cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diagnostic value of routine chest radiography in febrile, neutropenic children for early detection of pneumonia and mould infections

Despite recent studies failing to demonstrate the value of routine chest radiography (CXR) in the initial evaluation of the febrile neutropenic patient with cancer, this screening test is advocated by some experts. We evaluated the benefits of CXR for early diagnosis of pulmonary infection at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (SJCRH) with emphasis on early recognition of mould infections. We reviewed the courses of 200 consecutive febrile neutropenic pediatric patients to determine if routine CXR at initial evaluation was useful in the identification of clinically occult pneumonia. We also reviewed all cases of proven or probable mould infections from the opening of SJCRH in 1962 until 1998 when routine CXR was no longer practiced in our institution to identify cases that were first recognized by routine CXR. Of 200 febrile neutropenic patients, pulmonary abnormalities consistent with pneumonia were detected by routine CXR in only five patients without pulmonary signs or symptoms. In only one case was a change in management considered. Of the 70 patients with pulmonary mould infection identified from 1962 to 1998, routine CXR was performed in 45 patients at the onset of a febrile, neutropenic episode in which a mould infection was diagnosed. Routine CXR was pivotal in the recognition of the mould infection in only two cases over this 36-year period. CXR is warranted in the evaluation of the newly febrile neutropenic pediatric oncology patient only when respiratory signs or symptoms are present.
Reconstructing and Reprogramming the Tumor-Propagating Potential of Glioblastoma Stem-like Cells

Summary Developmental fate decisions are dictated by master transcription factors (TFs) that interact with cis -regulatory elements to direct transcriptional programs. Certain malignant tumors may also depend on cellular hierarchies reminiscent of normal development but superimposed on underlying genetic aberrations. In glioblastoma (GBM), a subset of stem-like tumor-propagating cells (TPCs) appears to drive tumor progression and underlie therapeutic resistance yet remain poorly understood. Here, we identify a core set of neurodevelopmental TFs (POU3F2, SOX2, SALL2, and OLIG2) essential for GBM propagation. These TFs coordinately bind and activate TPC-specific regulatory elements and are sufficient to fully reprogram differentiated GBM cells to "induced" TPCs, recapitulating the epigenetic landscape and phenotype of native TPCs. We reconstruct a network model that highlights critical interactions and identifies candidate therapeutic targets for eliminating TPCs. Our study establishes the epigenetic basis of a developmental hierarchy in GBM, provides detailed insight into underlying gene regulatory programs, and suggests attendant therapeutic strategies. PaperClip
Hepatic monoacylglycerol acyltransferase activity in HA1 and HA7 hepatoma/hepatocyte hybrid cells: Regulation by insulin and dexamethasone and by cell density

Abstract Hepatic monoacylglycerol acyltransferase (MGAT) (EC 2.3.1.22) is a developmentally-cxpressed enzyme that catalyzes the stereospecific synthesis of sn-1,2-diacylglycerol from sn-2-monoacylglycerol and long-chain fatty acyl-CoA. In order to study the regulation of MGAT, we developed a rapid assay that can be performed directly on permeabilized HA rat hepatocyte/hepatoma hybrid cells, a line that expresses levels of hepatic MGAT activity and a lipogenic program characteristic of fetal hepatocytes. In permeabilized HA cells, MGAT activity was proportional to the time of incubation and was highly dependent on added sn-2-monoacylglycerol and palmitoyl-CoA. The apparent Km values were 16.6 and 12.7 μM for palmitoyl-CoA and 2-mono-oleoylglycerol, respectively. Activity was low with the 1(3)- and sn-2-ether analogs of monooleoylglycerol, supporting the conclusion that the cells express the hepatic isoenzyme of MGAT. MGAT activity increased directly with cell density and was unrelated to the number of days in culture. Long-term incubation (2–4 days) of HA cells with various hormones (including triiodothyronine, human placental lactogen, epidermal growth factor, glucagon and growth hormone) showed that only a combination of dexamethasome and insulin resulted in significantly decreased MGAT activity. None of these hormones affected MGAT activity in short-term (0.5–4 h) incubations. These studies suggest that the developmental decline in rat hepatic MGAT activity may be regulated by glucocorticoids and insulin, hormones that increase during and after the second postnatal week.
Amphetamine and environmentally induced hyperthermia differentially alter the expression of genes regulating vascular tone and angiogenesis in the meninges and associated vasculature

