cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Influence of needle type on the incidence of intravascular injection during transforaminal epidural injections: a comparison of short-bevel and long-bevel needles

Abstract Background context Vascular penetration and injection of corticosteroids into a vessel during lumbosacral transforaminal epidural injection is a suspected cause of myelopathy. Blunt needles have been suggested to avoid vascular penetration, but they are difficult to navigate. Another alternative to the standard long-bevel sharp needles is the short-bevel needles. Some have postulated that short-bevel needles are the best option for high-risk spine injections because they maintain navigation characteristics while potentially reducing the risk of complications. To date, no studies have been performed to either confirm or refute this. Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a difference in the incidence of vascular penetration during lumbosacral transforaminal epidural injections between short-bevel and long-bevel needles. Study design/setting This is a prospective, observational, in vivo study. Patient sample The sample comprises patients receiving lumbosacral transforaminal epidural injections at a university-based outpatient spine center. Outcome measure The outcome measure was the incidence of vascular contrast patterns observed under live fluoroscopy. Methods One interventional spine physician recorded contrast patterns observed during 158 fluoroscopically guided lumbosacral transforaminal epidural injections under live fluoroscopy using two different types of needle tips. Results Vascular injections were observed in 22 of the 158 injections, for an overall incidence of 13.9%. The incidence of vascular injections in the short-bevel group was 15.6% (10/64) and in the long-bevel group was 12.8% (12/94). This difference was not statistically significant (p=.6447). A secondary analysis was performed to determine if the needle gauge influenced the incidence of vascular injections, and again, there were no statistical differences in the overall rates of vascular injection. Conclusions In comparison with long-bevel needles, short-bevel needles do not reduce the risk of inadvertent vascular injection in lumbosacral transforaminal epidural injections.
Behavioral effects of phencyclidine (PCP) in the dog: A possible animal model of PCP toxicity in humans

Abstract The acute behavioral effects of PCP, given intravenously in doses of .25, .50, 1.00, 2.50 and 5.00 mg/kg, were examined in 8 male mongrel dogs tested in an open field arena. All doses produced an initial “eyes open” coma accompanied by tremors, rigidity, jerky limb movements, nystagmus, excessive salivation, head weaving, stiff tail, and stereotyped sniffing. In addition, doses of 1.0 mg/kg and above produced jaw snapping, opisthothonus and clonic/tonic seizures. Following recovery from coma, animals evinced pronounced hyperactivity and stereotyped circling. In contrast to other laboratory animal species, the behavioral effects produced by PCP in the dog are strikingly similar to those reported to occur in humans after PCP administration, suggesting that this species may provide an excellent laboratory animal model for studying PCP toxicity.
Investigation of the effects of dietary protein source on copper and zinc bioavailability in fishmeal and plant-based diets for rainbow trout

Abstract Limited research has examined the effects that dietary protein sources have on copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) absorption, interactions and utilization in rainbow trout. Therefore, the objective of the first trial was to determine what effect Cu source (complex vs. inorganic) and Cu concentration (0, 5, 10, 15, 20 ppm) had on rate and efficiency of gain and Cu tissue concentration in rainbow trout fed both plant-protein and animal-protein based diets. The second trial then examined if interactions occur due to increasing dietary content of Zn (0, 30, 300, 1500 ppm) in rainbow trout fed a plant-based diet. Results from the first trial demonstrated differences in growth and tissue mineral concentrations due to Cu concentration but not source. Trout fed plant-based diets had higher weight gain, improved feed conversion ratio and higher hepatic Cu concentration when compared to fishmeal-fed trout. Results from the second trial show that increasing dietary Zn supplementation increased whole body Zn and Cu at 12 weeks. No significant antagonism between Cu and Zn was observed in rainbow trout fed plant-based diets. Zn deficiency signs were observed at 12 weeks in trout fed a plant-based diet without Cu and Zn supplementation which included mortality, cataracts and caudal fin erosion. Results of these studies indicate that rainbow trout fed plant-based diets require both Cu and Zn supplementation at concentrations higher than those previously reported to maximize growth.
Real radical initial ideals

Abstract We explore the consequences of an ideal I ⊂ R [ x 1 , … , x n ] having a real radical initial ideal, both for the geometry of the real variety of I and as an application to sums of squares representations of polynomials. We show that if in w ( I ) is real radical for a vector w in the tropical variety, then w is in the logarithmic set of the real variety. We also give algebraic sufficient conditions for w to be in the logarithmic limit set of a more general semialgebraic set. If in addition w ∈ ( R > 0 ) n , then the corresponding quadratic module is stable. In particular, if in w ( I ) is real radical for some w ∈ ( R > 0 ) n then ∑ R [ x 1 , … , x n ] 2 + I is stable. This provides a method for checking the conditions for stability given by Powers and Scheiderer (2001) [PS] .
NMR structure of the KaiC-interacting C-terminal domain of KaiA, a circadian clock protein: implications for KaiA-KaiC interaction.

