cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Is Breast-Conserving Therapy Appropriate for Male Breast Cancer Patients? A National Cancer Database Analysis

Current treatment guidelines for male breast cancer are predominantly guided by female-only clinical trials. With scarce research, it is unclear whether breast-conserving therapy (BCT) is equivalent to mastectomy in men. We sought to compare overall survival (OS) among male breast cancer patients who underwent BCT versus mastectomy. We performed a retrospective analysis of 8445 stage I–II (T1–2 N0–1 M0) male breast cancer patients from the National Cancer Database (2004–2014). Patients were grouped according to surgical and radiation therapy (RT). BCT was defined as partial mastectomy followed by RT. Multivariable and inverse probability of treatment-weighted (IPTW) Cox proportional hazards models were used to compare OS between treatment groups, controlling for demographic and clinicopathologic characteristics. Most patients underwent total mastectomy (61.2%), whereas 18.2% underwent BCT, 12.4% underwent total mastectomy with RT, and 8.2% underwent partial mastectomy alone. In multivariable and IPTW models, partial mastectomy alone, total mastectomy alone, and total mastectomy with RT were associated with worse OS compared with BCT (p < 0.001 all). Ten-year OS was 73.8% for BCT and 56.3, 58.0 and 56.3% for other treatment approaches. Older age, higher T/N stage, histological grade, and triple-negative receptor status were associated with poorer OS (p < 0.05). Subgroup analysis by stage demonstrated similar results. In this national sample of male breast cancer patients, BCT was associated with greater survival. The underlying mechanisms of this association warrant further study, because more routine adoption of BCT in male breast cancer appears to translate into clinically meaningful improvements in survival.
Stimulating Hypothesis Formation

This chapter discusses various procedures for hypothesis formation—a first stage in the creative process. These procedures seem to be best suited to the development of ideas and alternatives to further action in the creative process. These procedures are not to be limited to this stage. On the contrary, the individual should choose and make use of whatever technique he thinks will help him in any stage of the creative process. Moreover, it is also important to keep in mind that the value of a technique depends not only on its specific content but also on the ability, motivation, and curiosity of the person using it. An effective use of these techniques requires in addition a desire to be creative, a high energy level, the ability to persevere and concentrate, and the desire to take chances.
Probing the 3D-conjugated LUMOs of Silsesquioxanes with Light Scattering

Cross-polarized light scattering in silsesquioxane (SSQ) molecules probes the azimuthal variation of intramolecular potentials. SSQ molecules with small and large cage interiors reveal variations in the sphericity of orbital shapes for the first time.
Fatal Anaphylaxis to Contrast a Reality: A Case Report.

We are describing the case of a 45-year-old female with a past medical history of severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), type 2 diabetes mellitus, and anxiety and with no known allergies to contrast media. The patient presented to her primary care doctor’s office with typical symptoms of COPD exacerbation. She was given a five-day course of prednisone (40 mg/day) and Azithromycin and advised to follow up with her pulmonologist. The patient called her pulmonologist’s office five days later due to non-relief of symptoms and was advised to get a chest radiograph. The chest X-ray did not show evidence of any acute changes. Her symptoms continued to worsen, and she was advised to get a computerized tomography (CT) of the chest with pulmonary embolism (PE) protocol, where 60 ml of Isovue-370 (Iopamidol - a non-ionic radiocontrast dye) was injected per the PE protocol. She had an unpredictable fatal anaphylactic reaction to non-ionic contrast dyes and suffered a cardiac arrest while getting the scan done.
Consultagene: Pre- and Post-Pandemic Experience with a Web-based Platform and Remote Delivery of Genetic Services

Abstract Changes in genetics and genomics sequencing in recent years have created increased demand for genetics professionals, including clinical geneticists and genetic counselors. A significant workforce shortage of these professionals has become widely recognized. This shortage is driven by several factors, including the increased role of genetics in healthcare due to precision medicine initiatives and demand outside of medical practices in clinical and direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies that require genetics professionals for education and counseling. We developed the Consultagene virtual platform for delivery of genetic care, counseling, and education to address some of these issues that have become global challenges in the field of clinical genetics and to bridge existing gaps at the point of care. The platform provides access to specific content based upon the referral indication including educational videos and resource links, allows document sharing, health and history information gathering and appointment scheduling with persistent access to the materials via secure data infrastructure. Having the platform coupled with access to our tele- and video consultation service allows clients convenient on-demand access to genetic education and services as needed. This report describes the Consultagene platform development and use prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic, some of the identified strengths and weaknesses of such a platform, and the current applications in the new environment where telemedicine practice has rapidly expanded. Topic Summary Consultagene is the first academic virtual platform to integrate a comprehensive range of genetics services including genetics education, genetics consultation, and genetic counseling. Consultagene addresses the increasing demands and unmet, evolving needs for genetic services due to widely available genomic sequencing and the platform seamlessly adapted to the pandemic-induced adjustments to clinical practice.
Beyond Suspect Classifications

