cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Calcitonin receptor-stimulated migration of prostate cancer cells is mediated by urokinase receptor-integrin signaling

Abundance of calcitonin (CT) and calcitonin receptor (CTR) mRNA in primary prostate tumors positively correlates with tumor grade, and exogenously added CT increases the invasion of prostate cancer cell lines. We examined acute and chronic actions of CT on migration of highly metastatic PC-3M cells and poorly invasive LNCaP cells on several extracellular matrices in a spheroid disaggregation/migration assay. While PC-3M spheroids displayed maximum disaggregation/migration on vitronectin (VN), LNCaP spheroids preferred collagen but also migrated significantly on VN. Up-regulation of CT significantly enhanced disaggregation/migration of PC-3M spheroids on VN, but not on fibronectin. In contrast, down-regulation of CT, CTR, protein kinase A or urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) led to amelioration of PC-3M spheroid disaggregation/migration. CT selectively increased surface activity of alpha v beta 3 or alpha 6 beta 5 integrins in PC-3M and LNCaP cell lines, respectively, and uPAR-integrin association. Finally, either CT or urokinase could completely restore migration of CT-knock-down PC-3M spheroids. But, only forced expression of urokinase receptor coupled with exogenous addition of urokinase restored migration of CTR-knock-down spheroids. These results support our hypothesis that up-regulation of CT biosynthesis and activation of CT-CTR axis in primary prostate tumors may have direct relevance in their progression to the metastatic phenotype.
Clinicopathologic study of forty-four histologically pure supratentorial oligodendrogliomas.

Abstract Few studies in recent years have specifically focused on pure oligodendroglial neoplasms. We retrospectively reviewed the clinicopathologic features of 44 patients with supratentorial oligodendroglioma diagnosed over a 19-year period (1974 to 1993). The study group consisted of 44 patients (age range, 8 to 69 years; median, 42 years), including 31 males. Thirty-one initially resected tumors (70%) were low grade and 13 (30%) were high grade (anaplastic). Using the St Anne-Mayo criteria for astrocytic tumors, 19 tumors (43%) were grade 2, 17 (39%) were grade 3, and 8 were (18%) grade 4. Histologic features of the tumors at initial resection included prominent nucleoli (N = 18, 41%), vascular proliferation (N = 9, 20%), necrosis (N = 6, 14%), and microcystic degeneration (N = 23, 52%). Nuclear atypia was graded as mild in 22 tumors (50%), moderate in 18 (41%), and marked in four (9%). The highest mitosis counts ranged from 0 to 10 mitotic figures (MF)/10 high-power fields (HPF) (mean, 2.4). Twelve patients (27%) had four or more MF/10 HPF. Initial surgery included gross total resection in 10 patients, subtotal resection in 16 patients, and biopsy in 14 patients. Thirty-one patients received adjuvant radiotherapy and 15 received chemotherapy. MIB-1 labeling indices ranged from 0 to 42.3 (median, 1.2 [low grade tumor median, 0.5; anaplastic tumor median, 6.2]). p53 immunostaining was observed in 18 of 43 stained tumors (41%). Overall, 5- and 10-year survival rates were 71% and 63%, respectively. The entire group had a median follow-up of 5.2 years. Age greater than 45 years ( P = .02), mitosis counts of ≥94 MF/10 HPF ( P = .0004), and MIB-1 labeling indices P = .03) were independent predictors of survival (Kaplan-Meier analysis). MIB-1 labeling indices P = .0009) was an independent predictor of disease-free survival. Low cell density ( P = .04) and low histologic grade ( P = .03) show trends with regard to being associated with longer survival. In conclusion, older patients (>45 years) or patients with tumors with an increased rate of cell proliferation generally have a worse prognosis. Although tumors of high histologic grade generally have a worse survival, the correlation was not statistically significant. Ann Diagn Pathol 4:218-227, 2000.
Analytical modeling and experimental validation of a magnetorheological mount

Magnetorheological (MR) fluid has been increasingly researched and applied in vibration isolation devices. To date, the suspension system of several high performance vehicles has been equipped with MR fluid based dampers and research is ongoing to develop MR fluid based mounts for engine and powertrain isolation. MR fluid based devices have received attention due to the MR fluid's capability to change its properties in the presence of a magnetic field. This characteristic places MR mounts in the class of semiactive isolators making them a desirable substitution for the passive hydraulic mounts. In this research, an analytical model of a mixed-mode MR mount was constructed. The magnetorheological mount employs flow (valve) mode and squeeze mode. Each mode is powered by an independent electromagnet, so one mode does not affect the operation of the other. The analytical model was used to predict the performance of the MR mount with different sets of parameters. Furthermore, in order to produce the actual prototype, the analytical model was used to identify the optimal geometry of the mount. The experimental phase of this research was carried by fabricating and testing the actual MR mount. The manufactured mount was tested to evaluate the effectiveness of each mode individually and in combination. The experimental results were also used to validate the ability of the analytical model in predicting the response of the MR mount. Based on the observed response of the mount a suitable controller can be designed for it. However, the control scheme is not addressed in this study.
Remarks on a univariate shock model with some bivariate generalizations

