minkowski 2-spacetime has been derived by the method of parallels and the relativistic Gauss-Bonnet formula. In the present paper, we derive an isoperimetric inequality for a sector on a Lorentzian surface with curvatureK ≤ C. As a sector can be modeled by a geodesic variation of a timelike geodesic, our isoperimetric inequality gives an upper bound for the spacelike boundary of a sector. As an application of our results, we give an elementary proof of the existence of conjugate points on a Lorentzian surface with curvatureK ≤ C < 0 and we obtain an upper bound for the (timelike) diameter of a globally hyperbolic Lorentzian surface withK ≤ C < 0 by comparison of sectors.
Effect of Coulomb interaction on calculated interband gain in ZnSe

The optical gain for band-to-band transitions at room temperature in ZnSe and GaAs has been calculated with and without electron-hole Coulomb interaction. The Coulomb enhancement of maximum gain is substantial for ZnSe: the nominal current density at threshold is also increased.
Oatlage Versus Oats, Barley, and Wheat Combination Silages for Dairy Cattle

Abstract Oats and a mixture of oats, barley, and wheat were grown on comparable plots and harvested in early dough stage as silage in each of 2 yr. Low moisture oat silage (oatlage) yielded 8533 and 7490 kg dry matter per ha in 2 yr compared to 9206 and 8004 kg for oats, barley, and wheat silage. Chemical composition of oatlage and silage were similar despite yearly variations. The silages were fed to 16 and 20 lactating cows in yr 1 and 2, respectively, to four steers for a digestion trial in year 1, and to 20 heifers in yr 2. Cows and heifers consumed more dry matter from silage than from oatlage. Milk production was higher when cows were fed silage than when they were fed oatlage in yr 1 (18.5 versus 19.3 kg/day) but was not different in yr 2 (19.9 versus 19.9 kg/day). Milk composition was not affected in either year. Digestibilities by steers and growth rates by heifers were similar when they were fed either oatlage or mixed silage.
A comprehensive treatment strategy for muscle contraction headaches

Abstract This article proposes that three elements be incorporated in a comprehensive treatment program for muscle contraction headaches: (1) changing the antecedents to the headache activity (2) ensuring the transfer of training from the clinic to the natural environment, and (3) changing the environmental consequences of the headache behavior. The inclusion of these elements is suggested since the etiology of muscle contraction headaches is open to question. Studies showing that headaches are not always associated with muscle tension are cited.
l-forbidden magnetic dipole transitions

Abstract The dependence of l -forbidden M1 transition rates on the effects of configuration mixing induced by short-range correlations and by collective quadrupole vibrations is studied in the context of the pairing-plus-phonon model. It is pointed out that the two types of contributions are often comparable in magnitude and must be considered simultaneously if detailed agreement with experiment is to be achieved.
WAPTEC: whitebox analysis of web applications for parameter tampering exploit construction

Parameter tampering attacks are dangerous to a web application whose server fails to replicate the validation of user-supplied data that is performed by the client. Malicious users who circumvent the client can capitalize on the missing server validation. In this paper, we describe WAPTEC, a tool that is designed to automatically identify parameter tampering vulnerabilities and generate exploits by construction to demonstrate those vulnerabilities. WAPTEC involves a new approach to whitebox analysis of the server's code. We tested WAPTEC on six open source applications and found previously unknown vulnerabilities in every single one of them.
Long range trace detection by radar REMPI

We demonstrate the feasibility of using microwave scattering from free electrons generated by resonantly enhanced multi-photon ionization (REMPI) for trace species detection. The laser is tuned to ionize only the selected molecular trace species in ambient air. We achieve detection of parts-per-billion of NO in atmospheric pressure nitrogen, in dry air and in laboratory air with 50% humidity. In addition, we performed at-range measurements in order to prove the feasibility of using the Radar REMPI detection technique in a remote configuration. We obtained reliable backscattered microwave signal 1m away while focusing a laser from 10m distance from the target. We have extended the use of the Radar REMPI detection scheme to more complicated molecular systems by pre-dissociating the molecule into smaller fragments which can be detected with high specificity. We demonstrate the detection of SF 6 by laser dissociation of the SF 6 molecule, and measuring the Radar REMPI signals obtained from the SF 2 product. The SF 2 is produced by the UV REMPI laser pulse itself, and a scattered microwave signal is detected from the SF 2 molecule. Significant enhancement is achieved using a pre-ionizing pulse from a Nd YAG laser shortly before the measurement. The short time between fragmentation and detection allows transient fragments and fragments in vibrational nonequilibrium to be detected. This approach may allow for the identification of complex molecules by remotely detecting even short lived molecular constituents or fragments which are produced either during or just shortly before the Radar REMPI measurement
An approximation problem