There have been myriad critiques of suspect classification analysis, from both the bench and the academy. The most prominent concerns are that the analysis does not protect groups that it should protect, and that it is internally inconsistent as well as inconsistently applied. This article is concerned with two other problems: the failure of suspect classification analysis to recognize contemporary prejudices and the unwarranted role of the analysis in justifying the institution of judicial review. But there is no need to throw the baby out with the bath water. Rather, these very concerns can be addressed by reading the Supreme Court’s suspect classification jurisprudence not for the discrete doctrinal innovations of each case, but for a political theory and an associated, alternative theory of judicial review latent in the Court’s reasoning in this area. What emerges from this reading is a political theory that is less concerned with the ordering of social groups and more concerned with preserving individual self-determination and the social mobility that gives self-determination meaning. This primary concern, in turn, provides a more vigorous and principled justification for the role of the judiciary in overturning the actions of the political branches.
Optional Times and Martingales

Filtrations, strictly and weakly optional times, closure properties, optional evaluation and hitting, augmentation, random time change, suband super-martingales, centering and convex maps, optional sampling and stopping, martingale transforms, maximum and upcrossing inequalities, sub-martingale convergence, closed martingales, limits of conditional expectations, regularization of sub-martingales, increasing limits of super-martingales
Modeling Violation Behavior at Highway-Rail Grade Crossings Using a Driver Anxiety Surrogate Measure

AbstractWhen responding to changes in the status of traffic controls, drivers may experience uncertainties caused by incomplete and inaccurate information. These uncertainties may result in driver ...
Modeling molybdeneum-99 production in molten salt reactors

Abstract Molten salt reactors (MSRs) are being investigated as a possible source of 99Mo for medical uses. This paper describes computational modeling being performed to determine the feasibility for use of several MSR concepts in 99Mo production: the Molten Salt Breeder Reactor (MSBR), the Molten Salt Demonstration Reactor (MSDR), and the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE). This modeling is accomplished with SCALE/TRITON using a three-mixture system and estimated removal terms. Results showed that the MSBR, MSDR and MSRE were capable of supplying an estimated 35,800,000, 13,700,000, and 132,000 six-day Ci/week of 99Mo, respectively, which is far more than the global demand. A range of operating parameters has been determined in which each reactor type is expected to have sufficient production capability to meet global demand.
Carbon monoxide and a change of heart.

Abstract The relationship between carbon monoxide and the heart has been extensively studied in both clinical and preclinical settings. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is keenly focused on the ill effects of carbon monoxide on the heart when presented with proposals for clinical trials to evaluate efficacy of this gasotransmitter in a various disease settings. This review provides an overview of the rationale that examines the actions of the FDA when considering clinical testing of CO, and contrast that with the continued accumulation of data that clearly show not only that CO can be used safely, but is potently cardioprotective in clinically relevant small and large animal models. Data emerging from Phase I and Phase II clinical trials argues against CO being dangerous to the heart and thus it needs to be redefined and evaluated as any other substance being proposed for use in humans. More than twenty years ago, the belief that CO could be used as a salutary molecule was ridiculed by experts in physiology and medicine. Like all agents designed for use in humans, careful pharmacology and safety are paramount, but continuing to hinder progress based on long-standing dogma in the absence of data is improper. Now, CO is being tested in multiple clinical trials using innovative delivery methods and has proven to be safe. The hope, based on compelling preclinical data, is that it will continue to be evaluated and ultimately approved as an effective therapeutic.
Logic Design System Overview

There are 2 major steps in generating the data, from which the masks for a VLSI chip can be generated, see Figure 95.
The role of DNA microarrays in the evaluation of fetal death

Fetal death occurs in 15% of clinically recognized pregnancies. Cytogenetic abnormalities are present in 50% of spontaneous abortions (fetal deaths < 20 weeks) whereas the rate is 6% to 13% for stillbirths (fetal deaths ≥ 20 weeks). Microarray has been demonstrated to increase the diagnosis of genetic abnormalities by providing coverage of the entire genome at a higher density, detecting as small as 50 to 100 kb deletions or duplications, known as copy number changes. Microarray is particularly suited for evaluation of fetal death because DNA can still be analyzed in macerated fetuses and nonviable tissue, two situations where culturing and karyotyping is known to have low yield. Microarray has already proven successful in providing additional genetic information beyond karyotype in spontaneous abortion. The few studies on the use of microarray in stillbirth evaluation have been promising, demonstrating an increase in the diagnosis of clinically relevant genetic abnormalities when compared with karyotype. As the cost and technology improve, microarray may ultimately become the first line screen for genetic abnormalities in stillbirth. The accurate diagnosis of a genetic abnormality as the cause for fetal death may provide closure for families, prevent unnecessary treatments, and enable clinicians to more accurately counsel and manage subsequent pregnancies. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The search for predictable features of relativistic electron Events: Results from the GEM storms campaign