In a 1973 paper J. D. Esary, A. W. Marshall, and F. Proschan [5] considered a shock model giving rise to various nonparametric classes of life distributions of interest in reliability theory. A number of authors have extended these results in a variety of directions. In this paper, alternative proofs of the increasing failure rate (IFR) and decreasing mean residual life (DMRL) results are given which do not make use of the theory of total positivity. Some bivariate extensions are then obtained using a shock model similar to that originally used by H. W. Block, A. S. Paulson, and R. C. Kohberger [2] to unify various bivariate exponential distributions.
The Underclass, 'Social Isolation' and 'Concentration Effects' 'The culture of poverty' revisited

Increasing impoverishment in inner-city localities has prompted the development of new concepts such as William Julius Wilson's 'social isolation' and 'concentration effects'. It is said that these...
A phase I vaccine trial with peptides reflecting ras oncogene mutations of solid tumors.

Mutations in the ras genes occur in 20% of all human cancers. These genes, in turn, produce mutated proteins that are unique to cancer cells, rendering them distinguishable from normal cells by the immune system. Thus, mutated Ras proteins may form potential targets for immune therapy. We conducted a phase I/pilot clinical trial in patients with advanced cancers to test the toxicity and the ability to induce an immune response by vaccination with 13-mer mutated Ras peptides reflecting codon 12 mutations. These peptides corresponded to each of the patient's own tumor Ras mutation. Patients were vaccinated monthly x3 subcutaneously with the specific Ras peptide along with Detox adjuvant (RiBi ImmunoChem Research, Inc., Hamilton, MT, U.S.A.) at one of five different peptide dose levels (100, 500, 1,000, 1,500, and 5,000 micrograms). Three out of 10 evaluable patients generated a mutant Ras specific CD4+ and/or CD8+ T-cell immune response. The CD8+ cytotoxic cells specific for Gly to Val mutation at codon 12 were capable of lysing an HLA-A2-matched tumor cell line carrying the corresponding mutant but not the wild-type ras gene. The treatment has been well tolerated with no evidence of serious acute or delayed systemic side effects on any of the five dose levels. We demonstrated that we can generate in cancer patients specific T-lymphocyte responses that detect single amino acid differences in Ras oncoproteins. Neither the immune responses nor the minor side effects seen were found to be dose dependent. This approach may provide a unique opportunity for generating a tumor-directed therapy. Also, in vitro stimulation of these cells with the corresponding peptide generated specific T-cell lines that could be used for adoptive immune therapy.
Links between cocaine and retroviral infection.

In 1981, clinicians and epidemiologists recognized the occurrence of a new syndrome since termed acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). 1,2 Since then, parenteral and sexual transmission of an agent were implicated. 3,4 The subsequent discovery of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) as the cause of AIDS, and tests for its reliable detection, revealed epidemic spread of this infectious agent that was more extensive and initially more silent than most observers had guessed. 5-7 Intensive epidemiologic studies of homosexual men, hemophiliacs, and blood transfusion recipients have been numerous and revealing. 4 Analogous research efforts among drug abusers have been somewhat slower to bear fruit. 8 In part, this reflects the challenges faced by researchers in enlisting representative samples of drug abusers. Drug abusers are frequently suspicious of "the establishment" and researchers can be perceived as being part of that establishment. Trained interviewers and attention to confidentiality are integral components in obtaining
Transcriptional regulation by trans-acting factors

Abstract The transcription of genes by eukaryotic RNA polymerase II is regulated by cis -acting DNA sequences (promoters and enhancers), which probably exert their effects on transcription through interactions with trans -acting protein factors. Some trans -acting factors can interact with DNA elements in a number of different enhancers or promoters in a variety of cell types. However, other factors may be involved in conferring such characteristics as tissue specificity or inducibility on enhancers, or in regulating gene expression at different stages of development. Few trans -acting factors have been purified or characterized, and their mechanisms of action are unknown, though cooperative binding and other protein-protein interactions are likely to be involved.
General Internists’ Views On Pay-For-Performance And Public Reporting Of Quality Scores: A National Survey

Very little is known about rank-and-file physicians’ views on pay-for-performance (P4P) and public reporting. In a national survey of general internists, we found strong potential support for financial incentives for quality, but less support for public reporting. Large majorities of respondents stated that these programs will result in physicians’ avoiding high-risk patients and will divert attention from important types of care for which quality is not measured. Public and private policymakers might avoid a physician backlash and better succeed at improving health care quality if they consider these concerns when designing P4P and public reporting programs.
Injury Prevention for Modern Dancers: A Pilot Study of an Educational Intervention

