cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Emergence of Rules

Public housing began as a response to economic problems: In order to increase employment and provide low income housing, the federal Public Works Administration (PWA) in 1934 started to build and manage housing projects. The 1,018-unit Old Harbor Village in South Boston (later renamed the Mary Ellen McCormick project) was one of the first of these developments. The role of the PWA was short-lived, however. After several court decisions denied the federal government eminent domain to acquire and clear slum property, the PWA extricated itself from the program. Since that time, the federal government’s role has been to provide debt financing to localities for the purpose of building projects, operating subsidies, and guidelines for construction and management through the Public Housing Administration.1
UnPAXing the Divergent Roles of PAX2 and PAX8 in High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer

High-grade serous ovarian cancer is a deadly disease that can originate from the fallopian tube or the ovarian surface epithelium. The PAX (paired box) genes PAX2 and PAX8 are lineage-specific transcription factors required during development of the fallopian tube but not in the development of the ovary. PAX2 expression is lost early in serous cancer progression, while PAX8 is expressed ubiquitously. These proteins are implicated in migration, invasion, proliferation, cell survival, stem cell maintenance, and tumor growth. Hence, targeting PAX2 and PAX8 represents a promising drug strategy that could inhibit these pro-tumorigenic effects. In this review, we examine the implications of PAX2 and PAX8 expression in the cell of origin of serous cancer and their potential efficacy as drug targets by summarizing their role in the molecular pathogenesis of ovarian cancer.
Associations between blood cadmium concentration and kidney function in the U.S. population: Impact of sex, diabetes and hypertension.

Abstract Background Exposure to cadmium has been associated with nephropathy and implicated in the development of diabetes and hypertension. The role of environmental metal exposure may be an underexplored risk factor for decreased kidney function among people with diabetes and/or hypertension. The objective of this study was to examine the association of blood concentration of cadmium with kidney function parameters and evaluate sex, diabetes, and hypertension as effect modifiers of the association. Methods This study used data from 12,577 adult participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007–2012 cycles. We used multivariable linear and logistic regression models to conduct a cross-sectional analysis of the association between cadmium exposure quartiles and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), urine albumin to creatinine ratio (UACR), low eGFR (defined as eGFR Results The mean eGFR was 94.3 mL/minute/1.73 m2 (SD 21.5) and the geometric mean of UACR was 7.9 mg/g (95% CI 7.6–8.2 mg/g). Blood cadmium concentration was inversely associated with eGFR and positively associated with UACR. We found significant effect modification of the association of eGFR with cadmium, predominantly for sex and hypertension. The strength of the association between cadmium quartiles and eGFR was more pronounced among females compared to males. Among females with hypertension and diabetes, eGFR was lower on average by 4.9 mL/minute/1.73 m2 (95% CI −10.1 to 0.29) in the highest versus lowest cadmium quartile, and in females with hypertension alone, eGFR was lower on average by 5.8 mL/minute/1.73 m2 (95% CI −8.2 to −3.3) in the highest versus lowest cadmium quartile. Among those in the highest exposure quartile, higher mean UACR was observed among participants with hypertension compared to those without. Conclusions Our results confirm that cadmium exposure is associated with decreased glomerular filtration and increased urine protein excretion, and provide evidence that the magnitude of these associations differ by sex and may vary based on preexisting diabetes and hypertension. Future prospective sex-specific investigations are necessary to address concerns of reverse causality and efforts should be made to reduce smoking and environmental contamination from cadmium to protect human health.
Building an Intelligent and Efficient Smart Space to Detect Human Behavior in Common Areas

Smart spaces have become an integral part of our daily routines to improve quality of life for many different groups of people. The use of embedded systems to build these smart spaces, in combination with data analytics, can provide real-time information about the environment and how it interacts with the people in it. In this paper, we demonstrate how one embedded system that acquires data based on a 2-dimensional positional-grid, movement, temperature and vibration is used to build a smart and pervasive space. Data collected from these sensors is used for real time localization in conjunction with machine learning mechanisms to analyze human activities. We evaluate five machine learning algorithms, namely Logistic Regression, Support Vector Machine, Decision Tree, Random Forest, Naive Bayes and Artificial Neural Network applied on a dataset collected in our lab. Results show high classification performance for all methods giving up-to 99.95% classification accuracy. These patterns provide useful information about occupancy patterns, movement patterns, etc., which will be later used to allocate computational resources in the smart space accordingly. Furthermore, our implementation does not use any camera or microphone deployment, hence addressing potential privacy issues.
A FIRST-IN-HUMAN STUDY OF THE SECOND-GENERATION, THIN-STRUT, EVEROLIMUS-ELUTING BIORESORBABLE SCAFFOLD: 6-MONTH IVUS AND OCT RESULTS FROM THE FAST CLINICAL TRIAL

