cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Surgical Delays on Short- and Long-Term Survival Among Colon Cancer Patients

Background The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of surgical delays on short- and long-term survival among colon cancer patients. Methods Adult patients undergoing surgery for stage I, II, or III colon cancer were identified from the National Cancer Database (2010-2016). After categorization by wait times from diagnosis to surgery ( 12 weeks), 30-day mortality, 90-day mortality, and 5-year overall survival were compared between patients both overall and after stratification by pathological disease stage. Results Among 187 394 colon cancer patients, 24.2% waited 12 weeks for surgery. Patients undergoing surgery 3-6 weeks after colon cancer diagnosis exhibited the best 30-day mortality (1.3%), 90-day mortality (2.3%), and 5-year overall survival (71.8%) (P 12 weeks: HR 1.43, 95% CI 1.35-1.52; P Conclusions Colon cancer patients should undergo surgery 3-6 weeks after diagnosis, as all surgical delays beyond 6 weeks were associated with worse 30-day mortality, 90-day mortality, and 5-year overall survival.
Inference of Sea Surface Temperature, Near Surface Wind, and Atmospheric Water by Fourier Analysis of Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer Data

The Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer measures thermal microwave emission from the earth in both polarizations at wavelengths of 0.8, 1.4, 1.7, 2.8 and 4.6 cm. Similar instruments were launched on Nimbus 7 and SEASAT. Both spatial resolution on the earth and relative sensitivity to different geophysical parameters change with wavelength. Therefore, spatial Fourier components of geophysical parameters are inferred from the corresponding Fourier components of the radiometer measurements, taking into account the different dependence of signal-to-noise ratio on spatial frequency for each radiometer wavelength. The geophysical parameters are sea surface temperature, near-surface wind speed, integrated water vapor mass, integrated liquid water mass, and the product of rainfall rate with height of the rain layer. The capabilities and limitations of the inversion method are illustrated by means of data from the North Atlantic and from tropical storms.
The Unusual 3D Interplay of Basement Fault Reactivation and Fault-Propagation-Fold Development: A Case Study of the Laramide-age Stillwell Anticline, West Texas (USA)

Abstract Subsurface fault geometries have a systematic influence on folds formed above those faults. We use the extraordinarily well-exposed fold geometries of the Laramide-age Stillwell anticline in west Texas (USA) to develop a strain-predictive model of fault-propagation fold formation. The anticline is a 10-km long, NW-trending, NE-vergent, asymmetric fold system with an axis that displays a map-view left-stepping, en echelon pattern. We integrated field observations, geologic and structural data, cross-sections, and 2D kinematic modeling to establish an unusual 3D two-stage model of contractional fold formation, including: 1) reverse reactivation of a pre-existing, NW-striking, SW-dipping, left-stepping, en echelon normal fault system in Paleozoic basement rocks to generate monoclinal flexures in overlying layered Cretaceous carbonate rocks; and 2) the formation of a subsequent flat-ramp fault system that propagated horizontally along a mechanically-weak, clay-rich Cretaceous unit before ramping up at the hinge of the pre-existing monocline system. Strain is focused within the forelimb of the system, in front of the propagating fault tip, and is accommodated by a combination of interlayer slip, flat-ramp faulting, and fracturing proximal to planes of slip. This strain predictive model can be applied to similar, less-well-exposed contractional systems worldwide and provides a new, unusual example of Laramide-age contractional deformation.
Physiological Effects in Bovine Lymphocytes of Inhibiting Polyamine Synthesis with Ethylglyoxal Bis(guanylhydrazone)

Previous results have suggested that ethylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) is a more specific inhibitor of polyamine biosynthesis than the widely used methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone). The physiological effects on mitogenically activated lymphocytes of polyamine depletion with ethylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) were examined. In the presence of ethylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) and the ornithine decarboxylase inhibitor alpha-difluoromethylornithine, the cellular contents of putrescine, spermidine, and spermine were decreased by 75 to 90, 65 to 80, and 40 to 60%, respectively, compared with control cultures. Inhibition of DNA synthesis in these polyamine-deficient cells was always greater than that of protein synthesis. Upon addition of spermidine to the deficient cells, the cellular spermidine content was restored within 4 hr, but the complete recovery of macromolecular synthesis took 10 to 20 hr. Thymidine kinase and DNA polymerase alpha activities in polyamine-deficient cells were lower than those in normal cells, whereas RNA polymerase II and leucyl transfer RNA synthase activities were nearly equal to those in normal cells. These results and studies with 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis raise the possibility that polyamines may regulate the synthesis of specific proteins. Decreased synthesis of replication proteins in polyamine-deficient cells may be one reason for the reduced synthesis of DNA.
AQUA™ based analysis of thymidylate synthase (TS) within subcellular compartments reveals a novel biomarker for prediction of survival in colorectal carcinomas.

