cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A comparative study at 3 T of sequence dependence of T2 quantitation in the knee.

Abstract Objective T2 mapping has been used widely in detecting cartilage degeneration in osteoarthritis. Several scanning sequences have been developed in the determination of T2 relaxation times of tissues. However, the derivation of these times may vary from sequence to sequence. This study seeks to evaluate the sequence-dependent differences in T2 quantitation of cartilage, muscle, fat and bone marrow in the knee joint at 3 T. Methods Three commercial phantoms and 10 healthy volunteers were studied using 3 T MR. T2 relaxation times of the phantoms, cartilage, muscle, subcutaneous fat and marrow were derived using spin echo (SE), multiecho SE (MESE), fast SE (FSE) with varying echo train length (ETL), spiral and spoiler gradient (SPGR) sequences. The differences between these times were then evaluated using Student's t test. In addition, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) efficiency and coefficient of variation of T2 from each sequence were calculated. Results The average T2 relaxation time was 36.38±5.76 ms in cartilage and 34.08±6.55 ms in muscle, ranging from 27 to 45 ms in both tissues. The times for subcutaneous fat and marrow were longer and more varying, ranging from 41 to 143 ms and from 42 to 160 ms, respectively. In FSE acquisition, relaxation time significantly increases as ETL increases (P .05). Conclusion T2 quantification can be a valuable tool for the diagnosis of degenerative disease. Several different sequences exist to quantify the relaxation times of tissues. Sequences range in scan time, SNR efficiency, reproducibility and two- or three-dimensional mapping. However, when choosing a sequence for quantitation, it is important to realize that several factors affect the measured T2 relaxation time.
Short-Term Reducing Conditions Decrease Soil Aggregation

Upland soils in the midwestern United States are often ponded during the spring for days or weeks and may undergo reduction. Short-term reducing conditions change the chemistry of the soil and that may affect soil aggregation. The objective of this study was to determine how changes in the redox status of the soil under a set of controlled temperature and light conditions can impact soil aggregation during short-term flooding conditions. A biogeochemical reactor was built to achieve reducing conditions. Six different soils, three cultivated and three uncultivated, with different organic C contents were incubated (1:1.5 soil/water ratio) in the reactor for 1 h and 1, 3, 7, and 14 d. After each treatment, the soil solution was collected and analyzed for metals and dissolved organic C (DOC). A high-energy moisture characteristic procedure was used to determine the aggregate stability of the incubated soil samples. A strong correlation was found between changes in the redox potential (Eh) and aggregate stability. As Eh decreased, aggregate stability decreased. The changes in redox-sensitive elements (Mn and Fe), alkaline metals (Ca, Mg, and K), and DOC under reducing conditions were found to also contribute to decreased aggregate stability. The aggregate stabilities of cultivated soils were more sensitive to reducing conditions than those of uncultivated ones. The decrease in aggregate stability reached up to 21% in the cultivated soils and might be irreversible under field conditions. Short-term reducing conditions may have detrimental effects on soil structure and water quality due to changes in soil aggregation and the chemistry of the soil solution.
New Treatments for Acute Ischemic Stroke

Two recently published studies have investigated new modalities for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke rt-PA Stroke Study Group1 recently reported the results of a randomized, double-blind trial of intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) for acute ischemic stroke. There were two parts to the overall study; a total of 624 patients were randomized in both parts. To qualify for inclusion in either of the two parts, patients had to (1) have had an ischemic stroke with a clearly defined time of onset; (2) have a deficit that was measurable according to the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), a 42-point serial measure of neurological deficit; and (3) have a baseline computed tomographic brain scan that showed no evidence of intracranial hemorrhage. Patients had to have treatment with study drug initiated within 3 hours of symptom onset. Exclusion criteria included another stroke or head trauma within the past 3 months, major surgery within …
“Spurious nonsignificance” with rank correlation: Some alternative methods and a coefficient of general association

Buckalew and Pearson (1983) termed the failure to detect a nonmonotonic relationship with a rank-order correlation as “spurious nonsignificance. ” Their hypothetical set of data was found to be nonrandom by a one-sample runs test and then was summarized by two rhos. Three other methods of testing for nonmonotonic relationships—Edgington’s (1961, 1969) trend test and two graphical tests (runs and point-pairs) of general association by Quenouille (1952, 1959) — were described and applied to the Buckalew-Pearson example. Finally, their data were summarized by a sequential correlation coefficient, psi, which is an index of general association. Psi, which was devised by Quenouille (1952), is a nonparametric version of eta.
Magnetic Resonance Histology of Age-related Nephropathy in the Sprague Dawley Rat