In second-generation bioresorbable scaffolds, thinner struts are often adopted to improve both deliverability and safety profiles, while theoretical concerns remain regarding radial strength and fracture resistance. This analysis aimed to evaluate acute and mid-term performance of the RENUVIA
Impermeable Asphalt Concrete Layer to Protect and Seal Concrete Bridge Decks

Deterioration of the concrete bridge deck is one of the most significant problems affecting the service life of bridges in the United States (U.S.). The early failure of asphalt pavement overlays o...
Fusion in a Staged Z-pinch

A Staged Z-pinch (H.U. Rahman, F.J. Wessel, N. Rostoker, Phys. Rev. Lett. 74:714, 1995), configured for a 100 ns, 2 MJ implosion accelerator, is studied using the 2-1/2 D, radiation-MHD code, MACH2. The Z-pinch is configured as a cylindrical, high-atomic number plasma shell that implodes radially onto a co-axial, plasma target, for example: Xenon onto a 50:50 mixture of Deuterium-Tritium. During implosion a shock develops in the plasma liner, producing a conduction channel at the Xe/DT interface as the mass Xe accumulates, and preheating the DT target. During subsequent acceleration and compression the Xe/DT interface remains stable, even as the outer surface of the Xe shell develops RT instabilities. At peak implosion the simulated fusion-energy yield is 7.6 MJ, producing an energy gain of 3.8.
(Un)Exceptional Trauma, Existential Insecurity, and Anxieties of Modern Subjecthood: A Phenomenological Analysis of Arbitrary Sovereign Violence

This article examines the lasting phenomenological consequences of inhabiting “spaces” of exception by rethinking the operation of sovereign violence therein. Taking as its point of departure Giorgio Agamben’s suggestion that the ‘state of exception’ is the ‘rule’ of modern politics, I argue that arbitrary sovereign violence has taken the place of the ‘sovereign decision’ of Carl Schmitt’s original theory. However, recognizing that it is neither enough simply to articulate the institutional grid of intelligibility of the state of exception nor expose the logics of sovereignty that make possible arbitrary violence, it draws on phenomenology, affect theory, and trauma studies to reorient our focus from the sovereign to the subject upon whom sovereign power is executed. Ultimately it proposes a new understanding of modern subjecthood as one of existential insecurity generated by the ‘new age of anxiety’ permeating social and political life today.
Organization of primate amygdalar-thalamic pathways for emotions

Studies on the thalamus have mostly focused on sensory relay nuclei, but the organization of pathways associated with emotions is not well understood. We addressed this issue by testing the hypothesis that the primate amygdala acts, in part, like a sensory structure for the affective import of stimuli and conveys this information to the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus, magnocellular part (MDmc). We found that primate sensory cortices innervate amygdalar sites that project to the MDmc, which projects to the orbitofrontal cortex. As in sensory thalamic systems, large amygdalar terminals innervated excitatory relay and inhibitory neurons in the MDmc that facilitate faithful transmission to the cortex. The amygdala, however, uniquely innervated a few MDmc neurons by surrounding and isolating large segments of their proximal dendrites, as revealed by three-dimensional high-resolution reconstruction. Physiologic studies have shown that large axon terminals are found in pathways issued from motor systems that innervate other brain centers to help distinguish self-initiated from other movements. By analogy, the amygdalar pathway to the MDmc may convey signals forwarded to the orbitofrontal cortex to monitor and update the status of the environment in processes deranged in schizophrenia, resulting in attribution of thoughts and actions to external sources.
Symposium review: The most important factors affecting adoption of precision dairy monitoring technologies

Precision dairy monitoring involves the use of technologies to measure physiological, behavioral, and production indicators on individual animals to detect events of interest. Estrus, disease, and calving detection are common applications, although estrus detection is the most tested and used. Many precision dairy monitoring technologies (PDMT) are commercially available and are being used in research and on farms. As a result, a common question from researchers and producers alike is, "what PDMT should I buy?" The answer to this question is inherently complicated because it depends on many factors, some of which researchers have yet to explore. The objective of this paper is to examine the less quantitively researchable aspects of PDMT adoption and use on-farm. This will be done through 3 lists of 5, determined from published theory and my own experience. First, the 5 main factors that influence adoption of an innovation: (1) relative advantage, (2) compatibility, (3) complexity, (4) trialability, and (5) observability. Each of these factors is at play to a different extent in the 5 adopter categories: (1) innovators, (2) early adopters, (3) early majority, (4) late majority, and (5) laggards. From my experience and research, the top PDMT are those that improve (1) farm efficiency; (2) farm economics; (3) decision-making; (4) animal welfare; and (5) producer happiness. Implementing PDMT on a farm is an enormous and potentially expensive decision. As this part of the industry continues to progress, the potential for different PDMT is endless. Sound research and producer feedback are imperative to ensuring that PDMT continue to improve and become more widely adopted.
DEFENDING AGAINST SOCIAL MEDIA: HOW PUBLIC CRIMINAL DEFENSE HELPS USADDRESS SOCIAL MEDIA GOVERNANCE