We have examined the relativistic electron events associated with four geomagnetic storms driven by CME-produced magnetic clouds in order to discover some of the underlying consistent behavior that is common to these events. The geomagnetic conditions for the four events showed considerable variation as did the fluxes at fixed energies and fixed L-shell. By combining data from nine different satellites and by selecting specific parameters we found several characteristics of the relativistic electron events that were consistent from storm to storm. Our analysis focused on geosynchronous orbit and on L ≃ 4.2 which is near the heart of the outer electron belt. We examined a large number of parameters and combinations of parameters and found that among the most consistent sets were (1) the temporal behavior of the electron fluxes at L≃4.2 and L≃6.6, (2) the temporal evolution of the spectra at L≃4.2 and L≃6.6, and (3) the gradients of the phase space densities between L≃4.2 and L≃6.6, The characteristics of those parameters may be common to all relativistic electron events and if so that they hold important clues to the physical processes operating during these events. The fact that they are common to these four storms already provides an important framework for evaluating the success of various predictive space weather models that are being developed and tested against these four events.
Pervanadate-induced Nuclear Factor-κB Activation Requires Tyrosine Phosphorylation and Degradation of IκBα COMPARISON WITH TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR-α

Tumor necrosis factor activates nuclear transcription factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) by inducing serine phosphorylation of the inhibitory subunit of NF-kappaB (IkappaBalpha), which leads to its ubiquitination and degradation. In contrast, pervanadate (PV) activates NF-kappaB and induces tyrosine phosphorylation of IkappaBalpha (Singh, S., Darney, B. G., and Aggarwal, B. B. (1996) J. Biol. Chem. 271, 31049-31054; Imbert, V., Rupec, R. A., Antonia, L., Pahl, H. L., Traenckner, E. B.-M., Mueller-Dieckmann, C., Farahifar, D., Rossi, B., Auderger, P., Baeuerle, P. A., and Peyron, J.-F. (1996) Cell 86, 787-798). Whether PV also induces IkappaBalpha degradation and whether degradation is required for NF-kappaB activation are not understood. We investigated the effect of PV-induced tyrosine phosphorylation on IkappaBalpha degradation and NF-kappaB activation. PV activated NF-kappaB, as determined by DNA binding, NF-kappaB-dependent reporter gene expression, and phosphorylation and degradation of IkappaBalpha. Maximum degradation of IkappaBalpha occurred at 180 min, followed by NF-kappaB-dependent IkappaBalpha resynthesis. N-Acetylleucylleucylnorlucinal, a proteasome inhibitor, blocked both IkappaBalpha degradation and NF-kappaB activation, suggesting that the IkappaBalpha degradation is required for NF-kappaB activation. PV did not induce serine phosphorylation of IkappaBalpha but induced phosphorylation at tyrosine residue 42. Unlike tumor necrosis factor (TNF), PV did not induce ubiquitination of IkappaBalpha. Like TNF, however, PV induced phosphorylation and degradation of IkappaBalpha, and subsequent NF-kappaB activation, which could be blocked by N-tosyl-L-phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone, calpeptin, and pyrrolidine dithiocarbomate, suggesting a close link between PV-induced NF-kappaB activation and IkappaBalpha degradation. Overall, our studies demonstrate that PV activates NF-kappaB, which, unlike TNF, requires tyrosine phosphorylation of IkappaBalpha and its degradation.
Adequacy testing of training set sample sizes in the development of a computer-assisted diagnosis scheme

Rationale and Objectives. The authors assessed the performance changes of a computer-assisted diagnosis (CAD) scheme as a function of the number of regions used for training (rule-setting). Materials and Methods. One hundred twenty regions depicting actual masses and 400 suspicious but actually negative regions were selected as a testing data set from a database of 2,146 regions identified as suspicious on 618 mammograpms. An artificial neural network using 24 and 16 region-based features as input neurons was applied to classify the regions as positive or negative for the presence of a mass. CAD scheme performance was evaluated on the testing data set as the number of regions used for training increased from 60 to 496. Results. As the number of regions in the training sets increased, the results decreased and plateaued beyond a sample size of approximately 200 regions. Performance with the testing data set continued to improve as the training data set increased in size. Conclusion. A trend in a system's performance as a function of training set size can be used to assess adequacy of the training data set in the development of a CAD scheme.
Spatially resolved measurement of inhomogeneous electrocoloration/insertion in polycrystalline molybdenum oxide thin films via chronoabsorptometric imaging.

A new integrated electrochemical and transmission optical microscopy approach is presented which allows for elucidation of inhomogeneous ion/charge-transfer behavior in polycrystalline electrochromic/insertion materials. Spatially resolved Li+ diffusion coefficients and ionic conductivities are determined from the time-lapsed optical density imaging response monitored during electrochemical potential-step perturbation. Non-uniform coloration changes and dispersed insertion kinetics are observed and associated with domain specific reactivity of polymorphous materials comprising α-MoO3 and β-MoO3.
Hyaluronate and hyaluronidase in the developing chick embryo kidney