Magnetic resonance histology (MRH) has become a valuable tool in evaluating drug-induced toxicity in preclinical models. However, its application in renal injury has been limited. This study tested the hypothesis that MRH could detect image-based biomarkers of chronic disease, inflammation, or age-related degeneration in the kidney, laying the foundation for more extensive use in evaluating drug toxicity. We examined the entire intact kidney in a spontaneous model of chronic progressive nephropathy. Kidneys from male Sprague Dawley rats were imaged at 8 weeks (n = 4) and 52 weeks (n =4) on a 9.4 T system dedicated to MR microscopy. Several potential contrast mechanisms were explored to optimize the scanning protocols. Full coverage of the entire kidney was achieved with isotropic spatial resolution at 31 microns (voxel volume = 30 pL) using a gradient recalled echo sequence. Isotropic spatial resolution of 15 microns (voxel volume < 4 pL) was achieved in a biopsy core specimen. Qualitative age-related str...
Role of Antibodies in Controlling Viral Disease: Lessons from Experiments of Nature and Gene Knockouts

While the role of antibodies in preventing virus infection and reinfection is unquestionable, their contribution to the resolution of viral disease is much more controversial. When humoral deficiencies, in particular Bruton's X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA) ([8][1]), were initially described, it
The role of theory building in the teaching of secondary geometry

Although mathematical practice has traditionally valued two distinct kinds of mathematical work—referred to by Gowers (2000) as theory building and problem solving—activity in classrooms appears to be organized largely around the latter, rather than the former. This study takes up the question of whether there is a customary role for theory building in the secondary geometry course and to what extent teachers of geometry hold students accountable for that disposition. We analyze records from study groups composed of experienced geometry teachers in the USA, and ask to what extent the disposition towards theory building is visible in those records, and how teachers react to the suggestion that it could play a larger role in their practice. Among our findings, we report that participants consistently attached a higher value to work organized around problem solving, rejecting the idea that they might hold their students accountable for theory building.
The environmental self and a sense of place: Communication foundations for regional ecosystem management

Abstract In order to engage in large‐scale ecosystem management, natural resource managers must take into account the perceptions of citizens living in areas to be managed in a sustainable manner. Among other bases for perception, an individual's “sense of place” and beliefs connecting the self to a larger environment play pivotal roles in the process of attending to advocacy regarding natural resource policies. This study examines the perceptions of individuals living in the Lake Superior basin regarding their identification with a sense of place. Analysis of interview and survey data reveals that interviewees relate themselves to their region and environment primarily by way of “natural” and “social” features in their daily lives and that one's focus on either of the two dimensions, as well as their perceptions of various activities, is mediated by how long they have lived in the area. Implications for the development of ecosystem management communication campaigns are discussed.
Memory as Window on the Mind

This paper argues for two propositions. The first is that memory is not only indispensable to a mind but also implicated in shaping its operations. As a result, a study of memory systems that dominate a kind of mind opens a unique explanatory window on what that kind of mind can and cannot do. From this perspective, the second proposition is that autobiographical memory, which is unique to humans and emerges late in childhood, operates in ways and with resources that reveal an entirely new kind of mind that only older children develop and adults inherit – a mind unknown in the rest of the animal world.
Toward Reconfigurable Smart Distribution Systems for Differentiated Reliability of Service

In this chapter we consider the idea of reducing standby central generation reserve in distribution systems by reconnecting distributed generation (DG) and demand-responsive (DR) consumers when necessary to minimize the interruption cost. The grid topology is reconfigured using Normally Open Switches (NOSs) and/or Normally Closed Switches (NCSs) during faults. As an illustration, a distribution power grid in Flores is analyzed to identify the most effective locations for placing such switches given the DG and DR characteristics of the grid users. A cost-benefit estimate of adding the infrastructure necessary to implement differentiated reliability of service is illustrated. It is shown that reliability reserve can be reduced significantly and the cost of service can be lowered. Notably, remote fast communications for selective service of users will become the staple of future reconfigurable smart distribution systems.
Being BOLD in Critical Limb Ischemia

“Begin, be bold, and venture to be wise.”— Horace [(1)][1] The management of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) still heavily relies on clinical judgment and the use of the ankle-brachial pressure index (ABPI), originally described in 1950 for the noninvasive diagnosis of lower extremity
Effects of the noncompetitive N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor antagonists ketamine and MK-801 on pain-stimulated and pain-depressed behaviour in rats

Background Pain is a significant public health concern, and current pharmacological treatments have problematic side effects and limited effectiveness. N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptor antagonists have emerged as one class of candidate treatments for pain because of the significant contribution of glutamate signalling in nociceptive processing. Methods This study compared effects of the NMDA receptor antagonists ketamine and MK-801 in assays of pain-stimulated and pain-depressed behaviour in rats. The nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug ketoprofen was examined for comparison as a positive control. Intraperitoneal injection of dilute acid served as an acute visceral noxious stimulus to stimulate a stretching response or depress intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) in male Sprague–Dawley rats. Results Ketamine (1.0–10.0 mg/kg) blocked acid-stimulated stretching but failed to block acid-induced depression of ICSS, whereas MK-801 (0.01–0.1 mg/kg) blocked both acid-stimulated stretching and acid-induced depression of ICSS. These doses of ketamine and MK-801 did not alter control ICSS in the absence of the noxious stimulus; however, higher doses of ketamine (10 mg/kg) and MK-801 (0.32 mg/kg) depressed all behaviour. Ketoprofen (1.0 mg/kg) blocked both acid-induced stimulation of stretching and depression of ICSS without altering control ICSS. Conclusion These results support further consideration of NMDA receptor antagonists as analgesics; however, some NMDA receptor antagonists are more efficacious at attenuating pain-depressed behaviours. What does this study add NMDA receptor antagonists produce dissociable effects on pain-depressed behaviour. Provides evidence that pain-depressed behaviours should be considered and evaluated when determining the antinociceptive effects of NMDA receptor antagonists.
Evidence for multidimensional resilience in adult patients with transfusion-dependent thalassemias: Is it more common than we think?