KaiA is a two-domain circadian clock protein in cyanobacteria, acting as the positive element in a feedback loop that sustains the oscillation. The structure of the N-terminal domain of KaiA is that of a pseudo-receiver, similar to those of bacterial response regulators, which likely interacts with components of the clock-resetting pathway. The C-terminal domain of KaiA is highly conserved among cyanobacteria and enhances the autokinase activity of KaiC. Here we present the NMR structure of the C-terminal domain of KaiA from the thermophilic cyanobacterium Thermosynechococcus elongatus BP-1. This domain adopts a novel all α-helical homodimeric structure. Several mutations known to affect the period of the circadian oscillator are shown to be located at an exposed groove near the dimer interface. This NMR structure and a 21-A-resolution electron microscopy structure of the hexameric KaiC particle allow us to postulate a mode of KaiA–KaiC interaction, in which KaiA binds a linker region connecting two globular KaiC domains.
Efficient Lobbying and Earmarked Taxes

This article investigates the impact of earmarking on tax revenues. By dedicat-ing revenues to a particular purpose, earmarking overcomes a free-rider problem among interest groups. The group receiving the benefits of the dedi cated revenues has a strong incentive to lobby for higher effective tax rates. This hypothesis is tested using data on the federal gasoline tax.
A bacterial gene involved in transcription antitermination: regulation at a rho-independent terminator in the bgl operon of E. coli

We have investigated the mechanism of regulation of the bgl operon in Escherichia coli K-12. A regulatory region has been located downstream of the bgl promoter, revealing a 130 base leader containing a sequence from +64 to +112 characteristic of a rho-independent terminator. In vitro, over 90% of the transcripts initiated at the bgl promoter terminate within the leader, at the 3' end of the terminator. Transcriptional fusions containing the terminator require the bglC gene in trans for expression; fusions deleted for the sequence show bglC-independent expression. A mutation resulting in partially constitutive expression of the fusion maps within the terminator. We propose that the bglC gene product mediates positive regulation of the bgl operon by functioning as an antiterminator at the rho-independent terminator located within the leader.
Diffraction-Limited 10 µm Imaging With 3 Meter Telescopes

We have constructed an infrared imaging system that achieves diffraction-limited spatial resolution (about 0.8 arc seconds) at 10 um on 3 meter ground-based telescopes. The system uses a linear array of sensitive HgCdTe photodiodes, scanned in the direction perpendicular to the array axis, to form two-dimensional images. Scans are completed rapidly enough to freeze atmospheric fluctuations. Individual detectors are small compared to the diameter of the Airy disk, and images are oversampled heavily in the scan direction. This method has a number of advantages for studying small fields with very high spatial resolution, and has been applied successfully to the problem of directly imaging faint circumstellar dust shells.
Raman Spectroscopic Studies of Surfactant Effect on the Water Structure around Hydrate Guest Molecules

The addition of a small amount of surfactants enhances hydrocarbon enclathration rates without any mechanical agitation, but the role of surfactants has yet to be clarified. This work presents the effect of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) on the water structure around cyclopentane (CP), a sII hydrate former, at the hydrate−water interface. The arrangement of local water molecules was obtained using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). The Raman spectra reveal that the water structure around CP at the water−hydrate interface is identical to the hexakaidecahedron (51264) cavity of sII hydrates at a SDS concentration higher than 0.087 mM. However, at the CP−water interface, with and without SDS, the water arrangement is clathrate-like. Additionally, we found that the microenvironment of CP in bulk aqueous solutions is close to that in hydrates at a SDS concentration higher than 0.35 mM.
Cardiogenic Oscillations on the Airflow Signal During Continuous Positive Airway Pressure as a Marker of Central Apnea

Therapeutic decisions in patients with sleep apnea ( eg , adjustment of continuous positive airway pressure[CPAP]) depend on differentiating central from obstructive apnea. Obstructive apnea is defined by cessation of airflow in the presence of continued respiratory effort, which is conventionally inferred from chest wall movement or intrathoracic pressure swings. Cardiogenic oscillations in the airflow have been observed during some central apneas, but there is controversy over whether they correlate with airway patency. The present study investigates whether these oscillations are markers of the absence of respiratory effort (central apnea) without regard to airway patency. Methods We examined 648 apneas in 52 patients undergoing nocturnal polysomnograms and CPAP titrations. Airflow was measured using the output of the CPAP generator, and apneas were identified from reduction of airflow to 10 s. We used only the presence or complete absence of thoracoabdominal motion to classify apneas: obstructive apnea when motion was present (297 apneas); and central apnea if motion was totally absent (351 apneas). Central apneas most often occurred at sleep onset or followed arousal with a big breath. Using only the flow signal, all apneas were examined for the presence of cardiogenic oscillation by an observer blinded to other signals and apnea types. Results No obstructive apnea showed definite cardiogenic oscillations. In four cases, there was a suggestion of oscillation that was not regular enough to be called cardiac. Sixty percent of central apneas showed clear, regular oscillations at cardiac frequency. Cardiogenic oscillations also were seen intermittently during quiet exhalation in apnea-free periods. Conclusion The presence of cardiogenic oscillations on the CPAP flow signal is a specific indicator of central apnea and may have a role in self-titrating CPAP algorithms. We speculate that transmission of these cardiac-induced oscillations may relate to the relaxation of thoracic muscles during central apnea and is impeded by high muscle tone during obstructive apnea.
Studies examining grammar interventions with children with Speech Language Impairment in situ are critical to establishing effectiveness

