cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Laser-activated perfluorocarbon nanodroplets as a new tool for image-guided blood brain barrier opening and delivery of imaging/therapeutic agents to the brain

Perfluorocarbon nanodroplets (PFCnDs) are a tool used in ultrasound (US) as a contrast agent and therapeutic delivery vehicle. When loaded with a photoabsorber, PFCnDs can also provide photoacoustic (PA) contrast, as they undergo a laser-triggered phase change from droplet to bubble. Utilizing this phase-changing behavior, we have investigated the ability of laser-activated PFCnDs to open the blood brain barrier (BBB) and deliver an encapsulated photoabsorber across the BBB. This method of BBB opening could enable non-invasive delivery of contrast or therapeutics to the brain tissue under US/PA image guidance, resulting in a safe, efficient, and cost-effective approach to studying neurological diseases.
A speed-based approach to vestibular rehabilitation for peripheral vestibular hypofunction: A retrospective chart review.

Background Current vestibular rehabilitation for peripheral vestibular hypofunction is an exercise-based approach that improves symptoms and function in most, but not all patients, and includes gaze stabilization exercises focused on duration of head movement. One factor that may impact rehabilitation outcomes is the speed of head movement during gaze stability exercises. Objective Examine outcomes of modified VOR X1 exercises that emphasize a speed-based approach for gaze stabilization while omitting substitution and habituation exercises. Balance training focused on postural realignment and hip strategy performance during altered visual and somatosensory inputs. Methods A retrospective chart review of 159 patients with vestibular deficits was performed and five outcome measures were analyzed. Results All outcomes - self-report dizziness and balance function, dynamic gait index, modified clinical test of sensory interaction and balance, and clinical dynamic visual acuity improved significantly and approached or achieved normal scores. Conclusions The combination of modified VOR X1 gaze stability exercises, wherein patients achieved high-velocity head movement (240°/s) during short exercise bouts, with "forced use" gait and balance exercises for postural realignment and hip strategy recruitment, achieved 93-99% of normal scores for all five outcomes. These results compare favorably to the outcomes for current VR techniques and warrant further investigation.
Therapy-Related Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia

Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) uncommonly occurs following exposure to cytotoxic drugs or ionizing radiation as a therapy-related myeloid neoplasm (t-MN), classified as therapy-related APL (t-APL). However, the clinical and pathologic features of t-APL closely resemble those of de novo APL, and t-APL is associated with a similarly favorable prognosis. Investigation into the molecular pathogenesis of t-APL has revealed novel mechanisms of leukemogenesis and consequently has provided insights into de novo APL development. This chapter will cover disease features, pathogenesis, treatment options, and outcomes for t-APL.
From the Editor—Why Government?

(2013). From the Editor—Why Government? Journal of Public Affairs Education: Vol. 19, No. 1, pp. ii-iv.
Ethnic and Gender Differences in Self-Reported Achievement and Achievement-Related Attitudes in Secondary School Students in Trinidad

In this study, self-reported achievement, achievement-related behaviours, and achievement-related attitudes of 1,434 students attending secondary schools in Trinidad were examined. Females reported higher achievement than males, and males reported cutting class more than females, and both of these differences yielded medium effect sizes. Females also reported completing homework more frequently and higher academic perceived life chances than males. East Indian students reported higher achievement, homework completion, time on schoolwork, and academic perceived life chances than their Black and Mixed counterparts, as well as spending less time with friends during the week and lower rates of cutting class. However, all of the ethnic comparisons yielded low effect sizes. Given the differences found and the potential for achievement differences to increase over time, more research on gender and ethnic group differences is recommended.
Normal Lymph Node Architecture and Function

Lymph nodes are part of the immune system and play a critical role in innate and adaptive immune responses. Lymphatic vessels channel lymph to nodes spread throughout the body. As lymph enters nodes through afferent channels, it percolates through the subcapsular sinus into delicate sinusoidal vasculature until it exits through the nodal medulla into efferent lymphatics. As lymph traverses the nodal parenchyma, antigens are brought in contact with the effector cells of the adaptive immune system begin a cascade of immune processes that allow recognition and ultimately neutralization of foreign antigens and pathogens. Blood enters and exits the lymph node through hilar arterioles and venules, respectively. Within the substance of the lymph node, blood passes through specialized vascular segments called high-endothelial venules. Lymph nodes are part of the so-called secondary lymphoid system, which also includes the spleen and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue. Primary lymphoid organs are the bone marrow and thymus, the sites of B-cell and T-cell production.
When is a Deleuzian becoming