Modern dancers suffer a high rate of musculoskeletal injuries. Preventing injury prolongs dance careers and eases financial burden on both individual dancers and dance companies alike. A medical student partnered with Garth Fagan Dance to develop a curriculum to teach principles of injury prevention specific to preprofessional and professional modern dancers. Quantitative assessments showed a significant increase in participant injury prevention knowledge after completion of the course (P < 0.0001). Participants’ concern that injury may end their careers showed no significant change after the course (P = 0.35). Injury prevention and dance-related injuries were reported the most often as useful topics while weight management was reported the least often as a useful topic. Qualitative evaluations showed that participants’ found a course on injury prevention valuable and desired a course of longer duration that includes a greater number of topics. These findings show that modern dancers perceive an educational course on injury prevention as valuable and retain information presented in the course in the short-term. Further study is warranted to assess changes in injury rates after the course and to continue to improve curriculum content and implementation.
Restaurant Owners' Attitudes Toward the Disabled and the Americans With Disabilities Act

This pilot study is concerned with the Americans with Disabilities Act, passed in the summer of 1990, which gives expanded federal rights to people with disabilities. Under Title III of the law, privately-owned businesses such as restaurants must now make their facilities accessible to the disabled. Owners responded to a survey that was designed to measure their attitudes toward disabled people as consumers and on accessibility. The results of this pilot study indicate that most owners regard accessibility as necessary, but are unsure if inaccessibility is discrimination and cause for legislation such as the ADA.Key Words:Americans with Disabilities Act, attitude assessment, disabled, restaurant, discrimination.
Invariant Distributional Regularities of Nonbasic Spatial Activity Allocations: The Garin—Lowry Model Revisited

This paper extends the Garin–Lowry model of spatial activity allocations along its demographic dimension. The zonal distribution of activities in the nonbasic (service) sector is shown to be stable irrespective of variations in the zonal distribution of activities in the basic (export) sector. This conjectured regularity is explained by observed similarities in the rates of consumption and in the demographic structure of the population in various zones of a region. Also variations in patterns of journeys from work to home do not appear to have a significant effect on nonbasic spatial-activity allocations.
INFLUENCE OF METHYLPHENIDATE HYDROCHLORIDE ON SELF-STIMULATION OF THE BRAIN BY RATS

After receiving methylphenidate HCl, rats conditioned for self-stimulation pressed a bar for stimulus at rates far exceeding those of similarly conditioned nonmedicated rats. Conditioned rats pressed an inactive bar more frequently than did nonconditioned rats, and this rate was definitely increased for conditioned rats which received methylphenidate. This drug did not impair the selection of an active from an inactive bar, but after stimulation considerably less selective ability was shown. This lack of discriminating action was probably due to the effects of repetitive reinforcement by stimulation rather than to the direct effect of the drug.
Pregnancy and Brain Tumors

This article discusses the clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of the pregnant patient with an intracranial mass. Common manifestations, pitfalls, and guidelines for management are discussed.
Rethinking Alzheimer's disease: The impact of words on thoughts and actions:

Language used to describe Alzheimer's disease is largely negative and contributes to the development of people's perceptions, interpretations and approaches to care. By using a technique called ref...
The PS Integrins Are Required for a Regulatory Event during Drosophila Wing Morphogenesisa

The PS1 and PS2 integrins are required for morphogenesis of the adult Drosophila wing. Clonal analysis experiments have shown that both integrins are necessary to maintain adhesion between the dorsal and ventral wing epithelia. We have found that early in wing morphogenesis, the integrins are also required for a regulatory event, and this may explain why PS1 and PS2 must be expressed on opposite surfaces of the wing at the onset of pupariation. Overexpression of integrin subunits during this early phase can lead to separation of dorsal and ventral surfaces, and we present evidence here that this dominant phenotype (the Blistermaker phenotype) results from a gain of integrin function, as opposed to negative interference from free integrin subunits. A possible model for an integrin signaling requirement in the wing is discussed.
Spontaneous spin-flip Raman linewidth and nonlinear processes in InSb

Abstract A small-signal gain technique has been used to measure the lineshape of spontaneous spin-flip Raman scattering as a function of magnetic field ( H = 0.5–10 kG) for an electron concentration n = 10 15 cm -3 at T = 2°K with both photons propagating normal to H . Four-wave mixing processes have been observed for varying carrier concentrations together with an interference between the resonant spin-flip nonlinearity and the nonresonant nonlinearity resulting from conduction electron nonparabolicity.
A revised slug model boundary layer correction for starting jet vorticity flux

The flux of vorticity from a piston-cylinder vortex generator is commonly approximated using a model in which the fluid efflux is treated as a uniform slug of fluid with negligible boundary layer thickness. Shusser et al. (2002) introduced a correction to the slug model that accounts for boundary layer growth within the cylinder. We show that their implemented boundary layer solution contains an error, leading to an underestimate of the calculated boundary layer growth. We present a corrected model that agrees more closely with experimental measurements of starting jet vorticity flux and vortex ring core thickness.
NMR of platinum catalysts. I. Line shapes