A35 Thymidylate synthase (TS) catalyzes the reductive methylation of deoxyuridylate for production of dTTP, which is critical for DNA synthesis. The regulation of its expression has been shown to be critical in modulation of response to 5-FU, a longstanding chemotherapeutic agent for colon cancer. High expression levels have been shown to be a marker for decreased survival and response to therapy. Recently, it has been demonstrated that TS may have other cellular functions, including post-transcriptional regulation. The subcellular localization of expression, therefore, may be an important predictive determinant. Here, we use AQUA, a new method for in situ determination of protein concentrations within subcellular compartments, to assess the prognostic value of TS expression as a function of subcellular localization. We examined a cohort [n=518] of patients with colon cancer diagnosed between 1970 and 1981 retrospectively collected from the Yale Pathology archives using the tissue microarray format. We used X-tile for selection of optimal cut-points for continuous data on a test set representing one-third of the cohort, then applied this cut-point on a validation set representing the remaining two-thirds. High nuclear expression (40% of the population) had a decrease in five-year disease-specific survival from 70 to 51% (validation set p=0.026) while patients with high cytoplasmic expression had a decrease in survival from 70 to 58% (validation set p=0.038). By Cox univariate analysis using these validated cutpoints, nuclear TS expression [risk ratio (RR)=1.46 (95%CI: 1.13-1.89; p=0.004)] is also a better predictor of overall survival compared to cytoplasmic expression [RR=1.32 (95%CI: 1.02 - 1.70; p=0.030)]. Using quantitative AQUA data, we generated a ratio between nuclear and cytoplasmic expression levels. A high nuclear:cytoplasmic ratio shows decreased survival by Kaplan-Meier analysis [65 to 45%; validation set p=0.010)] and by Cox univariate analysis [RR=1.61 (95%CI: 1.09-2.37; p=0.012)]. This ratio is independent of nuclear expression (Spearman9s rho = -0.036; p=0.41) suggesting a unique population of patients having decreased survival based on this ratio. Among the population with high nuclear:cytoplasmic expression, only 45% of cases were represented in the high nuclear population. Both nuclear expression (p=0.03) and nuclear:cytoplasmic ratio (p=0.04) are independent predictors of survival by multivariate analysis with stage, age at diagnosis, gender and race. Taken together, these data suggest that subcellular localization of TS is critical for prediction of outcome in colon cancer. Furthermore, a ratio of nuclear to cytoplasmic expression appears to be a novel biomarker for predicting survival, and perhaps predicting response to therapy.
Technology Strategies for Growth and Innovation: A Study of Biotechnology Ventures

Despite the large number of entrepreneurial companies involved in cooperative networks in high–technology industries, there is relatively little work on how R&D collaboration affects start–up company outcomes. This study focuses on the effect of technology partner selection and relationship arrangements on young firm growth and innovative performance. Statistical results on a sample of 103 new biotechnology companies show that technological collaboration has contradictory effects: while the number of partners and their average industry tenure is positively related with start–up growth and total innovative output, we find that collaboration may become a liability for radical innovation. These results have practical implications for R&D partner selection in entrepreneurial companies.
Evidence for an Intramural Origin of Idiopathic Premature Ventricular Contractions Successfully Ablated within the Great Cardiac Vein

A 37-year-old woman with idiopathic premature ventricular contractions (PVCs), exhibiting a right bundle branch block and inferior axis QRS morphology, underwent electrophysiological testing. The earliest ventricular activation with an isolated prepotential was observed within the great cardiac vein during the PVCs. Pacing from this site with an output of 10 mA produced an excellent pace map, whereas that with an output of 2 mA produced a wider QRS with notches in the early phase. A radiofrequency application delivered at this site eliminated the PVCs. These findings suggested that the PVC origin might have been intramural rather than epicardial. (PACE 2011; 34:e112–e114)
The Body also has a History: A Critical Aesthetics for Arts Education

This paper begins by providing a brief introduction to Foucault's work on the body. In the next section it reviews the feminist encounter with Foucault's work focusing on the political technology of the body before examining feminist appropriations of Foucault and the relation between aesthetics and the body. In the final section of the paper, I make some preliminary remarks about the relation of body theory to art education.
The Interaction between Corporate Bonds Yields, Equity Market and the Macro Economy

The paper argues that bond investors (and, implicitly large creditors in general), may not necessarily demonstrate the “Investors’ Smartness” that some previous studies attributed to large institutional holders, when it comes to pricing-in for economic shocks likely to occur in future. This study compares the credit-equity-macro economy inter-connectivity under various discount rates such as the Long and Short Term Treasury rates and the Average Risk (BAA rated) corporate bond rate. The approach here goes beyond multivariate regressions by showing that the inter-connectivity reflects a multidimensional interaction which is captured by the macro economy’s wealth with the credit and equity markets and with investors’ interpretation of incoming news in forming expectations. Hence, the evidence here suggests that behavioral biases of focusing on the “immediate horizon,” that some previous studies have attributed to stock investors, are also applicable and sometimes even more so, to bond investors as well. The indirect implications of these findings may explain some of the troubles that affected the credit markets in recent years.
Empirical Approaches to the Measurement of Welfare

