cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Percutaneous embolization and spondylectomy of an aggressive L2 hemangioma

Spinal hemangiomas are commonly benign primary tumors of the spine that can result in pathologic vertebral fractures or spinal cord compression with neurologic deficit [1–3]. A 68-year-old woman presented with an L2 lesion that was discovered during workup of abdominal and lumbosacral pain. The radiological appearance was consistent with hemangioma demonstrating a T1 hypointense and T2 hyperintense expansile and lytic lesion (Fig. 1B, F, D, H) confirmed by percutaneous transpedicular biopsy. A spinal angiogram was done, but arterial embolization was avoided because of concern for distal flow to the anterior spinal artery. Therefore, direct administration of n-butyl cyanoacrylate was delivered to the tumor percutaneously via a transpedicular route (Fig. 1C, G). Two days after percutaneous embolization, the patient underwent spondylectomy of L2 vertebrae from a posterior approach with reconstruction (Fig. 2A, B).
Capture of contact discontinuities and shock waves using a discontinuity confinement procedure

The issues of the capturing and the nondiffusive resolution of contact discontinuities and shocks were investigated using a multidimensional discontinuity confinement technique. This new scheme was developed using an antidiffusion convection and residual correction distribution which are closely related to the vortex confinement method of Steinhoff. The discontinuity confinement procedure is developed using a cell-vertex fluctuation-splitting framework. This formulation provides a simple and multidimensional procedure that can be used with any monotone basic solver. A comparison of the resolution of the confinement scheme with a higher-order dimensionally split upwind scheme and several solutions on adaptive unstructured grids demonstrate that the new method has the ability to much more sharply resolve complex regions with contact discontinuities. Moreover, the quality of the solution does not deteriorate over many time iterations or long spatial distances. Solutions for several 2D steady problems are presented to demonstrate the high resolution property of the new scheme. (Author)
Succinoxidase in the American Cockroach

Studies in comparative biochemistry of insect tissues have shown that the absolute levels of certain enzymic functions as well as of several biological products may be correlated with both sex and age of the insect. In some cases, the function increases following the adult molt, whereas in others there may be a decline with age.
effects in nonleptonic Λb decays

Abstract We investigate the polarization variables in Λb→Λc+V− and Λb→Λc+P− decays, where V is a vector meson and P is a pseudoscalar. We present estimates for the absolute rates in several channels. We also study the polarization variables in channels such as Λc+→Λρ+.
History of electroconvulsive therapy in the United States in the last decades

Despite its acknowledged efficacy and safety in the treatment of patients with severe affective and psychotic illnesses, as well as extensive efforts at professional and public education, electroconvulsive therapy is a neglected treatment, its use in the U.S. being mainly restricted to academic and private hospitals. Widespread use between 1935 and 1960, a rapid decline following the introduction of psychoactive drugs, and a slow resurgence in clinical interest since 1975 characterizes its history. The use of ECT has been encouraged by repeated favorable evaluations and by new procedures which improve both its efficacy and its safety. The experience in the United States provides a lesson for other nations where its use is inhibited.
Evaluation of Innate Immune Signaling Pathways in Transformed Cells

Oncolytic viruses, the use of viruses to treat cancer, is emerging as a new option for cancer therapy. Oncolytic viruses, of both DNA and RNA origin, exhibit the ability to preferentially replicate in and kill cancer cells plausibly due to defects in innate immune signaling or translation regulation that are acquired during cellular transformation. Here, we review concepts and assays that describe how to analyze signaling pathways that govern the regulation of Type I IFN production as well as the induction of interferon-stimulated antiviral genes, events that are critical for mounting an effective antiviral response. The following procedures can be used to assess whether innate immune pathways that control antiviral host defense are defective in tumor cells - mechanisms that may help to explain viral oncolysis.
Effect of Training Device on Retention and Transfer of a Procedural Task

This study investigated the effectiveness of three different training devices with respect to initial training, retention, and transfer of training. The training devices evaluated during the study were designed to require varying degrees of visual imagery utilization through reductions in the stimuli that provide visual cueing and feedback. The particular task used was representative of the many sequential procedures performed which range from operating master control panels in industrial plants to conducting normal and emergency procedures in air vehicles. The results of the study indicate that: (1) training devices do not need to be of high fidelity to be effective in training procedural tasks and (2) the use of a training strategy that requires the trainees to provide their own cueing and feedback from memory is effective in increasing the retention of procedure-following skills. These results have important implications for both the dollar cost and logistics of initial and refresher training, as well ...
707. Attenuated HIV Does Not Amplify in Primary Human T-Lymphocytes During a Model Ex Vivo Gene Therapy Procedure