Much has been written recently about the Deleuzian concept of becoming. Most of that writing, especially in feminist criticism, has drawn from the later collaborations with Guattari. However, the concept of a becoming arises earlier and appears more consistently across the trajectory of Deleuze's work than the discussion of specific becomings might lead one to believe. In this paper, I trace the concept of becoming in Deleuze's work, and specifically in the earlier works. By doing so, I hope to shed some light on the specific becomings that are the focus of the collaborative work with Guattari, and to deepen an understanding of the concept in general.
Study protocol: a cluster randomized controlled trial of web-based decision support tools for increasing BRCA1/2 genetic counseling referral in primary care

BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations confer a substantial breast risk of developing breast cancer to those who carry them. For this reason, the United States Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) has recommended that all women be screened in the primary care setting for a family history indicative of a mutation, and women with strong family histories of breast or ovarian cancer be referred to genetic counseling. However, few high-risk women are being routinely screened and fewer are referred to genetic counseling. To address this need we have developed two decision support tools that are integrated into clinical care. This study is a cluster randomized controlled trial of high-risk patients and their health care providers. Patient-provider dyads will be randomized to receive either standard education that is supplemented with the patient-facing decision aid, RealRisks, and the provider-facing Breast Cancer Risk Navigation Toolbox (BNAV) or standard education alone. We will assess these tools’ effectiveness in promoting genetic counseling uptake and informed and shared decision making about genetic testing. If found to be effective, these tools can help integrate genomic risk assessment into primary care and, ultimately, help expand access to risk-appropriate breast cancer prevention options to a broader population of high-risk women. This trial is retrospectively registered with ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03470402 : 20 March 2018.
Differences in Physiological Influences on Heart Rate Recovery between Trained and Untrained Adults

The purpose of this study was to evaluate differences in heart rate recovery (HRr) in trained and untrained adults, while assessing the role of physiological and emotional factors. Eighteen untrained and 21 trained participants completed a maximal exercise test and a 20-min treadmill exercise at 55–70% heart rate reserve, and emotional state was assessed prior to exercise. Multiple regression was used to assess relationships between heart rate recovery and physiological and emotional assessments. The trained group had a higher relative maximal oxygen consumption (p < 0.001), lower resting heart rate (p < 0.001), and faster short- and long-term heart rate recovery (p < 0.05) than the untrained group. Resting heart rate was the most predictive measure with HRr for the trained group (R = 0.551–0.818), whereas resting heart rate, maximal heart rate, and fitness were predictors of recovery in the untrained group (R = 0.764–0.977). The results show the predominant parasympathetic influence on HRr in the trained group, but indicates influence of fitness and exercise intensity on recovery in the untrained group. Thus, fitness appears to influence HRr in those only with low fitness. This notion may help influence the behavior of untrained individuals to improve fitness to reduce risk of mortality and morbidity.
Combining in vivo and in vitro biomechanical data reveals key roles of perivascular tethering in central artery function

Considerable insight into effectors of cardiovascular function can be gleaned from controlled studies on mice, especially given the diverse models that are available. Toward this end, however, there is a need for consistent and complementary methods of in vivo and in vitro data analysis, synthesis, and interpretation. The overall objective of this study is twofold. First, we present new semi-automated methods to quantify in vivo measurements of vascular function in anesthetized mice as well as new approaches to synthesize these data with those from in vitro biaxial mechanical characterizations. Second, we contrast regional differences in biomechanical behaviors along the central vasculature by combining biaxial strains measured in vivo with data on the unloaded geometry and biaxial material properties measured in vitro. Results support the hypothesis that the healthy ascending aorta stores significant elastic energy during systole, which is available to work on the heart and blood during diastole, particularly during periods of physical exertion, and further suggest that perivascular tethering allows arteries to work at lower values of wall stress and material stiffness than often assumed. The numerous measurements of vascular function and properties provided herein can also serve as reference values for normal wild-type male and female mice, to which values for myriad genetic, surgical, and pharmacological models can be compared in future studies.
Using Gesture, Gaze, and Combination Input Schemes as Alternatives to the Computer Mouse:

Novel input devices can increase the bandwidth between users and their devices. Traditional desktop computing uses windows, icons, menus, and pointers – an interface built for the computer mouse an...
Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor versus placebo in addition to penicillin G in a randomized blinded study of gram-negative pneumonia sepsis: analysis of survival and multisystem organ failure.