This review provides a summary and appraisal commentary on the treatment review by Smith-Lock, K., Leitao, S., Lambert, L., & Nickels, L. (2013). Effective intervention for expressive grammar in children with specific language impairment. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 48, 265–282.Source of funding and disclosure of interest: The work was funded by a Macquarie University Research Development Grant and the Australian Research Council Center of Excellence for Cognition and its Disorders. Original authors reported that there were no conflicts of interest.
Composition of the gut contents of third-instar tsetse larvae (Glossina morsitans westwood)

Abstract 1. 1. The tsetse fly nourishes its young, intra utero . 2. 2. The “milk” contains 48 per cent of dry weight as lipid. 3. 3. The free lipids contained are phospholipids, cholesterol, triglycerides and a number of unidentified lipids. 4. 4. The “milk” also contains 1·4 g/100 ml of tyrosine.
Lipopolysaccharide-induced human enterocyte tolerance to cytokine-mediated interleukin-8 production may occur independently of TLR-4/MD-2 signaling.

Intestinal epithelial cells (IEC) are constantly exposed to bacterial components, such as LPS, without triggering proinflammatory immune responses. This study demonstrates that chronic exposure of human-derived IEC to LPS induces tolerance to an endogenous inflammatory cytokine (IL-1β) activated IL-8 response that occurs independently of TLR-4/MD-2 signaling. IL-8 production in response to activation by unrelated TNF-α and PMA signaling pathways is also inhibited, indicating a broad-spanning tolerance. Quantitative rtPCR and IL-8 promoter-luciferase assays demonstrate that tolerance is regulated at the transcriptional level and occurs independently of IEC cytodifferentiation. By contrast, LPS does not significantly alter other proinflammatory signaling cascades in IEC that function independently of IL-8 production, e.g., IL-6 secretion and PEEC (Hepoxilin A3)-induced neutrophil transepithelial migration in response to invasive Salmonella typhimurium. Human IEC have therefore developed LPS-induced signaling cascades that promote an IL-8 hyporesponsiveness to proinflammatory cytokines while LPS exposure does not compromise the ability of IEC to mount other proinflammatory immune responses to invasive enteropathogens.
The ionization potential of neutral iron, Fe i, by multistep laser spectroscopy

Three-step laser excitation was used to populate and observe members of Rydberg series in neutral iron with high effective quantum numbers. These series converge to the ground and to the first excited state of singly ionized iron. The photoionization threshold was also observed. Analyses of the Rydberg series yield the value 63 737(1) cm−1 or 7.9024(1) eV as the ionization potential of neutral iron.
COMT Associations with Disordered Gambling and Drinking Measures

Disordered gambling and alcohol dependence are influenced by unique and shared genetic factors. Although the evidence is mixed, some research has linked catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) rs4680 (or COMT Val158Met) to the development of gambling or drinking problems; however, no molecular genetic study has jointly examined gambling and drinking problems. Furthermore, the majority of past studies examined gambling or drinking problems using a case–control design. The purpose of the current study was to examine associations of COMT rs4680 with dimensionally and categorically measured gambling and drinking problems in a nonclinical sample (139 Caucasian adults). The current study found that COMT rs4680 was related to both dimensionally and categorically measured gambling and drinking problems. It appears that the COMT Met/Met genotype may be a genetic risk factor that contributes to the development of both gambling and drinking problems.
Relay and antenna selection in multi-antenna amplify-and-forward (AF) systems with partial channel state information

This paper combines the idea of relay and antenna selection with that of partial channel state information (CSI) based precoding. We consider a non-regenerative two-hop relay network where all the nodes are equipped with multiple antennas. It is assumed that multiple relay nodes are available for cooperation and that the source and each individual relay have the full CSI of the source-relay channel. It is further assumed that each relay knows the spatial correlation matrix of relay-destination channel. The structure of the optimum precoders to minimize a tight lower-bound on the average received minimum mean square error (MMSE) at the source and the relays are then introduced. Using these precoders and based on a computationally efficient proposed method, the best relay and antenna subsets at the source and the relay are then selected to further minimize the MMSE. By simulation, we show that the proposed scheme provides a significant performance gain in terms of the bit error rate (BER).
Large Sample Properties of Parameter Estimates for Periodic ARMA Models