Changes in hyaluronate concentration and hyaluronidase activity were measured at progressive stages of chick embryo kidney development. Hyaluronate accumulates in the immature metanephros containing undifferentiated mesenchyme and early stages of tubular epithelium formation. Differentiation of the epithelium to mature tubules and renal corpuscles occurs over a period when hyaluronate concentrations are decreasing. The initial decrease in hyaluronate is accompanied by an increase in hyaluronidase activity in the metanephros. A similar peak of hyaluronidase activity was found to occur during mesonephros development. Chondroitin sulfate levels remain almost constant throughout the course of metanephric differentiation.
Penetration rate of water in sapphire and silica optical fibers at elevated temperature and pressure

We compare the penetration rate of water in sapphire and silica optical fibers at elevated temperature and pressure, which are usually the conditions in harsh environment sensing applications. The water penetration rate is studied by measuring the transmission attenuation rate at 1390 nm for both fibers. The experimental result shows sapphire fiber is much more water-resistant in such an environment compared to silica fiber, which suggests that it is a strong candidate for harsh environment fiber sensing.
Deconstructing Stent Polymers

Jacques Derrida delivered the lecture, “Structure, Sign, and Play in the Discourse of the Human Sciences,” at Johns Hopkins on October 21, 1966, and launched the philosophical movement known as deconstruction [(1)][1]. Deconstruction, which diverges from the traditional philosophical search for
Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome Diagnosis and Treatment

Lateral hip pain, or greater trochanteric pain syndrome, is a commonly seen condition; in this article, the relevant anatomy, epidemiology, and evaluation strategies of greater trochanteric pain syndrome are reviewed. Specific attention is focused on imaging of this syndrome and treatment techniques, including ultrasound-guided interventions.
A methodology to model the information structure of an organization

Abstract The Integrated Computer Aided Manufacturing (ICAM) program of the U.S. Air Force identified a need to better communicate and analyze manufacturing for the people involved in improving productivity. To satisfy that need, the ICAM program developed the IDEF (ICAM Definition) method to address particular characteristics of manufacturing. This IDEF method is equally applicable in analyzing other types of organizations. IDEF comprises three modeling methodologies: function model methodology (IDEF 0 ), information model methodology (IDEF 1 ) and dynamics model methodology (IDEF 2 ). This paper reports on the Information model methodology only. This methodology is used to construct an information model that helps in understanding the structure of information needed to support the functions of an organization.
Considerations on manganese (Mn) treatments for in vitro studies

Manganese (Mn) is an environmental risk factor for neuronal dysfunction and neurodegeneration of the basal ganglia and other brain regions. Aberrant brain Mn levels have been linked to manganism, Parkinson's disease (PD), Huntington's disease (HD) and other neurological disorders. Research on the cellular basis of Mn neurotoxicity has relied upon in vitro or non-human model systems. However, an analysis of relevant Mn concentrations for in vitro studies is lacking - and few studies have examined intracellular Mn levels. Here we perform calculations to evaluate in vitro exposure paradigms in relation to relevant in vivo levels of Mn post-exposure.
A 90-day inhalation toxicity study with benomyl in rats.

Abstract Benomyl[methyl 1-(butylcarbamoyl)-2-benzimidazolecarbamate, CAS Registry No. 17804-352] is a fungicide and the possibility for inhalation exposure exists for field workers. To assess the toxicity of benomyl, groups of 20 male and 20 female CD rats were exposed nose-only 6 hr a day, 5 days a week, to concentrations of 0, 10, 50 or 200 mg/m3 of a benomyl atmosphere. At the midpoint (approximately 45 days on test) and at the end of the exposure period, blood and urine samples for clinical evaluation were collected from 10 rats/group/sex, and these animals were sacrificed for pathological examination. Similar evaluations were performed on all remaining rats at the end of the 90-day test period. After approximately 45 days on test, compound-related degeneration of the olfactory epithelium was observed in all males and in 8 of 10 female rats exposed to 200 mg/m3 benomyl. Two male rats exposed to 50 mg/m3 had similar, although less severe, areas of olfactory epithelial degeneration. After approximately 90 days of exposure, the remaining 10 rats/group/sex were sacrificed and examined. Of these rats, all of the males and females exposed to 200 mg/m3 had olfactory degeneration, along with 3 males exposed to 50 mg/m3 of benomyl. No other observed lesions were interpreted to have been caused by the benomyl exposure. In addition, male rats exposed to 200 mg/m3 benomyl had depressed mean body weights compared to controls and this finding correlated with a reduction in food consumption. Based on pathological observations, 10 mg/m3 represents the no-observable-effect level (NOEL) for the male rats, and 50 mg/m3 is the NOEL for the female rats.
Metabolomic Analysis via Reversed-Phase Ion-Pairing Liquid Chromatography Coupled to a Stand Alone Orbitrap Mass Spectrometer

We present a liquid chromatography−mass spectrometry (LC−MS) method that capitalizes on the mass-resolving power of the orbitrap to enable sensitive and specific measurement of known and unanticipated metabolites in parallel, with a focus on water-soluble species involved in core metabolism. The reversed phase LC method, with a cycle time 25 min, involves a water−methanol gradient on a C18 column with tributylamine as the ion pairing agent. The MS portion involves full scans from 85 to 1000 m/z at 1 Hz and 100 000 resolution in negative ion mode on a stand alone orbitrap (“Exactive”). The median limit of detection, across 80 metabolite standards, was 5 ng/mL with the linear range typically ≥100-fold. For both standards and a cellular extract from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Baker’s yeast), the median inter-run relative standard deviation in peak intensity was 8%. In yeast exact, we detected 137 known compounds, whose 13C-labeling patterns could also be tracked to probe metabolic flux. In yeast engineered to...
Teaching Poison Prevention to Elementary School Students