Current regulatory guidelines require RCL testing of lentiviral vector preparations used in human clinical trials. Cells transduced ex vivo and cultured four days or more must also be tested before administering to the patient. Attenuated HIV (R8.71) can be considered as a theoretical RCL that could develop from a recombination event with wild-type HIV. Importantly, R8.71 lacks accessory proteins (vip, vif, vpr and nef) that are known to be essential for viral replication in T-lymphocytes. Based on this fact, the risk of a recombinant RCL being amplified in T-lymphocytes during an ex vivo transduction and expansion protocol is questionable. To test this possibility, we transduced human T-lymphocytes with one of two RCL-negative lentiviral vector preparations (eGFP or a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)) that were spiked or not with R8.71 or wild-type HIV. C8166 cells served as a positive control for cells permissive to R8.71. The transduction and subsequent expansion lasted 10 days total and the experiment was performed on two independent occasions. Using day 10 supernatants from all groups, a full RCL assay (with amplification and indicator phases) was performed. Product enhanced reverse transcriptase (PERT) and P24 ELISA assays served as readouts for the RCL assay. Transduction rates were determined by flow cytometry and found to be 57-60% and 10-37% for the eGFP and CAR vector, respectively. The RCL assay results showed that all T-lymphocyte groups exposed to R8.71 were negative but those exposed to wild-type HIV were positive. C8166 cells exposed to R8.71 or wild-type HIV were positive in the RCL assay. These results suggest that a recombinant RCL that possess the wild-type HIV envelope would NOT amplify in human T-lymphocytes during a model ex vivo transduction procedure. The amplification of an arguably more dangerous VSVG-enveloped recombinant RCL is still possible; however, it could be reliably detected by quicker and less expensive assays such as qPCR to VSVG sequences.
Religious Youths’ Motivations for Reading Complex, Religious Texts:

Background/ContextResearch confirms that religion is a significant part of the lives of American youths, that religious texts are an essential part of their experiences in the world, and that as pa...
Accountability/Assessment as a Catalyst for Building College Community

All institutions of higher education must respond—and respond now—to a new and powerful challenge to business as usual: the call for accountability. It is not enough to tinker at the edges. The kind of institutional response required entails a reexamination of how we teach, how we grade our students, how we relate to our students, and how we account for these things to policymakers and those who fund us. The stakes are high: Those institutions that adapt and meet the new accountability challenges will most likely survive; others, perhaps, not.
ELECTRODIALYSIS-BASED PROCESS FOR DISPOSAL OF POWER AND PROCESS INDUSTRY SOLUBLE SALT WASTE

A process, based on electrodialysis and evaporation, is proposed for the least-cost recovery of water from saline waste, with ultimate disposal of the salts by pozzolanic encapsulation using fly-ash from the power industry. Energy used and cost are minimized by optimizing electrodialysis effluent concentration for use as feed to evaporation. Comparison of the process with the conventional use of evaporation shows significant energy savings. For electrodialysis a method for countercurrent design is given along with approximate equilibrium data and energy requirements.
The feasibility and efficacy of eccentric exercise with older cancer survivors: a preliminary study.

INTRODUCTION Older individuals who have survived cancer and the commensurate treatment often experience a reduced quality of life in part due to their impaired muscular abilities and deficits in mobility. The purpose of this preliminary study was to determine the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of resistance exercise via negative, eccentrically induced work (RENEW) with older cancer survivors. METHODS Older cancer survivors with a perception of moderate muscle weakness and fatigue participated in 12 weeks of RENEW. Measures of feasibility included (1) the participant's ability to progress the total amount of work of RENEW; (2) whether peak knee extension torque production became impaired; and (3) whether RENEW induced leg muscle pain as measured on a visual analog scale. The preliminary measure of efficacy included the performance of a timed up-and-go mobility test. RESULTS The participants significantly increased the total average work per week over the 12 weeks of RENEW. Participants increased (P < .001) their work approximately 3-fold from week 3 (7.6 [5.11 kJ) to week 12 (22.1 [14.8] kJ) without muscle pain over the 12-week RENEW training period. Knee extension peak torque production improved (11%) significantly (P = .02) (pretest: 248 [92] N; posttest: 275 [99] N) after 12 weeks of RENEW. The time to perform the up-and-go test improved (14%) significantly (P < .001) (pretest: 8.4 [2.7]; posttest: 7.2 [2.3] s) after 12 weeks of RENEW, suggesting preliminary efficacy. CONCLUSION Collectively, RENEW appears feasible and potentially efficacious for older, weak, and fatigued cancer survivors. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS The use of eccentric muscle exercise may be ideally suited for older cancer survivors due to its high force and low energetic-cost capabilities.
Ro 20 1724

Ro 20 1724 is a selective inhibitor of type 4 phosphodiesterase (PDE4) that is used experimentally to study the involvement of this enzyme in cellular responses to drugs.
The Holonomic Cube

James L. Adams, a Stanford University Engineering professor who teaches design classes, has the task of teaching his students how to improve their ability to solve problems. In his book, entitled Conceptual Blockbusting (1976), Adams describes the important mode of thinking called visual thinking. He reports that there are two important aspects of visual imagery. The first is called clarity or how sharp and how detailed is the image. The second is called control referring to how well the image can be manipulated. Clarity depends upon the capacity for seeing and upon one’s ability and motivation to see.
Percutaneous Mechanical Thrombectomy in the Treatment of Acute Deep Venous Thrombosis