As justice-minded academics, we want to understand the role of social media in civil society with a vested interest in ensuring that social media serves a pluralistic society fairly and equitably. Gillespie (2018) has helped frame this task in terms of both governance of platforms and by platforms, but we also want to know what state governments do with social media (Gorwa, 2019). This paper focuses on how social media companies cooperate with state governments to hold users criminally liable, and the lessons this case bears for understanding and improving the fairness and equity of judicial governance. We draw on interviews with twenty public criminal defenders in NYC in which we asked: 1) where social media appears in their cases and the role it plays; 2) their access to user content and social media companies; and, 3) how they use social media as evidence and defend against it. We identified three problem areas around fair and equal access to the law. First, we heard concerns that the cooperation of social media companies was asymmetrical because companies worked almost exclusively with law enforcement. Second, public defenders were upset about overly broad search warrants that furnished the full contents of a suspect’s social media account. Third, public defenders complained about the use and admission of prejudicial evidence that played to negative, racial stereotypes of their clients. We suggest several reforms for judicial governance, including more nearly equitable cooperation practices, restrictions on search warrants, and admissibility protocols and disclaimers on admitted materials.
Review: Impact of Food and Climate Change on Pastoral Industries

The industrialization of agriculture based on inexpensive fossil fuels allowed for unprecedented levels of food production and population growth, but simultaneously contributed to a threat to food systems and population well-being: climate change. This paper analyses the impacts and adaptations available to the world’s pastoral production systems including potential mitigation and adaptation strategies. The current food system is under pressure to satisfy the needs of the increasing population with already limited natural resources particularly land and water, and now increasingly under pressure due to climate change. Increasing incomes from greater number of people have increased demand for animal source foods. As a result, domestic livestock numbers are rising, particularly in low-income countries with greater dependence on pasture for animal feed. The carrying capacity of pastured land is limited; therefore, increasing animal numbers may cause environmental degradation and loss of productivity from pastoral industries. In some countries, the increasing demand has prompted some to burn forestlands and convert them into crop production, and after the land is degraded into pasture mainly for raising large ruminants. Changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and ambient temperatures are predicted to make a number of changes to the growth of herbage for animals. Several strategies can be implemented to optimize the pasture-based food system, including choosing the right breed, improving reproductive efficiency, improving grazing management, and maintaining an animal feed base. The global challenge is to meet our food production needs while sustaining our environment. Producers in all income categories have a role to play in adapting to these challenges.
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Among US Children and Adolescents With Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia.

Background Little is known regarding risk for co-occurring mental health conditions among pediatric patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). The objective of the current study was to investigate the prevalence of medically managed attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in 2 large administrative samples of insured children and adolescents with and without CAH in the United States. Methods We assessed the prevalence of CAH and of medically managed ADHD using algorithms defined from diagnosis codes and filled prescriptions data using the IBM MarketScan Commercial and Multi-State Medicaid claims databases. We evaluated subjects who were continuously enrolled for ≥ 12 months with a first claim during October 2015 through December 2017 when they were 5 to 18 years old. Results The administrative prevalence of CAH in the Commercial (N = 3 685 127) and Medicaid (N = 3 434 472) samples was 10.1 per 100 000 (n = 372) and 7.2 per 100 000 (n = 247), respectively. The prevalence of medically managed ADHD in the non-CAH population was 8.4% in the Commercial sample and 15.1% in the Medicaid sample. Among children with CAH, there was no increased prevalence of ADHD in the Commercial (9.2%, prevalence ratio [PR] = 1.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.82-1.54; P = 0.48) or Medicaid (13.8%; PR = 0.91; 95% CI, 0.67-1.24; P = 0.55) samples compared with the general population. Conclusions Using 2 large samples of insured children and adolescents in the United States, we found similar prevalence of medically managed ADHD among those with CAH and the general population. Future research to assess the validity of our claims algorithm for identifying pediatric CAH cases is warranted.
Mathematics, Models, and Modality: Selected Philosophical Essays

Introduction Part I. Mathematics: 1. Numbers and ideas 2. Why I am not a nominalist 3. Mathematics and Bleak House 4. Quine, analyticity, and philosophy of mathematics 5. Being explained away 6. E pluribus unum 7. Logicism: a new look Part II. Models, Modality, and More: 8. Tarski's tort 9. Which modal logic is the right one? 10. Can truth out? 11. Quinus ab omni noevo vindicatus 12. Translating names 13. Relevance: a fallacy? 14. Dummett's case for intuitionism.
Directed attenuation to enhance vaccine immunity.