(1999). Teaching Poison Prevention to Elementary School Students. Journal of Health Education: Vol. 30, No. 5, pp. 320-322.
The Effects of Notice versus Awareness: An Empirical Examination of an Online Consumer's Privacy Risk Treatment

Notice of an entity's personal information collection and usage practices is considered to be a prerequisite to an online user being able to make informed decisions on personal information disclosure. Notice is typically provided in privacy policies that are often characterized as vague, lengthy, and misleading. As such, notice typically does not equate to awareness of privacy threats. This study evaluates the effects of notice and threat awareness on an online user's decision to treat risk through mitigation, avoidance, or acceptance. Study findings indicate opposite effects of notice versus threat awareness on risk treatment. Whereas notice had a positive effect on acceptance, threat awareness had a negative effect on acceptance and a positive effect on avoidance. Thus, notice appears to invoke a false sense of assurance that encourages online users to adopt acceptance as a risk treatment, while awareness of privacy threats discourages online users from passive acceptance.
Nonlinear phase field model for electrodeposition in electrochemical systems

A nonlinear phase-field model has been developed for describing the electrodeposition process in electrochemical systems that are highly out of equilibrium. Main thermodynamic driving forces for the electrode-electrolyte interface (EEI) evolution are limited to local variations of overpotential and ion concentration. Application of the model to Li-ion batteries describes the electrode interface motion and morphology change caused by charge mass transfer in the electrolyte, an electrochemical reaction at the EEI and cation deposition on the electrode surface during the charging operation. The Li electrodeposition rate follows the classical Butler-Volmer kinetics with exponentially and linearly depending on local overpotential and cation concentration at the electrode surface, respectively. Simulation results show that the Li deposit forms a fiber-like shape and grows parallel to the electric field direction. The longer and thicker deposits are observed both for higher current density and larger rate constant where the surface reaction rate is expected to be high. The proposed diffuse interface model well captures the metal electrodeposition phenomena in plenty of non-equilibrium electrochemical systems.
Early-tardy cost trade-offs in resource constrained projects with cash flows: An optimization-guided heuristic approach

Abstract In this paper we consider the Resource Constrained Project Scheduling Problem with the objective of maximizing the Net Present Value of project cash flows. We present eight greedy heuristics, embedded in a single-pass, forward algorithm that uses information from a relaxed optimization model to schedule activities. In contrast to our previous research, activities are released for scheduling when they are precedence feasible. The heuristics require the evaluation of the earliness costs and tardiness penalties for each activity that are provided by the relaxed optimization model. We compare the performance of these heuristics to that of heuristics selected from our earlier research that delay the consideration of an activity for scheduling until the activities' target time specified by the optimization model becomes current. The results of a series of experiments across 144 different experimental environments indicate that the early release heuristics provide superior NPV results in many project environments.
Alcohol ingestion in rats following median eminence lesions

Albino rats were maintained on an alternate-day presentation schedule in which one of three alcohol concentrations (6%, 12%, or 24% v/v) was substituted for water. Under these conditions, a stable volume of ethanol was ingested which was inversely proportional to the concentration. The production of polydipsia through median eminence lesions resulted in an increase in the consumption of the lower concentration of alcohol, but no change in the amount consumed of the two higher concentrations. The results are discussed as they relate to central factors of ethanol ingestion.
Fractoluminescence in minerals

Abstract We have investigated charged particle emission and luminescence at bending fracture of three kinds of minerals—quartz, albite, and microcline—in a vaccum. Charged particle emission starts at the instant of brittle fracture, and lasts several tens of seconds. Luminescence starts sharply at fracture, and decays in several tens of milliseconds, indicating that fractoluminescence was directly caused by bond-breaking at fracture. In fractoluminescence spectra of quartz, three emission bands were observed at about 250, 430 and 640 nm. In albite, two emission bands were observed at about 430 and 600 nm. In microcline, three emission bands at about 450, 570 and 740 nm were observed. These bands should originate from defect centers around fracture zones excited by bond-breaking.
Functional alterations of G-proteins in diabetic rat retina: a possible explanation for the early visual abnormalities in diabetes mellitus.