SUMMARY Background Life expectancy of patients with transfusion-dependent thalassemias has increased with the development of improved treatment over the last few decades. However, β-thalassemia disorder still has considerable lifetime treatment demands and heightened risk of frequent complications due to transfusion-transmitted infections and iron overload, which may affect thalassemic patients' functioning in different domains. Objectives The vast majority of published studies on thalassemic patients have focused on children and adolescent functioning, and little research has examined adults. Hence, the current study was planned to examine the functioning and resilience of adult thalassemic patients in a comprehensive way. Methods We examined multidimensional resilience and functioning across different domains (psychological adjustment, treatment adherence, social functioning and occupational functioning). We also examined demographic and medical variables that may relate to resilience and functioning. Participants were adult patients [n = 38; age M = 31·63, standard deviation (SD) = 7·72; 72% female] with transfusion-dependent thalassemia in treatment in a hospital in the northeastern United States. Results The results suggest that most adult thalassemic patients tend to be resilient, demonstrating good functioning in four main domains: psychological adjustment, treatment adherence, social functioning and occupational functioning. Conclusion Despite the considerable demands of their illness, adult thalassemic patients appeared to be adapting well, demonstrating evidence of multidimensional resilience.
RTRB-10TYROSINE KINASE RECEPTOR TIE2 REGULATES DNA REPAIR THROUGH THE PROTO-ONCOGENE ABL1 IN BRAIN TUMOR STEM CELLS

Glioblastoma is the most common and aggressive primary brain tumor in adults with a median survival of 9-15 months. This tumor invariably recurs after therapy, which is largely caused by the striking radioresistance. In gliomas, we found the tyrosine kinase receptor TIE2 is overexpressed in brain tumor stem cells (BTSCs) and in human surgical glioma specimens in relation to malignancy. Here we find that ionizing irradiation (IR) treatment of mice bearing intracranial BTSCs-derived xenografts resulted in an unexpected TIE2 nuclear localization and increased level of its natural ligand, ANG1. These data was corroborated in BTSCs and glioma cultures upon IR or Ang1 stimulus, using immunofluorescence and confocal analysis, and subcellular fractionation followed by Western blot. Of clinical interest, nuclear TIE2 is associated with radioresistance of glioma cells, which was reverted by using Tie2 soluble receptor (which inhibits ANG1/TIE2 interaction) and after genetic Tie2 mutation of a newly discovered nuclear localization signal. At the molecular level, we also found that after IR treatment, TIE2 localized in the DNA-repair foci and complexed with gH2AX, suggesting a role of TIE2 in the DNA repair machinery. To validate our hypothesis, we used a fluorescent reporter construct in which GFP gene was reconstituted following a non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) event, and we observed that TIE2-expressing cells showed more efficient NHEJ repair than non-expressing TIE2 cells. Based on the recently reported role of ABL1 (cAbl) in the ATM and KAT5 mediated DNA damage repair, we explored the relationship between ABL1 and the TIE2-mediated radioresistance. Our data clearly showed that DNA repair efficiency significantly and specifically decreased by using ABL1 inhibitors or ABL1 siRNAs, but not after ABL2 inhibition. Collectively, our results should propel the development of preclinical studies on the combination of nuclear TIE2-targeting strategies and inhibition of ABL1 with radiotherapy for patients with glioblastomas.
Joint modeling of teleseismic and tsunami wave observations to constrain the 16 September 2015 Illapel, Chile, Mw 8.3 earthquake rupture process

The 16 September 2015 Illapel, Chile, M_w 8.3 earthquake ruptured ~170 km along the plate boundary megathrust fault from 30.0°S to 31.6°S. A patch of offshore slip of up to 10 m extended to near the trench, and a patch of ~3 m slip occurred downdip below the coast. Aftershocks fringe the large-slip zone, extending along the coast from 29.5°S to 32.5°S between the 1922 and 1971/1985 ruptures. The coseismic slip distribution is determined by iterative modeling of teleseismic body waves as well as tsunami signals recorded at three regional DART stations and tide gauges immediately north and south of the rupture. The tsunami observations tightly delimit the rupture length, suppressing bilateral southward extension of slip found in unconstrained teleseismic-wave inversions. The spatially concentrated rupture area, with a stress drop of ~3.2 MPa, is validated by modeling DART and tide gauge observations in Hawaii, which also prove sensitive to the along-strike length of the rupture.
Key Technology in PBB-TE Segment Protection