The authors report spin-echo NMR studies of $^{195}\mathrm{Pt}$ in small particles of Pt supported on alumina. For the samples studied, the fraction of Pt atoms on the surface (called the dispersion) ranged from 4% to 58%. The studies were at fields ${H}_{0}$ of 80 to 85 kG, frequency ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{0}=74$ MHz, and at a temperature of 77 K. The lines are broad (3-5 kG), requiring special methods which permit substantial signal averaging (\ensuremath{\sim} 50 000 echoes). In the low-dispersion (large-particle) samples, there is a strong absorption at the position of the $^{195}\mathrm{Pt}$ NMR in bulk Pt metal ($\frac{{H}_{0}}{{\ensuremath{\nu}}_{0}}=1.138$ kG/MHz) which becomes progressively weaker as the particle size decreases. A peak which is near the $^{195}\mathrm{Pt}$ resonance in typical diamagnetic compounds ($\frac{{H}_{0}}{{\ensuremath{\nu}}_{0}}\ensuremath{\sim}1.09$ kG/MHz) is found in samples which are coated with adsorbed molecules. It disappears when the surface is cleaned. The authors show that this peak arises from the surface layer of Pt atoms, and that its position ($\frac{{H}_{0}}{{\ensuremath{\nu}}_{0}}$) shows that coating the Pt atoms on the surface largely ties up the electron spins of the surface Pt atoms in bonds. The exact position of this peak depends on the chemical species which is adsorbed. The authors show that when Pt is cleaned, then exposed to air for long times, the surface peak reveals that the surface has reconstructed to form Pt${(\mathrm{OH})}_{6}$.
Turbulence in stratified shear flows: implications for interpreting shear-induced mixing in the ocean

Abstract Direct numerical simulations of the time evolution of homogeneous stably stratified turbulent sheer flows have been performed for several Richardson numbers Ri and Reynolds numbers Rλ. The results show excellent agreement with length scale models developed from laboratory experiments to characterize oceanic turbulence. When the Richardson number Ri is less than the stationary value Ris, the turbulence intensity grows at all scales; the growth rate is a function of Ri. The size of the vertical density inversions also increases. When Ri ≥ Ri, the largest turbulent eddies become vertically constrained by buoyancy when the Ellison (turbulence) scale LEand the Ozmidov (buoyancy) scale LO are equal. At this point the mixing is most efficient and the flux Richardson number or mixing efficiency is Rf ≈ 0.20 for the stationary Richardson number Ris = 0.21. The vertical mass flux becomes countergradient when ϵ ≈ 19vN2, and vertical density overturns are suppressed in few than half of a Brunt-Vaisala period...
Lymphangioma-like Kaposi's sarcoma: etiology and literature review.

Abstract Much confusion surrounds a rare and occasionally described variant of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) known as lymphangioma-like or bullous KS. We describe the typical clinical and histologic features and elucidate the etiologic cell in lymphangioma-like KS. A computer-based review of the English-language literature was performed. Routine histologic and immunoperoxidase techniques were performed on formalin-fixed tissue. Immunoperoxidase staining for anti-CD31, anti-CD34, and anti-factor VIII–related antigen suggests that the etiologic cell of origin is the vascular endothelial cell. Lymphangioma-like KS has been described for more than a century and given various names. Dilated vascular spaces correlate with the clinically bullous lesions, which are veritable KS and not a secondary reaction to it. (J Am Acad Dermatol 2000;43: 123-7.)
Serum i antigen: a new human blood-group glycoprotein.

Abstract A glycoprotein has been found in normal serum which inhibits the hemagglutination caused by human anti-i cold agglutinins. This glycoprotein binds to a Sepharose anti-i affinity column at 4°C and can be quantitatively eluted at 37°C. The eluted glycoprotein is specific in that it has potent hemagglutination-inhibition activity against anti-i antibodies but does not inhibit the hemagglutination by anti-I, -A, -B, -H or by the lectins Con A, PHA or Vicia graminea. The anti-i affinity method should provide a simple procedure for large scale purification and subsequent characterization of the i-antigen.
Thermal adaptation of entomopathogenic nematodes: Niche breadth for infection, establishment, and reproduction

Abstract 1. 1. We determined thermal niche breadths for infection, establishment, and reproduction of twelve species and strains of entomopathogenic nematodes collected from diverse climatic regions 2. 2. Steinernema riobravis infected Galleria mellonella (wax moth) larvae at the widest temperature range (10–39°C), whereas S. feltiae at the narrowest (8–30°C). Thermal niche breadt for establishment within hosts was the widest for S. glaseri, (10–37°C) and the narrowest for S. feltiae (8–30°C) 3. 3. Thermal niche breadth for reproduction was widest for S. glaseri (12–32°C) and the narrowest for S. carpocapsae (20–30°C). Steinernema scapterisci (20–32°C), S. riobravis (20–35°C), and Steinernema sp. (20–32°C) were more adapted to warm temperature reproduction, and S. feltiae to cooler temperatures (10–25°C) 4. 4. Although heterorhabditids are endemic to warmer climates, the upper thermal limits and temperature optima for reproduction of Heterorhabditis bacteriophora and H. megidis were cooler than that of some of the steinernematids from South America and the Caribbean 5. 5. Thermal niche breadths did not differ between conspecific populations isolated from different localities, but were different for different species isolated from the same locality 6. 6. We conclude that entomopathogenic nematode species have well-defined thermal niches which may be unaffected by their locality
Investigation of chewing patterns in deep-bite malocclusions before and after orthodontic treatment.