Abstract Let ψ e N(lq) where lq=τ2+1−q(x), N(lq)≔{w:lqw=0}. The problem ‖∫ S 2 u(x,α)ν(α)dα−ψ(x)‖ L 2 (B a ⩽e, νeL 2 (S 2 ), ‖ν‖ L 2 (S 2 ) =inf, is discussed. Here, u(x,α)eN(lq) is the scattering solution, B a ={x:|x|⩽a,xe R 3 } , S2 is the unit sphere in R 3. This problem is of interest in inverse problems.
Parameterization of cloud droplet formation in global climate models

An aerosol activation parameterization has been developed based on a generalized representation of aerosol size and composition within the framework of an ascending adiabatic parcel; this allows for parameterizing the activation of chemically complex aerosol with an arbitrary size distribution and mixing state. The new parameterization introduces the concept of"population splitting", in which the cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) that form droplets are treated as two separate populations; those that have a size close to their critical diameter and those that do not.Explicit consideration of kinetic limitations of droplet growth is introduced. Our treatment of the activation process unravels much of its complexity. As a result of this, a substantial number of conditions of droplet formation can be treated completely free of empirical information or correlations; there are, however, some conditions of droplet activation for which an empirically derived correlation is utilized. Predictions of the parameterization are compared against extensive cloud parcel model simu;lations for a variety of aerosol activation conditions that cover a wide range of chemical variability and CCN concentrations. The parameterization tracks the parcel model simulations closely and robustly. The parameterization presented here is intended to allow for a comprehensive assessment of the aerosol indirect effect in general circulation models.
D6-brane splitting on type IIA orientifolds

Abstract We study the open-string moduli of supersymmetric D6-branes, addressing both the string and field theory aspects of D6-brane splitting on type IIA orientifolds induced by open-string moduli higgsing (i.e., their obtaining VEVs). Specifically, we focus on the Z 2 × Z 2 orientifolds and address the symmetry breaking pattern for D6-branes parallel with the orientifold 6-planes as well as those positioned at angles. We demonstrate that the string theory results, i.e., D6-brane splitting and relocating in internal space, are in one to one correspondence with the field theory results associated with the higgsing of moduli in the antisymmetric representation of Sp ( 2 N ) gauge symmetry (for branes parallel with orientifold planes) or adjoint representation of U ( N ) (for branes at general angles). In particular, the moduli higgsing in the open-string sector results in the change of the gauge structure of D6-branes and thus changes the chiral spectrum and family number as well. As a by-product, we provide the new examples of the supersymmetric standard-like models with the electroweak sector arising from Sp ( 2 N ) L × Sp ( 2 N ) R gauge symmetry; and one four-family example is free of chiral Standard Model exotics.
Attenuating effect of taurine on lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury in hamsters

This study has evaluated the ability of the semiessential amino acid taurine to attenuate lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced lung inflammation, oxidative stress and apoptosis in a small animal model. For this purpose, bacterial LPS (0.02 mg in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) pH 7.4) was instilled intratracheally into female Golden Syrian hamsters, before or after a 3-day intraperitoneal treatment with a single dose (50 mg/kg in PBS pH 7.4) of taurine. At 24 h after the last treatment, lung tissue and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples were collected. In comparison to samples from animals receiving only PBS pH 7.4, serving as controls, those of LPS-stimulated animals exhibited a higher count of both total leukocytes and neutrophils in the BALF, and increased incidence of apoptosis, depletion of intracellular glutathione and evidence of inflammation confined to the parenchyma in the lung. In addition, LPS caused cells in the BALF to exhibit a higher expression of tumor necrosis factor-1, a higher activity of caspase-3, marked lipid peroxidation, and altered activities of catalase, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase relative to control samples. In contrast, a treatment with taurine was found to significantly attenuate all of the cellular and biochemical alterations induced by LPS, more so when given before rather than after the endotoxin. The present results suggest that taurine possesses intrinsic antiinflammatory and antioxidant properties that may be of benefit against the deleterious actions of LPS in the lung.
Progressive metamorphism in zeolite assemblages

Abstract Zeolites in metamorphic rocks are assumed to form in equilibrium with a fluid phase of virtually pure H 2 O composition, and successive increases in metamorphic temperature are assumed to result in progressive dehydration in zeolite assemblages. For Ca- and also for Na-zeolite assemblages, four steps of dehydration are recognized which are generally consistent with petrographic data on progressive metamorphism in zeolite facies areas in the world.
Task-aware query recommendation