Sepsis is a common cause of morbidity and mortality. Neutrophils are the major defense against bacterial invasion, and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) augments both neutrophil number and function. In our study, 160 rabbits were inoculated transtracheally with 0.5 mL of a solution containing 10(4) colony forming units per milliliter of Pasteurella multocida. Twenty-four hours later, chest x-rays and quantitative blood cultures demonstrated pneumonia and bacteremia. Therapy was then begun with penicillin G and either recombinant human G-CSF (rG-CSF; 5 to 8 micrograms/kg subcutaneously) or placebo every day for 5 days. Arterial blood gases and 23 other parameters of organ function were performed before inoculation and serially thereafter. All rabbits underwent histologic examination of organs at the time of septic death or when sacrificed on day 6. A total of 149 rabbits survived long enough to initiate therapy. A significant increase in leukocytes by day 4 was found in the rG-CSF-treated group. There was a trend towards improved survival in the rG-CSF group (77% v 67%; P = .13, n = 149). Analysis of pretreatment variables revealed sepsis-induced leukopenia (< or = 2,800/microL) as the only predictor of significantly improved survival with rG-CSF treatment (57% v 39%; P = .04, n = 73). The majority of the survival benefit occurred within the first 24 hours of treatment. This was before the time that a significant difference in mean white blood cell (WBC) count was observed between the study groups, making intravascular leukocytosis an unlikely explanation for the survival advantage in the rG-CSF group. No significant difference in laboratory variables reflecting organ function was demonstrated between the groups. Histologic grading of inflammation (0, normal, to 6, necrosis) in seven organs revealed that the surviving rabbits had mild but statistically significant increased inflammation in the liver, spleen, and noninoculated lung in the rG-CSF versus placebo groups (liver: 2.6 v 1.5, P < or = .0001; spleen: 3.2 v 2.3, P < or = .0001; and noninoculated lung: 2.9 v 2.5, P = .04). Administration of rG-CSF, in addition to penicillin G, in immune competent rabbits with gram-negative sepsis complicated by leukopenia significantly improved survival over antibiotics alone. The administration of rG-CSF in early sepsis for a short therapeutic duration was not associated with any clinically evident toxicity. Clinical trials using rG-CSF in septic patients with leukopenia are indicated.
Environmental heterogeneity can tip the population genetics of range expansions.

Throughout evolution, countless populations have expanded their territories by invading new areas. This invasion can happen on the scale of kilometers and millennia – such as when humans migrated out of Africa – or millimeters and months, such as the growth of a population of cells in a solid tumor. During this expansion, mutations can occur that can either increase or decrease fitness in the new territory. If a favorable mutation occurs at the edge of the population, then it has plenty of room to expand. Such a mutation has a high chance of becoming established, and so it can have a very strong impact on the genetic makeup of the population. This increase in evolutionary advantage in individuals at the front is called “gene surfing”. This phenomenon is well known in populations living in “homogeneous” territories, where the new space a population is invading is more or less the same as the one they already occupy – think of the endless flat grasslands of the Siberian steppes. But in reality, many territories are not like that. What happens if the new territory is not completely homogeneous? For instance, if a species’ expansion is impeded by a mountain range with a series of valleys. Gralka and Hallatschek investigated how such changes in landscape could affect phenomena like gene surfing. Experiments using E. coli as a model system and computer simulations showed that a varied environment – such as roughness akin to a mountain range and valleys, but on a bacterial scale – had a strong influence on the fate of mutations arising in a population. Whether the environment is favorable for expansion or not in the place where the mutation happens becomes much more important than how the mutation itself affects fitness. So, if a beneficial mutation occurs at a cliff-edge, it is not likely to get far. But if it happens at a population edge by the bacterial equivalent of gently rolling hills, there is a much better chance of the mutation taking hold. The findings suggest that the amount a population can adapt during expansion is limited, and it can even lead to the spread of harmful mutations in a population if they occur in just the right spot. Piecing together these scenarios is important in order to accurately infer the evolutionary history of a species based on mutations present in its genome now. This type of knowledge can also be useful in developing new treatments for cancers, making use of these evolutionary processes to slow or halt a tumor’s expansion.
Identification of a chimeric emm gene and novel emm pattern in currently circulating strains of emm4 Group A Streptococcus.

Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is classified on the basis of the sequence of the gene encoding the M protein (emm) and the patterns into which emm types are grouped. We discovered a novel emm pattern in emm4 GAS, historically considered pattern E, arising from a fusion event between emm and the adjacent enn gene. We identified the emm–enn fusion event in 51 out of 52 emm4 GAS strains isolated by national surveillance in 2015. GAS isolates with an emm–enn fusion event completely replaced pattern E emm4 strains over a 4-year span in Houston (2013–2017). The novel emm–enn gene fusion and new emm pattern has potential vaccine implications.
A Double Humanized BLT-mice Model Featuring a Stable Human-Like Gut Microbiome and Human Immune System.

Humanized mice (hu-mice) that feature a functional human immune system have fundamentally changed the study of human pathogens and disease. They can be used to model diseases that are otherwise difficult or impossible to study in humans or other animal models. The gut microbiome can have a profound impact on human health and disease. However, the murine gut microbiome is very different than the one found in humans. There is a need for improved pre-clinical hu-mice models that have an engrafted human gut microbiome. Therefore, we created double hu-mice that feature both a human immune system and stable human-like gut microbiome. NOD.Cg-PrkdcscidIl2rgtm1Wjl/SzJ (NSG) mice are one of the best animals for humanization due to their high level of immunodeficiency. However, germ-free NSG mice, and various other important germ-free mice models are not currently commercially available. Further, many research settings do not have access to gnotobiotic facilities, and working under gnotobiotic conditions can often be expensive and time consuming. Importantly, germ-free mice have several immune deficiencies that exist even after the engraftment of microbes. Therefore, we developed a protocol that does not require germ-free animals or gnotobiotic facilities. To generate double hu-mice, NSG mice were treated with radiation prior to surgery to create bone-marrow, liver, thymus-humanized (hu-BLT) mice. The mice were then treated with broad spectrum antibiotics to deplete the pre-existing murine gut microbiome. After antibiotic treatment, the mice were given fecal transplants with healthy human donor samples via oral gavage. Double hu-BLT mice had unique 16S rRNA gene profiles based on the individual human donor sample that was transplanted. Importantly, the transplanted human-like microbiome was stable in the double hu-BLT mice for the duration of the study up to 14.5 weeks post-transplant.
Off the paper and into the dance: investigating preservice elementary teachers’ experiences with dynamic spatial reasoning choreography tasks

This study aimed to empirically investigate preservice teachers’ learning experiences during a series of geometry-themed choreography and dance activities. These pedagogical tasks were designed to ...
Abstract PO-129: High expression of MKK3 correlates with poor clinical outcomes in African American breast cancer patients

African American women experience a 2-fold higher incidence of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and are 40% more likely to die from breast cancer than women of other ethnicities. Previous studies have revealed a higher frequency of inactivating mutations in multiple tumor suppressor genes in African American breast cancer patients as compared to White patients. However, the molecular bases for the survival disparity in breast cancer remain unclear, and no race-specific therapeutically actionable targets have been proposed. To address this clinical need, we took the computational systems biology approach to uncover new potentially druggable genes that contribute in poor clinical outcomes of African American breast cancer patients. Through a comprehensive analysis of gene expression and survival data determined for The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) breast cancer patient cohort, we found that more than 30% of all protein-coding genes are differentially expressed in White and African American breast cancer patients. The cluster analysis of co- regulated genes combined with the pathway enrichment analysis revealed a strong association of genes upregulated in African American patients with major oncogenic processes including cell cycle regulation, immunodeficiency, and oxidative phosphorylation. We have further identified more than 30 genes whose overexpression correlates with worsened clinical outcomes of African American breast cancer patients but not White patients. Among those genes, the overexpression of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 3 (MKK3) has one of the most dramatic and race-specific impacts on the survival of African American TNBC patients. We found that MKK3 can promote the TNBC tumorigenesis in African American patients in part by activating the master regulator MYC through protein- protein interaction. Together, this study uncovered new genetic features and molecular mechanisms of breast cancer tumorigenesis. As one example, we discovered new functional connectivity between poor clinical outcomes of African American TNBC patients and activation of the MYC transcriptional program through MKK3 signaling. These findings may open new opportunities for clinical investigations to reduce the survival disparity in breast cancer. Citation Format: Xuan Yang, Mohamed Amgad, Lee A.D. Cooper, Yuhong Du, Haian Fu, Andrey A. Ivanov. High expression of MKK3 correlates with poor clinical outcomes in African American breast cancer patients [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Conference: Thirteenth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2020 Oct 2-4. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(12 Suppl):Abstract nr PO-129.
Sources and biodegradability of dissolved organic matter in two headwater peatland catchments at the Marcell Experimental Forest, northern Minnesota, USA