An amphetamine (AMPH) regimen that does not produce a prominent blood-brain barrier breakdown was shown to significantly alter the expression of genes regulating vascular tone, immune function, and angiogenesis in vasculature associated with arachnoid and pia membranes of the forebrain. Adult-male Sprague-Dawley rats were given either saline injections during environmentally-induced hyperthermia (EIH) or four doses of AMPH with 2 h between each dose (5, 7.5, 10, and 10 mg/kg d-AMPH, s.c.) that produced hyperthermia. Rats were sacrificed either 3 h or 1 day after dosing, and total RNA and protein was isolated from the meninges, arachnoid and pia membranes, and associated vasculature (MAV) that surround the forebrain. Vip, eNos, Drd1a, and Edn1 (genes regulating vascular tone) were increased by either EIH or AMPH to varying degrees in MAV, indicating that EIH and AMPH produce differential responses to enhance vasodilatation. AMPH, and EIH to a lesser extent, elicited a significant inflammatory response at 3 h as indicated by an increased MAV expression of cytokines Il1b, Il6, Ccl-2, Cxcl1, and Cxcl2. Also, genes related to heat shock/stress and disruption of vascular homeostasis such as Icam1 and Hsp72 were also observed. The increased expression of Ctgf and Timp1 and the decreased expression of Akt1, Anpep, and Mmp2 and Tek (genes involved in stimulating angiogenesis) from AMPH exposure suggest that angiogenesis was arrested or disrupted in MAV to a greater extent by AMPH compared to EIH. Alterations in vascular-related gene expression in the parietal cortex and striatum after AMPH were less in magnitude than in MAV, indicating less of a disruption of vascular homeostasis in these two regions. Changes in the levels of insulin-like growth factor binding proteins Igfbp1, 2, and 5 in MAV, compared to those in striatum and parietal cortex, imply an interaction between these regions to regulate the levels of insulin-like growth factor after AMPH damage. Thus, the vasculature and meninges surrounding the surface of the forebrain may be an important region in which AMPHs can disrupt vascular homeostasis.
Breaking into the Rings: Women on the IOC

(1996). Breaking into the Rings: Women on the IOC. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance: Vol. 67, No. 5, pp. 26-30.
CLUSTER OF CASES OF NECROTIZING ENTEROCOLITIS (NEC) ASSOCIATED WITH E. COLI 085

During a 4 day period, 3 premature infants developed NEC. All had abdominal distention, guaiac + stools, intolerance of feedings, apnea and pneumatosis intestinalis. One developed a perforation of the small bowel. A pure culture of E. coli resistant to all common antibiotics except chloramphenicol and gentamicin was obtained from the peritoneal cavity of that infant. Using media containing 20 μg/ml of kanamycin, stools of all infants in the nursery were screened for this organism. Seven infants, including the 3 with NEC were found to have a kanamycin resistant E. coli and 14 did not. All 7 of the E. coli strains isolated were slow lactose fermenters, had similar antibiograms and were serotype 085. Of the 7 colonized infants, 3 had NEC as described above. Three others had guaiac + stools, intolerance of feedings and abdominal distention without pneumatosis intestinalis. Of the 14 infants who were not colonized with the implicated strain, none developed enterocolitis during a 4 week followup. All infants had received ampicllin and kanamycin prior to screening. A strain of E. coli, an organism often considered normal flora, may have contributed to a cluster of cases of NEC. Virulence factors, yet to be identified, may account for this association. If such associations between NEC and certain strains of Enterobacteraceae can be proven, secondary cases may be avoided by preventing colonization with such strains.
If you do not know the child's temperament you do not know the child

Current scholarship generally characterizes temperament as stylistic and relatively stable traits that subsume intrinsic tendencies to act and react in somewhat predictable ways to people, events, and other stimuli. An understanding of children's temperament preferences aids our understanding of the origins of behaviors as well as normal attitudes children display at home, school, and elsewhere. The purpose of this paper is to provide an introduction to children's temperament along with a desire that this information serve to stimulate further research and applications in Brazil. The concept of temperament has evolved from a classic (Hippocrates and Galen) to a modern (Jung and Myers and Briggs) perspective. Two theoretical orientations (Thomas and Chess as well as Oakland and colleagues) provide somewhat popular methods to explain temperament constructs displayed by children and youth. This paper focuses on Oakland and colleagues' approach to temperament in children ages 8-17 in terms of the eight basic styles that are grouped into four bipolar traits: extroverted or introverted, practical or imaginative, thinking or feeling, and organized or flexible styles. Descriptions of the temperament styles and their corresponding behavioral characteristics in children are included. Findings from cross-national research on children's temperaments also are discussed.
Digital Literacies Go to School: Potholes and Possibilities