Publisher Summary Percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy (PMT) refers to the technique in which a catheter utilizing mechanical means can be used independently or coupled with pharmacologic thrombolysis in the treatment of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). PMT offers many benefits in short-term therapy for DVT. Once the diagnosis of DVT is established, the goals of therapy are—prevention of PE, prevention of thrombus propagation, preservation of valvular function, and prevention of postthrombotic syndrome (PTS). Faster thrombus removal, smaller doses of thrombolytic agents, and shorter treatment times translate into improved symptom relief, decreased complications, and more efficient patient care. Additionally, more rapid thrombus resolution can potentially preserve valvular function, and decrease the incidence and severity of PTS. PMT should be considered first line therapy for patients presenting with DVT. Advanced endovascular skills, as well as being well versed in possible complications of PMT, are required to provide safe and effective patient care. Preliminary data shows that treatment with PMT may provide quicker thrombus resolution than catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT) alone. With an increasing emphasis on minimal invasiveness, recent years have witnessed an endovascular revolution that has ushered in many different types of PMT catheters.
Procedural Common Law

Debates about the common lawmaking power of the federal courts focus exclusively on substantive common law. But federal common law is not limited to matters of substance; it reaches matters of procedure as well. Federal law includes a robust body of what might be called procedural common law - common law primarily concerned with the regulation of internal court processes rather than substantive rights and obligations. This body of law includes many doctrines that are fixtures in the law of procedure and federal courts. For example, abstention, forum non conveniens, remittitur, stare decisis, and preclusion can all fairly be characterized as procedural common law. This body of law does not fit easily into the traditional account of federal common lawmaking power, because it generally lacks certain features thought characteristic of federal common law: It does not bind state courts, it falls outside of the recognized enclaves of federal common law, and it is not entirely subject to congressional abrogation. This Article offers a tentative account of the power of the federal courts to make procedural common law. One explanation for this power is a variation on the enclave theory advanced in the context of substantive common law: the constitutional structure preempts the state's ability to regulate federal-court procedure, and, if Congress fails to specify procedural rules, federal courts must. This theory rings partly true insofar as it recognizes that federal-court procedure lies beyond state control. It is unsatisfying, however, insofar as it conceives of the procedural power of the federal courts as entirely derivative of and subservient to that of Congress. The Article thus considers an alternate theory: that procedural common lawmaking authority derives not from congressional default, but from Article III's grant of judicial power. This theory has more force insofar as it accounts for the fact that the power of the courts sometimes, even if rarely, exceeds that of Congress in matters of procedure. It depends, however, on the widely assumed but largely untested proposition that federal courts possess inherent procedural authority. The Article canvasses Founding-era history to determine whether the Constitution can fairly be understood to confer this power, concluding that the historical evidence, while far from overwhelming, supports the claim that federal courts possess inherent procedural authority. Building from this notion of inherent procedural authority, the Article then sketches a theory to explain the power of the federal courts to make procedural common law.
A Clinical Perspective on Big Data in Mental Health

While the word analysis holds special meaning in psychiatry from a psychodynamic therapy perspective, our lives are also constantly being analyzed by machines. Whether we realize it or not, computers have been fully integrated into our lives and devices, ranging from the smartphone we use for phone calls, the cars we use to drive, and the internet we use to communicate across. All of these computers contain algorithms that seek to analyze and understand our behaviors or intentions: the smartphone to remind of appointments and recommend navigation routes, the car to automatically brake if a child jumps in the road, the search engine to offer website links to answer a question. The same algorithms that make today’s computers useful are not only restricted to increasing efficiency, ease, and comfort. They can also be, and already are, used to study, predict, and improve mental health. In this chapter we explore the rapidly expanding field of digital psychiatry with a focus on the synergy between data and algorithms that hold the potential to transform the mental health field.
Use of Repository Corticotropin Gel (Acthar) in Progressive Nephrotic Syndrome Secondary to Transplant Glomerulopathy: A Report of Three Cases

Transplant glomerulopathy is a feared complication of kidney transplantation, often resulting in rapid loss of kidney function and ultimate graft failure. The underlying cause is unclear, with both antibody and cell-mediated immune mechanisms postulated, as well as intrinsic glomerular factors. At the present time, there is no known therapy. We report here 3 cases in which corticotropin gel (Acthar) was used with varying response of proteinuria and stabilization of graft function with continued graft survival as long as 10 years following the diagnosis. Future randomized controlled trials are warranted to examine the efficacy and safety of ACTH gel therapy in nephrotic patients with transplant glomerulopathy.
Enhancing the Role of Public Interest Organizations in Rulemaking Via Pre-Notice Transparency

We can think of the administrative rulemaking process as handing hammers to interested parties with which they can pound agencies. It seems reasonable to expect that regulated parties, which have profits on the line and insider knowledge to share, will be able to pound agencies harder than public interest groups. And the rulemaking process does indeed seem to skew in this expected direction.This Essay explores one suggestion for a partial fix: Require prompt, electronic, and searchable disclosure of communications to agency officials directly bearing on the merits of potential rulemaking — regardless of whether a formal notice of rulemaking has been issued. Adopting this aggressive disclosure regime would not correct the basic problem of a resource imbalance that so favors industry — but then nothing, realistically, could. It would, however, make it somewhat easier for public interest groups to obtain the information they need to influence rulemaking in a timely way — before an agency’s policy choices crystallize.
The Importance of a Good Case Presentation and Why Students Struggle with It