Where they are present in catchments, peatlands are a dominant source of dissolved organic matter (DOM) to surrounding waterways due, in part, to high production rates. Despite the preponderance of peatlands in northern latitudes and expected peatland vulnerability to climate change, little is known about peatland DOM degradation relative to a more comprehensive understanding of degradation when DOM is sourced from upland-dominated catchments. We compared DOM biodegradability of various sources of stream water in two catchments having peatlands (22%–33% of the area) surrounded by upland forests (70%–90% of the area, either deciduous or coniferous). We measured total organic carbon (TOC), and biodegradable dissolved organic carbon concentrations; bacterial respiration rates; streamflow; and upland runoff during and after snowmelt (March to June, 2009–2011). We also explored if DOM in upland runoff stimulated biodegradation of peatland-derived DOM (i.e., a priming effect), and if forest cover type affected DOM biodegradability. As expected, the peatlands were the largest sources of both water (72%–80%) and TOC (92%– 96%) to the streams although more area in each catchment was in uplands (70%– 90%). Several results were unexpected, yet revealing: (1) DOM from peatlands sometimes had the same biodegradability as DOM from uplands, (2) upland sources of DOM had negligible effects on biodegradability in the peatland and downstream, and (3) upland deciduous cover did not yield more degradable DOM than conifer cover. The most pronounced effect of upland runoff was dilution of downstream TOC concentrations when there was upland runoff. Overall, the effects of upland DOM may have been negligible due to the overriding effect of the large amount of biodegradable DOM that originated in bogs. This research highlights that peatland-sourced DOM has important effects on downstream DOM biodegradability even in catchments where upland area is substantially larger than peatland area.
Analysis of the Optimization Landscape of Linear Quadratic Gaussian (LQG) Control

This paper revisits the classical Linear Quadratic Gaussian (LQG) control from a modern optimization perspective. We analyze two aspects of the optimization landscape of the LQG problem: 1) connectivity of the set of stabilizing controllers $\mathcal{C}_n$; and 2) structure of stationary points. It is known that similarity transformations do not change the input-output behavior of a dynamical controller or LQG cost. This inherent symmetry by similarity transformations makes the landscape of LQG very rich. We show that 1) the set of stabilizing controllers $\mathcal{C}_n$ has at most two path-connected components and they are diffeomorphic under a mapping defined by a similarity transformation; 2) there might exist many \emph{strictly suboptimal stationary points} of the LQG cost function over $\mathcal{C}_n$ and these stationary points are always \emph{non-minimal}; 3) all \emph{minimal} stationary points are globally optimal and they are identical up to a similarity transformation. These results shed some light on the performance analysis of direct policy gradient methods for solving the LQG problem.
An investigation of auroral E region energy exchange using Poker Flat Incoherent Scatter Radar observations during fall equinox conditions

Key Points: 8 • E region energy transfer rates are estimated from PFISR measurements for the 9 first time. 10 • The electromagnetic energy transfer rate and the Joule heating rate are larger in 11 ...
The Institution of Private Ownership: Introductory Essays

One of the appealing aspects of property writing today is the willingness of so many scholars to engage the field a whole, backing away from details and assessing the big picture. It is much-needed work given the importance of private ownership as a contemporary institution, culturally and politically as much as legally and economically. We are the authors of one of the new casebooks in the field, Freyfogle & Karkkainen, Property Law: Power, Governance, and the Common Good (West/American Casebook Series 2012). As much (or more) than other casebooks it reflects this surge of scholarly interest in the institutional or big-picture side of private ownership. It does so in important part by featuring freestanding essays that identify and comment on foundational issues, exploring them at greater length than is possible in typical casebook notes. As a set, the essays cover what we view as the main institutional elements, ranging from property’s moral grounding and reasons for existence to the modes and most visible directions of on-going legal change. Many students find the essays especially engaging, particularly students with scholarly or critical leanings.In this writing we have assembled the essays into a set, with revisions (and modest updates) so that they stand alone. We hope they might interest a broader range of readers, personally or for instructional use. We frame our essay topics in what might be termed progressive ways. That is, we present property as a human-constructed, evolving, morally complex social institution, variously beneficial to elements of society and communities, and we open the law of property -– all of it -– to reconsideration. At the same time, we highlight the benefits of legal stability and encourage caution in assuming that institutional change can substitute for individual and cultural reform. One aim is to help students appreciate the causes, modes, and consequences of (presumably) unending legal change.
Merchant Associations in Pre-Industrial Europe