Oftentimes it seems that education, as an institution, is populated by persons who work to preserve practices of the past and who do not depend upon or explore the advantages of digital literacies. Digital literacies, however, are here to stay—they are at the core of new literacies—and educators should consider how to best weave together old, new, and future literacies so that young people leave school literate in the ways of school and the ways of the world. يبدو كثيرا من الأحيان أن التعليم كمؤسسة يؤهله الناس الذين يعملون من أجل الحفاظ على ممارسات الماضي ولا يعتمدون أو يستكشفون فوائد معرفة القراءة والكتابة عن طريق الأجهزة الرقمية وإنما هذه الطريق ستبقى إلى الأبد—فإنها في لب طرق معرفة القراءة والكتابة الجديدة—ومن المفروض أن يفكر المعلمون في إيجاد أحسن طريق لجمع معارف القراءة والكتابة القديمة والجديدة والمستقبلة كي يتخرج الصغار من المدارس واعين المناهج المدرسية والعالمية. 教育常常好像是一个制度，置身其中的人都为保存以往的教育实践而工作，不依靠或不去探求数码读写能力的好处。然而，数码读写能力是存在的，也会一直存在的¾¾数码读写能力就是存在于新读写能力的核心里¾¾教育工作者应该考虑采用最好的方法把旧的、新的，和未来的读写能力编成一起，让年青人离开学校后，能具备学校所要求的读写能力及外面世界所要求的读写能力。 On considere souvent que l'ecole, en tant qu'institution, est peuplee de gens qui travaillent a conserver des pratiques du passe et qui ne tiennent pas compte ou n'explorent pas les avantages des lectures-ecritures numeriques. Les lectures-ecritures numeriques pourtant sont appelees a durer — elles sont au cœur des nouvelles formes de lecture-ecriture — et les enseignants devraient reflechir a la meilleure facon de tisser les anciennes, les nouvelles, et les futures formes de lecture-ecriture de telle sorte que les jeunes sortent de l'ecole en etant lettres de la facon dont l'ecole l'entend, mais aussi de la facon dont le monde le concoit. Зачастую создается впечатление, что система образования как институт государства и общества населена людьми, которые делают все возможное, чтобы сохранить методы прошлого, и совершенно не желают применять или исследовать возможности цифровых технологий в обучении. Однако цифровая грамотность вошла в нашу жизнь прочно и надолго, и педагогам следует задуматься о том, как лучше всего сочетать старую и новую грамотность, а также виды грамотности, которые появятся в ближайшем будущем. Только так молодые люди выйдут из школы готовыми к жизни в современном мире. A menudo, parece que el magisterio, como institucion, esta poblado por personas interesadas en mantener las practicas del pasado y que no dependen de, ni exploran, las ventajas de las culturas digitales. Las culturas digitales, sin embargo, no van a desaparecer—son la base de las culturas nuevas—y los educadores deben considerar como mejor integrar las culturas establecidas, nuevas y del futuro para que los jovenes salgan de la escuela sabiendo como funcionar en la escuela y en el mundo de afuera.
Myocardial disease associated with progressive muscular dystrophy; a report of 2 cases.

Abstract Two cases of progressive muscular dystrophy involving the heart are reviewed. The clinical, historical, laboratory, and pathophysiologic aspects are presented. A discussion of the diagnosis and prognosis of this esoteric disease of the heart stresses that a high index of suspicion should exist when a muscular wasting disease is associated with congestive heart failure.
Experimental unconfounding of age and maternal responsiveness in rodents: prenatal CER conditioning to neonatal ultrasounds.

Abstract Prior to mating, virgin female Long-Evans Rutins norvegicus received 30 classical CER trials with shock as the UCS and either taped neonatal ultrasounds or a belltone as the CS. Additional animals were placed in groups controlling for exposure to shock, the ultrasounds, the belltone, and placement in the conditioning apparatus. Following mating and parturition mother-infant observations revealed that those mothers previously conditioned to neonatal ultrasounds spent more time in the lactation posture than did mothers from the other groups. The results suggest that naive mothers can be “primed” to exhibit greater maternal responsiveness than is characteristic of primiparous mothers.
Configurable semi-autonomic animated animal characters in interactive virtual reality applications

In many virtual reality (VR) simulation and training applications, it is desirable and even critical to have computer controlled animal characters that can behave with a high degree of realism. The realism can be measured in two aspects. One is behavioral realism, or how real the characters act and respond to the commands and environments. The other aspect is visual realism.
First results from STAR at RHIC

The Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) along with its complement of four experiments commenced operation for physics in the summer of 2000. Initial results on detector performance, preliminary physics results on hadron production, and the physics anticipated from the STAR experiment will be reported.
What We Hear is Meaning Too: Deconstruction, Dialogue, and Music

The concept of dialogue as deconstruction introduced in this article is prompted by two concerns: first, the multiplicity of representation in contemporary society, and second, the need to address rather than resolve the other as a central premise for learning. Dialogue as deconstruction is seen as an impactful element in destabilizing sequential forms of teaching ingrained in the contemporary logic of standardization. An analysis of various traditions of dialogic thought and practice is developed, arguing that conflict and provisionality are either absent or seen negatively in these accounts. In order to present conflict as a positive element and a constitutive part of dialogue as deconstruction, the notion of mis-listening is offered, defined not as the inability to recognize commonly agreed-upon sonic ideals but rather the capacity to intentionally hear "wrong." This is seen as an essential element if music education is to emphasize innovation, agency, and dissent.
Quasielastic nucleon transfer and the heavy-ion interaction potential.

Quasielastic nucleon-transfer cross sections have been mea- sured at energies roughly-equal35% above the Coulomb barrier for /sup 58,64/Ni + /sup 112,116,120,124/Sn. The systematic trends were studied over the range of systems, which span a factor of 2 in neutron excess N-Z. The observed magnitude of the cross sections and their surface localization suggest that quasielastic processes play an important role in the average nucleus-nucleus potential, a quantity of considerable recent interest in near-barrier collisions of heavy systems.
Bcl-2 family interactome analysis using bacterial surface display

Members of the Bcl-2 family of proteins have opposing roles in programmed cell death; family members can play either pro-apoptotic or anti-apoptotic roles. Heterodimeric interactions between pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic members of the Bcl-2 family are critical for the regulation of apoptosis and are important targets for cancer therapeutics. Bcl-2 family interactions are mediated by the highly-conserved BH3 domain, corresponding to a single amphipathic α-helix, which binds in a hydrophobic cleft of its Bcl-2 family interaction partner. Here, using a high-throughput peptide-protein interaction assay based on bacterial cell surface display and flow cytometry, we present quantitative data for a near-complete set of 17 BH3 domains from the human genome binding to each of the 5 anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family members. Biophysical insights into the affinity and specificity of these interactions are provided by analysis of the interactome data. In addition we carried out a truncation study of the Bim BH3 domain to define the core residues responsible for anti-apoptotic protein binding. The interactome data from this study has implications both in basic research on apoptosis and in the design of peptidic cancer therapeutics.
Exchange coupling in epitaxial CoO/NiFe bilayers with compensated and uncompensated interfacial spin structures