Medical students often struggle with their oral case presentations, which tend to be disorganized, poorly edited, and lacking a clear argument for a diagnosis. Oral presentations are stressful, with frequent interruptions and a difficult tension between the competing pressures for focus and completeness. Oral presentation skills are poorly taught in most medical schools, and students learn by trial and error and gradual acculturation, which may take many weeks. A better understanding of the form and function of the oral presentation can help students to focus and streamline their presentations and create a robust assessment and plan. The purpose of this book is to explain and demystify the student case presentation and ease the difficult transition from the classroom to the hospital.
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF WIRE-REINFORCED GRAINS

ABSTRACT A large variety of experiments have been performed to evaluate the mechanical properties of simulated, wire-reinforced solid propellants and to examine typical failure modes of such materials. It has been found that while axial compressive strength, hoop strength, fatigue, and torsion strength increase with aluminum content, axial tensile strength decreases for the tested configurations. Elastic moduli increase with wire content and relations between the various moduli are adequately described by orthotropic relationships. The experimental results are afflicted by an unusual amount of scatter. Failure modes are of four types: (1) In axial tension, failure takes place by binder separation unless the reinforcing helix is very steep. (2) Hoop tension failure of the wire as a result of stress concentration on the inner surface produces premature failure under internal pressure. (3) In axial compression, longitudinal and diametral bending failure may be attributed to a lack of radial reinforcement. (4) In vibration tests heat generation due to interlaminar shear and consequent thermal softening of the binder causes failure by delamination.
Group-transfer chemistry at transition metal centers in bulky alkoxide ligand environments

Abstract Emerging research in the field of organometallic chemistry is centered on the development of new efficient catalysts for the production of useful organic products via group (nitrene, carbene, oxo) transfer chemistry. Nitrene, carbene and oxo transfer with 3d (base) metals allows for economically viable and sustainable alternatives to generate new C–C, C–X, and X–X (X = N, O) bonds, as compared with precious metal catalysis or lengthy organic synthesis. This review specifically focuses on the evolving group transfer chemistry using mononuclear middle and late transition metal complexes in bulky alkoxide ligand environments. Bulky alkoxides are attractive ligand candidates for this chemistry because their steric and electronic properties generally lead to high-spin electrophilic reactive metal centers. Design and synthesis of well-defined alkoxide complexes are discussed first, with the focus on “non-symmetric” alkoxides [OCR2R′] developed mostly during the last decade. Variation of the size and the electronic nature of substituents in [OCR2R′] allows for the selective formation of bis- or tris(alkoxide) ligand platforms. Next, the reactivity of these complexes in oxo, nitrene, and carbene transfer is described. The electronic structures and reactivity of discrete mononuclear oxo-alkoxide complexes M(OR)n(O) are discussed in the context of bioinorganic (photosystem II) and heterogeneous (zeolites) catalysis. In the chapters describing nitrene and carbene chemistry, the major emphasis is on the electronic structure and reactivity of novel MIII(OR)2(Y ) species (Y = NR, CR2, N3R, N2CR2), which enables a multitude of coupling reactions including catalytic nitrene homocoupling, catalytic coupling of nitrenes and carbenes with isocyanides, as well as rare or unprecedented reductive coupling of azides and diazoalkanes.
A REDESCRIPTION OF PARADILEPIS (OLIGORCHIS) LONGIVAGINOSUS (Mayhew, 1925), WITH NOTES ON THE PAST INCERTITUDE CONCERNING THIS SPECIES

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a redescription of Paradilepis logiv aginosus. In P. longivaginosus, there is a double crown of 28 rostellar hooks, the 14 large hooks (0.124–0.131 mm) alternating with 14 small hooks. It appears that this tapeworm without doubt belongs in the genus Paradilepis, based upon the combination of a double crown of hooks, absence of external seminal vesicle, and presence of a highly convoluted vas deferens. Ironically, the specific name may be a misnomer based upon mistaken identity of the long, convoluted vas deferens. A further point relates to the peculiar rugate structure of the vagina that is strikingly similar to that described for P. rugovaginosus Freeman, 1954. Freeman outlined that the latter species could be distinguished from all others in the genus by the rugate vagina, but that premise must now be modified.
Energy Storage for Frequency Control in High Photovoltaic Power Grids

Frequency stability of power systems becomes more vulnerable with the increase of solar photovoltaic (PV). Energy storage provides an option to mitigate high PV impact. Using the United States Eastern Interconnection (EI) and Texas Interconnection (ERCOT) power grid models, this paper investigates the capabilities of using energy storage to improve frequency stability of high PV power grids. The study result helps to identify the potential and impact factors in utilizing energy storage to regulate frequency in high renewable power grids.
Clinical Significance and Cut-Off Scores for the Pre-Sleep Arousal Scale in Chronic Insomnia Disorder: A Replication in a Clinical Sample.