Provider backbone bridge-traffic engineering (PBB-TE) adopts an end-to-end protection mechanism.With PBB-TE network expansion,this mechanism is insufficient for traffic switching efficiency,multifailure protection,and point-to-multipoint connection,and it cannot satisfy the increased requirement for precision.We therefore propose PBB-TE segment protection technology.This paper analyses PBB-TE end-to-end technology,details the requirements of a long distance transit network,and introduces PBB-TE segment protection technology.It then presents a key technology of PBB-TE segment protection:traffic service switching and M:1 segment protection.In conclusion,we put forward a solution for improving the reliability of long distance packet transport networks.
Transcription factor loads tend to decrease the robustness of stable gene transcription networks

Robustness of a system's behavior to changes in parameter values is a remarkable property of natural systems and especially desirable when designing de novo synthetic gene circuits. Loads on transcription factors resulting from binding to target promoters have been shown to significantly affect the effective time constants of gene transcription networks and to thus alter the overall system's behavior. Here, we employ models that explicitly account for load effects to investigate how these impact the robustness of a stable gene transcription network to parameter perturbations. By employing a combination of sampling-based methods and analytical tools from control theory, we demonstrate that the presence of loading shrinks the region of parameter space where a gene circuit performs the desired function. A number of multi-module synthetic gene circuits are analyzed to demonstrate this point, including an event detector and a molecular signature classifier. These results indicate that for designing genetic circuits that are robust to parameter uncertainty it is highly desirable to find ways to mitigate the effects of transcription factor loading.
Integrated Logistic Support Modeling and Simulating Based on Submarine Launched Missile Weapon System

The integrated support practice indicates that the core of support is how to keep reliability and availability of complicated system.The integrated logistic support simulated evaluation is not only economic but also practicable to weight support effect.According to the characteristics of weapon system,the simulated model is built,and the structure and designs thought are put forward,and the workflow is analyzed.Finally,taking an equipment as an example,the simulation result proves that the model is correct and feasible.
Full Assessment of Micromachine Friction Within the Rate–State Framework: Experiments

This work represents the first full mapping of the microscale kinetic friction phase diagram. A micromachined friction test platform that allows three orders of magnitude variation of normal load, spring constant, and puller velocity is used to achieve this objective. It enables transitions between stick–slip and steady sliding through each of these variables. Experimentally, the sliding behavior of surface micromachined interfaces coated with a tridecafluorotris(dimethylamino)silane (FOTAS, CF3(CF2)5(CH2)2Si(N(CH3)2)3) monolayer is examined. Static aging, a friction decrease then increase with puller velocity, an instantaneous increase in friction in response to a step change in velocity, and stick–slip to steady sliding transitions with decreasing normal load and increasing velocity, respectively, are observed in a wear-free regime. The results form a complete data set that is used in the context of coupled rate–state theory equations to develop and validate model-based predictions for the friction phase diagram in a companion paper (Shroff et al. in Tribol Lett, 2016).
The Dehydratase ADT3 Affects ROS Homeostasis and Cotyledon Development

During the transition from seed to seedling, emerging embryos strategically balance available resources between building up defenses against environmental threats and initiating the developmental program that promotes the switch to autotrophy. We present evidence of a critical role for the phenylalanine (Phe) biosynthetic activity of AROGENATE DEHYDRATASE3 (ADT3) in coordinating reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis and cotyledon development in etiolated Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) seedlings. We show that ADT3 is expressed in the cotyledon and shoot apical meristem, mainly in the cytosol, and that the epidermis of adt3 cotyledons contains higher levels of ROS. Genome-wide proteomics of the adt3 mutant revealed a general down-regulation of plastidic proteins and ROS-scavenging enzymes, corroborating the hypothesis that the ADT3 supply of Phe is required to control ROS concentration and distribution to protect cellular components. In addition, loss of ADT3 disrupts cotyledon epidermal patterning by affecting the number and expansion of pavement cells and stomata cell fate specification; we also observed severe alterations in mesophyll cells, which lack oil bodies and normal plastids. Interestingly, up-regulation of the pathway leading to cuticle production is accompanied by an abnormal cuticle structure and/or deposition in the adt3 mutant. Such impairment results in an increase in cell permeability and provides a link to understand the cell defects in the adt3 cotyledon epidermis. We suggest an additional role of Phe in supplying nutrients to the young seedling.
A new system for continuous and remote monitoring of patients receiving home mechanical ventilation