When generating query recommendations for a user, a natural approach is to try and leverage not only the user's most recently submitted query, or reference query, but also information about the current search context, such as the user's recent search interactions. We focus on two important classes of queries that make up search contexts: those that address the same information need as the reference query (on-task queries), and those that do not (off-task queries). We analyze the effects on query recommendation performance of using contexts consisting of only on-task queries, only off-task queries, and a mix of the two. Using TREC Session Track data for simulations, we demonstrate that on-task context is helpful on average but can be easily overwhelmed when off-task queries are interleaved---a common situation according to several analyses of commercial search logs. To minimize the impact of off-task queries on recommendation performance, we consider automatic methods of identifying such queries using a state of the art search task identification technique. Our experimental results show that automatic search task identification can eliminate the effect of off-task queries in a mixed context. We also introduce a novel generalized model for generating recommendations over a search context. While we only consider query text in this study, the model can handle integration over arbitrary user search behavior, such as page visits, dwell times, and query abandonment. In addition, it can be used for other types of recommendation, including personalized web search.
Alternative pre-mRNA splicing governs expression of a conserved acidic transactivation domain in myocyte enhancer factor 2 factors of striated muscle and brain.

Myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2) transcription factors play pivotal roles in striated muscle, neuron, and lymphocyte gene expression and are targets of stress- and calcium-mediated signaling. All MEF2 gene products have a common DNA binding and dimerization domain, but MEF2 transcripts are alternatively spliced among coding exons to produce splicing isoforms. In vertebrate MEF2A, -C, and -D, a splice versus no-splice option gives forms that include or exclude a short domain that we designate β. We show that mRNAs containing β are expressed predominantly in striated muscle and brain and that splicing to include β is induced during myocyte differentiation. MEF2 β+ isoforms are more robust than β- forms in activating MEF2-responsive reporters despite similar expression levels. One-hybrid transcription assays using Gal4-MEF2 fusions show similar distinctions in the transactivation produced by β+ versus β- isoforms in all cell types tested, including myocytes. β function is position-independent and exists in all MEF2 splicing variant contexts. The activity is not due to cis effects on MEF2 DNA binding or dimerization nor are established transcription factor or coactivator interactions involved. Each MEF2 β domain contains multiple acidic residues, mutation of which abolishes function. Despite a location between the p38 MAPK docking domain and Thr phosphoacceptors of MEF2A and MEF2C, inclusion of β does not influence responses of these factors to this signaling pathway. Thus, a conserved pattern of alternative splicing in vertebrate MEF2 genes generates an acidic activation domain in MEF2 proteins selectively in tissues where MEF2 target genes are highly expressed.
Generators of phenotypic diversity in the evolution of pathogenic microorganisms.

All organisms run the gauntlet of Darwinian selection. Poignant examples include microbial pathogens, which must survive and thrive in their hosts. The process of pathogen adaptation to the host is diverse and is now known to involve a panoply of diversity generators, such as sexual/parasexual reproduction, aneuploidy, prions, mutators, telomeric silencing/recombination, and Hsp90 as a capacitor for evolution [1], [2] (Figure 1). Given the vast diversity of known mechanisms that can generate phenotypic and genotypic assortments, others likely remain to be discovered. Open in a separate window Figure 1 Generators of phenotypic diversity illustrated as a game of chance. Evolution is a multifactorial process that depends on numerous complex factors, including routes to diversity that can be deleterious, neutral, or advantageous depending on the environment. Here we depict these evolutionary trajectories using the analogy of a roulette wheel in which one possible path yields a winner that develops a new trait that allows the microorganism to survive in novel conditions, such as a host treated with antimicrobial agents. However, as in roulette, the odds are against the gambler and the other routes and outcomes are deleterious.
Surprises from celiac disease.

The article discusses research investigating Celiac disease (CD), which is a food-triggered disease that can be potentially fatal. Researchers have discovered a process that may contribute to many autoimmune disorders including CD. Topics include a brief overview of when humans started consuming seeds and seed-based foods such as fruit and wheat and how the switch from a nomadic life to an agricultural system led to the emergence of CD. Also discussed is the role of gluten in food-triggered diseases such as CD and the interplay between environmental triggers, genetic susceptibility, and a permeable intestinal wall. How CD provides a model for understanding autoimmune disorders, how a normal digestive system functions, and the role of the genes HLA-DQ2 and HLA-DQ8 in CD are presented. INSETS: A TRIO OF CAUSES;A Clue to Delayed Onset;WHY REPLACING WHEAT IS HARD;THE INSIDE STORY
Clinical history, brain metabolism, and neuropsychological function in Alzheimer's disease