An uncompensated antiferromagnetic surface of CoO is essential for the establishment of exchange bias. Exchange coupling for compensated surfaces is manifested by a large coercivity but no exchange bias field. Degradation of a compensated surface leads to an exchange bias field. These results clarify a key outstanding issue in exchange bias.
Effects of practice and alcohol on selected skills: implications for an automobile alcohol ignition interlock.

DRIVERS PRACTICED TWO PSYCHOMOTOR TASKS BEFORE BEING TESTED DURING ABSORPTION, PEAK AND ELIMINATION PHASES OF THE BLOOD ALCOHOL CYCLE AT BAC'S OF 0.05%, 0.10%, AND 0.05%. A SIGNIFICANT PERFORMANCE DECREMENT WAS FOUND AT THE 0.10% BAC LEVEL COMPARED TO THE PERFORMANCE AT 0% BAC, AFTER IMPROVEMENTS DUE TO PRACTICE HAD CEASED ON BOTH TASKS USED. THE TASK INVOLVING STYLUS TRACKING SHOWED REASONABLE TEST DISCRIMINATION BETWEEN SUBJECTS WHEN SOBER AND AFTER DRINKING. /AUTHOR/
Detachment of metastable helium molecules from helium nanodroplets

Metastable helium a 3+ molecules are produced in helium nanodroplets by electron bombard- ment, and become attached to their surface. Photo induced electronic transitions release them, and they are subsequently detected when they eject secondary electrons upon reaching a nearby surface. We report here the rst high resolution spectroscopic study of this system. It reveals a highly non-thermal rotational state distribution with N =1 and 11N29 populated but with the intermediate N states missing. Further studies of the bombarding electron energy appearance threshold for the high rotational states suggest that their precursor is the atomic 2 3 P state. PACS. 36.40.Vz Optical properties of clusters { 67.40.Yv Helium impurities and other defects
Optical properties of potassium-doped polyacetylene

Abstract The optical reflectance of polyacetylene doped with high concentrations of potassium has been measured, and the optical properties estimated by Kramers–Kronig analysis. The samples, doped by a vapor-phase technique to y ≈0.08 and 0.18, showed strong doping-induced infrared absorption at ∼900, 1270, and 1390 cm −1 . These experiments were motivated by calculations of the infrared absorption which showed that whereas there are only small differences in the infrared spectra for isolated solitons and isolated polarons, there is a dramatic difference between the high-concentration polaron and soliton lattices. The shapes of the absorption spectra are rather similar but the absorption for the polaron lattice is 13 orders of magnitude weaker than that of the soliton lattice. The observation of these features at high doping levels is inconsistent with both the polaronic metal and strongly disordered Peierls insulator models for highly doped polyacetylene and furthermore suggests that solitonic defects maintain their integrity to very high doping levels.
Contemporary management of pituitary tumors

Pituitary tumors represent a wide spectrum of neuropathologic disease. Management of these tumors depends on the multidisciplinary approach involving a neurosurgeon, an endocrinologist and a neuro-...
Neuroimaging methods for adolescent substance use disorder prevention science

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods safely provide in vivo indicators of cerebral macrostructure, microstructure, and activation that can be examined in relation to substance use disorder (SUD) risks and effects. This article will provide an overview of MRI approaches, including volumetric measures, diffusion tensor imaging, and functional MRI, that have been applied to studies of adolescent neuromaturation in relationship to risk phenotypes and adolescent SUD. To illustrate these applications, examples of research findings will be presented. MRI indicators have demonstrated that neurobiological maturation continues throughout adolescence. MRI research has suggested that variations in neurobiological maturation may contribute to SUD risk, and that substance use adversely influences adolescent brain development. Directly measured neurobiological variables may be viable preventive intervention targets and outcome indicators. Further research is needed to provide definitive findings on neurodevelopmental immaturity as an SUD risk and to determine the directions such observations suggest for advancing prevention science.
Calibration of the aerodynamic coefficient identification package measurements from the shuttle entry flights using inertial measurement unit data

The Aerodynamic Coefficient Identification Package (ACIP) is an instrument consisting of body mounted linear accelerometers, rate gyros, and angular accelerometers for measuring the Space Shuttle vehicular dynamics. The high rate recorded data are utilized for postflight aerodynamic coefficient extraction studies. Although consistent with pre-mission accuracies specified by the manufacturer, the ACIP data were found to contain detectable levels of systematic error, primarily bias, as well as scale factor, static misalignment, and temperature dependent errors. This paper summarizes the technique whereby the systematic ACIP error sources were detected, identified, and calibrated with the use of recorded dynamic data from the low rate, highly accurate Inertial Measurement Units.
Vapor Transport Within the Thermal Diffusion Cloud Chamber