Background: In contrast to pre-sleep cognitive arousal, self-reported pre-sleep somatic arousal is a rather elusive construct for which little validity has been provided. Thus, the clinical signifi...
Strategic lobbying to support or oppose legislation in the US Congress

Do interest groups and corporate lobbyists tend to support or oppose bills moving through Congress? Do they oppose legislation in early, malleable stages, such as in committees, or are they more li...
The Refusal of Supreme Court Nominees to Discuss Legal, Political, and Social Issues at Senate Confirmation Hearings: Ethical Obligation or Survival Strategy?

This essay surveys the refusal of Supreme Court nominees to discuss judicial philosophy, past Court decisions, and personal views on legal, political, and social issues with members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The review begins in 1955 with the nomination of John Marshall Harlan and concludes with the Senate confirmation hearing testimony of Justices Neal Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. Nominees decline to answer questions concerning public policy and substantive legal issues under the guise of “judicial ethics” restrictions including (1) judicial oaths of office, (2) codes of judicial conduct, and (3) judicial disqualification rules. An examination of these purported justifications discloses that they lack a sound legal basis. The essay concludes by suggesting that nominees who refuse to discuss judicial philosophy, past Court decisions, constitutional issues, and public policy should either advance a new, legally defensible rationale or simply admit that their silence is necessary to avoid losing confirmation votes.
Relapse After Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

Relapse of disease is the major cause of death and treatment failure following both allogeneic and autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). Over the past 40 years, there has been very little improvement in outcomes of patients who relapse following HCT. In the case of allogeneic HCT, this lack of improvement has occurred despite a greater understanding of the biology underlying the graft-versus-tumor/leukemia (GVT) effects and the introduction of donor leukocyte/lymphocyte infusion (DLI) as a treatment option.
U.S. Trade Information-Intensive Services

Chapter 6 of The UCLA Anderson Business and Information Technologies (BIT) Project: A Global Study of Business Practice, Singapore: World Scientific Books, (2012).
The adaptive immune system is a major driver of selection for tumor suppressor gene inactivation.

During tumorigenesis, tumors must evolve to evade the immune system and do so by disrupting the genes involved in antigen processing and presentation or up-regulating inhibitory immune checkpoint g...
A Linguistic Knowledge Discovery Tool: Very Large Ngram Database Search with Arbitrary Wildcards

In this paper, we will describe a search tool for a huge set of ngrams. The tool supports queries with an arbitrary number of wildcards. It takes a fraction of a second for a search, and can provide the fillers of the wildcards. The system runs on a single Linux PC with reasonable size memory (less than 4GB) and disk space (less than 400GB). This system can be a very useful tool for linguistic knowledge discovery and other NLP tasks.
Thermostable inhibitor of cAMP-dependent protein kinase enhances the rate of export of the kinase catalytic subunit from the nucleus.

The catalytic (C) subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase is inhibited by the regulatory (R) subunit and by a thermostable inhibitor (PKI). Both inhibitors also affect the intracellular distribution of the C subunit. Whether injected into the cytoplasm or into the nucleus, free C subunit can enter and exit the nucleus freely. After 30 min its distribution is identical and is independent of the initial site of injection. In contrast, when C is injected into the cytoplasm complexed with R or PKI, the complexes are restricted to the cytoplasm (1-3). However, unlike the R subunit, which is restricted to the cytoplasm like the holoenzyme, free PKI enters the nucleus rapidly following its injection into the cytoplasm. When holoenzyme is injected directly into the nucleus, it cannot exit and return to the cytoplasm. In contrast, nuclear injection of a C.PKI complex results in the rapid exit of the C subunit from the nucleus. In equilibrated cells previously injected with the C subunit, subsequent cytoplasmic injection of either PKI or type 1 R depletes the nucleus of C although PKI does so faster, consistent with its ability to enter the nucleus. Both inhibitors block the cAMP response element-regulated gene expression. Hence PKI may serve as a nuclear scavenger of C providing a mechanism not only for inhibition but also for subcellular localization in the presence of cAMP by restricting the access of the C subunit to the nucleus.
Effectiveness of the Majzlin spring intrauterine contraceptive device.

Abstract Since March 1967, 3,687 first insertions of the Majzlin spring were performed at the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center Family Planning Clinic. Seven different forms of this device, with different degrees of flexibility, made of wire gauges varying from 0.010 to 0.020 inches in diameter, were used. The 14T device made of a metal core measuring 0.014 inches in diameter with a tail string tied to one limb of the spring was found to be the most efficient. The accidental pregnancy rate was 2.0; spontaneous expulsion rate, 3.8; and the need for medical removal, 7.5 per 100 woman-months of use. At the end of the study period, nearly 86 per cent of the women were still active users. The nurse-midwife training program of the Family Planning Clinic at the Downstate Medical Center has had an important positive effect on the success of the Majzlin spring program as well as other aspects of family planning at this medical center.
High-Dispersion Spectroscopy of the Sodium (NA) Emission within the Inner Coma of C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp)