We examined changes in guanosine triphosphatedependent signal transduction mechanisms in the retina from the early stages of the streptozotocin-diabetic rat, a model for Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus. Guanosine triphosphate binding, guanosine triphosphatase activity, and binding of (azido) guanosine triphosphate decreased significantly in the retina as early as 2 weeks after the induction of diabetes. The ability of guanosine triphosphate to inhibit forskolin-stimulatable adenyl cyclase was also abolished. These data suggest functional deterioration of G-proteins, especially Gi, in diabetic retina. Further studies using retinal rod outer segments revealed deterioration in light-sensitive, guanosine triphosphate-dependent functions of transducin in diabetic rats. Pertussis toxin-catalysed ADP ribosylation of the α subunit of transducin, a heterotrimeric G-protein of rod outer segments, was also reduced in diabetes. No functional effects were seen in purified subunits of transducin subjected to non-enzymatic glycation in vitro. On the other hand, incubation of non-diabetic rod outer segments with (12-0-tetradeconyl) phorbol-13-acetate, a protein kinase C agonist, in the presence of magnesium and adenosine triphosphate resulted in the reduction of guanosine triphosphate-binding and hydrolysis, thus indicating that protein kinase C may be involved in the regulation of these activities. The significance of these observations in the early visual abnormalities associated with diabetes is discussed.
CASIMIR, The Caltech airborne submillimeter interstellar medium investigations receiver

CASIMIR, the Caltech Airborne Submillimeter Interstellar Medium Investigations Receiver is a multiband, far infrared and submillimeter, high resolution, heterodyne spectrometer under development for SOFIA. It is a first generation, PI class instrument. CASIMIR is designed for detailed, high sensitivity observations of warm (100 K) interstellar gas both in external galaxies and Galactic sources, including molecular clouds, circumstellar envelopes, and protostellar cores. Combining the 2.5 m SOFIA mirror with state of the art superconducting mixers, will give CASIMIR unprecedented sensitivity. Initially, CASIMIR will have two bands, at 1000 and 1250 GHz, and a further three bands, 550, 750, 1400 GHz, will be added soon after. Any four bands will be available on each flight. The availability of multiple bands during each flight will allow for efficient use of flight time. For example, searches for weak lines from rare species in bright sources can be carried out on the same flight with observations of abundant species in faint or distant objects.
Hot Electrons Do the Impossible: Plasmon-Induced Dissociation of H2 on Au

Heterogeneous catalysis is of paramount importance in chemistry and energy applications. Catalysts that couple light energy into chemical reactions in a directed, orbital-specific manner would greatly reduce the energy input requirements of chemical transformations, revolutionizing catalysis-driven chemistry. Here we report the room temperature dissociation of H2 on gold nanoparticles using visible light. Surface plasmons excited in the Au nanoparticle decay into hot electrons with energies between the vacuum level and the work function of the metal. In this transient state, hot electrons can transfer into a Feshbach resonance of an H2 molecule adsorbed on the Au nanoparticle surface, triggering dissociation. We probe this process by detecting the formation of HD molecules from the dissociations of H2 and D2 and investigate the effect of Au nanoparticle size and wavelength of incident light on the rate of HD formation. This work opens a new pathway for controlling chemical reactions on metallic catalysts.
Multivariate spatial-temporal modeling and prediction of speciated fine particles.

Abstract Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is an atmospheric pollutant that has been linked to serious health problems, including mortality. PM2.5 has five main components: Sulfate, nitrate, total carbonaceous mass, ammonium, and crustal material. These components have complex spatial-temporal dependency and cross dependency structures. It is important to gain better understanding about the spatial-temporal distribution of each component of the total PM2.5 mass, and also to estimate how the composition of PM2.5 changes with space and time to conduct spatial-temporal epidemiological studies of the association of these pollutants and adverse health effects. We introduce a multivariate spatial-temporal model for speciated PM2.5 Our hierarchical framework combines different sources of data and accounts for bias and measurement error in each data source. In addition, a spatiotemporal extension of the linear model of coregionalization is developed to account for spatial and temporal dependency structures for each...
Ethanol-induced changes in lymphoid cell populations: relationship to liver pathology

Abstract Our study related the role of different types of dietary fat and pathologic liver injury to alterations in lymphoid cells in spleen, thymus and peripheral blood in chronically ethanol fed rats. Animals were fed either corn oil or saturated fats with ethanol. The most significant observation was that a profound decrease in CD4 + CD8 − , CD4 − CD8 + and macrophages was seen in animals fed corn oil and ethanol; similar changes were not seen in the saturated fatethanol group. In addition, the decline in CD4 + CD8 − , CD4 − CD8 + and B cells in the spleen correlated with severity of liver injury in the corn oil-ethanol group. These results suggest that feeding of corn oil and ethanol which leads to liver injury is associated with a significant decrease in lymphoid cells in thymus, spleen and peripheral blood; feeding saturated fat with ethanol which is not associated with liver injury prevents this decrease in lymphoid cells.
Spatial- versus object-oriented architectural environments: preference and perception.