A review of the equations used to determine the 1-D vapor transport in the thermal diffusion cloud chamber (TDCC) is presented. These equations closely follow those of the classical Stefan tube problem in which there is transport of a volatile species through a noncondensible, carrier gas. In both cases, the very plausible assumption is made that the background gas is stagnant. Unfortunately, this assumption results in a convective flux which is inconsistent with the momentum and continuity equations for both systems. The approximation permits derivation of an analytical solution for the concentration profile in the Stefan tube, but there is no computational advantage in the case of the TDCC. Furthermore, the degree of supersaturation is a sensitive function of the concentration profile in the TD CC and the stagnant background gas approximation can make a dramatic difference in the calculated supersaturation. In this work, the equations typically used with a TDCC are compared with very general transport equations describing the 1-D diffusion of the volatile species. Whereas no pressure dependence is predicted with the typical equations, a strong pressure dependence is present with the more general equations given in this work. The predicted behavior is consistent with observations in diffusion cloud experiments. It appears that the new equations may account for much of the pressure dependence noted in TDCC experiments, but a comparison between the new equations and previously obtained experimental data are needed for verification.
Reasoning about spreadsheets with labels and dimensions

Labels in spreadsheets can be exploited for finding formula errors in two principally different ways. First, the spatial relationships between labels and other cells express simple constraints on the cells usage in formulas. Second, labels can be interpreted as units of measurements to provide semantic information about the data being combined in formulas, which results in different kinds of constraints. In this paper we demonstrate how both approaches can be combined into an integrated analysis, which is able to find significantly more errors in spreadsheets than each of the individual approaches. In particular, the integrated system is able to detect errors that cannot be found by either of the individual approaches alone, which shows that the integrated system provides an added value beyond the mere combination of its parts. We also compare the effectiveness of this combined approach with several other conceivable combinations of the involved components and identify a system that seems most effective to find spreadsheet formula errors based on label and unit-of-measurement information.
Moisture Content of Composites Under Transient Conditions

The moisture content and moisture distribution of a fiber reinforced composite were calculated under conditions simulating the typical, 20 year service life of an aircraft. The results indicate that the complete transient analysis of the problem must be performed in order to establish a) the long term moisture effects, b) the conditions for accelerated testing, c) the "worst case" design conditions, and d) methods to interpret field monitor ing programs on moisturing gain.
A clustering heuristic to detect staircase structures in large scale linear programming models

Abstract The ‘staircase’ structure is one of the more frequently found structures in large scale linear programs. It is known that the staircase structured problems lend themselves to efficient solution through decomposition based procedures. However, in many large scale problems any underlying structure may be obscured by getting imbedded into other more obvious structures. This paper addresses the identification of the underlying staircase structure in the rectangular matrices of large scale linear programs (LSLPs). The problem is known to be computationally hard. To solve this problem, we propose a heuristic algorithm based on the rank order clustering procedure. The results from the application of this algorithm to a number of test problems of known structure indicate that it runs it linear time of the problem size. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the algorithm through its ability to identify the correct number of diagonal subproblems that make up the staircase structure in the coefficient matrices of the LSLPs of two test sets: the first, collected from the public domain software server, NETLIB; and the second, randomly generated.
Catchment area analysis using bayesian regression modeling.

A catchment area (CA) is the geographic area and population from which a cancer center draws patients. Defining a CA allows a cancer center to describe its primary patient population and assess how well it meets the needs of cancer patients within the CA. A CA definition is required for cancer centers applying for National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer center status. In this research, we constructed both diagnosis and diagnosis/ treatment CAs for the Massey Cancer Center (MCC) at Virginia Commonwealth University. We constructed diagnosis CAs for all cancers based on Virginia state cancer registry data and Bayesian hierarchical logistic regression models. We constructed a diagnosis/treatment CA using billing data from MCC and a Bayesian hierarchical Poisson regression model. To define CAs, we used exceedance probabilities for county random effects to assess unusual spatial clustering of patients diagnosed or treated at MCC after adjusting for important demographic covariates. We used the MCC CAs to compare patient characteristics inside and outside the CAs. Among cancer patients living within the MCC CA, patients diagnosed at MCC were more likely to be minority, female, uninsured, or on Medicaid.
Peptide formation in the presence of linear or cyclic polyphosphates.

Peptide formation during glycine reaction with linear polyphosphates and cyclic metaphosphates, considering prebiotic synthesis
THE LOG HOUSE IN MEXICO

ABSTRACT The presence of the corner-timbered log house in Mexico has puzzled cultural geographers. One would expect an indigenous or Spanish origin, but suggested agents of introduction include central European priests and Japanese immigrants. This study postulates introduction by German miners arriving in Sultepec in 1536. Miners brought corner-timbering to other parts of central Mexico in the 1820′s. The technique diffused to northern Mexico from the United States.
Value-added annual shareholders meetings: reflections on people's capitalism at Wal-Mart

Abstract Most shareholder annual meetings are relatively dull. This is a case study of how a large successful company, Wal-Mart, uses its annual shareholder meeting to motivate and spread best practices among other stakeholders including vendors and employees. In doing so, it makes it a value-added event and also livens up what may be a relatively dull annual shareholder meeting.
Microscopic Molecular Reorientation of Alignment Layer Polymer Surfaces Induced by Rubbing and Its Effects on LC Pretilt Angles