Abstract A knowledge of chewing provides a better understanding of normal jaw movement and can help form a basis for assessing the effects of malocclusion on jaw function. This study was conducted to describe the effects of deep-bite malocclusion on masticatory function and to determine what changes may occur with orthodontic correction. Five subjects, each exhibiting deep overbite in the early permanent or adult dentition, were selected for this study. Two subjects had Class II, Division 1 malocclusions, and the other three had Class I malocclusions. By means of the “replicator system”, jaw movements during border movements and unilateral chewing were recorded and analyzed by computer plots. The typical chewing pattern of all five subjects was characterized by midsagittal opening, wide lateral closing movements, tooth gliding, and a pause at the intercuspal position and during swallowing. Comparison of these findings with chewing data from normal children in previous studies indicated that the deep-bite malocclusion did not create a major disturbance in chewing. Some differences between the preoperative and postoperative condition were noted, however. Prior to treatment, three subjects showed a nearly vertical chewing cycle which avoided tooth contact at the border path. Following treatment, all subjects showed a greater coincidence between the closing chewing path and the lateral border movement. This indicated more gliding tooth contact after treatment. Following deep-bite correction, the border paths showed a refinement of the intercupsal position (IP) and an increased steepness in lateral tooth guidance near IP. The total vertical component of tooth guidance was reduced by treatment.
Evaluation of synthetic and natural Mandarin visual speech: Initial consonants, single vowels, and syllables

Although the auditory aspects of Mandarin speech are relatively more heavily-researched and well-known in the field, this study addresses its visual aspects by examining the perception of both Mandarin natural and synthetic visual speech. In perceptual experiments, the synthetic visual speech of a computer-animated Mandarin talking head was evaluated and subsequently improved. Also, the basic (or ''minimum'') units of Mandarin visual speech were determined for initial consonants and final single-vowels. Overall, the current study achieved solid improvements of synthetic visual speech, and this was one step towards a Mandarin synthetic talking head with realistic speech.
Estimating a worker entry interval for the carbamate pesticide Furadan 4F insecticide

Existing methods for the calculation of worker entry intervals by the use of kinetic data have focused on the anticholinesteratic organic phosphates. As carbamate pesticides share with these materials a common site for inhibition, the kinetic method was applied in estimating an entry interval for the carbamate, carbofuran, applied to citrus and grapes as Furadan 4F. No allowance was made for the more transient carbamylation of cholinesterase attributed toN-methyl carbamates, compared with the phosphorylation of the enzyme by organic phosphates. Thus, a measure of safety was built into the calculations which can then be used to establish safe reentry intervals to insure residue levels below the physiological threshold for cholinesterase inhibition.
New evidence for the Hawaiian hotspot plume motion since the Eocene

Abstract A thick mound of fossiliferous sediments, reflecting high biogenic productivity at the Equator can be used to determine latitudinal motion of the Pacific lithospheric plate. Plate motion estimates based on the latitudinal movement of Equatorial facies are independent of paleomagnetic data and hotspot tracks and thus permit further testing of kinematic models. We have determined the northward motion of the Pacific Plate for the last 53 Myr based on the position of the paleoequator as shown by Equatorial sediment facies. Between 26 and 69 DSDP and ODP Sites sample the past 53 Myr in the tropical Pacific. Based on the mapped patterns of accumulation rates in these sites, we were able not only to determine the position of the paleoequator but also to estimate the Equatorial great circle and hence the relative position of the spin axis since the early Eocene. The northward motion of the Pacific Plate inferred from the change in latitude of dated Hawaiian Chain seamounts relative to the Hawaiian hotspot is consistently higher than that deduced from the analyses of Equatorial sediment facies. Such a difference results from a latitudinal shift of the Hawaiian hotspot during the last 53 Myr. All together, our observations and recent paleomagnetic results from the Detroit, Nintoku and Koko seamounts [J.A. Tarduno, R.A. Duncan, D.W. Scholl, R.D. Cottrell, B., Steinberger, T. Thordarson, B.C. Kerr, C.R. Neal, F.A. Frey, M. Torii, M., C. Carvallo. The Emperor Seamounts: Southward motion of the Hawaiian hotspot plume in Earth's mantle. Science 301 (2003) 1064–1069.] [1] are consistent with a progressive southward motion of the Hawaiian mantle plume since the Late Cretaceous. Our results suggest that the Hawaiian hotspot moved at ∼32 mm/yr to the SE during the past 43 million years and that the Pacific Plate moved ∼12° northward since 53 Ma at an average rate of 25 mm/yr.
New levels of understanding: methods for revealing structural links to chronic disease

Research on the etiology and course of illness typically follows a biological model emphasizing the individual as the primary unit of analysis. The result has been a narrowed orientation that focuses a great deal of resources on individual-level interventions and much less attention to underlying factors that contribute to the prevalence of disease. Chronic diseases such as asthma, coronary disease, ulcers, diabetes, and cancers, however, have been found to be affected by multiple factors on various levels of analysis, defying attempts to ‘individualize’ risk and prevention. The study of structural factors that underlie health outcomes can reveal important information that normally remains undetected during clinical and epidemiological research on individual risk factors. Research that incorporates contextual variables of a physical, social, biological, temporal, or economic nature can help identify patterns of illness across space and time and factors that predispose a population to greater health dispar...
Sex Differences in Dendritic Structure in the Preoptic Area of the Juvenile Macaque Monkey Brain