This study examined changes in perceptual response and preference for a specific category of architectural environment by age groups. Understanding relationships among age, perception, and preference is important in creating more appropriate environments. The hypothesis was that individuals who score field-dependent on an Embedded Figures Test would prefer architectural environments which support spatial orientation, while individuals who are field-independent would prefer environments without information on spatial organization or an object-oriented space. It was also hypothesized that children and elderly persons would score more field-dependent and prefer spatially orienting spaces. 64 subjects ages 4 to 85 years were recruited from local schools, various organizations for seniors and adults, given the Embedded Figures Test to measure field dependence, and were compared. Their scores were compared by preference for one of the two environments. Hypotheses were not supported for the spaces overall, howev...
Silencing of directional migration in roundabout4 knockdown endothelial cells

Roundabouts are axon guidance molecules that have recently been identified to play a role in vascular guidance as well. In this study, we have investigated gene knockdown analysis of endothelial Robos, in particular roundabout 4 (robo4), the predominant Robo in endothelial cells using small interfering RNA technology in vitro. Robo1 and Robo4 knockdown cells display distinct activity in endothelial cell migration assay. The knockdown of robo4 abrogated the chemotactic response of endothelial cells to serum but enhanced a chemokinetic response to Slit2, while robo1 knockdown cells do not display chemotactic response to serum or VEGF. Robo4 knockdown endothelial cells unexpectedly show up regulation of Rho GTPases. Zebrafish Robo4 rescues both Rho GTPase homeostasis and serum reduced chemotaxis in robo4 knockdown cells. Robo1 and Robo4 interact and share molecules such as Slit2, Mena and Vilse, a Cdc42-GAP. In addition, this study mechanistically implicates IRSp53 in the signaling nexus between activated Cdc42 and Mena, both of which have previously been shown to be involved with Robo4 signaling in endothelial cells. This study identifies specific components of the Robo signaling apparatus that work together to guide directional migration of endothelial cells.
Ca-calmodulin mediates the DNA-synthetic response of calcium-deprived liver cells to the tumor promoter TPA

Abstract Incubation in low (0.02 mM)-calcium medium inhibited the proliferation of T51B rat liver cells. Addition of TPA (12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate; 50 ng/ml) or calcium (1.25 mM) caused the arrested, calcium-deprived cells to initiate DNA synthesis within 2 h and eventually to resume proliferating. The rapid DNA-synthetic response to TPA addition appeared to depend on the small amount of calcium remaining in the calcium-deficient medium, because it was blocked by correspondingly small amounts of the specific calcium chelator EGTA or La3+, which displaces calcium from the cell surface and inhibits transmembrane calcium fluxes. The common mediation of TPA and calcium actions through Ca-calmodulin complexes was indicated by the following observations: The DNA-synthetic responses to both agents were blocked by the supposedly specific Ca-calmodulin blocker trifluoperazine; the trifluoperazine-induced block was overcome by pure calmodulin; and the responses to both TPA and calcium were blocked by anti-calmodulin antibodies.
Attractors in continuous and Boolean networks

We study the stable attractors of a class of continuous dynamical systems that may be idealized as networks of Boolean elements, with the goal of determining which Boolean attractors, if any, are good approximations of the attractors of generic continuous systems. We investigate the dynamics in simple rings and rings with one additional self-input. An analysis of switching characteristics and pulse propagation explains the relation between attractors of the continuous systems and their Boolean approximations. For simple rings, “reliable” Boolean attractors correspond to stable continuous attractors. For networks with more complex logic, the qualitative features of continuous attractors are influenced by inherently non-Boolean characteristics of switching events.
Rapid thinning of lake-calving Yakutat Glacier and the collapse of the Yakutat Icefield, southeast Alaska, USA

Both lake-calving Yakutat Glacier (337 km 2 ), Alaska, USA, and its parent icefield (810 km 2 ) are experiencing strong thinning, and under current climate conditions will eventually disappear. Comparison of digital elevation models shows that Yakutat Glacier thinned at area-averaged rates of 4.76 � 0.06 m w.e. a -1 (2000-07) and 3.66 � 0.03 m w.e. a -1 (2007-10). Simultaneously, adjacent Yakutat Icefield land-terminating glaciers thinned at lower but still substantial rates (3.79 and 2.94 m w.e. a -1 respectively for the same time periods), indicating lake-calving dynamics helps drive increased mass loss. Yakutat Glacier terminates into Harlequin Lake and for over a decade sustained a � 3 km long floating tongue, which started to disintegrate into large tabular icebergs in 2010. Such floating tongues are rarely seen on temperate tidewater glaciers. We hypothesize that this difference is likely due to the lack of submarine melting in the case of lake-calving glaciers. Floating-tongue ice losses were evaluated in terms of overall mass balance and contribution to sea-level rise. The post-Little Ice Age collapse of Yakutat Icefield was driven in part by tidewater calving retreats of adjacent glaciers, the lake-calving retreat of Yakutat Glacier, a warming climate and by the positive feedback mechanisms through surface lowering.
The Mental Path of Norms

. In this paper, we intend to re-examine our view of norms as two-fold objects, with a mental and social aspect, and a fundamental mechanism of the micro-macro link. In the light of what has been said in Volume 1 of A Treatise of Legal Philosophy and General Jurisprudence (Pattaro 2005), some aspects of a theory developed elsewhere by the authors will be reconsidered. With regard to the mental aspect of norms, the main properties of normative beliefs will be reconsidered and some issues emerging from a reading of Pattaro will be addressed, in particular, (i) normative autonomy, (ii) norm acceptance, and (iii) the interplay between norms and goals. With regard to the external aspect, a unitary view, bridging the gap between conventions and norms, will be put forward, and some steps will be taken towards defining a notion of external (i.e., impersonal) commands, conceived of as a dimension in which both norms and conventions are situated. Finally the applicability of this notion to the study of norm innovation will be discussed.
Differential regulation of neuropeptide Y and catecholamine production in superior cervical ganglion cultures