It has now been over twenty-five years since Arnold Harberger (1971) published his open letter to the profession, in which he proposed a set of guidelines for applied welfare economics. Since then, there has been great progress in the implementation of measures of welfare that are ordinally equivalent to household utility. While welfare measurement at the micro level is of independent interest, of greater practical concern is the issue of the well-being of groups of households. In the second half of the survey, I examine the issue of the aggregation of welfare across households and describe a framework that provides a consistent ranking of social outcomes.
Pulmonary Function Testing Reference Values and Interpretations in Pediatric Training Programs

A questionnaire was sent to all pediatric training programs to evaluate the use of pulmonary function reference standards and the interpretation of pulmonary function test results. Responses were obtained from 107 of 130 institutions, and 94 of these had pulmonary function laboratories available. Of the 94, 60 used one of three reference standards. The primary reason the reference standards were chosen was either unknown or because they came with the spirometer (24), were recommended by another person or were those used in that person9s training (34), or were thought to be the best standards available or most applicable to the population to be tested (31). To define abnormality, most used an 80% predicted cutoff for forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in 1 second, and forced expiratory flow at 25% to 75% vital capacity. For a change in an individual through time, most used a 10% change for forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in 1 second, and forced expiratory flow at 25% to 75% vital capacity. Thirteen used statistical methods to define abnormal individuals and none used statistical methods to define a significant change over time. Although there are a few guidelines for reference standards and interpretations of pulmonary function tests, it appears that most laboratories are not using those guidelines and that further guidelines and education are needed.
Styrene-associated health outcomes at a windblade manufacturing plant.

Background Health risks of using styrene to manufacture windblades for the green energy sector are unknown. Methods Using data collected from 355 (73%) current windblade workers and regression analysis, we investigated associations between health outcomes and styrene exposure estimates derived from urinary styrene metabolites. Results The median current styrene exposure was 53.6 mg/g creatinine (interquartile range: 19.5–94.4). Color blindness in men and women (standardized morbidity ratios 2.3 and 16.6, respectively) was not associated with exposure estimates, but was the type previously reported with styrene. Visual contrast sensitivity decreased and chest tightness increased (odds ratio 2.9) with increasing current exposure. Decreases in spirometric parameters and FeNO, and increases in the odds of wheeze and asthma-like symptoms (odds ratios 1.3 and 1.2, respectively) occurred with increasing cumulative exposure. Conclusions Despite styrene exposures below the recommended 400 mg/g creatinine, visual and respiratory effects indicate the need for additional preventative measures in this industry. Am. J. Ind. Med. 58:1150–1159, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing Use of Rapid Molecular Testing for Staphylococcus aureus for Patients With Cutaneous Abscesses in the Emergency Department With Standard of Care.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether real-time availability of rapid molecular results of Staphylococcus aureus would impact emergency department clinician antimicrobial selection for adults with cutaneous abscesses. DESIGN We performed a prospective, randomized controlled trial comparing a rapid molecular test with standard of care culture-based testing. Follow-up telephone calls were made at between 2 and 7 days, 1 month, and 3 months after discharge. SETTING Two urban, academic emergency departments. PATIENTS Patients at least 18 years old presenting with a chief complaint of abscess, cellulitis, or insect bite and receiving incision and drainage were eligible. Seven hundred seventy-eight people were assessed for eligibility and 252 met eligibility criteria. METHODS Clinician antibiotic selection and clinical outcomes were evaluated. An ad hoc outcome of test performance was performed. RESULTS We enrolled 252 patients and 126 were randomized to receive the rapid test. Methicillin-susceptible S. aureus–positive patients receiving rapid test results were prescribed beta-lactams more often than controls (absolute difference, 14.5% [95% CI, 1.1%–30.1%]) whereas methicillin-resistant S. aureus–positive patients receiving rapid test results were more often prescribed anti–methicillin-resistant S. aureus antibiotics (absolute difference, 21.5% [95% CI, 10.1%–33.0%]). There were no significant differences between the 2 groups in 1-week or 3-month clinical outcomes. CONCLUSION Availability of rapid molecular test results after incision and drainage was associated with more-targeted antibiotic selection. TRIAL REGISTRATION clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01523899 Infect. Control Hosp. Epidemiol. 2015;36(12):1423–1430
Troubles for Content I

It is widely accepted that thinkers can have thoughts involving concepts that, intuitively, they incompletely grasp. I argue, however, that the import of the phenomenon for the theory of linguistic and mental content has not been adequately appreciated: prominent theories of content, even if they specify modal determinants or grounds of content, lack an account of what it is for a representation to have content. The problem is easiest to see with respect to conceptual-role theories of content. And once we distinguish genuine incomplete understanding from mere error, we see that appeals to ideal conditions or a competence/performance distinction are no help with respect to incomplete understanding. Covariation theories are vulnerable to a parallel problem, for thinkers need not have a disposition to discriminate the relevant property in order to have the concept. An appeal to deference to other people cannot rescue conceptual role and covariation theories. A proviso about deference to others, understood in the most promising way, is a specification of an alternative way in which a representation's having content can be grounded, one that is inconsistent with the central position of conceptual-role and covariation theories about what it is for a representation to have particular content. Thus, those theories, once supplemented by an appeal to deference, lack a unified account of the phenomenon. In a companion paper, “Troubles for Content II: Explaining Grounding,” I consider the response that it is enough for an account to specify different ways in which a phenomenon, such as a representation's having content, can be determined or grounded. I argue that such a specification leaves us without an understanding of why the phenomenon can be grounded in diverse ways and that, in general, an account of the nature of the phenomenon can explain its grounding.
Differences in carbon-13 rotating frame spin-lattice relaxation in network and linear polymers