Data concerning 7 patients with a diagnosis of presumptive Alzheimer's disease (mean age, 65.6 years) are presented in detail in relation to the patients' regional cerebral metabolic rates for glucose. Rates were measured by positron emission tomography with fluorine 18-labeled fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose under conditions of reduced visual and auditory stimulation. A relationship was found between severity of dementia and brain metabolism. In patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease, memory and intellectual deficits were evident without major reductions in absolute metabolic rates, while ratios of regional to whole brain metabolism revealed reductions in regions of the parietal lobes. In the late, severe form of the disease, brain metabolic rates were consistently and significantly reduced. The findings suggest that memory and intellectual deficits are reflected in reductions of brain metabolism in some brain regions in mild to moderate forms of Alzheimer's disease and that, in the late, severe form of the disease, reductions occur consistently throughout the brain.
Stochastic characteristics of wave groups in random seas: Part 1 - Time duration of and number of waves in a wave group

Abstract This paper presents the results of a study in which a method for evaluating various stochastic characteristics of wave groups is developed. Here, wave groups are defined as a sequence of at least two high waves exceeding a specified level. As the first part of the study, the probability density function applicable for the length of time the wave group persists is analytically developed. Formula to evaluate the probability of number of wave crests in a group is also derived based on the probability density function of time duration. The average time duration associated with wave groups computed by the present theory agrees reasonably well with the data observed in North Sea, while the average time duration computed by applying the formula currently used is substantially smaller than observed data.
AVOCADO POLYPHENOLOXIDASE: PURIFICATION, AND FRACTIONATION ON SEPHADEX THIN LAYERS

SUMMARY Polyphenoloxidase (PPO) was purified 28-fold by ammonium sulfate precipitation, dialysis and gel filtration. Enzyme constants were determined with a variety of substrates. Thinlayer gel filtration resolved the crude PPO in to 5 fractions with molecular weights estima ted at 14-, 28-, 56-, 112- and over 400-thousand by comparison with standard proteins. Subsequent electrophoresis at 90° to the direction of gel filtration resolved the 28 × 103 MW fraction into 4 to 6 components. One of these was by. far the most active of all the isoenzymes toward all the substrate sprays tested. It is probably the activity of this isoenzyme which is reflected in kinetic data, even those obtained with relatively crude avocado PPO preparations.
HEALTH, EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT USE, AND EARLY IDENTIFICATION OF YOUNG CHILDREN EXPOSED TO TRAUMA

Abstract Background Childhood trauma is an important public health problem with financial, physical health, and mental health repercussions. Emergency departments (EDs) are often the first point of contact for many young children affected by emotionally or psychologically traumatic events (e.g., neglect, separation from primary caregiver, maltreatment, witness to domestic violence within the family, natural disasters). Study Objectives Describe the prevalence of physical health symptoms, ED use, and health-related problems in young children (birth through 5 years) affected by trauma, and to predict whether or not children experiencing trauma are more likely to be affected by health-related problems. Methods Community-based, cross-sectional survey of 208 young children. Traumatic events were assessed by the Traumatic Events Screening Inventory – Parent Report Revised. Child health symptoms and health-related problems were measured using the Caregiver Information Questionnaire, developed by ORC Macro (Atlanta, GA). Results Seventy-two percent of children had experienced at least one type of traumatic event. Children exposed to trauma were also experiencing recent health-related events, including visits to the ED (32.2%) and the doctor (76.9%) for physical health symptoms, and recurring physical health problems (40.4%). Children previously exposed to high levels of trauma (four or more types of events) were 2.9 times more likely to report having had recently visited the ED for health purposes. Conclusions Preventing recurrent trauma or recognizing early trauma exposure is difficult, but essential if long-term negative consequences are to be mitigated or prevented. Within EDs, there are missed opportunities for identification and intervention for trauma-exposed children, as well as great potential for expanding primary and secondary prevention of maltreatment-associated illness, injury, and mortality.
Inverted urothelial papillomas with foamy or vacuolated cytoplasm

Inverted papillomas of the bladder are uncommon benign neoplasms characterized by endophytic growth of urothelial cells as anastomosing cords, displaying minimal cytologic atypia. Reports of inverted papilloma associated with urothelial carcinoma or urothelial carcinoma arising within inverted papilloma highlight the difficulties in evaluating urothelial lesions with inverted growth patterns. Within the spectrum of findings in inverted papilloma, vacuolization and foamy (xanthomatous-appearing) cytoplasmic changes have not been previously reported. In the current study, we present 5 novel cases of inverted papilloma involving 2 men and 3 women ranging in age from 48 to 88 years, who presented with microhematuria (n = 3) or irritative symptoms (n = 2). Cystoscopically, the lesions were polypoid (n = 3), pedunculated (n = 1), or solid (n = 1), measured between 0.7 and 2.5 cm, and were all located at the trigone or bladder neck. Morphologically, all cases had some component of usual inverted papilloma along with areas displaying foamy or vacuolated cytoplasm encompassing 30% to 90% of the lesion. These "clear cells" were seen both in distinct regions within the biopsy and, more frequently, intermingled with usual inverted papilloma cells. In 3 of 5 cases, these findings were sufficiently unusual to cause confusion with urothelial carcinoma. The diagnostic dilemma encountered in these cases of inverted papilloma with foamy or vacuolated cytoplasm warrants their distinction from other benign and malignant urothelial lesions with inverted growth and/or clear cell features.
A comparative study of homeless, previously homeless, and never homeless school-aged children's health.