This paper studies the asymptotic properties of parameter estimates for causal and invertible periodic autoregressive moving-average (PARMA) time series models. A general limit result for PARMA parameter estimates with a moving-average component is derived. The paper presents examples that explicitly identify the limiting covariance matrix for parameter estimates from a general periodic autoregression (PAR), a first-order periodic moving average (PMA(1)), and the mixed PARMA(1,1) model. Some comparisons and contrasts to univariate and vector autoregressive moving-average sequences are made.
Stochastic Models of Residential and Geographic Mobility for Heterogeneous Populations

Methods of incorporating population heterogeneity into probability models of intermetropolitan and intrametropolitan mobility are discussed. Two models are described in detail. One allows for heterogeneous transition matrices; methods of estimating the distribution of transition matrices in the population are given. The other focuses on the propensity to move, and allows individuals to change on relevant characteristics over time, thus significantly extending previous models relating various background factors to mobility.
Benzenesulfonamide-peptide conjugates as probes for secondary binding sites near the active site of carbonic anhydrase

Abstract Libraries of N-(4-sulfamoylbenzoyl)oligoglycines terminated with different L-amino acids were screened to identify tight binding inhibitors of human carbonic anhydrase II. Inhibitors terminated with hydrophobic amino acids showed significant enhancements in binding compared to the corresponding glycine derivatives. No enhancements were observed due to polar interactions.
Generalizations of matrix monotonicity

Abstract The relationships between several conditions generalizing matrix monotonicity are studied.
First experiences with a combined usage of veno-arterial and veno-venous ECMO in therapy-refractory cardiogenic shock patients with cerebral hypoxemia

The use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is becoming a popular tool in the treatment of cardiogenic shock. We present two case reports where classical veno-arterial peripherally cannulated ECMO therapy proved insufficient with profuse cerebral hypoxemia. After augmenting the setting into veno-veno-arterial ECMO, we achieved a remarkable improvement of all oxygenation parameters. The simultaneous use of veno-venous and veno-arterial ECMO might display as a novel strategy to counteract the coronary and cerebral hypoxemia in veno-arterial ECMO therapy in patients with therapy-refractory cardiogenic shock or in combined cardiopulmonary failure. In this manuscript, the veno-veno-arterial ECMO setup is described in full detail and different venous cannulas are discussed.
Thermal mounding in high speed dry sliders: experiment, theory and comparison

Abstract Selected results (both new and old) from our research involving severe wear via thermal mounding in dry sliders (carbon graphite on copper) is presented. Highlighted will be the comparison of theory (simulations of the evolution of thermal, stress and fracture fields within a thermal amount mound that predict contact area size, wear particle size and shape, and estimate wear rate) with experiment (wear tests that plot wear rate (micrograms per second) vs. rotor speed and recently developed photoelastic techniques that have visualized the sliding interface and permitted direct measurement of contact areas and thermal mound lifetimes). Comparison of theory with experiment was based on Bryant's particle ejection theory established for wear associated with thermal mounding on carbon graphite sliders. Contact between a slider and rotor initiates a thermal mound cycle in which extreme temperatures evolving inside the slider concentrates the contact into a thermal mound; during simulations, stresses intensify until material strengths are exceeded and stress failure creates a microcrack. Simulations thereafter follow propagation of this incipient crack; fracture mechanics crack propagation studies provide data that predict wear particle size and shape. Using Bryant's particle ejection theory, theoretically and experimentally derived thermal mound lifetimes, wear particle sizes and shapes, and contact area sizes were compared. Theory and experiment agree well.
Biologic Therapies for the Treatment of Asthma

Asthma is a chronic disease of the airway whose pathogenesis involves the complex interplay between many cell types and inflammatory mediators. The mainstays of therapy, inhaled bronchodilators and corticosteroids, do not target the asthmatic airway specifically and therefore are associated with untoward side effects. Anti-IgE (omalizumab) is the only biologic therapy to have transitioned completely from bench to bedside. Other candidate therapies, such as those that alter the T-helper 1/T-helper 2 cytokine balance, interfere with inflammatory cell trafficking, or modify normal intracellular signaling cascades involved in inflammatory gene transcription, have had only limited success in human clinical trials. This article describes several potential novel biologic therapies that have been or could be investigated.
Rethinking Clinical Response and Outcome Assessment in a Biologic Age

Standardized response criteria for lymphoma are critical for the evaluation of new therapies. Widely adopted recommendations, most recently the Lugano classification, have been developed primarily for assessment of conventional chemotherapeutic regimens. More recently, several classes of drugs, including immunomodulatory agents, B cell receptor pathway targeting kinases, and checkpoint (PD-1, PDL-1) inhibitors have demonstrated impressive activity in a broad range of histologies. However, they may be associated with features during treatment suggestive of progressive disease despite clinical benefit. Immune response criteria have been proposed for solid tumors, and a modification is needed to be more applicable to lymphomas. Following treatment, conservative use of imaging is recommended based on clinical indications. As newer targeted agents with unique mechanisms of action are developed, current response and follow-up criteria must be made sufficiently flexible for optimal evaluation.
Experimental models for analysis of oligodendrocyte pathophysiology in stroke