Echantillons prepares a partir de α,ω-dihydroxypoly(propene oxyde) de masse 425, 1000, 2000 et 3000
Verbal rehearsal and memory in language-disordered children.

Twelve language-disordered (mean age 10:7) and 12 normal children (mean age 10:10) received a series of free-recall lists composed of pictorial items. They were instructed to rehearse aloud after e...
ΣΔ gradient-descent learning for online real-time calibration of digitally-assisted analog circuits

Analog circuits that use on-chip digital-to-analog converters for calibration use a DSP based algorithm for adapting and calibrating the system parameters. In this paper, we show that this conventional method suffers from artifacts due to quantization noise which adversely affects the real-time and precise convergence to the desired parameters. We propose a ΣΔ based gradient-descent learning that can noise-shape the quantization noise during the adaptation procedure and in the process achieve faster convergence compared to the conventional quantized gradient-descent approach. We also show that when the analog circuits suffer from non-linearities and non-monotonic response of the calibration DACs, the proposed algorithm is still able to find the optimal system solution without getting trapped into local minima. Using measured results obtained from prototype fabricated in a 0.5-µm CMOS process, we demonstrate the robustness of the proposed algorithm for the task of: (a) compensating and tracking of offset parameters; and (b) calibration of the center frequency of a sub-threshold gm-C biquad filter.
Conservative Surgery in a Young Patient with Peritoneal Psammocarcinoma

Psammocarcinoma is a rare epithelial neoplasm of the ovary and peritoneum. The reported management of patients with this tumor includes radical surgery and chemotherapy. We report the case of a young woman with metastatic psammocarcinoma treated with conservative surgery who is alive 6.5 years following positive second-look laparotomy.
Daily to Decadal Patterns of Precipitation, Humidity, and Photosynthetic Physiology Recorded in the Spines of the Columnar Cactus, Carnegiea Gigantea

[1] Isotopic analyses of cactus spines grown serially from the apex of long-lived columnar cactuses may be useful for climatological and ecological studies if time series can be reliably determined from spines. To characterize the timescales over which spines may record this information, we measured spine growth in saguaro cactus over days, months, and years with time-lapse photography, periodic marking, and postbomb radiocarbon dating and then analyzed isotopic variability over these same timescales and compared these measurements to local climate. We used daily increments of growth, visible as transverse bands of light and dark tissue in spines, as chronometers to develop diurnally resolved δ13C and δ18O records from three spines grown in series over a 70 day period. We also constructed a 22 year record of δ13C variations from spine tips arranged in chronological sequence along the side of a 4 m tall, single-stemmed saguaro. We evaluated two mechanisms potentially responsible for daily, weekly, and annual variability in δ13C values of spines; both related to vapor pressure deficit (VPD). Our data suggest that stomatal conductance is unlikely to be the determinant of δ13C variation in spines. We suggest that either VPD-induced changes in the balance of nighttime- and daytime-assimilated CO2 or mesophyll-limited diffusion of CO2 at night are the most likely determinant of δ13C variation in spines. Intra-annual and interannual variability of δ18O in spine tissue appears to be controlled by the mass balance of 18O-depleted water taken up after rain events and evaporative enrichment of 18O in tissue water between rains. We were able to estimate the annual growth and areole generation rate of a saguaro cactus from its 22 yearlong isotopic record because VPD, rainfall, and evaporation exhibit strong annual cycles in the Sonoran Desert and these variations are recorded in the oxygen and carbon isotope ratios of spines.
Small-bore hollow waveguides for delivery of 3-μm laser radiation

Flexible hollow glass waveguides with bore diameters as small as 250 μm have been developed for 3-μm laser delivery. All the guides exhibit straight losses between 0.10 and 1.73 dB/m, and the loss increases to between 2.4 and 5.1 dB/m upon bending 1 m of the guides into 15-cm-diameter coils. This behavior is shown to depend strongly on the launch conditions and mode quality of the input beam. The waveguides are capable of efficiently delivering up to 8 W of Er:YAG laser power with proper input coupling, and they are suitable for use in both medical and industrial applications.
Evaluation of Career and Family Roles by Family Day Care Providers, Mothers at Home, and Employed Mothers.