The orientation of functional groups, side chains, and repeat units at the surface of a liquid crystal (LC) alignment layer (AL) polyimide was changed by rubbing with a cotton velvet cloth. It was discovered that rubbing induced polar functional groups and repeat units to reorient out-of-the-plane of the surface, and it made nonpolar aliphatic side chains partially reorient inward, toward the bulk of the film. The polar AL surface provided relatively small LC pretilt angles while polyimides with long alkyl side chains gave relatively large LC pretilt angles. The results suggest that LC pretilt angles are greatly affected by both electronic interaction and steric repulsion between LC molecules and an alignment layer polyimide surface.
Repeat treadmill exercise testing: Variability of results in patients with angina pectoris

Abstract To assess the reproducibility and individual variability of ECG treadmill exercise test results, we evaluated 23 patients with coronary artery disease and stable exertional angina by means of two control exercise tests performed on different days within a 1 week period. In addition, each control test was followed on the same day by a single dose of placebo or active agent determined in a randomized double-blind manner and the exercise test was repeated. When the mean exercise test results from the control tests on days 1 and 2 were compared, there was a significant increase in exercise duration to angina (7.4 ± 3.2 to 9.0 ± 3.3 minutes, p p p p
Biomedical engineering: Drexel University-pioneer in a formal MS degree training program for doctors

A description is given of the Drexel-Presbyterian Hospital Program, established in 1959 to provide the first MS program in biomedical engineering. The goal was to provide a program where life scientists could obtain a rigorous knowledge of physical sciences and engineers could similarly obtain a rigorous knowledge of medical science. Significant milestones in the history of the program are discussed. >
C. elegans 14-3-3 proteins regulate life span and interact with SIR-2.1 and DAF-16/FOXO

14-3-3 proteins are evolutionarily conserved and ubiquitous proteins that function in a wide variety of biological processes. Here we define a new role for C. elegans 14-3-3 proteins in life span regulation. We identify two C. elegans 14-3-3 proteins as interacting proteins of a major life span regulator, the C. elegans SIR2 ortholog, SIR-2.1. Similar to sir-2.1, we find that overexpression of either 14-3-3 protein (PAR-5 or FTT-2) extends life span and that this is dependent on DAF-16, a forkhead transcription factor (FOXO), another important life span regulator in the insulin/IGF-1 signaling pathway. Furthermore, we show that both 14-3-3 proteins are co-expressed with DAF-16 and SIR-2.1 in the tissues critical for life span regulation. Finally, we show that DAF-16/FOXO also physically interacts with the 14-3-3 proteins. These results suggest that C. elegans 14-3-3 proteins can regulate longevity by cooperating with both SIR-2.1 and DAF-16/FOXO.
Assessment of G-CSF stimulated BM hematopoietic stem cells in normal donors.

Background The clinical use of G-CSF has recently been expanded to include mobilization of stem cells for both autologous and allogeneic transplantation. Most of the published studies have focused on stem cells released into the peripheral blood (PB) after G-CSF treatment. However, little is known about the effects of G-CSF on BM. This study evaluated the concurrent effects of short-term G-CSF on both BM and PB stem and progenitor cells in normal individuals. Methods Volunteers received 5 or 10 &#119 g/kg of G-CSF for 5 consecutive days (Days 1-5). On Days 0, 3, 6, 9 and 15, BM and PB samples were obtained. Flow cytometry and functional assay were performed to analyze stem cells, subpopulations, adhesion molecules, colony-forming units and LTCIC. Results The total nucleated cells and absolute numbers of CD34 + /mL showed a similar response pattern in both BM and PB, with a peak around Day 6 that returned to baseline levels by Day 15. However, there was a reciprocal change in the percentage of CD34 + cells...
Live, Runtime Phase Monitoring and Prediction on Real Systems with Application to Dynamic Power Management

Computer architecture has experienced a major paradigm shift from focusing only on raw performance to considering power-performance efficiency as the defining factor of the emerging systems. Along with this shift has come increased interest in workload characterization. This interest fuels two closely related areas of research. First, various studies explore the properties of workload variations and develop methods to identify and track different execution behavior, commonly referred to as "phase analysis". Second, a large complementary set of research studies dynamic, on-the-fly system management techniques that can adaptively respond to these differences in application behavior. Both of these lines of work have produced very interesting and widely useful results. Thus far, however, there exists only a weak link between these conceptually related areas, especially for real-system studies. Our work aims to strengthen this link by demonstrating a real-system implementation of a runtime phase predictor that works cooperatively with on-the-fly dynamic management. We describe a fully-functional deployed system that performs accurate phase predictions on running applications. The key insight of our approach is to draw from prior branch predictor designs to create a phase history table that guides predictions. To demonstrate the value of our approach, we implement a prototype system that uses it to guide dynamic voltage and frequency scaling. Our runtime phase prediction methodology achieves above 90% prediction accuracies for many of the experimented benchmarks. For highly variable applications, our approach can reduce mispredictions by more than 6X over commonly-used statistical approaches. Dynamic frequency and voltage scaling, when guided by our runtime phase predictor, achieves energy-delay product improvements as high as 34% for benchmarks with non-negligible variability, on average 7% better than previous methods and 18% better than a baseline unmanaged system.
A Case Study of Liberal Arts Colleges in the 21st Century: Understanding Organizational Change and Evolution in Higher Education