White matter damage is a clinically important part of stroke. However, compared to the mechanisms of neuronal injury in gray matter, white matter pathophysiology remains relatively understudied and poorly understood. This mini-review aims at summarizing current knowledge on experimental systems for analyzing the role of white matter injury relevant to stroke. In vitro platforms comprise primary cultures of both mature oligodendrocytes (OLGs) as well as oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs). Tissue platforms involve preparations of optic nerve systems. Whole-animal platforms comprise in vivo models of cerebral ischemia that attempt to target white matter brain areas. While there is no single perfect model system, the collection of these experimental approaches have recently allowed a better understanding of the molecular and cellular pathways underlying OLG/OPC damage and demyelination. A systematic utilization of these cell, tissue and whole-animal platforms may eventually lead us to discover new targets for treating white matter injury in stroke and other CNS disorders.
Patient-specific radiation dose and cancer risk estimation in pediatric chest CT: a study in 30 patients

Radiation-dose awareness and optimization in CT can greatly benefit from a dosereporting system that provides radiation dose and cancer risk estimates specific to each patient and each CT examination. Recently, we reported a method for estimating patientspecific dose from pediatric chest CT. The purpose of this study is to extend that effort to patient-specific risk estimation and to a population of pediatric CT patients. Our study included thirty pediatric CT patients (16 males and 14 females; 0-16 years old), for whom full-body computer models were recently created based on the patients' clinical CT data. Using a validated Monte Carlo program, organ dose received by the thirty patients from a chest scan protocol (LightSpeed VCT, 120 kVp, 1.375 pitch, 40-mm collimation, pediatric body scan field-of-view) was simulated and used to estimate patient-specific effective dose. Risks of cancer incidence were calculated for radiosensitive organs using gender-, age-, and tissue-specific risk coefficients and were used to derive patientspecific effective risk. The thirty patients had normalized effective dose of 3.7-10.4 mSv/100 mAs and normalized effective risk of 0.5-5.8 cases/1000 exposed persons/100 mAs. Normalized lung dose and risk of lung cancer correlated strongly with average chest diameter (correlation coefficient: r = -0.98 to -0.99). Normalized effective risk also correlated strongly with average chest diameter (r = -0.97 to -0.98). These strong correlations can be used to estimate patient-specific dose and risk prior to or after an imaging study to potentially guide healthcare providers in justifying CT examinations and to guide individualized protocol design and optimization.
UTILIZATION OF WHOLE UNDEFATTED GLANDLESS COTTONSEED KERNELS AND SOYBEANS TO PROTEIN‐FORTIFY CORN TORTILLAS

Tortillas have long been recognized as the ideal vehicle for fortification to upgrade the nutritional status of peoples of the South and Southwest where tortillas are widely consumed. In previous work reported by the same authors, oilseed flours were used to protein-fortify corn flour used for the preparation of corn tortillas. In this work, we have found that tortillas can be protein-fortified by utilizing the traditional means of preparation and incorporating blends of undefatted glandless cottonseed kernels and soybeans with corn in sufficient quantities to provide a total of 12%, 15% and 18% protein in the blends. This provided a significant protein increase from 10.5% protein in the corn control to a maximum of 18% protein in the blends on a dry basis - a 42% increase in protein. Higher protein blends could not be successfully prepared with glandless cottonseed kernels because the increased oil became an objectionable factor. A dough preparation technique was developed which yielded fortified doughs that compared favorably with the corn control. In color comparisons made with a Hunter color-difference meter, 12% protein blend tortillas were comparable in color with the corn control. As the amount of oilseed increased in the protein blend above 12%, the color of the cooked tortillas increased as well. Ammo acid profiles of the cooked tortillas indicated that there is an increase in both the quality and quantity of protein when glandless cottonseed kernels and soybeans are utilized in blends with corn for making corn tortillas. Tortillas containing the different blends were submitted to a taste panel for sensory evaluation and the scores obtained were statistically analyzed. When all protein levels of a particular oilseed were considered together, at both 1% and 5% level of significance, taste panel members expressed no difference in overall satisfaction from the corn as compared to cottonseed-fortified tortillas. Furthermore both the control and cottonseed-fortified tortillas were preferred to soy or blend-fortified tortillas.
Learning Complex Boolean Functions: Algorithms and Applications

The most commonly used neural network models are not well suited to direct digital implementations because each node needs to perform a large number of operations between floating point values. Fortunately, the ability to learn from examples and to generalize is not restricted to networks of this type. Indeed, networks where each node implements a simple Boolean function (Boolean networks) can be designed in such a way as to exhibit similar properties. Two algorithms that generate Boolean networks from examples are presented. The results show that these algorithms generalize very well in a class of problems that accept compact Boolean network descriptions. The techniques described are general and can be applied to tasks that are not known to have that characteristic. Two examples of applications are presented: image reconstruction and hand-written character recognition.
Current Studies of Immunotherapy on Glioblastoma