Many viral infections can be prevented by immunizing with live, attenuated vaccines. Early methods of attenuation were hit-and-miss, now much improved by genetic engineering. However, even current methods operate on the principle of genetic harm, reducing the virus’s ability to grow. Reduced viral growth has the undesired side-effect of reducing the host immune response below that of infection with wild-type. Might some methods of attenuation instead lead to an increased immune response? We use mathematical models of the dynamics of virus with innate and adaptive immunity to explore the tradeoff between attenuation of virus pathology and immunity. We find that modification of some virus immune-evasion pathways can indeed reduce pathology yet enhance immunity. Thus, attenuated vaccines can, in principle, be directed to be safe yet create better immunity than is elicited by the wild-type virus.
Genomic Features of Radiation-Associated Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S) Radiation associated muscle-invasive bladder cancer (RA-MIBC) is a rare but potentially lethal late toxicity following definitive radiation therapy for prostate cancer. RA-MIBC is associated with worse prognosis compared to primary MIBC, but it remains unknown whether worse outcomes are driven primarily by difficulty with delivering definitive treatment in a previously irradiated pelvis or whether RA-MIBCs harbor specific aggressive biological features. We sought to characterize the genomic features of RA-MIBC to assess whether the underlying genetic alterations differ from primary (non-radiation associated) MIBC. MATERIALS/METHODS We performed whole-exome sequencing of 27 bladder tumors in patients previously treated with definitive radiation therapy for prostate cancer, and we correlated genomic with clinical data. We compared the mutation profile of RA-MIBC with primary MIBC from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). We used the Kaplan-Meier method to estimate progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS The median age of included patients was 79.2 years, and the median time from prostate radiation to MIBC diagnosis was 11.5 years. Median PFS was 12.4 months and median OS was 20.2 months. Among RA-MIBCs, we found mutation signatures characteristic of BRCA1/2 mutations, impaired DNA mismatch repair, and microsatellite instability. When compared to de novo MIBC from TCGA, RA-MIBCs also had significantly higher mutation rates of DNA repair genes, such as FANCA (38.1% vs 5.1%, P < 0.001), CHEK2 (26.1% vs 2.5%, P < 0.001) and MSH6 (26.1% vs 2.5%, P < 0.001). The most commonly mutated genes were TP53 (50%) and KDM6A (36%), which harbored mutations at similar rates as de novo MIBC samples from TCGA. CONCLUSION In this study, we characterize the mutational profiles and clinical outcomes of radiation-associated bladder cancer. These patients exhibited significantly worse PFS and OS compared to prior series of de novo MIBC. Genomically, these tumors exhibited higher rates of mutation signatures characteristic of impaired DNA damage repair compared to previously unirradiated tumors. These genomic differences suggest that some RA-MIBCs may represent a biologically distinct entity compared to de novo MIBC and may indicate an opportunity for the use and development of novel therapeutic strategies.
MRI-Based Radiomic Signature for PI3K/AKT-Activated Glioblastoma.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S) Prior work has demonstrated that transcriptional signatures and immune cell infiltrates associated with phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) downregulation are able to distinguish glioblastoma patients who respond to immune checkpoint blockade. PI3K/Akt pathway is involved in tumorigenesis, immune microenvironment regulation, and chemo-radiation treatment resistance. We hypothesized that PI3K/Akt-activated glioblastoma may harbor imaging features that would allow for radiomic discrimination. MATERIALS/METHODS Patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas and the Ivy Glioblastoma Atlas Project who underwent resection and received temozolomide-based chemoradiation from 1996-2003 were included. All tumors underwent RNA-sequencing and had pre-, post-operative and surveillance MRIs. Single sample Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (ssGSEA) was applied to gene expression data to identify samples with PI3K/Akt pathway activation. A programming environment-based machine learning software was used to extract unique quantitative image features from manually segmented pre-operative tumors from post-contrast T1 sequences. Prior to image analysis, all images underwent z-score normalization over all voxels. Extracted features included shape features, first-order statistical, intensity-histogram based, fractal, local intensity, and texture matrix-based features from both unfiltered and filtered images (wavelet decompositions). A threshold of P < 0.05 was used to identify significant radiomic features. Adaptive LASSO-penalized regression was used to develop a radiomic predictor for PI3K-Akt downregulation. Area under the ROC curve (AUC) assessed performance of the model with three-fold internal cross-validation. RESULTS Twenty-two patients with glioblastoma were included in the analysis. Tumors from 8 of 22 patients (36.4%) had downregulation of PI3K/Akt signaling by ssGSEA. Among tumors with upregulation of PI3K/Akt signaling, 71% had upstream loss or deletion of PTEN. Tumors with downregulated PI3K/AKT signaling were also more likely to have intratumoral B cell lymphocytes identified by ssGSEA. Overall, 2800 radiomic features were extracted from pre-operative, post-contrast MRI images of 22 patients with glioblastoma. 49 features were significantly different between the two groups. Adaptive LASSO regression analysis was performed to develop a 6-feature radiomic signature with an AUC of 0.955 (95% Confidence Interval, 0.862-1.000). CONCLUSION We identified a radiomic signature comprised of 6 features that classifies PI3K/Akt-activated glioblastoma, which is associated with increased immune cell infiltration and potential response to immunotherapy. This signature may help in identifying patients who may benefit from immunomodulation in glioblastoma.
Large Scale Flutter Data for Design of Rotating Blades Using Navier-Stokes Equations