Very-high spectral resolution observations of the neutral Na emission have enabled measurements of the velocity dispersions of the Na atoms within ∼40,000 km of the opto center of Hale-Bopp. Asymmetric Na D line profiles imply both an in situ or core Na source and a secondary Na source at locations within the inner coma. The core velocity distribution had a FWHM of 2 km s-1. The extended source FWHM increased with distance from the nucleus (up to ∼6 km s-1, but appeared smaller in the more dusty regions (∼2.5–3.0 km s-1) of the inner coma. The D2/D1 line strength ratio was consistent with an optically thin inner coma. Within 5,000 km of the opto center the continuum spatial intensity profiles decreased as ∼r-1 while the Na D emission decreased at less than r-1.
Automatic substructuring for domain decomposition using neural networks

Application of neural networks for guiding solutions of large numerical problems is an emerging area of research. Automatic generation of subdomains from large 3D finite element meshes is a key preprocessing step in domain decomposition techniques and extremely important for proper load balancing, reducing communication bandwidth and latency, and efficient processor coordination and synchronization in a parallel computing environment. It is desired that the subdomains are approximately of same size, and the total number of interface nodes between adjacent subdomains is minimal. We propose two neural network algorithms employing the philosophy of competitive learning and Hopfield network, that can automatically generate substructures from large 3D meshes with reasonable speed. Both these techniques are implemented in such as a way that they have almost linear complexity w.r.t. the problem size for serial execution. Experimental results show more than 25% improvement over an existing greedy algorithm. >
Polar lobe formation and cytokinesis in fertilized eggs of Ilyanassa obsoleta. II. Large bleb formation caused by high concentrations of exogenous calcium ions.

Abstract Fertilized eggs of the mollusk Ilyanassa obsoleta ( Nassarius obsoletus ) form large blebs resembling polar lobes within 12 min of exposure to solutions of isotonic CaCl 2 , whereas control eggs in sea water remain spherical. Under identical conditions, fertilized eggs of the sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus , an organism which normally does not form polar lobes, do not form blebs upon exposure to solutions of isotonic CaCl 2 . The calcium-induced blebbing in Ilyanassa still occurs if other cations such as Na + , Mg 2+ , or Mn 2+ are present in addition to Ca 2+ , but not if comparable concentrations of K + are present. Cytochalasin B prevents the calcium-induced blebbing, whereas colchicine does not. Cytokinesis in both Ilyanassa and Strongylocentrotus and normal polar lobe formation in Ilyanassa appear to require exogenous K + but not exogenous Ca 2+ . Preliminary electron microscopy of Ilyanassa eggs exposed to isotonic solutions of CaCl 2 has shown microfilaments in the cortical cytoplasm in the region of the bleb constriction but no microfilaments in spherical control eggs in sea water. These data suggest that high concentrations of exogenous Ca 2+ trigger the polymerization and contraction of a ring of microfilaments in the cortical cytoplasm of the Ilyanassa egg which results in the formation of a lobelike bleb of cytoplasm. The observation that K + antagonizes this Ca 2+ -induced blebbing has led to the formulation of a theory which postulates that the ratio of intracellular Ca 2+ to intracellular K + is critical in the control of polar lobe formation and cytokinesis.
Calibrating and removing the direction of time ambiguity in FROG

Summary form only given. Frequency resolved optical gating, FROG, has a well-proven track record for measuring ultrashort pulses. These simple devices provide complete information about both the amplitude and phase of the pulse. Like all techniques, FROG can suffer from human error in their calibration. Here we present a simple method for calibrating a FROG device. This method also has the added bonus of removing the direction of time ambiguity in an SHG FROG retrieval. We have dubbed this method the Procedure for Objectively Learning the Kalibration And Direction Of Time (POLKADOT) FROG. The POLKADOT FROG technique is based on a multiple pulse FROG trace. Calibration does not require the entire trace; it only needs the information contained in the marginals.
Hydrogen Gas Production by an Ectothiorhodospira vacuolata Strain

A hydrogen gas (H(2))-producing strain of Ectothiorhodospira vacuolata isolated from Soap Lake, Washington, possessed nitrogenase activity. Increasing evolution of H(2) with decreasing ammonium chloride concentrations provided evidence that nitrogenase was the catalyst in gas production. Cells were grown in a mineral medium plus 0.2% acetate with sodium sulfide as an electron donor. Factors increasing H(2) production included addition of reduced carbon compounds such as propionate and succinate, increased reducing power by increasing sodium sulfide concentrations, and increased energy charge (ATP) by increasing light intensity.
Molecular subclasses of hepatocellular carcinoma predict sensitivity to fibroblast growth factor receptor inhibition