Glioblastoma is a form of brain tumor with a very high morbidity and mortality. Despite decades of research, the best treatments currently in clinical practice only extend survival by a number of months. A promising alternative to conventional treatment for glioblastomas is immunotherapy. Although proposed over a century ago, the field of cancer immunotherapy has historically struggled to translate it into effective clinical treatments. Better understanding is needed of the various regulatory and co-stimulatory factors in the glioblastoma patient for more efficient immunotherapy treatments. The tumor microenvironment is anatomically shielded from normal immune-surveillance by the blood-brain barrier, irregular lymphatic drainage system, and it's in a potently immunosuppressive environment. Immunotherapy can potentially manipulate these forces effectively to enhance anti-tumor immune response and clinical benefit. New treatments utilizing the immune system show promise in terms of targeting and efficacy. This review article attempts to discuss current practices in glioblastoma treatment, the theory behind immunotherapy, and current research into various clinical trials.
Autoregulation of Periodontal Ligament Cell Phenotype and Functions by Transforming Growth Factor-β1

During orthodontic tooth movement, mechanical forces acting on periodontal ligament (PDL) cells induce the synthesis of mediators which alter the growth, differentiation, and secretory functions of cells of the PDL. Since the cells of the PDL represent a heterogeneous population, we examined mechanically stress-induced cytokine profiles in three separate clones of human osteoblast-like PDL cells. Of the four pro-inflammatory cytokines investigated, only IL-6 and TGF-beta1 were up-regulated in response to mechanical stress. However, the expression of other pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1 beta, TNF-alpha, or IL-8 was not observed. To understand the consequences of the increase in TGF-beta1 expression following mechanical stress, we examined the effect of TGF-beta1 on PDL cell phenotype and functions. TGF-beta1 was mitogenic to PDL cells at concentrations between 0.4 and 10 ng/mL. Furthermore, TGF-beta1 down-regulated the osteoblast-like phenotype of PDL cells, i.e., alkaline phosphatase activity, calcium phosphate nodule formation, expression of osteocalcin, and TGF-beta1, in a dose-dependent manner. Although initially TGF-beta1 induced expression of type I collagen mRNA, prolonged exposure to TGF-beta1 down-regulated the ability of PDL cells to express type I collagen mRNA. Our results further show that, within 4 hrs, exogenously applied TGF-beta1 down-regulated IL-6 expression in a dose-dependent manner, and this inhibition was sustained over a six-day period. In summary, the data suggest that mechanically stress-induced TGF-beta1 expression may be a physiological mechanism to induce mitogenesis in PDL cells while down-regulating its osteoblast-like features and simultaneously reducing the IL-6-induced bone resorption.
SLM/CCDD structures for high speed numerical computing and signal processing

The authors extend previous work concerning the development of novel spatial light modulators (SLMs)/charge-coupled devices detectors (CCDDs) based on optoelectronic architectures for performing high-speed numerical computing and signal processing. These architectures exploit the broadcast nature of light to achieve parallelism, thereby increasing throughput and reducing computing time. Architectures for performing basic vector and matrix multiplications are introduced. Various signal processing applications based on a simple SLM/CCDD-based device and its derivatives are also presented. >
Opposing roles of leukotrienes and prostaglandins in fibrotic lung disease

Lung fibrosis is a devastating disease that involves a variable degree of inflammation, alveolar epithelial injury, fibroblast hyperplasia and the deposition of extracellular matrix. Standard therapies that consist of corticosteroids and immunosuppressive agents offer little benefit and most patients experience a progressive deterioration in lung function which is ultimately fatal within 2–5 years of diagnosis. New pathogenetic insights and therapeutic approaches are badly needed. Eicosanoids are lipid mediators derived from arachidonic acid metabolism, the best studied of which are prostaglandins and leukotrienes. Although these mediators are primarily known for their roles in asthma, pain, fever and vascular responses, they also exert relevant effects on immune and inflammatory cells as well as structural cells such as epithelial cells and fibroblasts – cell types which participate in fibrogenesis. In general, leukotrienes promote while prostaglandin E2 opposes fibrogenic responses. Lung fibrosis is ass...
Salmon on fregean approaches to the paradox of analysis

L'A. etudie la critique de la version churchienne du fregeanisme que developpe N. Salmon a partir du rejet de la solution du Paradoxe de l'Analyse proposee par le programme Frege-Church. L'A. prend position contre Salmon et maintient l'impossibilite de ce qu'il nomme la synonymie absolue de Frege qui designe l'interchangeabilite des termes dans un contexte intensionnel
The ruggedness of protein–protein energy landscape and the cutoff for 1/rn potentials