A procedure to compute flutter boundaries of rotating blades is presented; a) Navier-Stokes equations. b) Frequency domain method compatible with industry practice. Procedure is initially validated: a) Unsteady loads with flapping wing experiment. b) Flutter boundary with fixed wing experiment. Large scale flutter computation is demonstrated for rotating blade: a) Single job submission script. b) Flutter boundary in 24 hour wall clock time with 100 cores. c) Linearly scalable with number of cores. Tested with 1000 cores that produced data in 25 hrs for 10 flutter boundaries. Further wall-clock speed-up is possible by performing parallel computations within each case.
An algorithm for soil moisture estimation using GPS-interferometric reflectometry for bare and vegetated soil

Ground-reflected global positioning system signals measured by a geodetic-quality GPS system can be used to infer temporal changes in near-surface soil moisture for the area surrounding the antenna. This technique, known as GPS-interferometric reflectometry, analyzes changes in the interference pattern of the direct and reflected signals, which are recorded in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) data, as interferograms. Temporal fluctuations in the phase of the interferogram are indicative of changes in near-surface volumetric soil moisture content. However, SNR phase is also highly sensitive to changes in overlying vegetation, and thus, the effects of seasonal vegetation changes on the ground-reflected signal must be considered. Here a method is described for determining whether SNR data are significantly corrupted by vegetation and for correcting these effects. Absolute soil moisture content must be determined for each site using ancillary data for the residual moisture content. Accounting for vegetation effects significantly improves the agreement between GPS-derived soil moisture and in situ measurements.
Chapter 7 Splanchnic protein and amino acid metabolism in growing animals1

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the role of splanchnic protein and amino acid metabolism in growing animals. The splanchnic tissues—namely, liver and gut, represent a quantitatively and functionally significant component of whole-body protein and amino acid metabolism of growing animals. Given their anatomical design for assimilation of food by the host, these tissues metabolize a significant proportion of the dietary amino acids through protein synthesis and oxidation and thereby limit the quantity and alter the pattern of amino acids for systemic availability. Splanchnic tissues also play a key regulatory role by transmitting endocrine, immune, and neural signals in response to the diet and environment, which determine the rates of peripheral tissue protein metabolism and growth. Splanchnic tissue protein metabolism is regulated by specific amino acids and hormones. Amino acids function as substrates and extracellular signals that influence cell functions, such as protein turnover, proliferation, apoptosis, cell volume, and redox status. Many of the intracellular signaling and biochemical pathways involved in amino acid metabolism are described in the liver. The beneficial health effects of key immunonutrients are mediated by improved cell functions in different splanchnic tissues.
Controlling the production of blood cells

The development since 1966 of a technology for growing stem cells in vitro has provided new insights into the controls of blood cell production. Hematopoietic hormones have been purified and important cellular interactions in hematopoiesis have been defined.
Substantia Nigra D1 Receptors and Stimulation of Striatal Cholinergic Interneurons by Dopamine: A Proposed Circuit Mechanism

Dopamine release can regulate striatal acetylcholine efflux in vivo through at least two receptor mechanisms: (1) direct inhibition by dopamine D2 receptors on the cholinergic neurons, and (2) excitation initiated by dopamine D1 receptors. The neuroanatomical locus of the latter population of D1 receptors and the pathway(s) involved in the expression of their influence are controversial issues. We have tested the hypothesis that D1 receptors in substantia nigra pars reticulata are involved in the excitatory component of dopaminergic actions on striatal acetylcholine output. In vivo microdialysis was used in awake rats. Infusion of the selective D1 receptor agonist R(+)-1-Phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-3-benzazepine-7,8-diol (SKF 38393) hydrochloride into pars reticulata of substantia nigra elicited a significant increase in striatal acetylcholine efflux. Likewise, D-amphetamine applied into pars reticulata of substantia nigra by reverse dialysis produced an elevation in acetylcholine output measured at a second microdialysis probe in the striatum. Application of D-amphetamine in the striatum by reverse dialysis elicited a decrease in striatal acetylcholine efflux that could be reversed subsequently by local application of D-amphetamine in substantia nigra pars reticulata. A 2 mg/kg intraperitoneal dose of D-amphetamine, which has no net effect on striatal acetylcholine output under control conditions, elicited a significant decrease in acetylcholine efflux when the D1 receptor antagonist R(+)-7-Chloro-8-hydroxy-3-methyl-1-phenyl-2,3,4, 5-tetrahydro-1H-3-benzazepine (SCH 23390) hydrochloride was applied simultaneously via a second microdialysis probe in substantia nigra pars reticulata. Thus, an excitatory D1-mediated influence on striatal acetylcholine output is initiated in substantia nigra pars reticulata, and this influence contributes to the effects of indirect dopaminergic agonists such as D-amphetamine on striatal acetylcholine efflux. These results indicate an important role of somatodendritic dopamine release, in addition to nerve terminal dopamine release, in the regulation of activity in basal ganglia circuits.
Interactions of fast He H + beams with matter