Family day care providers combine economic and family work in their own home by caring for nonfamily children. Significant differences were found among 31 home day care providers, 37 employed mothers, and 29 mothers at home (all with young children) as mothers evaluated the importance and satisfactions of work and family roles. Providers indicated highest agreement with statements describing rewards of the occupational role. Employed mothers gave the lowest and mothers at home the highest ratings for items from the Home as Haven scale. The high value that providers placed on both career and family roles has important implications for the recruitment, retention, and training of providers.
The involvement of heat-shock proteins in the pathogenesis of autoimmune arthritis: a critical appraisal.

Objectives: To review the literature on the role of heat-shock proteins (HSPs) in the pathogenesis of autoimmune arthritis in animal models and patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: The published literature in Medline (PubMed), including our published work on the cell-mediated as well as humoral immune response to various HSPs, was reviewed. Studies in the preclinical animal models of arthritis as well as RA were examined critically and the data are presented. Results: In experimental arthritis, disease induction by different arthritogenic stimuli, including an adjuvant, led to immune response to mycobacterial HSP65 (BHSP65). However, attempts to induce arthritis by a purified HSP have not met with success. There are several reports of a significant immune response to HSP65 in RA patients. However, the issue of cause and effect is difficult to address. Nevertheless, several studies in animal models and a couple of clinical trials in RA patients have shown the beneficial effect of HSPs against autoimmune arthritis. Conclusions: There is a clear association between immune response to HSPs, particularly HSP65, and the initiation and propagation of autoimmune arthritis in experimental models. The correlation is relatively less convincing in RA patients. In both cases, the ability of HSPs to modulate arthritis offers support, albeit an indirect one, for the involvement of these antigens in the disease process.
Viruses of the Bunya- and Togaviridae families: potential as bioterrorism agents and means of control

When considering viruses of potential importance as tools for bioterrorism, several viruses in the Bunya- and Togaviridae families have been cited. Among those in the Bunyaviridae family are Rift Valley fever, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, hanta, and sandfly fever viruses, listed in order of priority. Those particularly considered in the Togaviridae family are Venezuelan, eastern and western equine encephalitis viruses. Factors affecting the selection of these viruses are the ability for them to induce a fatal or seriously incapacitating illness, their ease of cultivation in order to prepare large volumes, their relative infectivity in human patients, their ability to be transmitted by aerosol, and the lack of measures available for their control. Each factor is fully considered in this review. Vaccines for the control of infections induced by these viruses are in varying stages of development, with none universally accepted to date. Viruses in the Bunyaviridae family are generally sensitive to ribavirin, which has been recommended as an emergency therapy for infections by viruses in this family although has not yet been FDA-approved. Interferon and interferon inducers also significantly inhibit these virus infections in animal models. Against infections induced by viruses in the Togaviridae family, interferon-alpha would appear to currently be the most useful for therapy.
Properties of an acetylspermidine deacetylase from rat liver.

Acetylspermidine deacetylase (EC 3.5.1.) has been identified in rat liver extracts and partially purified. The enzyme releases acetic acid from N -1-acetylsperimidine, N -8-acetyl-sperimidine, and N -1-acetylspermine. Diacetylsperimine, N -1-acetylputrescine, N -acetyl-methionine, acetylhistone, and several N -acetylamino sugars are not attacked by the enzyme. The pH optimum of the enzyme is around 10.4. The Michaelis constant for N -1-acetylsperimidine is 3 μ m and that for N -acetylsperimine is 16 μM. The activity is not affected by EDTA, but is strongly inhibited by p -chloromercuribenzoate; in addition, maximum activity is shown in the presence of dithiothreitol. The enzyme is competitively inhibited by spermidine, spermine, and putrescine ( K i =55, 36, and 250 μ m , respectively).
High Fatality Rate of Epstein-Barr Virus-Associated Lymphoproliferative Disorder Occurring after Bone Marrow Transplantation with Rabbit Antithymocyte Globulin Conditioning Regimens

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated lymphoproliferative disorder (EBV-LPD) following bone marrow transplantation can be fatal. The major risk factors for the development of EBV-LPD are ex vivo T-cell depletion or in vivo T-cell depletion with either antithymocyte globulin (ATG) or monoclonal anti-T-cell antibodies. Between March 1999 and January 2001, a total of 23 transplants with ATG of equine source (20 transplants) and ATG of rabbit source (3 transplants) used as part of the preparatory regimen were performed at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit, Mich. The three patients who received rabbit ATG developed EBV-LPD between 60 and 90 days following bone marrow transplantation. However, there were no cases of EBV-LPD in the equine group. Treatment given in these cases consisted of tapering immunosuppression, antiviral therapy, unprocessed donor lymphocyte infusion, mobilized peripheral blood progenitor cell rescue infusion (one patient), and chemotherapy (one patient). All three patients died of complications from EBV-LPD. The association of rabbit ATG with the development of EBV-LPD suggests that patients receiving rabbit ATG as part of their preparatory regimens require close monitoring of the EBV viral load and possible early intervention with antiviral therapy.
Glossopharyngeal neuralgia treated with gamma knife radiosurgery.