Home mechanical ventilation is the treatment of patients with respiratory failure or insufficiency by means of a mechanical ventilator at a patient's home. In order to allow remote patient monitoring, several tele-monitoring systems have been introduced in the last few years. However, most of them usually do not allow real-time services, as they have their own proprietary communication protocol implemented and some ventilation parameters are not always measured. Moreover, they monitor only some breaths during the whole day, despite the fact that a patient's respiratory state may change continuously during the day. In order to reduce the above drawbacks, this work reports the development of a novel remote monitoring system for long-term, home-based ventilation therapy; the proposed system allows for continuous monitoring of the main physical quantities involved during home-care ventilation (e.g., differential pressure, volume, and air flow rate) and is developed in order to allow observations of different remote therapy units located in different places of a city, region, or country. The developed remote patient monitoring system is able to detect various clinical events (e.g., events of tube disconnection and sleep apnea events) and has been successfully tested by means of experimental tests carried out with pulmonary ventilators typically used to support sick patients.
Airplane as a whole General View Of Mutual Interactions among Constituent Systems

The Editor regrets most sincerely to announce that the other engagements of Professor Panetti of the R. Scuola die Ingegneria di Torino, Turin, Italy, have not permitted him the time to prepare the manuscript for the present Division, as was originally planned. Pressed near the close of the period of publication by the need of some treatment of this topic, and in order to fill out the original schedule of Divisions and of subject matter to be treated, the Editor has undertaken to give a brief treatment of the subject which, it is hoped, however, may aid the reader in gaining a more comprehensive view of the airplane as a whole and of its performance as the resultant of a very considerable manifold of actions, interactions and reactions.
Board Effectiveness and Innovation in Nonprofit Organizations

ABSTRACTThis study examined the relationship between board effectiveness and innovation in service providing associations from the perspectives of agency, resource dependency, and resource-based theories. Results based on 349 respondent surveys showed that the the relationship between board effectiveness and innovation varied by the type of innovation (service, administrative, product, process, and capacity for innovation). Based on the results, practice implications are discussed, with a special focus on educating boards on the potential impact they might have on innovation through an effective performance of their tasks.
Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia with prominent CD141+ myeloid dendritic cell differentiation

Myeloid malignancies showing CD141+ myeloid dendritic cell (MDC) differentiation have not been documented. Here, we describe a patient with juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia in which a prominent CD141+ cell population was identified most consistent with CD141+ MDCs based on phenotypic similarity with normal CD141+ MDCs. Molecular studies demonstrated a KRAS mutation. The findings from the spleen and bone marrow are described. This is the first well-documented demonstration of CD141+ MDC differentiation of a hematopoietic neoplasm.
The identification of novel genetic risk loci in uveal melanoma.

1543Background: Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common primary intraocular tumor in adult, but its etiology for the most part remains unclear. It has been suggested that the genetic susceptibility ...
Biophysical Characterization of Genetically Encoded Voltage Sensor ASAP1: Dynamic Range Improvement

Recent work has introduced a new fluorescent voltage sensor, ASAP1, which can monitor rapid trains of action potentials in cultured neurons. This indicator is based on the Gallus gallus voltage-sensitive phosphatase with the phosphatase domain removed and a circularly permuted GFP placed in the S3-S4 linker. However, many of the biophysical details of this indicator remain unknown. In this work, we study the biophysical properties of ASAP1. Using the cut-open voltage clamp technique, we have simultaneously recorded fluorescence signals and gating currents from Xenopus laevis oocytes expressing ASAP1. Gating charge movement and fluorescence kinetics track closely with each other, although ASAP1 gating currents are significantly faster than those of Ciona intestinalis voltage-sensitive phosphatase. Altering the residue before the first gating charge removes a split in the ASAP1 QV curve, but preserves the accelerated kinetics that allow for the faithful tracking of action potentials in neurons.
Both Gender and Cohort Affect Perceptions of Forenames, but Are 25-Year-Old Standards Still Valid?

Forenames signify considerable information, not only about a person’s gender, but also about that person’s age, social class, and ethnicity, as well as characteristics such as attractiveness and intellectual competence. Kasof (1993) found that research (almost all done in the U.S.) often used gender-typed forenames to identify individuals’ sex or gender in studies of potential gender bias. However, because these forenames signified other traits unrelated to gender, results were confounded in ways often favoring male stimulus persons. To remedy this situation, Kasof identified pairs of female and male forenames that were matched on key variables such as perceived age, attractiveness, and intellectual competence. We found that since 1995, approximately one-third of researchers who manipulated the sex or gender of hypothetical women and men used Kasof’s matched female and male forenames to control for extraneous variables. However, our research with college students revealed that Kasof’s matched forename pairs are now outdated. College students rated Kasof’s forenames (which are characteristic of popular forenames of their parents’ cohort) as less attractive than their own cohort’s popular forenames. Consistent with Kasof’s results, however, popular male forenames continued to be rated as connoting greater intellectual competence than popular female forenames. Implications of these findings are discussed.
β-Carotene Supplementation and Lung Cancer Incidence in the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study: The Role of Tar and Nicotine