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to compare the mental health, physical health, and healthcare practices of homeless, previously homeless, and never homeless poor school-aged children. The sample was comprised of 134 children who ranged in age from 8 to 12 years. The children participated in health assessments and completed two psychometric tests: the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) (Kovacs, 1985) and the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS) (Reynolds & Richmond, 1985). Their mothers completed the Child Behavior Problem Checklist (CBCL) (Achenbach, 1991) and participated in an interview. The homeless (n = 67), previously homeless (n = 30), and never homeless children (n = 37) were similar in regard to their health assessment findings, reported health problems, healthcare practices, and CBCL scores. The proportions of homeless and previously homeless children with CDI scores in the clinical range were significantly greater than the never homeless poor children. The homeless ...
Melanoma peptide vaccines: from preclinical background to clinical trials.

The discovery that immune T-cells recognize intracellularly processed peptides associated with major histocompatibility locus molecules has revolutionized the cancer vaccine field by providing new reagents for the generation of immune responses against cancer. The cloning of tumor antigen genes has proceded most rapidly in melanoma because of the ease with which melanoma-specific T-cells can be propagated in vitro. The cloning and identification of tumor regression antigens and data from the initial clinical trials with peptides vaccines derived from those antigens are presented here.
The cell wall of Myxococcus xanthus.

The vegetative cell of Myxococcus xanthus has a wall about 250 A thick. Walls can be isolated from these cells by digesting heated or ethanol-treated cells with trypsin or chymotrypsin. Walls in the shape of spheres are obtained from heated cells while ethanol-treated cells yield rod-shaped walls. Walls isolated from heated cells are pigmented and are about 50% lipid, 5% nitrogen and 5% carbohydrate. Walls from ethanol-extracted cells are colorless and are lower in lipid and higher in nitrogen and carbohydrate components. Seventeen amino acids were identified in isolated walls of M. xanthus. Constituent sugars in the walls were: glucose, galactose, rhamnose and a hexosamine.
Sodium dependence of maximum flux, JM, and Km of amino acid transport in Ehrlich ascites cells

Abstract The Michaelis-Menten parameters, J M and K m of the initial 1-min fluxes of uptake of l -phenylalanine and of α-aminoisobutyric acid were determined for extracellular concentrations of Na+ ranging from 0.5 to 110 mequiv/l for Ehrlich ascites tumor cells. The maximal initial flux, J M , decreased with decrease in extracellular Na+ for both α-aminoisobutyric acid and phenylalanine but the K m for α-aminoisobutyric acid increased markedly as the Na+ concentration fell whereas the K m for phenylalanine decreased. Cycloleucine behaved like phenylalanine. The data provides strong evidence that the Na+-independent flux of phenylalanine is an exchange diffusion flux that can be varied by changing the intracellular level of amino acids such as phenylalanine. For phenylalanine, cyclolcucine, and methionine this exchange diffusion flux appears to be additive with the Na+-dependent initial flux. α-Aminoisobutyric acid also has an exchange diffusion that is Na+-independent but it has a high K m and is not additive with the Na+-dependent flux.
An efficient intrusion detection system using a boosting-based learning algorithm

Boosting is effective in improving the accuracy of a learner. In this paper, we present our research in developing a Multi-Class SLIPPER (MC-SLIPPER) system for intrusion detection from a boosting-based learning algorithm. Our system is built from multiple available binary SLIPPER modules. Multiple prediction-confidence based strategies are proposed and applied to arbitrate the final prediction among predictions from all binary SLIPPER modules. Our MC-SLIPPER system is evaluated on the KDDCUP'99 intrusion detection dataset. The experimental results show that the system achieves the best performance using the BP neural network. And the system using other prediction strategies gets better performance than the winner of the KDDCUP'99 contest does in term of misclassification cost.
Cancer systems biology: embracing complexity to develop better anticancer therapeutic strategies