Background Although gamma knife radiosurgery is an established treatment option for trigeminal neuralgia, its role in the management of glossopharyngeal neuralgia is unclear. We report a case of glosspharyngeal neuralgia treated effectively with gamma knife radiosurgery, review the literature, and discuss the rationale supporting dose and target selection. Case Description A 47-year-old woman presented with persistent lancinating pain to the left throat, which was refractory to medical therapy. She declined a microvascular decompression and instead chose stereotactic radiosurgery. Gamma knife radiosurgery to the glossopharyngeal nerve at the glossopharyngeal meatus was used, and a maximum dose 80 Gy was delivered. She was pain-free off medications 1 month after the procedure and remains pain-free 11 months. There were no adverse neurologic effects attributable to the procedure. Conclusions This clinical response provides encouraging evidence for the treatment of glossopharyngeal neuralgia with stereotactic radiosurgery and is consistent with previous reports. Further investigation is needed to define the role of stereotactic radiosurgery in the management of glossopharyngeal neuralgia.
Application of a fluorescent dye to study connectivity between third ventricular preoptic area grafts and host hypothalamus

The mutant hypogonadal (hpg) mouse lacks a functioning gene for the neurohormone gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH). Previous studies from our laboratory had indicated that the initiation and maintenance of reproductive function in these mice could be brought about by the implantation of normal fetal grafts into adult hosts. Testicular or ovarian growth and other indicators of normal neurosecretory output were always accompanied by survival of GnRH neurons and growth of GnRH axons into the host median eminence where such axons terminate on the hypophysial portal capillaries. To determine if other connections exist between graft and the host hypothalamus, small crystals of the carbocyanine dye, 1,1'-dioctadecyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethyl-indocarbocyanine perchlorate (DiI) were applied to either graft or host after fixation of the brain. Tissue sections were analyzed for retrograde and and anterograde movement of the dye. When crystals were placed on the graft, labeled axons were found in the host median eminence or in the host hypothalamus taking an arching trajectory toward the median eminence. Retrogradely labeled neurons in the host were few in number and largely confined to the host arcuate nucleus. With DiI crystals applied to the basal hypothalamus, labeled axons were distributed widely in the host but much sparser in the graft. Axons appeared to enter primarily at sites where the graft and host interface lacked an ependymal lining. Small numbers of retrogradely labeled neurons were also seen in the graft. Most were cells of very simple morphology and were distributed randomly in the graft. When double label experiments were carried out most DiI positive cells in the graft contained GnRH. These results indicate the connectivity between host hypothalamus and the third ventricular preoptic area grafts exists but is limited in nature.
Analysis of pyrethroid binding by use of a photoreactive analogue: Possible role for GTP-binding proteins in pyrethroid activity

Abstract Neurotoxicity of pyrethroids has been attributed to their activity on a variety of enzymes, membrane receptors, and ion channels—especially voltage-dependent sodium channels. To study pyrethroid binding, I have synthesized decyanoazidofenvalerate (DeCAF), a photoactivatable arylazide derivative of fenvalerate. DeCAF is insecticidal and induces repetitive firing in invertebrate nerve axons. SDS-PAGE analysis of photoderivatized proteins from rat brain membranes indicated that [ 3 H]DeCAF covalently labeled a 36-kDa membrane-bound protein. This labeling was completely abolished by fenvalerate and unlabeled DeCAF, and partially inhibited by other pyrethroids. While labeling was not inhibited by alkaloid toxins or polypeptide venoms that modify voltage-dependent sodium channels, photolabeling was stimulated by tetrodotoxin and saxitoxin, specific blockers of voltage-dependent sodium channels. The [ 3 H]DeCAF-labeled protein could not be identified as a known sodium channel subunit or as the 36-kDa subunit of the peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (another target of pyrethroids). [ 3 H]DeCAF labeling was modified by addition of either GTPγS or pretreatment of membranes with cholera toxin. These results indicate that pyrethroids interact with a 36-kDa protein that is associated with voltage-sensitive sodium channels and is affected by modifiers of GTP-binding proteins.
Growth rate models for short surface cracks in AI 2219-T851

Rates of fatigue propagation of short Mode I surface cracks in Al 2219-T851 are measured as a function of crack length and of the location of the surface crack tips relative to the grain boundaries. The measured rates are then compared to values predicted from crack growth models. The crack growth rate is modeled with an underlying assumption that slip responsible for early propagation does not extend in significant amounts beyond the next grain boundary in the direction of crack propagation. Two models that contain this assumption are combined: 1) cessation of propagation into a new grain until a mature plastic zone is developed; 2) retardation of propagation by crack closure stress, with closure stress calculated from the location of a crack tip relative to the grain boundary. The transition from short to long crack growth behavior is also discussed.
Re-invigorating the insecticide discovery pipeline for vector control: GPCRs as targets for the identification of next gen insecticides