Motivation: Computational studies of the energetics of protein association are important for revealing the underlying fundamental principles and for designing better tools to model protein complexes. The interaction cutoff contribution to the ruggedness of protein–protein energy landscape is studied in terms of relative energy fluctuations for 1/rn potentials based on a simplistic model of a protein complex. This artificial ruggedness exists for short cutoffs and gradually disappears with the cutoff increase. Results: The critical values of the cutoff were calculated for each of 11 popular power-type potentials with n=0÷9, 12 and for two thresholds of 5% and 10%. The artificial ruggedness decreases to tolerable thresholds for cutoffs larger than the critical ones. The results showed that for both thresholds the critical cutoff is a non-monotonic function of the potential power n. The functions reach the maximum at n=3÷4 and then decrease with the increase of the potential power. The difference between two cutoffs for 5% and 10% artificial ruggedness becomes negligible for potentials decreasing faster than 1/r12. The analytical results obtained for the simple model of protein complexes agree with the analysis of artificial ruggedness in a dataset of 62 protein–protein complexes, with different parameterizations of soft Lennard–Jones potential and two types of protein representations: all-atom and coarse-grained. The results suggest that cutoffs larger than the critical ones can be recommended for protein–protein potentials. Contact: [email protected]
Viral Determinants of Polarized Assembly for the Murine Leukemia Virus

Retrovirus transmission via direct cell-cell contact is more efficient than diffusion through the extracellular milieu. This is believed to be due to the ability of viruses to efficiently coordinate several steps of the retroviral life cycle at cell-cell contact sites (D. C. Johnson et al., J. Virol. 76:1–8, 2002; D. M. Phillips, AIDS 8:719–731, 1994; Q. Sattenau, Nat. Rev. Microbiol. 6:815–826, 2008). Using the murine leukemia virus (MLV) as a model retrovirus, we have previously shown that interaction between viral envelope (Env) and receptor directs viral assembly to cell-cell contact sites to promote efficient viral spreading (J. Jin et al., PLoS Biol. 7:e1000163, 2009). In addressing the underlying mechanism, we observed that Env cytoplasmic tail directs this contact-induced polarized assembly. We present here the viral determinants in the Env cytoplasmic tail and Gag that are important in this process. A tyrosine residue within the cytoplasmic tail of Env was identified, which directs polarized assembly. MLV matrix-mediated membrane targeting is required for Gag recruitment to sites of cell-cell contact. Our results suggest that MLV polarized assembly is mediated by a direct or indirect interaction between both domains, thereby coupling Gag recruitment and virus assembly to Env accumulation at the cell-cell interface. In contrast, HIV Gag that assembles outside of cell-cell interfaces can subsequently be drawn into contact zones mediated by MLV Env and receptor, a finding that is consistent with the previously observed lateral movement of HIV into the virological synapse (W. Hubner et al., Science 323:1743–1747, 2009; D. Rudnicka et al., J. Virol. 83:6234–6246, 2009). As such, we observed two distinct modes of virus cell-to-cell transmission that involve either polarized or nonpolarized assembly, but both result in virus transmission.
Mapping and monitoring riparian vegetation distribution, structure and composition with regression tree models and post-classification change metrics

Riparian systems have become increasingly susceptible to both natural and human disturbances as cumulative pressures from changing land use and climate alter the hydrological regimes. This article introduces a landscape dynamics monitoring protocol that incorporates riparian structural classes into the land-cover classification scheme and examines riparian change within the context of surrounding land-cover change. We tested whether Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) imagery could be used to document a riparian tree die-off through the classification of multi-date Landsat images using classification and regression tree (CART) models trained with physiognomic vegetation data. We developed a post-classification change map and used patch metrics to examine the magnitude and trajectories of riparian class change relative to mapped disturbance parameters. Results show that catchments where riparian change occurred can be identified from land-cover change maps; however, the main change resulting from the die-off dist...
Are There Limits to Growth? Examining the Evidence

In recent decades there has been considerable discussion in academia and the media about the environmental impacts of human activity, especially those related to climate change and biodiversity. Far less attention has been paid to the diminishing resource base for humans. Due to our inattention, resource depletion and population growth have been continuing relentlessly. The most immediate of these issues appears to be a decline in oil production, a phenomenon commonly referred to as «peak oil,» because global production of conventional oil appears to have reached a maximum and may now be declining. However, a set of related resource and economic issues are continuing to come home to roost in ever greater numbers and impacts—water, wood, soil, fish, gold, and copper—so much so that author Richard Heinberg [1, 2] speaks of «peak everything.» We believe that these issues were set out well and basically accurately by a series of scientists in the middle of the last century and that events are demonstrating that their original ideas were mostly sound. Many of these ideas were spelled out explicitly in a landmark book called The Limits to Growth, published in 1972 [3]. In the 1960s and 1970s, during our formative years in graduate school, our curricula and our thoughts were strongly influenced by the writings of ecologists and computer scientists who spoke clearly and eloquently about the growing collision between increasing numbers of people—and their enormously increasing material needs—and the finite resources of the planet. The oil-price shocks and long lines at gasoline stations in the 1970s confirmed in the minds of many that the basic arguments of these researchers were correct and that humans were facing some sort of limits to growth. It was extremely clear to us in 1970 that the growth culture of the American economy had limits imposed by nature, such that, for example, the first author made very conservative retirement plans based on his estimate that we would be experiencing the effects of peak oil just about the time of his expected retirement in 2008. In fact it was a wise decision, as many less conservative plans lost one third to one half of their value in the crash of 2008.
Primary Tumors of the Foot and Ankle