The transformation of normal cells into cancer cells and maintenance of the malignant state and phenotypes are associated with genetic and epigenetic deregulations, altered cellular signaling responses and aberrant interactions with the microenvironment. These alterations are constantly evolving as tumor cells face changing selective pressures induced by the cells themselves, the microenvironment and drug treatments. Tumors are also complex ecosystems where different, sometime heterogeneous, subclonal tumor populations and a variety of nontumor cells coexist in a constantly evolving manner. The interactions between molecules and between cells that arise as a result of these alterations and ecosystems are even more complex. The cancer research community is increasingly embracing this complexity and adopting a combination of systems biology methods and integrated analyses to understand and predictively model the activity of cancer cells. Systems biology approaches are helping to understand the mechanisms of tumor progression and design more effective cancer therapies. These approaches work in tandem with rapid technological advancements that enable data acquisition on a broader scale, with finer accuracy, higher dimensionality and higher throughput than ever. Using such data, computational and mathematical models help identify key deregulated functions and processes, establish predictive biomarkers and optimize therapeutic strategies. Moving forward, implementing patient-specific computational and mathematical models of cancer will significantly improve the specificity and efficacy of targeted therapy, and will accelerate the adoption of personalized and precision cancer medicine.
On the Gaussian representation of intrinsic volumes

Abstract The geometrically based intrinsic volume functionals have figured importantly in Gaussian processes, such as in a remarkable expansion for the Wills functional (1) W ( K ) = E exp { sup t ∈ K [ X t − ( 1 / 2 ) σ t 2 ] } , σ t = E X t 2 . Using the Hadwiger Characterization Theorem, we give an alternate proof of the Gaussian representation of intrinsic volumes.
DISTRIBUTION AND REMOVAL OF MONOMERIC AND POLYMERIC PLUTONIUM IN RATS AND MICE

SummaryMice and rats were injected intravenously with monomeric or polymeric 239Pu (IV). Both species deposited about three-quarters of the injected polymeric Pu and about one-third of the monomeric Pu in the liver. In bone, rats deposited approximately twice as much Pu as mice, 12 per cent versus 6 per cent of injected polymeric and about 60 per cent versus 24 per cent of monomeric Pu. By 12 days untreated rats had lost no Pu from bone, but about one-half of the monomeric Pu from liver. By 90 days the rat liver had lost one-half and the mouse liver one-quarter of the deposited polymeric Pu. DTPA-therapy in rats, from the third to the eleventh day, removed about one-half of both forms of Pu deposited in bone. From liver, DTPA removed all but 1·5 per cent of injected monomeric Pu, but none of the polymeric Pu. In rats which received the same experimental regimen, femurs and tibias had the same specific activity.
Exaggerating Current and Past Performance: Motivated Self-Enhancement Versus Reconstructive Memory

The authors propose distinct reasons why individuals exaggerate their current and past performance. Current performance is of motivational and self-evaluative significance, and exaggerations of current performance often stem from motivated self-enhancement concerns. Self-reports of past performance are influenced less by motivated self-enhancement, instead reflecting more subtle biases in reconstructive memory. For students currently in college, grade point averages (GPAs) reflect a currently important goal pursuit, whereas Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores reflect a goal that was important in the past. Study 1 demonstrated that dispositional self-enhancement predicted greater GPA (but not SAT) exaggeration, whereas advanced class standing predicted greater SAT (but not GPA) exaggeration. Study 2 demonstrated that a self-affirmation manipulation attenuated the association between dispositional self-enhancement and GPA exaggeration but not the association between class standing and SAT exaggeration. The distinction between motivated self-enhancement and reconstructive memory bias has important implications for the broader literature on self-evaluation.
Stump sprouting of 19 upland hardwood species 1 year following initiation of a shelterwood with reserves silvicultural system in the southern Appalachian Mountains, USA

Models that quantify the probability of stump sprouting P(s) and sprout characteristics for predominant tree species in the southern Appalachian Mountains, USA are lacking. In this study, 375 plots (0.01 ha) were installed across five stands in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina. Trees ≥3.8 cm diameter at 1.37 m above groundline (dbh) were tagged, and dbh and species recorded. Stands were regenerated using a two-aged silvicultural system (residual basal area (BA) <6.3 m2 ha−1). One growing season post-harvest, we recorded (1) sprouting (yes/no), (2) the number of sprouts per stump (sprout density), and (3) dominant (tallest) sprout height. Sprout density, sprout height, and P(s) were modeled as function of dbh, site index (SI), and BA. For white (Quercus alba L.), black (Quercus velutina Lam.), scarlet (Quercus coccinea Muenchh.), and northern red (Quercus rubra L.) oaks, and sweet birch (Betula lenta L.), yellow buckeye (Aesculus flava Aiton), and red maple (Acer rubrum L.), P(s) was inversely related to dbh. Sprout density was positively related to (1) dbh for red maple, yellow buckeye, sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum L. (DC)), silverbell (Halesia tetraptera Ellis), and white basswood (Tilia heterophylla Vent.), and (2) SI for scarlet oak. For eight species, sprout height was influenced by dbh, SI, dbh and SI, or dbh and BA. Because stump sprouts are a primary source of regeneration, the information on stump sprouting produced for these 19 species can be used to quantify and predict early stand dynamics following regeneration harvests in these diverse southern Appalachian hardwood stands.
WEATHER NOTE: An Apparent Relationship Between the Sea-Surface Temperature of the Tropical Atlantic and the Development of African Disturbances Into Tropical Storms