Introduction The Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention (ATBC) Study demonstrated that β-carotene supplementation increases lung cancer incidence in smokers. Further, cigarettes with higher tar and nicotine content are associated with a higher risk of lung cancer. However, no studies have examined whether the increased risk associated with β-carotene supplementation in smokers varies by the tar or nicotine content of cigarettes. Methods The ATBC Study was a randomized, double-blind intervention trial conducted in southwest Finland. A total of 29 133 male smokers, aged 50-69 years, were enrolled and randomly assigned to one of four groups (α-tocopherol, β-carotene, both, or placebo). Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of lung cancer risk by β-carotene trial assignment stratified by a priori categories of cigarette tar and nicotine content. Results The β-carotene supplementation group had significantly higher risk of developing lung cancer in all categories of tar content (yes vs. no β-carotene supplementation-ultralight cigarettes [≤7 mg tar]: HR = 1.31, 95% CI = 0.91 to 1.89; nonfiltered cigarettes [≥21 mg tar]: HR = 1.22, 95% CI = 0.91 to 1.64; p for interaction = .91). Similarly, there was no interaction with nicotine content (yes vs. no β-carotene supplementation-ventilated cigarettes [≤0.8 µg nicotine]: HR = 1.23, 95% CI = 0.98 to 1.54; nonfiltered cigarettes [≥1.3 µg nicotine]: HR = 1.22, 95% CI = 0.91 to 1.64; p for interaction = .83). Conclusion These findings support the conclusion that supplementation with β-carotene increases the risk of lung cancer in smokers regardless of the tar or nicotine content of cigarettes smoked. Our data suggest that all smokers should continue to avoid β-carotene supplementation. Implications Previous studies demonstrated that β-carotene supplementation increases risk of lung cancer in smokers. This study moves the field forward by examining the potential for modification of risk of lung cancer with different levels of tar and nicotine in cigarettes smoked, as interaction with carcinogens in these components of cigarette smoke is hypothesized to be the mechanism by which β-carotene increases risk. Our study provides evidence that the increased risk of lung cancer in smokers who take β-carotene supplements is not dependent upon the tar or nicotine level of cigarettes smoked and suggests that all smokers should continue to avoid β-carotene supplementation.
Distance-enhanced association rules for gene expression

We introduce a novel data mining technique for the analysis of gene expression. Gene expression is the effective production of the protein that a gene encodes. We focus on the characterization of the expression patterns of genes based on their promoter regions. The promoter region of a gene contains short sequences called motifs to which gene regulatory proteins may bind, thereby controlling when and in which cell types the gene is expressed. Our approach addresses two important aspects of gene expression analysis: (1) Binding of proteins at more than one motif is usually required, and several different types of proteins may need to bind several different types of motifs in order to confer transcriptional specificity. (2) Since proteins controlling transcription may need to interact physically, we know that the order and spacing in which motifs occur can affect expression. We use association rules to address the combinatorial aspect. The association rules we employ have the ability to involve multiple motifs and to predict expression in multiple cell types. To address the second aspect, we enhance association rules with information about the distances among the motifs, or items, that are present in the rule. Rules of interest are those whose set of motifs deviates properly, i.e. set of motifs whose pair-wise distances are highly conserved in the promoter regions where these motifs occur. We describe the design, implementation, and evaluation of our Distance-based Association Rule Mining algorithm (DARM) to mine those rules. We show that these distance-based rules achieve higher classification performance than standard association rules over two real datasets.
Limit Cycle Structure for Block-Sequential Threshold Systems

This paper analyzes the possible limit set structures for the standard threshold block-sequential finite dynamical systems. As a special case of their work on Neural Networks (generalized threshold functions), Goles and Olivos (1981 [2]) showed that for the single block case (parallel update) one may only have fixed points and 2-cycles as ω-limit sets. Barrett et al (2006 [1]), but also Goles et al (1990 [3]) as a special case, proved that for the case with n blocks (sequential update) the only ω-limit sets are fixed points. This paper generalizes and unifies these results to standard threshold systems with block-sequential update schemes.
Dose Calculations for Radiation Treatment Planning

The most common method of treating cancer patients with radiation is externally applied beams of photons generated by linear accelerators, or by high-intensity 60Co radioactive sources. Electron beams generated by linear accelerators also are employed, but not as often as photon beams. Other particles, such as protons, neutrons, pions and heavy ions, have been experimented with, but their use is limited to a few research facilities. For certain types of tumors, internally applied radiation, alone or in combination with external radiation, is suitable. In this chapter, we will confine ourselves to externally applied photon and electron beams only.
Battery Park City: An American Dream of Urbanism

The process of creating design guidelines brings into play important existential questions about how we view ourselves as a culture through our architecture and urban form. In some cases, design guidelines are the perpetuation of existing misunderstood value systems or, worse yet, the unwitting perfection of ideologies that are reluctantly understood to be disdainful. The results are comfortable and supportive of the existing socioeconomic conditions, but contain an underlying crisis of meaning, experience, and culture. With this perspective we will examine Battery Park City in Manhattan, which was formulated according to a comprehensive set of design guidelines governing both its urban morphology and architectural expression. Of particular concern is the resultant urban morphology and architectural iconography as it reflects the underlying ideology of the design guidelines themselves. Battery Park City is relevant because of its comprehensive planned structure within one of the world’s most well-defined cities, as well as its manifest ideology, created during this “moment of late consumer or multi-nation capitalism,” as Frederick Jameson labels the end of the twentieth century (Jameson, 1983, 125).
Quantifying the effects of surface conveyance of treated wastewater effluent on groundwater, surface water, and nutrient dynamics in a large river floodplain.