Abstract G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) comprise a large family of membrane-bound molecules that mediate critical physiological roles in both vertebrates and invertebrates. GPCRs are widely exploited targets of the pharmaceutical industry; approximately 50% of human drugs interact with these receptors. GPCRs are also candidate targets for next-generation insecticides and provide opportunities to discover new mode-of-action chemistries for insect control. We present an overview of the Purdue Insecticide Discovery Pipeline which employs a target-based “genome-to-lead” approach to identify novel insecticidal molecules. The pipeline is focused on invertebrate GPCRs, with an emphasis on mosquito and tick dopamine receptors (DARs). We summarize published studies describing the characteristics of D 1 -like (Gα s coupled) DARs from the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti ( Aa DOP1, Aa DOP2) and Lyme disease tick, Ixodes scapularis ( Is DOP1, Is DOP2), and review our ongoing cell-based chemical library screening efforts to discover small molecule ligands and modulators of Aa DOP2 and Is DOP2. We discuss “hit-to-lead” optimization of Aa DOP2 antagonists and present in vivo assay data demonstrating that lead antagonists cause rapid and high mortality of Ae. aegypti larvae. To expand capabilities of the pipeline, we developed an in vitro screen to identify small molecule agonists of Aa DOP2. Twenty-five agonists were discovered in the screen that exhibited significant potency at Aa DOP2, although a subset of the hits that were tested (SKF82958, SKF81297) showed no evidence of in vivo toxicity to Ae. aegypti larvae. Finally, we analyze the conceptual protein sequence of D 1 -like DARs from the malaria mosquito, Anopheles gambiae and the northern-house mosquito, Culex quinquefasciatus , and discuss the potential application of GPCR target-based insecticide discovery for other mosquito vectors of importance to human health.
Single‐excitations‐adapted molecular orbitals for a simplified description of electronic excited states

An orbital transformation that minimizes the sum of the squares of the off-diagonal Hamiltonian elements between the singly excited configurations is described. The resulting single-excitations-adapted molecular orbitals (SEAMOS) are found to be very suitable for the description of electronic excited states. The test calculations on the singlet and triplet excited states of the N 2 , CO, and H 2 CO molecules are presented
Information theoretic measure for ISAR imagery focusing

A high-resolution spectral analysis algorithm with application to ISAR (inverse synthetic aperture radar) imaging is proposed in this paper. The ISAR imaging is induced by target motion, which in turn causes time varying spectrum of reflected signals from the target. During the imaging time, the scatterers must remain in their range cells. Optimal Integration Angle need to be estimated to prevent defocusing in cross-range. In order to measure the evolution of spectra, we propose a new information divergence measure based on Renyi entropy. A detailed discussion reveals many of the desirable properties of this new Jensen-Renyi divergence measure. When applied in inspecting time-frequency representation of reflected signals, optimal integration angle can be obtained to produce a well focused and high resolution ISAR image.
Isospin Mixing from the Effective Nucleon Interaction

Effective interactions determined from closed-shell-plus-two-particle spectra havc a charge dependenee which predicts isonspin mixing For more complicated nuclei. We infer the isospin mixing in A = 44, 46, 48, and 52 on the basis of the observed A = 42 spectra. Agreement with experimental data is reasonable in four out of six cases; the best example is /sup 44/Sc, where we verify that the n-p wffectivw residual interaction is stronger than the n-n interaction. We also compare predictions to experiment for isospin mixing in A = 20 and 24, based on the charge dependence seen in the A = 18 spectrum. (auth)
RESEARCH ORIENTATIONS AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS FOR AGRICULTURAL ECONOMISTS

Division of agricultural economics research into behavioural vs. policy alternatives is proposed to reduce ambiguities implied by a positive vs normative division. The thesis is argued with reference to growth of the farm firm. A specific model is proposed. Brief comparisons are provided with alternatives in behavioural and policy applications.
Well-Resolved Coherent Raman Spectra from Femtosecond Pulses

This paper demonstrates a method for measuring coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectra with a resolution limited only by the inherent linewidth of the sample, even when using pulses of a width (60 fs, 300 cm−1) that is between the widths needed for a pure frequency- or time-domain measurement. Data are collected as a function of both delay and frequency and used to recover a standard Raman spectrum. The resulting time/frequency detected experiment represents a bridge between standard time- and frequency-domain approaches to spectroscopy.
Power-line communication testbed through underdetermined blind source separation

Powerline communication has become interesting as a new choice of communication media by using OFDM in the Europe Internet application and using TDMA in power meters' reading in Japan mimicking the function of phone-line DSL. However, this raw copper media without hefty infrastructure investment such as the telephone twisted pair DSL has many challenges, because it was designed to transmit an electrical current that had isolated power grid with transformers, it has nothing that is suitable to convey data but it is everywhere in the last mile of connecting households. To make everything worse, the powerline is also easily interfered by unpredictable impulsive noise, background colored noise, and fatal attenuation of signal. Our goal is to take the US city grid power-line as a supplement to the concept of a single-user & multiple- sensor-broadcasting applications for security. To successfully communicate through the power-line for the household/stadium/subway/traffic-lights security application, e.g. separated video feds find themselves the single owner PC through the common household/stadium/subway/traffic-lights power-line, we develop and test an appropriate sparse coding, compression, and error correction to succeed the task with a limited bandwidth technique. In this paper we did not apply out human sensory preserving compression code, but to concentrate on sparse coding BSS with the less-bandwidth- demanding audio signals. In this paper, we describe a detail model of the power-line topologies based on realistic powerline data, and quantify the error rates of transmitted data on the powerline in the cases when noise is presented in the channel.
Cardiac Mitochondrial Damage and Loss of ROS Defense after Burn Injury: the Beneficial Effects of Antioxidant Therapy