Abstract Primary cultures of newborn rat superior cervical ganglion (SCG) neurons grown in complete serum-free medium have been used to study the regulation of catecholamine and neuropeptide Y (NPY) production. The levels of mRNA for preproNPY and for tyrosine hydroxylase were determined, and the rates of synthesis and accumulation of NPY and catecholamines were measured. Drugs which effectively blocked accumulation of newly synthesized catecholamines (tyramine, reserpine) had no effect on NPY synthesis and accumulation. The catecholamine uptake blocker desipramine and the α 2 -adrenergic receptor agonist clonidine inhibited accumulation of newly synthesized catecholamines, but only after prolonged exposure to drug; NPY synthesis and accumulation were unaltered by these treatments. The α 2 -adrenergic receptor antagonist yohimbine had no effect on catecholamine or NPY synthesis or accumulation, regardless of the time of treatment. The net synthesis and accumulation of catecholamines and NPY decreased in parallel in response to treatment with phorbol esters, and increased in parallel in response to treatment with glucocorticoids; there was no change in the mRNA levels for tyrosine hydroxylase or preproNPY following either treatment. The levels of tyrosine hydroxylase or preproNPY mRNA were increased following treatment with dibutyryl cyclic AMP, with no change in the net synthesis and accumulation of catecholamines or NPY. Thus, the levels of mRNA for preproNPY and tyrosine hydroxylase are not faithful indicators of the rate of catecholamine or peptide production under several treatment conditions. The complex pattern of regulation of catecholamine and NPY production in SCG neurons grown under closely controlled conditions provides an ideal system in which to examine neuronal regulation of neurotransmitter and neuromodulator production.
AORTIC DISSECTION DURING PREGNANCY: RESULTS FROM THE INTERNATIONAL REGISTRY OF ACUTE AORTIC DISSECTION (IRAD)

Aortic dissection (AoD) is a rare complication of pregnancy. Women with connective tissue disorders (CTD) are at increased risk. Our aim was to detail the clinical features, underlying disorders and outcomes of women with acute AoD related to pregnancy in the IRAD database. 15/3712 of AoD in IRAD
Issues of Personal Dignity and Social Validity in Schoolwide Systems of Positive Behavior Support

This article provides an analysis of issues related to personal dignity and social validity in schools. Specifically, dignity is defined in terms of individual success and independence, while social validity is defined in terms of the system as a whole. These definitions are explored in the context of schoolwide systems of positive behavior support (PBS). Descriptions of schoolwide systems of PBS are used to analyze and detail procedures that maintain respect for personal dignity and social validity. In addition, processes for engaging persons in this discussion are critically analyzed. Future development and growth of PBS as a technology-based approach to developing self-determined, independent, and successful persons is discussed. Direction is suggested in the way we consider issues, define our values, and engage others in systemic change efforts.
A pre-export U1 snRNP in Xenopus laevis oocyte nuclei

Abstract We demonstrate that precursors of U1 snRNA are associated with nuclear proteins prior to export to the cytoplasm. The approximately 15S complexes containing pre-U1 RNA, which we call pre-export U1 snRNPs, were identified in extracts of Xenopus laevis oocyte nuclei that were synthesizing U1 RNAs from injected U1 genes. The U1 snRNP-specific A protein was associated with nuclear pre-U1 RNA since both this protein and the RNA were co-precipitated by antibodies directed against either the m7G-cap of the precursor RNA or the U1-A protein. The interaction of the U1-A protein with pre-U1 RNA required sequences in the loop II region although this region of U1 RNA was not necessary for the association of U1 A protein with mature U1 snRNPs. The U1 A protein helps protect pre-U1 RNA against degradation in the nucleus.
Lunar surface strength

Abstract Lower bounds for the strength of the lunar surface have been derived from the properties necessary to provide stability of the slopes observed in Ranger 7, 8, and 9 imagery. Additional information was obtained from Luna 9 data, from hydrostatic considerations, and from laboratory tests. Utilized in some of the calculations were density data derived from radar and thermal emission measurements. Densities obtained are 0.6 to 0.7 g/cm 3 for the few cm, g/cm 3 or more at 10 −1 meter, and 2 to 3 g/cm 3 at 10 0 to 10 1 meter. Safe lower bounds for mass-bearing capacity on 0.1-meter bearing widths are 10 1 and 10 2 g/cm 2 , respectively, with no sinkage, 3 × 10 1 and 10 3 g/cm 3 with sinkage equal to bearing width. Probably realistic lower bounds for these widths are 10 3 and 10 4 g/cm 3 , respectively; there is a little evidence to suggest representative values are only slightly higher. A model of the surface layer is outlined.