Quantitative analysis of Golgi-stained neurons in the preoptic area of the brain of prepuberal Macaca fascicularis monkeys indicated structural differences between males and females. Neurons of males had more dendritic bifurcations and a higher frequency of spines. The bifurcation difference appeared in all cell types and was concentrated in the ventrolateral preoptic area. The spine difference was greatest in the central region of the preoptic area. No differences in gross measurements of this brain region were found. These results suggest that sexual dimorphism in the function of the monkey preoptic area may be based on differences in neuronal structure.
A Seven-Year Wind Profiler–Based Climatology of the Windward Barrier Jet along California’s Northern Sierra Nevada

Abstract This wind profiler–based study highlights key characteristics of the barrier jet along the windward slope of California’s Sierra Nevada. Between 2000 and 2007 roughly 10% of 100 000 hourly wind profiles, recorded at two sites, satisfied the sierra barrier jet (SBJ) threshold criteria described in the text. The mean magnitude of the terrain-parallel flow in the SBJ core (i.e., Vmax) was similar at both sites (∼17.5 m s−1) and at a comparable altitude, 500–1000 m above the surface. The cross-mountain wind speed was weak at the altitude of Vmax, consistent with blocked conditions. The seasonal cycle of SBJ occurrences showed a maximum during the cooler months and a minimum in summer. Additionally, the SBJ was stronger in winter than in summer. Because the warm-season (May–September) SBJs were different than their cool-season (October–April) counterparts and occurred during California’s dry season, they were not discussed in detail. An inventory of ∼250 cool-season SBJ cases from the two sites was ge...
Laser machining of structural ceramics—A review

Outstanding mechanical and physical properties like high thermal resistance, high hardness and chemical stability have encouraged use of structural ceramics in several applications. The brittle and hard nature of these ceramics makes them difficult to machine using conventional techniques and damage caused to the surface while machining affects efficiency of components. Laser machining has recently emerged as a potential technique for attaining high material removal rates. This review paper aims at presenting the state of the art in the field of laser machining of structural ceramics and emphasizes on experimental and computational approaches in understanding physical nature of the complex phenomena.
Scavenger Receptors in Atherosclerosis: Beyond Lipid Uptake

Atherosclerotic vascular disease arises as a consequence of the deposition and retention of serum lipoproteins in the artery wall. Macrophages in lesions have been shown to express ≥6 structurally different scavenger receptors for uptake of modified forms of low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) that promote the cellular accumulation of cholesterol. Because cholesterol-laden macrophage foam cells are the primary component of the fatty streak, the earliest atherosclerotic lesion, lipid uptake by these pathways has long been considered a requisite and initiating event in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Although the removal of proinflammatory modified LDLs from the artery wall via scavenger receptors would seem beneficial, the pathways distal to scavenger receptor uptake that metabolize the modified lipoproteins appear to become overwhelmed, leading to the accumulation of cholesterol-laden macrophages and establishment of a chronic inflammatory setting. These observations have led to the current dogma concerning scavenger receptors, which is that they are proatherogenic molecules. However, recent studies suggest that the effects of scavenger receptors on atherogenesis may be more complex. In addition to modified lipoprotein uptake, these proteins are now known to regulate apoptotic cell clearance, initiate signal transduction, and serve as pattern recognition receptors for pathogens, activities that may contribute both to proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory forces regulating atherogenesis. In this review, we focus on recent advances in our knowledge of scavenger receptor regulation and signal transduction, their roles in sterile inflammation and infection, and the potential impact of these pathways in regulating the balance of lipid accumulation and inflammation in the artery wall.
Ca2+ mobilized by caffeine from the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-insensitive pool of Ca2+ in somatic regions of sympathetic neurons does not evoke [3H]norepinephrine release

: The effects of electrical stimulation, muscarinic and serotonergic agonists, and caffeine on [3H]inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate ([3H]Ins(1,4,5)P3) content, intracellular free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i), and release of [3H]norepinephrine ([3H]NE) were studied in cultured sympathetic neurons. Neuronal cell body [Ca2+]i was unaffected by muscarinic or serotonergic receptor stimulation, which significantly increased [3H]Ins(1,4,5)P3 content. Stimulation at 2 Hz and caffeine had no effect on [3H]Ins(1,4,5)P3, but caused greater than two-fold increase in [Ca2+]i. Only 2-Hz stimulation released [3H]NE. Caffeine had no effect on the release. When [Ca2+]i was measured in growth cones, only electrical stimulation produced an increase in [Ca2+]i. The other agents had no effect on Ca2+ at the terminal regions of the neurons. We conclude that Ins(1,4,5)P3-insensitive, but caffeine-sensitive Ca2+ stores in sympathetic neurons are located only in the cell body and are not coupled to [3H]NE release.
Classical Path Methods in Line Broadening. II. Application to the Lyman Series of Hydrogen.