We present experimental results from high-resolution studies of the energy and angle distributions for the breakup products that arise from the dissociation of fast-moving $^{4}\mathrm{He}$${\mathrm{H}}^{+}$ and $^{3}\mathrm{He}$${\mathrm{H}}^{+}$ in thin carbon foils. These results are compared with calculations based on a model for the polarization "wakes" induced in foils by the passage of fast charged projectiles. We also describe measurements on the transmission of such fast molecular ions through thin foils and present results on the transmission probabilities, energy losses, and angular distributions of the transmitted ions. A mechanism is proposed to account for these observations on molecular-ion transmission. Related studies on the foil-induced dissociation of O${\mathrm{H}}^{+}$, O$\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}\mathrm{H}_{2}^{}{}_{}{}^{+}$, C${\mathrm{H}}^{+}$, $\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}\mathrm{H}_{2}^{}{}_{}{}^{+}$, and $^{3}\mathrm{He}_{2}^{+}$ are also briefly reported.
In defence of small science

It's 1904. Einstein gets three grants. Annus mirabilis becomes annus satisfactory. It seems obvious, from our present perspective, that for Einstein to write and administer a collection of grants would have destroyed his creativity. The US National Institutes of Health (NIH), however, supports many researchers who are principal investigators of four, five, six or more research grants. Have these grants been awarded without concern for the applicant's scientific creativity? What peer-review committees (called study sections) make these awards? Although giving many grants to one person probably doesn't often result in bad science (although a lack of supervision leading to fraud may be an issue), the real penalty is the loss of ideas. We are giving funds to provide predictable new life at the expense of the unexpected1.
Extrapleural pneumonectomy and extended pleurectomy/decortication for malignant pleural mesothelioma: the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center approach

Surgical management for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) remains controversial, but because of the limitations of radiation and chemotherapy in this disease, surgery is still an important part of treatment for these patients (1-13). Operations for MPM can be categorized as those performed with either palliative or curative intent. Palliative procedures such as video-assisted thoracoscopy surgery (VATS) and talc pleurodesis control pleural effusions in patients whose overall medical condition precludes definitive resection (14). In such cases, thoracotomy and partial pleurectomy is indicated only when the pleural effusion is loculated and cannot be evacuated by VATS. Curative intent operations include extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) and extended pleurectomy/decortication (P/D). This article provides a brief review of preoperative evaluation and the surgical technique for EPP and P/D (15-17).
Bouvardin is a Radiation Modulator with a Novel Mechanism of Action

Protein synthesis is essential for growth, proliferation and survival of cells. Translation factors are overexpressed in many cancers and in preclinical models, their experimental inhibition has been shown to inhibit cancer growth. Differential regulation of translation also occurs upon exposure to cancer-relevant stressors such as hypoxia and ionizing radiation. The failure to regulate translation has been shown to interfere with recovery after genotoxic stress. These findings suggest that modulation of translation, alone or in conjunction with genotoxins, may be therapeutic in oncology. Yet, only two drugs that directly inhibit translation are FDA-approved for oncology therapies used today. We have previously identified the protein synthesis inhibitor, bouvardin in a screen for small molecule enhancers of ionizing radiation in Drosophila melanogaster . Bouvardin was independently identified in a screen for selective inhibitors of engineered human breast cancer stem cells. Here we report the effect of bouvardin treatment in preclinical models of head and neck cancer (HNC) and glioma, two cancer types for which radiation therapy is the most common treatment. Our data show that bouvardin treatment blocked translation elongation on human ribosomes and suggest that it did so by blocking the dissociation of elongation factor 2 from the ribosome. Bouvardin and radiation enhanced the induction of clonogenic death in HNC and glioma cells, although by different mechanisms. Bouvardin treatment enhanced the radiation-induced antitumor effects in HNC tumor xenografts in mice. These data suggest that inhibition of translation elongation, particularly in combination with radiation treatment, may be a promising treatment option for cancer.
The impact of events scale: a comparison of frequency versus severity approaches to measuring cancer-specific distress.