Abstract Restoration and reconnection of floodplain systems provide multiple societal and ecosystem benefits, while providing municipalities the opportunity to attempt alternative approaches to maintain infrastructure protection and function. In some restored floodplains, treated wastewater effluent discharge is redirected over land instead of directly into rivers to allow natural flow and infiltration, to facilitate restoration designs such as levee setback, and to provide additional freshwater to floodplain ecosystems. However, indirect discharge of treated effluent over land may pose risks to surface and groundwater when pollutants like excess nutrients enter the floodplain and undergo transformation. We investigated the consequences for groundwater and surface water quality when effluent was redirected as open water channels over a floodplain surface. In this study, seasonal floodplain nutrient concentrations in groundwater and surface water were observed for more than 5 years as a floodplain and wastewater treatment plant underwent a major restoration project that included river-floodplain reconnection with levee setback and redirection of effluent discharge from a river channel to open flow across the restored floodplain. Nutrient loading to the surrounding floodplain groundwater and surface water was observed, but based on measures of hydrological connectivity, groundwater flow paths, and biogeochemistry, nutrients from the effluent moved within the floodplain with minimal effect to the surrounding floodplain water quality. We did not find evidence of substantial additional processing that could replace advanced nutrient treatment in this system, however we did observe evidence of diverse nutrient processes that may support enhanced retention if treatment channels were designed to enhance these processes. We suggest that indirect discharge of high quality treated effluent in a restored floodplain is a viable alternative to direct discharge into a river when groundwater flow directs that discharge to habitats where minimal nutrient sensitivity is expected.
Effect of an Anteroventral Third-Ventricle Lesion on Sodium Chloride Hypertension in Dahl S Rats

1. After a lesion had been made in the anteroventral third ventricle (AV3V), Dahl S rats received daily injections of either pitressin (500 m-units/kg) or vehicle during 10 weeks of high (8%) NaCl diet. Rats with sham lesions served as controls. The blood pressure in sham-lesion rats receiving vehicle was 189 mmHg after 10 weeks of high NaCl diet. Lesion rats given vehicle showed a 60% smaller increase in blood pressure than sham-lesion rats ( P 2. Lesion rats given pitressin also showed a smaller increase in blood pressure than sham-lesion rats ( P P 3. In another experiment, the effect of the AV3V lesion on the renal papillary plasma flow (RPPF) in Dahl S rats was studied. Dahl S rats have a lower RPPF than Dahl salt-resistant (R) rats even on a low NaCl intake. The AV3V lesion increased the RPPF by 14% in S rats ( P 4. These findings suggest that NaCl-induced hypertension in Dahl S rats requires the integrity of the AV3V region for its full expression, and the ability of the AV3V lesion to attenuate the NaCl-induced hypertension in Dahl S rats is partly related to the attenuation of vasopressin release. Moreover, the AV3V lesion partly corrected one of the characteristic features of Dahl S rats: the reduction in RPPF compared with Dahl R rats on a low NaCl intake.
N,N,5-trimethyl-1H-benzothiopyrano[4,3,2-cd]-indazole-1-ethanamine — A novel heterocycle

Treatment of thioxanthenone 6 with N-(2-dimethylaminoethyl)hydrazine led to the benzothiopyranoin-dazole 3, a novel heterocycle, along with the expected compound 8.
On s-hamiltonian line graphs of claw-free graphs

Abstract For an integer s ≥ 0 , a graph G is s -hamiltonian if for any vertex subset S ⊆ V ( G ) with | S | ≤ s , G − S is hamiltonian, and G is s -hamiltonian connected if for any vertex subset S ⊆ V ( G ) with | S | ≤ s , G − S is hamiltonian connected. Thomassen in 1984 conjectured that every 4-connected line graph is hamiltonian (see Thomassen, 1986), and Kuczel and Xiong in 2004 conjectured that every 4-connected line graph is hamiltonian connected (see Ryjacek and Vrana, 2011). In Broersma and Veldman (1987), Broersma and Veldman raised the characterization problem of s -hamiltonian line graphs. In Lai and Shao (2013), it is conjectured that for s ≥ 2 , a line graph L ( G ) is s -hamiltonian if and only if L ( G ) is ( s + 2 ) -connected. In this paper we prove the following. (i) For an integer s ≥ 2 , the line graph L ( G ) of a claw-free graph G is s -hamiltonian if and only if L ( G ) is ( s + 2 ) -connected. (ii) The line graph L ( G ) of a claw-free graph G is 1-hamiltonian connected if and only if L ( G ) is 4-connected.
The "high cost of low living": Substance use recovery among older formerly homeless adults.