Abstract An analysis of sea-surface temperatures over the tropical Atlantic for the past 5 yr shows a correlation between the number of tropical storms formed between July 10 and September 20 and the ocean temperatures over a wide area centered near 10°N and 35°W.
Within-group social relationships among females and adult males in wild western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla)

Within-group female relationships, and relationships between females and adult males have not been described for wild western lowland gorillas. New data are presented here from Mbeli Bai in the Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, Republic of Congo. Nine groups were observed over a continuous 2-year period, and affiliative and agonistic interactions, as well as time spent by females and adult males in proximity to each other were recorded. Affiliative behavior was extremely rare in the bai, and measures of proximity between individuals were inconclusive because of the small sample sizes. Rates of agonistic interaction among females were highly variable between groups. The majority of agonistic interactions were undecided, and the supplant rate was low. Evidence for an agonistic dominance hierarchy is weak. The data do not support hypotheses that increased frugivory in western lowland gorillas raises levels of within-group contest competition; however, the need for intersite comparisons is stressed. In contrast, rates of agonistic behavior between females and silverback males were higher and more consistent between groups. Agonistic relationships between males and females conformed with patterns seen in mountain gorillas, where male protection from intraspecific aggression is important. The benefit females gain by forming long-term cooperative alliances appears to be small, and is likely outweighed by reproductive advantages associated with male protection.
Changes in the distribution and abundance of albatrosses in the eastern Bering Sea: 1975–2010

Abstract A number of marine species are showing poleward shifts in their distributions in response to climate warming. Three albatross species frequent the Bering Sea, the Laysan (Phoebastria immutabilis), the black-footed (Phoebastria nigripes), and the endangered short-tailed albatross (Phoebastria albatrus). To determine if albatrosses changed their distribution or abundance in the eastern Bering Sea between 1975 and 2010, we examined at-sea survey data using the North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database. Within our study area, all three species of albatross occurred most frequently in the waters of the Aleutian Islands. In the eastern Bering Sea, all three species were most abundant near the shelf break, and in particular in the vicinity of the major submarine canyons in the shelf slope. Starting in the 1990s, population densities increased for all three albatross species, with a marked increase in the 2000s. In the 2000s, there was also an increase in the frequency at which albatrosses were recorded in the central and northern Bering Sea. Both black-footed and short-tailed albatrosses shifted the centers of their Bering Sea distributions northward. The Laysan albatross center of distribution shifted southward due to increased numbers along the southern shelf break, but densities also increased northward. We suggest that the observed changes in distribution and abundance of the three albatross species in the eastern Bering Sea may have been responses to an increase in the availability of squid, their primary prey, there. Additionally, the expansion of the distribution of the short-tailed albatross in the eastern Bering Sea may represent the reclamation of its previous range, now that the population is beginning to recover from near extinction caused by over harvesting. We suggest that predicted increases in ocean temperatures and northward movement of prey could result in albatrosses and other marine apex predators foraging farther north along the Bering Sea shelf and staying later in fall.
Sequential formation of ion pairs during activation of a sodium channel voltage sensor

Electrical signaling in biology depends upon a unique electromechanical transduction process mediated by the S4 segments of voltage-gated ion channels. These transmembrane segments are driven outward by the force of the electric field on positively charged amino acid residues termed “gating charges,” which are positioned at three-residue intervals in the S4 transmembrane segment, and this movement is coupled to opening of the pore. Here, we use the disulfide-locking method to demonstrate sequential ion pair formation between the fourth gating charge in the S4 segment (R4) and two acidic residues in the S2 segment during activation. R4 interacts first with E70 at the intracellular end of the S2 segment and then with D60 near the extracellular end. Analysis with the Rosetta Membrane method reveals the 3-D structures of the gating pore as these ion pairs are formed sequentially to catalyze the S4 transmembrane movement required for voltage-dependent activation. Our results directly demonstrate sequential ion pair formation that is an essential feature of the sliding helix model of voltage sensor function but is not compatible with the other widely discussed gating models.
Acute effects of intravenous propafenone on the internal ventricular defibrillation threshold in the anesthetized dog