Objective The Impact of Events Scale (IES) is one of the most widely used measures of event-specific distress. The IES assesses the frequency with which respondents experience intrusive thoughts and avoidant behaviors over the past week. Our aim is to demonstrate the benefit of a severity-based measurement approach of the IES compared with a frequency-based measurement approach. Methods A mixed group of post-treatment cancer survivors (N = 325; M = 31.8 years old) completed measures assessing quality of life (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–General), psychological adjustment (Mental Health Inventory), and cancer-related distress (IES). The IES was keyed to the cancer experience and administered with standard (frequency) and modified (severity) response options. Results Classical reliability analyses and bifactor modeling were conducted on both versions of the IES. Reliability estimates suggest that the IES severity items were more highly intercorrelated than the IES frequency items. Both versions of the IES were highly correlated (r = 0.82), showing the presence of a dominant general factor. Bifactor modeling suggested that the severity items generally provided higher levels of discrimination than the frequency items. Validity correlations with the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–General and Mental Health Inventory demonstrated that the IES severity performed as good as or better than the IES frequency. Conclusions Given the high correlations and similarity in content, the IES severity items largely assess the same construct as the IES frequency items. However, IES severity items generally showed improved psychometric properties and similar or higher correlations with quality of life and psychological adjustment. The IES severity approach appears to be a more informative method for assessing cancer-specific distress. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Features of non-mass enhancing lesions detected on 1.5 T breast MRI: a radiologic and pathologic analysis.

Background With increased utilization of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the breast in clinical practice, many non-mass lesions are being detected incidentally. Although MRI-guided biopsies are usually performed for these lesions, no clear guidelines exist to determine the management of these lesions. Objective The purpose of this study was to explore the pathological features of incidentally detected non-mass lesions on breast MRI to determine rates of malignancy and to assess the predictive value of kinetic enhancement curves for further characterization of these lesions as benign versus malignant. Methods A retrospective review was performed of all MRI-guided core needle biopsies done at our institution between January 2009 and January 2012. Results 172 consecutively biopsied lesions were identified. 43% of the lesions were non-mass lesions, out of which 74.3% were benign, whereas 14.9% and 10.8% of these lesions had malignant and atypical features, respectively. The most commonly encountered non-mass malignant lesion was ductal carcinoma in situ, whereas the most frequently seen invasive non-mass lesion was invasive lobular carcinoma. Kinetic enhancement curves for these lesions did not demonstrate a statistically significant relationship with their pathologic features. Conclusions Non-mass enhancing lesions incidentally detected on breast MRI carry a significant risk of atypia and malignancy, either in situ or invasive. Hence, it is prudent to biopsy these lesions.
Cryogenic Electron Microscopy of Micelles and Lyotropic Liquid Crystals in Some Polar Solvents

Micelles and lyotropic liquid crystals in the polar solvents glycerol and formamide have been imaged at high resolution by cryo-transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) of thin frozen samples. Sample films were prepared in a chamber in which temperature and component chemical activities in the surrounding vapor were controlled. The controlled evaporation of the solvent on the grid, the so-called on-grid processing technique, was used to prepare the viscous liquid crystal phase. In dilute solutions of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) in glycerol and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) in formamide there were spherical micelles, while in the concentrated solution of CTAB in glycerol hexagonal liquid crystals formed. These structures resemble closely in appearance the corresponding structures in aqueous solution. Electron beam radiation damage is much more severe in nonaqueous solutions, and the contrast is much lower.
An Approach to Instruction of Pragmatic Aspects: Implications of Pragmatic Transfer by American Learners of Japanese.

This study investigated pragmatic transfer in American learners of Japanese responding to compliments. A closed role play was used to collect interlanguage data from the learners and normative data from Japanese and American native speakers. An Initial Sentence Analysis indicated mat the learners transferred nonuse of avoidance strategies but not of positive strategies. The American normative data suggested a dominant use of positive strategies, whereas a mixture of three strategies was found in the Japanese normative data. A Semantic Formula Analysis further revealed qualitative differences between the learners and the native speakers. Based on the findings, suggestions concerning the instruction of speech act performance are made for second and foreign (L2/FL) language instructors. The study instantiates a utility of pragmatic transfer research for improving instructional approach and course content.
Assays for Native Plasminogen Activators in Bovine Milk

Abstract Assays for bovine milk plasminogen activators were developed. The colorimetric assay for bovine milk plasminogen activators was based on plasmin cleavage of the synthetic substrate Spectrozyme™. This substrate cleavage yielded the yellow chromophore p -nitroanilide, which was quantified spectrophotometrically at 405nm with an ELISA plate reader. Correlation coefficients were >.995 for the linear regions of the standard curves for the assays. Modification of a previously reported casein-plasminogen SDS-PAGE system allowed visualization of plasminogen activators from bovine milk. This system can be used to determine the molecular mass of the milk plasminogen activators and to detect the activity of the plasminogen activators in a sample containing plasminogen activator inhibitors.
Space power — Emerging opportunities

NASA programs directed towards the development of technologies to meet the cost-effective energy needs of future space missions are described. Consideration is given to the space photovoltaic program, which was developed along two paths: one leading to high-performance ultralight weight solar arrays, the other to high output arrays. The space power materials and energy storage technology are discussed, together with the developmental aspects of an advanced solar dynamic power system and its subsystems. Special attention is given to the Nasa SP-100 Advanced Technology Project and the free-piston Stirling engine technology for nuclear power application.
Women cannot discriminate between differential paracervical block techniques applied to opposite sides of the cervix