We draw upon the evolutionary model of change in order to examine the organizational transformation of three liberal arts colleges (Albion College, Allegheny College, Kenyon College). Relying on our prior research (Baker, Baldwin, & Makker, 2012), we seek to continue our exploration and understanding of the evolution occurring in the important liberal arts college sector of higher education. We seek to understand why and how these colleges change, what changes occur, and, especially, what makes liberal arts colleges susceptible to change. The findings of this study have the potential to illuminate change in other types of higher education institutions.
The expression and functional involvement of nuclease-specific idiotype on nuclease-primed helper T cells

The expression and functional significance of idiotypic determinants on antigen-specific helper T (Th) cell populations for responses to Staphylococcal nuclease (Nase) were evaluated in an in vitro antibody response system. Trinitrophenyl (TNP)- specific plaque-forming cell responses to TNP-conjugates of Nase (TNP-Nase) were shown to require the cooperation of Nase-primed Th cells as well as unprimed B and accessory cells. The expression on these antigen-primed Th cells of idiotypic determinants cross-reactive with those on anti-Nase antibodies was demonstrated by the specific elimination of Th cells for TNP-Nase by treatment with affinity-purified anti-idiotypic antibodies plus complement. The susceptibility of Nase-primed Th cells to elimination by such treatment was specific in that anti-idiotypic antibodies affected Th cells only from strains normally expressing the same (or a cross-reactive) idiotype on anti-Nase antibodies. A functional role of the idiotypes expressed on Nase-primed Th cells was suggested by the fact that anti-idiotypic antibody present throughout the period of culture, in the absence of complement, suppressed responses to TNP-Nase in an antigen- and strain-specific manner. It was further shown, by cell mixing experiments, that this inhibition appeared to occur at the level of the Th cells and was not dependent on the strain of origin of the B cells. Thus, antigen-specific Nase-primed Th cells express strain-specific idiotypic determinants cross-reactive with, or identical to, those of anti-Nase antibodies. These cell surface idiotypic determinants appear to be functionally involved in the activity of Th cells for the induction of antibody responses to TNP-Nase in vitro.
Collect-cut: Segmentation with top-down cues discovered in multi-object images

We present a method to segment a collection of unlabeled images while exploiting automatically discovered appearance patterns shared between them. Given an unlabeled pool of multi-object images, we first detect any visual clusters present among their sub-regions, where inter-region similarity is measured according to both appearance and contextual layout. Then, using each initial segment as a seed, we solve a graph cuts problem to refine its boundary — enforcing preferences to include nearby regions that agree with an ensemble of representative regions discovered for that cluster, and exclude those regions that resemble familiar objects. Through extensive experiments, we show that the segmentations computed jointly on the collection agree more closely with true object boundaries, when compared to either a bottom-up baseline or a graph cuts foreground segmentation that can only access cues from a single image.
Optimum bias conditions for linear broad-band InGaP/GaAs HBT power amplifiers

A design strategy for a linear broad-band InGaP/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) power amplifier is presented. This design is based on the bias dependence of the nonlinear base-collector charge, as expressed in the C/sub BC/ versus V/sub CE/ and /spl tau//sub C/ versus I/sub C/ characteristics of the device. Using this technique, it is shown that the second- and third-order distortions have separate optimum bias conditions and, furthermore, there is an inherent tradeoff in optimizing the second- and third-order distortions. The strong bias dependence of the nonlinear base-collector charge and the tradeoff between the different orders of distortion are verified on two 24-dBm 0.5-11-GHz distributed power amplifiers optimized for second and third-order distortions, respectively. The experimental results show that the harmonic and intermodulation levels are sensitive to the different order derivatives of the f/sub t/ versus I/sub C/ curve. Specifically, second-order distortion is related to the slope of the f/sub t/ versus I/sub C/ curve and third-order distortion is related to both the slope and curvature of the f/sub t/ versus I/sub C/ curve. This design technique suggests the importance of HBT device design to minimize distortion in high-frequency broad-band amplifier designs. Furthermore, to minimize high-frequency distortion in HBT amplifiers across a wide range of bias, it is desirable to linearize the base-collector charge, where flat C/sub BC/ versus V/sub CE/ and f/sub t/ versus I/sub C/ characteristics are ideally desired.
Evaluating Understanding of Popular Press Reports of Health Research

This research assessed the ability of a sample of persons on a college campus to understand media reports of health research. Three or four articles on each of five contemporary health topics (dietary cholesterol and heart disease, treatment for breast cancer, starch blockers, drug treatment for heart disease, test tube skin) were selected from widely circulated newspapers (e.g., New York Times ) and magazines (e.g., News- week). A sample of 144 college students responded to content-based and application- based questions derived from photocopies of these popular press articles. The overall rate of reader misunderstanding approached 40% and generally fell beween one third and one half for each of 16 articles representing five health topics. Several strengths and weaknesses of the research are considered as they relate to the accuracy of estimated error rates and to the generality of study findings. The implications of these findings for other areas of health (e.g., AIDS risk factor research) are also discu...
D-allothreonine has no growth promoting efficacy for chicks