The use of the classic.al path aplrriiximation in linr Iir~iadrning tliriiry is illiistralrtl in a drvrlii1imrnt (if thr familiar ini1)ac.t and onc.-elrc.tron thriirirs. Thr ~inr-elr~~tron tliriiry wlii(4i is ~irrsriitrd is an inipriivrd vrrsilin iif the usiial one-elwtrtln thc-~iry: this iniprcivrcl vrrsi~~n id ~lir thr~iry providt.5 a c~iinsistt~nt tiesc~iptiiin of a line profile frcini the halfwidtli 111 tlir quasi-static wings. The validity (.ritt.ria for the im1iac.t and onr-rlrc.tron Ilirairirs arr dihc,usst~l in detail and a ~~~irii~iari~~i~ r ~d tl~r thwirie~ ib made with a view ttiward the drvelolrmrnt iit a more grnrral throry containing vlrnwnts (if Iiotli. T~I avoid unnrcwsary niatlieniatic,al t.iiiiil)lic.atiiiiis and Iirovidr a niorr transliarrnt (.~im~iaris~tn of the tliwirivs. the Stark Iiriiadrning of tlir I.ytnan scrirs in 1iydrtigc.n i* 1i4 as a slic.c,iti(. rxanilile.
Differential Effects of K+ and Na+ on Specific Bands of Isolated Polytene Chromosomes of Chironomus Tentans

SUMMARY Previous investigations on the effects of monovalent cations on the gene activities (formation of puffs) of polytene chromosomes utilized whole salivary glands or nuclei and suggested that the K + /Na + ratio in the nuclear sap was of primary importance in influencing gene activities. To determine whether these effects of ions were direct or indirect, we have employed isolated polytene chromosomes incubated in salt solutions of varying ionic composition. Our observations reveal differential effects of K + , Na + , Mg 2+ , Ca 2+ and combinations thereof on specific chromosome regions. The band at region I-18-C that is specifically affected by K + is the same one that puffs when salivary gland nuclei are incubated in a K + -rich medium and this is believed to be an ecdysone-specific puff. Bands at region I-19-A are specifically affected by Na + and are the same ones that form puffs when salivary gland nuclei are incubated in a Na + -rich medium. This region is believed to be juvenile hormone-specific. Effects on the chromosome are also described that are the result of incubation in solutions containing Mg 2+ and Ca 2+ . Analogies are drawn between the observed effects of ions on isolated chromosomes and their effects on chromatin isolated from mammalian cells. For example, when chromatin is exposed to solutions of increasing ionic strength, hydration is followed by aggregation and histone dissociation. This may be analogous to what is observed in the isolated chromosome under similar conditions; namely, expansion, contraction and expansion.
Effects of Growth Environment on Cotton Fiber Properties and Motes, Neps, and White Speck Frequency

A number of preharvest and postharvest factors alter textile quality, including cotton variety, growth environment, harvest method, lint cleaning, and combing. In this work, the impact of three pla...
DEVISING A WEB-BASED ONTOLOGY FOR EMERGING WIRELESS SYSTEMS: THE CASE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

Ontologies provide an overarching framework and vocabulary to describing system components and relationships. As such, they represent a means to devise, analyze and compare information systems. This research is investigating the development of a software-based ontology within the context of a rural wireless emergency management (EMS) system. Wireless EMS can be considered as an emergent system, as it has developed in response to the unprecedented growth of wireless as a means to communicate in emergency situations (e.g., mobiles now account for over 50% of emergency 911 calls). The research objective of this case study is to investigate the utility of a new ontology-based framework for wireless emergency response in rural Minnesota. The ontology is developed by integrating concepts and findings from in-depth field reviews in Minnesota into an ontological software originating out of bioinformatics. This software, Protege 2000, is an open source ontological software system developed by Stanford University’s Medical Informatics group. Using Protege 2000, this project has developed a wireless EMS ontological framework populated by the real data gathered within the case study. This EMS framework distinguishes between classes of systems, instances within the classes, and the relationships among classes and instances. The next step in the research program is to apply the ontological framework to a second case study in rural Minnesota. This case study will allow for use of the framework as a visually-oriented knowledgebase, including web-based performance information. It is expected that such an Internet use of ontology-based visually-oriented performance data will assist researchers and program managers with identifying basic problems in terms of technical and non-technical rural EMS performance issues, as well as advance the general field of ontology-driven IS systems.
Glucocorticoid effects on the skeletal muscle differentiation program: analysis of clonal proliferation, morphological differentiation and the expression of muscle-specific and regulatory genes.