The purpose of this study was to determine whether women can discriminate better from less effective paracervical block techniques applied to opposite sides of the cervix. If this discrimination could be made, it would be possible to compare different techniques and thus improve the quality of paracervical anesthesia. Two milliliters of local anesthetic was applied to one side and 6 ml to the other side of volunteers' cervices before cervical dilation. Statistical examination was by sequential analysis. The study was stopped after 47 subjects had entered, when sequential analysis found that there was no significant difference in women's perception of pain. Nine women reported more pain on the side with more anesthesia and eight reported more pain on the side with less anesthesia. Because the amount of anesthesia did not make a difference, the null hypothesis (that women cannot discriminate between different anesthetic techniques) was accepted. Women are not able to discriminate different doses of local anesthetic when applied to opposite sides of the cervix.
Comparison of power deposition by in-phase 433 MHz and phase-modulated 915 MHz interstitial antenna array hyperthermia systems

The interstitial microwave antenna array hyperthermia (IMAAH) system produces a pattern of specific absorption rate (SAR) that is nonuniform within a 2-cm square array when driven in phase at 915 MHz. It was found that phase modulation makes the time-averaged SAR pattern significantly more uniform in planes perpendicular to the antennas. To drive antennas in phase at 433 MHz similarly improves SAR uniformity when the antennas are of resonance length. >
Post-Synthesis Alkoxide Formation Within Metal−Organic Framework Materials: A Strategy for Incorporating Highly Coordinatively Unsaturated Metal Ions

A new noncatenated metal−organic framework containing pendant alcohol functionalities was synthesized. The alcohols were then post-synthetically converted to either lithium or magnesium alkoxides, with the incorporated metals anchored far from nodes or carboxylate functionalities. The metal alkoxide sites can be obtained stoichiometrically while maintaining the permanent porosity and large surface area of the parent hydroxylated material. The incorporated metal ions are found to induce an unusual pattern of binding energetics for H2: isosteric heats of adsorption increase, rather than decrease, with increasing H2 loading. Additionally, at 1 atm and 77 K, uptake (at least with low Li+ loading) is increased by two hydrogen molecules per Li+.
The heart and development

The perspective from which the developing heart is viewed can lead to differing conclusions about the effects of development on cardiac function. The hearts of the embryo, fetus and adult, viewed from a global perspective, sustain the circulation through the same basic mechanisms of developing pressure and ejecting blood. The failure of the embryonic heart to perform these tasks results in growth failure, edema, and embryonic death, just as in the infant and adult such failure results in premature death. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of gross anatomy, following embryonic morphogenesis, the developing and adult hearts appear in general to be structurally similar, differing only in size and mass. However, a closer view shows, in the molecular and structural makeup of the myocardium, richly complex changes that can modulate the basic physiological properties of the cardiac myocyte. This article focuses on how these changes and the effects of birth and development alter ventricular function.
Noninvasive Diagnosis and Treatment of a Saddle Pulmonary Embolism: A Case Report in Support of New Trends in Management of Pulmonary Embolism

Transesophageal echocardiography and contrast-enhanced spiral CT of the chest helped to avoid a pulmonary angiography in an elderly patient with saddle pulmonary thromboembolism and allowed for direct evaluation of its resolution during treatment with subcutaneous low molecular weight heparin.
Dose-Related Enhancement of Mood and Cognition in Smokers Administered Nicotine Nasal Spray

The discovery of the role of nicotinic receptors in attention and memory has led to the testing of nicotinic analogs as cognitive enhancing agents in patient populations. Empirical information about nicotine’s ability to enhance elements of attention and memory in normal individuals might guide development of therapeutic uses of nicotine in cognitively impaired populations. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of nicotine on continuous attention, working memory, and computational processing in tobacco-deprived and nondeprived smokers. A total of 28 smokers (14 men, 14 women) participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject study, in which they were overnight (12 h) tobacco deprived at one session and smoked ad libitum before the other session. At each session, participants received 0, 1, and 2 mg nicotine via nasal spray in random order at 90 min intervals. Before and after each dose, a battery of cognitive, subjective, and physiological measures was administered, and blood samples were taken for plasma nicotine concentration. Overnight tobacco deprivation resulted in impaired functioning on all cognitive tests and increased self-reports of tobacco craving and negative mood; nicotine normalized these deficits. In the nondeprived condition, nicotine enhanced performance on the continuous performance test (CPT) and an arithmetic test in a dose-related manner, but had no effect on working memory. In general, women were more sensitive than men to the subjective effects of nicotine. These results provide an unequivocal determination that nicotine enhanced attentional and computational abilities in nondeprived smokers and suggest these cognitive domains as substrates for novel therapeutic indications. Neuropsychopharmacology (2008) 33, 588–598; doi:10.1038/sj.npp.1301425; published online 18 April 2007