One hundred and sixteen crossbred male chicks were used in two battery trials to establish the biological efficacy and toxicity of D-allothreonine (D-allo-Thr) relative to L-Thr. In the efficacy trial, graded doses of D-allo-Thr or L-Thr were added to a Thr-deficient (0.24% L-Thr) chemically defined diet and fed to chicks during the period 10 to 21 d posthatching. Addition of 0, 0.09, and 0.18% L-Thr produced marked linear (P 0.10) by 2% additions of either compound. This experiment demonstrates that chicks cannot metabolize D-allo-Thr to L-Thr and that neither L-Thr nor D-allo-Thr are growth depressing when provided in a large surfeit.
A fourth-order accurate FDTD scheme with long-time stability

This letter presents a new finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) scheme with fourth-order accuracy in time and space. A combination of staggered backward differentiation time integrator and high-order spatial discretization is used to derive fourth-order accurate FDTD equations. The fourth-order accuracy of the proposed FDTD method is verified by monitoring L/sub 2/ norm errors in a two-dimensional partially-filled cavity. Furthermore, the computational cost study shows that the proposed fourth-order scheme is much more efficient than Yee's second-order FDTD scheme in solving the inhomogeneous cavity problem.
The Effect of Fluence Rate on Tumor and Normal Tissue Responses to Photodynamic Therapy

Photodynamic therapy (PDT), carried out at low fluence rates, may enhance tumor response as well as affect treatment selectivity. We have studied the effects of fluence rate on the response of the murine radiation-induced fibrosarcoma (RIF) to PDT using Photofrin (5 mg/kg). Tumor response was tested over a large range of fluence rates (10-200 mW/cm2) and fluences (25-378 J/cm2). Low fluence rates were more efficient; approximately 60 J/cm2 at 10 mW/cm2 was needed to achieve the same tumor growth delay as approximately 100 J/cm2 at 150 mW/cm2 and approximately 150 J/cm2 at 200 mW/cm2. Despite this increased efficiency, lower fluence rates still required longer treatment times for equivalent anti-tumor effects: 95 min for 57 J/cm2 at 10 mW/cm2 versus 11 min for 100 J/cm2 at 150 mW/cm2. Effects of fluence rate on the PDT toxicity to normal tissue were examined through the response of the murine (C3H) foot to Photofrin PDT. Treatment with conditions that produced equivalent tumor responses, i.e. 57 J/cm2 at 10 mW/cm2 and 100 J/cm2 at 150 mW/cm2, resulted in a more severe foot response at the higher fluence rate (median peak response: 0.9 at 10 mW/cm2, 1.5 at 150 mW/cm2) with more time required for tissue to return to normal (8 days at 10 mW/cm2, at least 30 days at 150 mW/cm2). However, when feet were treated with an equal fluence of 100 J/cm2 at various fluence rates, longer healing times accompanied the lower fluence rate treatments. Overall, this paper demonstrates that lower PDT fluence rates are associated with increased efficiency of tumor response. If this increased efficiency is accounted for by lowering treatment fluence, lower fluence rates also may result in a more favorable normal tissue response to treatment.
Vital roles of mTOR complex 2 in Notch-driven thymocyte differentiation and leukemia

Notch plays critical roles in both cell fate decisions and tumorigenesis. Notch receptor engagement initiates signaling cascades that include a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/target of rapamycin (TOR) pathway. Mammalian TOR (mTOR) participates in two distinct biochemical complexes, mTORC1 and mTORC2, and the relationship between mTORC2 and physiological outcomes dependent on Notch signaling is unknown. In this study, we report contributions of mTORC2 to thymic T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) driven by Notch. Conditional deletion of Rictor, an essential component of mTORC2, impaired Notch-driven proliferation and differentiation of pre-T cells. Furthermore, NF-κB activity depended on the integrity of mTORC2 in thymocytes. Active Akt restored NF-κB activation, a normal rate of proliferation, and differentiation of Rictor-deficient pre-T cells. Strikingly, mTORC2 depletion lowered CCR7 expression in thymocytes and leukemic cells, accompanied by decreased tissue invasion and delayed mortality in T-ALL driven by Notch. Collectively, these findings reveal roles for mTORC2 in promoting thymic T cell development and T-ALL and indicate that mTORC2 is crucial for Notch signaling to regulate Akt and NF-κB.
Gouty Panniculitis with Ulcerations in a Patient with Multiple Organ Dysfunctions

Gouty panniculitis is a rare manifestation of gout. Clinically, it is characterized by indurated subcutaneous nodules in nonjoint areas. Pathologically, typical characteristic gouty tophi can be seen in subcutaneous tissue. It is postulated that gouty panniculitis develops as a consequence of uric acid accumulation in the body and localized inflammatory changes in subcutaneous tissue. We report a case of a 46-year-old man with 20-year history of gout, who developed multiple subcutaneous nodules over the abdomen and right groin/thigh area over a 2-year period. After a recent episode of congestive heart failure and acute renal failure, the nodules increased in size and the overlying skin became erythematous and ulcerated. Pathologic examination demonstrated typical tophi in the dermis and subcutaneous tissue. A review of the literature yielded fifteen similar cases that had been previously reported. We conclude that gouty panniculitis may be a manifestation of undertreated gout and may be exacerbated by the deterioration of other systemic functions.