Tumors of the foot and ankle are rarely encountered in the general patient population. Even among studies of tumor patients, foot and ankle neoplasms are uncommon. Given the weight-bearing demands ...
Disability Awareness and Etiquette: Transforming Perceptions Through a Series of Experiential Exercises

AbstractIndividuals with disabilities represent one of the largest and most diverse subgroups within the population. Because of this diversity and the potential for many disabilities to be hidden, however, biases exist regarding what these individuals may look like or how they may act. The majority of these perceptions focus on inabilities as opposed to abilities despite the risk for all individuals to possess or develop a disability. Therefore, there is an increased need to address these issues. As such, this article involves a discussion regarding the integration of several experiential activities to target disability awareness, including information regarding the rationale, assumptions, objectives, and outcomes of these techniques as well as potential adaptations across various groups.
Chapter 4 – Commentary

Publisher Summary The reciprocal relationship between self, identity, and emotion is a nearly universal element in identity theories. The idea that emotions arise as the result of successful and unsuccessful performances of identities is key to the two most developed, formal theories of identity and emotion in contemporary sociology, as well. The two major theories of emotion in the more quantitative, structural branch of symbolic interaction are Affect Control and Identity Control Theory. Both theories emphasize the central role of identity meanings and the ability of social interactions to sustain them in producing emotional responses. Both theories share a common basis in Powers' cybernetic control model of perception and so have as their central mechanism the comparison between a reference signal and input from the situational context in which the actor is embedded. Social Identity Theory developed by European psychologists describes the relationship between social structure and the self-concept. It focuses on the meanings afforded to the self by identification with various groups. Positive emotion arises from group identification, especially with culturally valued categories.
Metabolic and cardiodynamic responses of isolated turtle hearts to ischemia and reperfusion

We used 31P and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to measure intracellular pH, high energy phosphates, and lactate levels in hearts of turtles (Chrysemys picta bellii) subjected to 1.5 h of global ischemia followed by reperfusion. We simultaneously monitored maximum ventricular developed pressure (Pmax), maximal rate of pressure development (dP/dtmax), rate-pressure product (RPP), cardiac output, and heart rate and also measured lactate efflux from the hearts during reperfusion. Our goal was to test the hypothesis that turtle hearts would prove tolerant of prolonged global ischemia at 20 degrees C and would recover completely on reperfusion without any indication of ischemia-or reperfusion-related injury. The 1.5 h of ischemia resulted in decreases in phosphocreatine and ATP to 31.4 +/- 2.8 and 87.3 +/- 6.3% of control, respectively, while Pi rose to 236.6 +/- 26.3%. Intracellular pH decreased during this period from 7.38 +/- 0.02 to 6.87 +/- 0.04. Most of these changes occurred during the first 30 min. Tissue lactate rose during 1.5 h of ischemia from approximately 1.5 to 22.3 mumol/g wet tissue wt. However, the rate of lactate production was much higher during the first 21 min of ischemia (0.41 mumol.g-1.min-1) than during the remaining 70 min (0.10 mumol.g-1.min-1). With the onset of ischemia, Pmax, dP/dtmax, RPP, and heart rate all decreased dramatically with roughly the same time course as the changes in high-energy phosphates and intracellular pH. On reperfusion, turtle hearts rapidly restored high-energy phosphates, intracellular pH, lactate, and cardiodynamics to control levels, usually within 15-30 min, with no evidence of reperfusion injury.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Retirement Annuity and Employment-Based Pension Income

This paper reports recent data from the March 2004 Current Population Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau confirming earlier findings that gender, marital status, age, education, and other demographic variables have a significant impact on the likelihood of a worker receiving a retirement annuity and/or employment-based pension income in retirement. There may also be a strong correlation between these same variables and the amount of pension income received from employment-based retirement plans. The PDF for the above title, published in the February 2005 issue of EBRI Notes, also contains the fulltext of another February 2005 EBRI Notes article abstracted on SSRN: "The Relationship Between Income and Health Insurance: Rethinking the Use of Family Income in the Current Population Survey."
X-Ray Diffraction and Mössbauer Effect Measurements near a Valence Transition

EuPd2Si2 manifests the largest most rapid temperature induced valence change of any Eu compound.1,2 Transport, magnetic and lattice measurements all show strong anomalies in the 50 K interval centered on the continuous transition temperature of about 150K.