Background: The population of older homeless substance-using adults is growing considerably, and we sought to understand how such individuals gain control of problematic substance use amidst other ...
A hybrid methodology using finite elements and neural networks for the analysis of adhesive anchors exposed to hurricanes and adverse environments

Abstract Hurricanes are responsible for approximately $28bn of damage every year in the United States alone, which may reach $151bn by 2075 due to the intensification of climate change according to certain prediction models. Approximately 35% of this damage is estimated to come from anchorage failures of non-structural components (NSCs). Severe exposure of NSCs to the adverse environments (such as elevated temperatures and long-term concrete cracking) and wind-induced bending effects during hurricanes promote anchorage failures. Three-dimensional (3D) nonlinear finite element (NLFE) analysis methods are currently required for simulating the anchor behavior due to the 3D phenomena involved; however, these models are rather complex and computationally prohibitive for analyzing large systems commonly encountered in practice. This study proposes a 2D analysis methodology that combines the strengths of 3D numerical modeling with the artificial neural network techniques to rapidly simulate the anchorage behavior while accounting for the effects of the adverse environmental exposure, concrete cone failure, and wind-induced bending effects. The methodology, which is validated with experimental data and 3D NLFE analyses, employs three distinct techniques as follows: (i) a novel modeling approach, ‘the Equivalent Cone Method,’ to accurately simulate the concrete cone breakout failure, (ii) analytical equations developed to account for wind-induced beam bending and elevated temperatures, and (iii) a multilayered feed-forward artificial neural network, trained and tested with the experimental data from a worldwide database, to rapidly account for long-term concrete cracking experienced by rooftop slabs. By employing these techniques, the proposed methodology permits the use of 2D NLFE models for anchor analysis with accuracies comparable to advanced 3D NLFE models but at a fraction of the computational cost.
Effects of O-GlcNAcylation on functional mitochondrial transfer from astrocytes:

Mitochondria may be transferred from cell to cell in the central nervous system and this process may help defend neurons against injury and disease. But how mitochondria maintain their functionality during the process of release into extracellular space remains unknown. Here, we report that mitochondrial protein O-GlcNAcylation is a critical process to support extracellular mitochondrial functionality. Activation of CD38-cADPR signaling in astrocytes robustly induced protein O-GlcNAcylation in mitochondria, while oxygen-glucose deprivation and reoxygenation showed transient and mild protein modification. Blocking the endoplasmic reticulum - Golgi trafficking with Brefeldin A or slc35B4 siRNA reduced O-GlcNAcylation, and resulted in the secretion of mitochondria with decreased membrane potential and mtDNA. Finally, loss-of-function studies verified that O-GlcNAc-modified mitochondria demonstrated higher levels of neuroprotection after astrocyte-to-neuron mitochondrial transfer. Collectively, these findings suggest that post-translational modification by O-GlcNAc may be required for supporting the functionality and neuroprotective properties of mitochondria released from astrocytes.
Online Post-Processing in Rankings for Fair Utility Maximization

We consider the problem of utility maximization in online ranking applications while also satisfying a pre-defined fairness constraint. We consider batches of items which arrive over time, already ranked using an existing ranking model. We propose online post-processing for re-ranking these batches to enforce adherence to the pre-defined fairness constraint, while maximizing a specific notion of utility. To achieve this goal, we propose two deterministic re-ranking policies. In addition, we learn a re-ranking policy based on a novel variation of learning to search. Extensive experiments on real world and synthetic datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed policies both in terms of adherence to the fairness constraint and utility maximization. Furthermore, our analysis shows that the performance of the proposed policies depends on the original data distribution w.r.t the fairness constraint and the notion of utility.
Neurobiology of reward-related learning

A major goal in psychology is to understand how environmental stimuli associated with primary rewards come to function as conditioned stimuli, acquiring the capacity to elicit similar responses to those elicited by primary rewards. Our neurobiological model is predicated on the Hebbian idea that concurrent synaptic activity on the primary reward neural substrate-proposed to be ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine (DA) neurons-strengthens the synapses involved. We propose that VTA DA neurons receive both a strong unconditioned stimulus signal (acetylcholine stimulation of DA cells) from the primary reward capable of unconditionally activating DA cells and a weak stimulus signal (glutamate stimulation of DA cells) from the neutral stimulus. Through joint stimulation the weak signal is potentiated and capable of activating the VTA DA cells, eliciting a conditioned response. The learning occurs when this joint stimulation initiates intracellular second-messenger cascades resulting in enhanced glutamate-DA synapses. In this review we present evidence that led us to propose this model and the most recent evidence supporting it.
Biological Evaluation of 5'-(N-Ethylcarboxamido)adenosine Analogues as Grp94-Selective Inhibitors.

The heat shock protein 90 kDa (Hsp90) family of chaperones is highly sought-after for the treatment of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Glucose regulated protein 94 (Grp94) is the endoplasmic...