We examined the effect of glucocorticoids on the proliferation and differentiation of skeletal muscle cells using the C2C12 cell line. We found that treatment with glucocorticoids enhanced muscle cell differentiation but had only minor effects on the clonal growth rate of C2C12 cells. The stimulatory effect of glucocorticoids on myogenic differentiation was reflected in the increased expression of muscle-specific genes, creatine kinase (CK) and acetylcholine receptor gamma subunit (AChR). Dexamethasone had no effect on CK and AChR mRNA stability and enhanced transcription from a CAT reporter genes containing the 3.3kb 5′ flanking region of the murine CK gene (−3300MCK-CAT). Since dexamethasone did not affect the expression levels of the myogenic regulatory genes such as myoD and myogenin, the enhancement of muscle-specific transcription might reflect an increase in the functional activity of the regulatory proteins. Other possible mechanisms involved in the differentiation-enhancing effect of glucocortico...
A Systematic Review on the Neural Effects of Music on Emotion Regulation: Implications for Music Therapy Practice

Background Emotion regulation (ER) is an internal process through which a person maintains a comfortable state of arousal by modulating one or more aspects of emotion. The neural correlates underlying ER suggest an interplay between cognitive control areas and areas involved in emotional reactivity. Although some studies have suggested that music may be a useful tool in ER, few studies have examined the links between music perception/production and the neural mechanisms that underlie ER and resulting implications for clinical music therapy treatment. Objectives of this systematic review were to explore and synthesize what is known about how music and music experiences impact neural structures implicated in ER, and to consider clinical implications of these findings for structuring music stimuli to facilitate ER. Methods A comprehensive electronic database search resulted in 50 studies that met predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Pertinent data related to the objective were extracted and study outcomes were analyzed and compared for trends and common findings. Results Results indicated there are certain music characteristics and experiences that produce desired and undesired neural activation patterns implicated in ER. Desired activation patterns occurred when listening to preferred and familiar music, when singing, and (in musicians) when improvising; undesired activation patterns arose when introducing complexity, dissonance, and unexpected musical events. Furthermore, the connection between music-influenced changes in attention and its link to ER was explored. Conclusions Implications for music therapy practice are discussed and preliminary guidelines for how to use music to facilitate ER are shared.
The Role of Cortical Alterations in Infantile strabismus

I thank Dr. Gallegos-Duarte for his interest my letter regarding the origin of DVD (Brodsky, 2011). Dr. Gallegos-Duarte’s intriguing investigations attempt to address the complex question of whethe...
Sampling reliability, spatial resolution, spatial precision, and extraction efficiency in droplet-based liquid microjunction surface sampling

RATIONALE Droplet-based liquid extraction approaches for spatially resolved surface sampling coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS) provide the ability to deal with complex sample matrices and to identify isomeric compounds not distinguishable by MS methods alone. Improvements in sampling reliability, spatial resolution, spatial precision and extraction efficiency are required to further the analytical utility of such sampling systems. METHODS An autosampler capable of droplet-based liquid extraction was coupled with an HPLC/MS system. Visual inspection of the junction formation between the probe and a glass surface allowed evaluation of the liquid junction formation reliability, spatial location and size as a function of variable parameters such as solvent composition, probe-to-surface distance and droplet volume during solvent dispense and aspiration. Quantitative analysis of a component from a model surface using a weak extraction solvent was used to evaluate the effect of extraction time and number of extraction cycles on analyte extraction efficiency. RESULTS Reliable junction formation, independent of other variable parameters, was realized simply by maintaining a maximum distance of 0.4 mm between the probe and the sample surface. The smallest liquid junction diameter (1.6 mm) was observed when using a 1 μL dispensed volume and 90% aqueous extraction solvent with either methanol or acetonitrile. Good sampling precision was always achieved using an extraction solvent with at least 50% methanol or acetonitrile by volume. Quantitative sampling of rhodamine B from a magenta Sharpie ink surface using a weak extraction solvent showed that extraction efficiency could be improved by increasing the extraction time or the number of extraction cycles. CONCLUSIONS A platform employing a commercially available autosampler coupled to HPLC/MS was developed and successfully applied to investigate the effect of different sampling parameters on the reliability, spatial resolution, spatial precision and extraction efficiency of the liquid junction surface sampling process. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
On learning with imperfect representations

In this paper we present a perspective on the relationship between learning and representation in sequential decision making tasks. We undertake a brief survey of existing real-world applications, which demonstrates that the classical “tabular” representation seldom applies in practice. Specifically, several practical tasks suffer from state aliasing, and most demand some form of generalization and function approximation. Coping with these representational aspects thus becomes an important direction for furthering the advent of reinforcement learning in practice. The central thesis we present in this position paper is that in practice, learning methods specifically developed to work with imperfect representations are likely to perform better than those developed for perfect representations and then applied in imperfect-representation settings. We specify an evaluation criterion for learning methods in practice, and propose a framework for their synthesis. In particular, we highlight the degrees of “representational bias” prevalent in different learning methods. We reference a variety of relevant literature as a background for this introspective essay.
Distributed Implementations of Vickrey-Clarke-Groves Mechanisms

Mechanism design (MD) provides a useful method to implement outcomes with desirable properties in systems with self-interested computational agents. One drawback, however, is that computation is implicitly centralized in MD theory, with a central planner taking all decisions.We consider distributed implementations, in which the outcome is determined by the self-interested agents themselves. Clearly this introduces new opportunities for manipulation.We propose a number of principles to guide the distribution of computation, focusing in particular on Vickrey-Clarke-Groves mechanisms for implementing outcomes that maximize total value across agents. Our solutions bring the complete implementation into an ex post Nash equilibrium.