Abstract In 10 treated and 2 control dogs, the short-term effects of intravenous propafenone (2 mg/kg/10 minutes, followed by 1 mg/min [ n = 2] or 25 μg/kg/min [ n = 8]) on the internal ventricular defibrillation energy requirements (DER) were investigated. Multiple stored energy levels were randomly tested and the percent successful defibrillation was plotted against the stored energy, and the raw data were fit by logistic regression. The energy at 50% (E 50 ) and 80% (E 80 ) defibrillation success increased after propafenone by a mean of 75% (8.4 ± 2.4 to 14.7 ± 5.9 joules, p ≤ 0.05) and 59% (11.1 ± 3.5 to 17.6 ± 6.7 joules, p ≤ 0.05), respectively. Plasma propafenone levels ranged from 778 to 2554 ng/ml (1495 ± 592 ng/ml) at the beginning to 833 to 2193 ng/ml (1297 ± 389 ng/ml) at the end of the defibrillation trials. Two dogs served as controls and received Ringer's solution instead of propafenone and showed the temporal stability of the preparation. In conclusion, intravenous propafenone increases the internal ventricular DER in this canine model. This may have important clinical implications in patients with automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (AICDs) receiving concomitant antiarrhythmic drug therapy and in patients undergoing therapy with intravenous propafenone.
Pretreatment with bleaching herbicides alleviates the light-induced inhibition of maize 3-hydroxy-3-methylgutaryl-coenzyme A reductase activity

Abstract Etiolated seedlings of maize ( Zea mays L., var. ‘Dekalb XL72AA’) contain high levels of the enzyme 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGR, EC 1.1.1.34).The influence of pretreatments with several herbicides known to interfere with plant isoprenoid synthesis on the light-induced inhibition of maize microsomal HMGR activity was examined. Pretreatment with the bleaching herbicides clomazone, norflurazon, fluridone, and acifluorfen (Na-salt) stimulated by four- to sevenfold the in vivo activity of microsomal HMGR extracted from 5-day-old maize seedlings grown in a 24-hr photoperiod with strong light (600 μmol/m 2 /sec). Pretreatment with the growth-retarding herbicides EPTC and metolachlor did not affect the in vivo activity of microsomal HMGR extracted from maize seedlings grown under the same conditions. The in vivo activity of maize microsomal HMGR was not stimulated by any of the four bleaching herbicides when herbicide-treated maize seedlings were grown under continuous dark conditions. When herbicidetreated maize seedlings were germinated and grown in a 6-hr photoperiod with weak light (40 μmol/m 2 /sec), the only herbicide that bleached maize seedlings and stimulated the in vivo activity of their microsomal HMGR was clomazone. None of the bleaching herbicides examined in this study exhibited any direct effects on the in vitro activity of microsomal HMGR extracted from etiolated maize seedlings. Mevinolin, a highly competitive inhibitor of HMGR, inhibited the in vitro activity of microsomal HMGR extracted from etiolated maize seedlings. These results suggest that the light-induced inhibition of maize microsomal HMGR activity may be indirect, resulting from the direct influence of light on chloroplast morphogenesis, a differentiation process disrupted by bleaching herbicides.
Models, Strategies, and Tools: Theory in Implementing Evidence-Based Findings into Health Care Practice

This paper presents a case for careful consideration of theory in planning to implement evidence-based practices into clinical care. As described, theory should be tightly linked to strategic planning through careful choice or creation of an implementation framework. Strategies should be linked to specific interventions and/or intervention components to be implemented, and the choice of tools should match the interventions and overall strategy, linking back to the original theory and framework. The thesis advanced is that in most studies where there is an attempt to implement planned change in clinical processes, theory is used loosely. An example of linking theory to intervention design is presented from a Mental Health Quality Enhancement Research Initiative effort to increase appropriate use of antipsychotic medication among patients with schizophrenia in the Veterans Health Administration.
A Treasured Legacy: Hebrew Manuscripts at the Bodleiana

AbstractThe collection of three thousand Hebrew manuscripts at the Bodleian Library in Oxford is the largest in the United Kingdom. These manuscripts arrived at the Bodleiana over three centuries, from the first manuscripts collected by Christian Hebraists of the seventeenth century down to the various acquisitions during the nineteenth century. A catalogue compiled by Adolf Neubauer over eighteen years and published in 1886 is marred by serious flaws, mostly in the classification of the manuscripts and the indexes. By contrast the Supplement of Malachi Beit-Arie (I994), allows the researcher to underline the advances in Hebrew codicology and palaeography achieved since 1886.