A recent gene expression classification of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) includes a poor survival subclass termed S2 representing about one-third of all HCC in clinical series. S2 cells express E-cadherin and c-myc and secrete AFP. As the expression of fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs) differs between S2 and non-S2 HCC, this study investigated whether molecular subclasses of HCC predict sensitivity to FGFR inhibition. S2 cell lines were significantly more sensitive (p < 0.001) to the FGFR inhibitors BGJ398 and AZD4547. BGJ398 decreased MAPK signaling in S2 but not in non-S2 cell lines. All cell lines expressed FGFR1 and FGFR2, but only S2 cell lines expressed FGFR3 and FGFR4. FGFR4 siRNA decreased proliferation by 44% or more in all five S2 cell lines (p < 0.05 for each cell line), a significantly greater decrease than seen with knockdown of FGFR1-3 with siRNA transfection. FGFR4 knockdown decreased MAPK signaling in S2 cell lines, but little effect was seen with knockdown of FGFR1-3. In conclusion, the S2 molecular subclass of HCC is sensitive to FGFR inhibition. FGFR4-MAPK signaling plays an important role in driving proliferation of a molecular subclass of HCC. This classification system may help to identify those patients who are most likely to benefit from inhibition of this pathway.
Resource sharing with subexponential distributions

We investigate the distribution of the waiting time V in an M/G/1 processor sharing queue with traffic intensity /spl rho/ x] = P[B > (1 - /spl rho/)x](1 + o(1)) Furthermore, we demonstrate that the preceding relationship does not hold if the job distribution has a lighter tail than e/sup -/spl radic/x/. This result provides a new tool for analyzing network congestion points with moderately heavy-tailed characteristics, e.g. log normal distributions, that have been recently empirically discovered in Web traffic. The accuracy of our approximation is confirmed with simulation experiments.
Analysis and modeling of curvature in copper-based MEMS structures fabricated using CMOS interconnect technology

This paper addresses issues associated with building MEMS devices using conventional back-end-of-line (BEOL) materials and layers compatible with integrated circuit (IC) interconnect technology. Stresses inherent in these layers are of little significance for ICs, but when creating released structures, stress gradients become critical for optimum device operation. An analytical model to predict the curvature of multilayer MEMS cantilever beams has been developed. In addition, elemental analysis was performed in order to characterize the residual stress of individual films used in the analytical model. The analytical model fits the experimental data within 20%, and could be used as a guide for further design and process optimization of the MEMS devices.
Effects of bisulfite (sulfur dioxide) on DNA synthesis and fidelity by DNA polymerase I

Summary In an attempt to explain the mechanism of comutagenesis by bisulfite, the extent and accuracy of DNA synthesis by E. coli DNA polymerase I was examined in the presence of sodium bisulfite. Bisulfite concentration of 100 mM caused nearly complete inhibition of dNTP incorporation into activated calf thymus DNA. Other salts (NaCl, Na2SO4) at the same concentration had no effect on enzyme activity. Preincubation of the various DNA synthesis assay components in 100 mM bisulfite showed that only preincubation of DNA polymerase I caused inhibition of DNA synthesis. Exonuclease functions of DNA polymerase I were unaffected by up to 100 mM bisulfite. Accuracy of DNA synthesis in the presence of bisulfite was determined using poly (dA-dT) as a template-primer Concentrations of bisulfite greater than 50 mM caused a progressive decrease in enzyme accuracy. At 100 mM bisulfite there was an approximate 7.5-fold decrease in the fidelity of DNA synthesis, compared to control values, as measured by the ratio of noncomplementary (dGTP) to complementary (dTTP) nucleotide incorporated. Based on the known chemistry of bisulfite, it is hypothesized that sulfitolysis of the one disulfide group in DNA polymerase I by bisulfite might be responsible for the reduced polymerase activity and accuracy. The exonuclease functions of DNA polymerase I do not seem to require the disulfide linkage. These results suggest that the effects of bisulfite on mutation frequency might be mediated by effects on the fidelity of DNA repair systems.
An Unusually Large Westerly Amplitude of the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation

A time-height section of the quasi-biennial oscillation is presented for the period 1950-1978. The data are from the Canal Zone station through June 1970 and from Kwajalein from July 1970 through April 1978 (both stations are near 9 deg N). The most striking feature in the new data is the unusually strong westerly phase which occurred in the winter of 1977-1978. The magnitude of the westerly amplitude in December 1978 was over 60 m/sec at and above 10 mb. The easterly phase below the westerly phase of the 1977-1978 winter was also unusually large. The other features in the new data are consistent with past observations.
Osteoporotic fracture among older U.S. women: risk factors quantified.

The purpose of this study was to develop a predictive model for osteoporotic fracture among a national sample of 2,325 women ages 50 years and older. Predictors for examination included age, race, heredity, body mass index (BMI), physical activity, smoking status, alcohol use, and dairy product use. Analyses were conducted using Standard Analysis System (SAS) procedures. Strong risk factors predicting osteoporotic fracture included age, race, low BMI, and inactivity. Recommendations emphasize screening of high-risk women, achieving and maintaining health body weights for underweight women, and obtaining moderate physical activity. Promotion of healthy body weights for women of all ages is emphasized. Recommendations also include encouraging widespread physician, patient, and public education regarding osteoporotic fracture.
Indivisible labor implies chaos

We study a simple infinite horizon model with indivisible labor. We characterize the optimal plans under the assumptions that \(\beta R = 1\) and that \(1/2 \leq \beta < 1\), where R is the gross interest rate and \(\beta\) is the discount factor. We show that under those assumptions, optimal plans are almost always asymptotically nonperiodic unless initial wealth is excessively small or large.
Scanning tunneling spectroscopy of lead sulfide quantum wells fabricated by atomic layer deposition.