Mechanisms of burn-related cardiac dysfunction may involve defects in mitochondria. This study determined 1) whether burn injury alters myocardial mitochondrial integrity and function; and 2) wheth...
Towards a Behavioral Theory of Communication

This paper presents a conceptualization of information as related to the decision problems of the recipient. The orientation is toward a formal definition of behavioral elements in an individual's “purposeful state”: specifically, these elements are his objectives, his valuation of each objective, his possible courses of action, the efficiency of each course of action in achieving each objective, and his probability of choice for each course of action. The amount of information in a purposeful state is explicitly defined in terms of the probabilities of choice of the available courses of action. The amount of information in a message is defined as the difference between the amount of information in the purposeful state following the message, and the amount of information in the purposeful state preceding the message. The amount of instruction in a purposeful state is defined in terms of the efficiencies of the available courses of action; and the amount of motivation is defined in terms of the values of the objectives. The amounts of instruction and motivation in a message are defined, just as information is, by comparing the amounts in a purposeful state before and after receipt of the message. The value of a purposeful state to an individual is defined as a function of the amount of information, the amount of instruction, and the amount of motivation in the state. This concept can be generalized to express the value of the state to some other individual.
Requirement of Two NFATc4 Transactivation Domains for CBP Potentiation

Recruitment of the coactivator CREB-binding protein (CBP) to transcription factors is important for gene expression. Various regions of CBP such as the KIX and CH3 domains have been shown to interact with numerous transcription factors. The NFAT group of transcription factors is involved in multiple biological processes. NFATc4/NFAT3 has been proposed to play an important role in heart hypertrophy, adipocyte differentiation, and learning and memory. We demonstrate here that two transactivation domains, located at the NH2 and COOH termini of NFATc4, are critical for interacting with CBP. Each transactivation domain interacts with a distinct region of the CBP protein (the KIX and CH3 domains). Binding of CBP potentiates NFATc4-mediated transcription activity. Both transactivation domains of NFATc4 are required for CBP function. Removal of either NFATc4 transactivation domain abolishes CBP potentiation. Conversely, mutation of the KIX or CH3 domain prevents CBP-mediated potentiation of NFATc4 transcription activation. These data demonstrate that formation of a functional NFATc4·CBP transcription complex requires interactions at two distinct sites.
EFFECT OF CHRONIC TRANSFUSIONS ON LYMPHOCYTE SUBSETS IN CHILDREN

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) has been reported in hemophiliacs as well as other patients who have received blood products. In order to examine whether other patients who have received chronic transfusions are similarly at risk, we compared lymphocyte subsets and in vitro immunoglobulin synthesis among five study groups. These groups were (1) 10 patients chronically transfused for sickle cell disease (CT-SCD); (2) 21 patients with SCD who have not received regular transfusions; (3) 8 patients splenectomized for hematologic problems; (4) 8 patients who have received chronic transfusions for other refractory anemias; and (5) 27 normal adults. The results are depicted below: In vitro IgM and IgG synthesis was not depressed compared to normals. Based on these studies it appears that the transfusion of packed RBC does not produce an AIDS-like picture. The observation of decreased T cell proportions in SCD may be related to functional asplenia as similar changes were seen in splenectomized patients.
Rheumatic heart disease in indigenous populations--New Zealand experience.

Rheumatic fever continues unabated among the indigenous Māori and Pacific Island New Zealanders. Ethnic disparities have increased in the past decade. The major success story for disease control has been secondary penicillin prophylaxis with 28-day intramuscular benzathine penicillin with high penicillin delivery rates and low recurrence rates. A landmark study for primary prevention of acute rheumatic fever for group A streptococcal pharyngitis was published in 2009. New Zealand has helped establish the role of echocardiography in acute rheumatic fever, with subclinical carditis incorporated into guidelines as a major criterion of rheumatic fever in high prevalence regions. The rates of mitral valve repair for rheumatic heart disease (RHD) are currently greater than 90% in the children's cardiac unit but remain low in adult cardiac units in New Zealand. This is particularly relevant to women of child bearing age where New Zealand data has shown that pregnancy outcomes for mothers with prosthetic valves on warfarin are poor. There are new initiatives to prevent severe RHD using portable echocardiography by screening school aged children. The prevalence of definite RHD was 2.4% in a large cohort of socially disadvantaged children in South Auckland studied in 2007–2008. Cost benefit models of screening need to be developed. Ongoing research involves international consensus standardisation of RHD patterns, and the need to define the natural history of subclinical RHD.