We report the use of scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) to investigate one-dimensional quantum confinement effects in lead sulfide (PbS) thin films. Specifically, quantum confinement effects on the band gap of PbS quantum wells were explored by controlling the PbS film thickness and potential barrier height. PbS quantum well structures with a thickness range of 1–20 nm were fabricated by atomic layer deposition (ALD). Two barrier materials were selected based on barrier height: aluminum oxide as a high barrier material and zinc oxide as a low barrier material. Band gap measurements were carried out by STS, and an effective mass theory was developed to compare the experimental results. Our results show that the band gap of PbS thin films increased as the film thickness decreased, and the barrier height increased from 0.45 to 2.19 eV.
Precession-driven monsoon variability at the Permian-Triassic boundary — Implications for anoxia and the mass extinction

Abstract By the end of the Late Permian, most continents had collided to form the supercontinent of Pangea. The associated climatic changes at the Permian–Triassic boundary coincided with the most severe mass extinction in the Phanerozoic. One extinction hypothesis favors a climatic response to an increase in large-scale volcanism resulting in ocean stagnation and widespread anoxia with fatal consequences for marine and land organisms. Recent interpretations of geochemical data suggest that orbitally-driven periodic upwelling of toxic hydrogen-sulfide rich water masses contributed to the extinction of species. In this paper, we use the Community Climate System Model (CCSM3) in order to explore the effect of eccentricity-modulated changes of the precession on the strength of Pangean megamonsoons and their impact on productivity and oxygen distribution. The climate model simulates high variability in monsoonal precipitation, trade winds and equatorial upwelling in response to precessional extremes, leading to remarkable fluctuations in the export of carbon from the euphotic zone and hence reduction in dissolved oxygen concentrations in subsurface layers. These findings are in general agreement with increased primary productivity, intensified euxinia within the oxygen-minimum zone, and decimation of the radiolarian zooplankton community as inferred from Japanese marine sections. Strong changes in river run-off linked to precipitation oscillations possibly led to a high variability in the nutrient supply to the Tethys Ocean, thus affecting regional productivity and oxygen distribution. The model results suggest that orbital variability in the sedimentary record and the associated extinction of species are related rather to periodic anoxia in near surface-to-intermediate depth than to widespread anoxic events in the Panthalassic deep-sea.
Unstable state dynamics: A systematic evaluation of the master equation☆

Abstract The master equation for diffusion in a bistable potential is evaluated systematically in terms of the small-noise parameter for the case where the system is initially at the unstable state. The expansion is valid for all times, that is in the initial and intermediate as well as in the final regime. The theory does not involve free fitting parameters and is easily generalized to more complicated processes.
Abstract 4627: Role of intratumoral cell heterogeneity on therapeutic efficacy in glioblastoma.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Glioblastoma (GBM), the most common and lethal malignancy of the brain, is typified by high degrees of histologic and molecular heterogeneity. The majority of GBM harbor amplification and/or mutations of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), most frequently EGFR (40-50%) or PDGFRA (∼15%). We recently documented that a subset of glioblastoma harbors independent focal amplification of two or more RTKs, most commonly PDGFRA and EGFR. This phenomenon lends genetic evidence to support that co-expression of more than one RTK in the same cell serves a functional purpose in conferring selective growth advantage to GBM. In this study we demonstrate that EGF stimulates endogenous interaction between activated EGFR and PDGFRA, assessed using reciprocal coimmunoprecipitation and proximity ligation assays in patient-derived GBM tumor-sphere lines of multiple genotypes. EGF leads to phosphorylation of PDGFRA Y720. This transactivation and subsequent activation of Shp2 are abolished by EGFR inhibitors gefitinib or lapatinib at low concentrations. Evidence of EGFR-PDGFRA interaction was found in the majority of GBM tumorsphere lines where both receptors were expressed. We used multichannel phospho-FACS in a panel of tumorsphere lines to characterize the cell-to-cell heterogeneity of EGFR and PDGFRA expression levels and how these levels affect p-Akt and p-ERK baseline activity, response to ligands and response to targeted receptor inhibition. Indeed, high expression of both EGFR and PDGFRA identifies tumor cells with elevated MAPK and PI3K pathway activity. Notably, these tumor cells have high downstream pathway activation in the absence of explicit stimulation by ligand and appear to be refractory to dual RTK inhibition. Taken together, these data underscore the role of tumor cell RTK heterogeneity in therapeutic resistance to RTK inhibitors in GBM. This study also highlights a possible mechanism that heterotypic RTKs in the same cell may utilize to achieve growth advantage. Citation Format: Debyani Chakravarty, Alicia Pedraza, Angela H. Liu, Jesse Cotari, Gregoire Altan-Bonnet, Cameron W. Brennan. Role of intratumoral cell heterogeneity on therapeutic efficacy in glioblastoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4627. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-4627