In pre-industrial Europe, many of the functions performed today by large corporations and governments were performed by merchant associations of various types - merchant guilds, regulated companies, merchant-controlled cities, and merchant colonies. Merchant association provided their members with protection and order, represented them in the rivalry for trade, and helped them overcome the problems of agency and financing. This paper examines the nature, function, and evolution of merchant associations.
Chapter 21 The Courts and Public School Finance: Judge-Made Centralization and Economic Research

Abstract This paper explores for economists how the school-finance litigation movement, which began with Serrano v. Priest in 1971, ought to be characterized in economic models. Its primary message is that this has become a national movement, not one confined to individual states. Economists should be wary of characterizing these cases as discrete events in which a state that loses to reform-minded plaintiffs is distinctly different from a state that succeeds in defending its system. I describe numerous instances in which states have attempted to head off defeat in the courts by conceding to reform-demands by the plaintiffs. School finance litigation does make a difference, however. Win or lose, states have been induced to reformulate their state-aid formulas. I show that the most common of these reforms, which focus on differences in tax-base per pupil, have altered the local tax price for education. This alteration causes the “property rich” districts to pay more for education. However, the correlation between “property rich” and “income rich” is essentially zero, largely because low-income communities are more willing to tolerate the nonresidential uses that lower their tax price. The result is that school-finance reform in most states is likely to reduce the efficiency of local public education because of tax-price distortion but not improve the lot of low-income students and taxpayers in any systematic way.
Multiple model robust dynamic programming

Modeling error is a common problem for modelbased control techniques. We present multiple model dynamic programming (MMDP) as a method to generate controllers that are robust to modeling error. Our method generates controllers that are approximately optimal for a collection of models, thereby forcing the controller to be less model-dependent. We compare MMDP to stochastic dynamic programming, minimax dynamic programming, and a baseline implementation of dynamic programming on the test problem of pendulum swing-up. We simulate modeling error by varying model parameters.
Cytokine-induced adhesion molecule expression on human umbilical vein endothelial cells is not regulated by cyclic adenosine monophosphate accumulation☆

We examined the effect of agents which augment intracellular levels of cyclic adenosine monophosphate on the expression of adhesion molecules on human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Surface protein expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecule-1, or intercellular adhesion molecule-1, which is induced by tumor necrosis factor, interleukin-1, and lipopolysaccharide, was not induced by pentoxyfilline, a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, nor by dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate. Furthermore, neither of these two cyclic adenosine monophosphate elevating agents nor HA 1004, an inhibitor of the cyclic adenosine monophosphate-dependent protein kinase, had any effect on tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced surface expression of these adhesion molecules. Likewise, cyclic adenosine monophosphate elevating agents were without effect on leukocyte adherence to endothelium stimulated either with these agents alone or in combination with tumor necrosis factor-alpha. Additionally, activators of the stimulatory or inhibitory guanine nucleotide-dependent binding proteins did not affect TNF-alpha-induced surface expression of endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecule-1 or vascular cell adhesion molecule-1.
Functional Responses of Brown Trout (Salmo trutta L.) to Invertebrate Drift

ABSTRACT Functional responses of wild brown trout (Salmo trutta) to drifting brine shrimp (Artemia salina) were studied in a laboratory stream. The general form of the response was Type II, although considerable individual variation was detected in parameters related to attack rate and handling time. The disc equation (Holling 1959) accounted for up to 76% of the variation in prey consumption. Threshold rates of prey capture or drift density seemed to characterize some individuals, but general value could not be specified. Maximum predation rates of 10.8 prey min−1 were sustained during feeding bouts of 30 min; short-term peaks of 18 prey min−1 were recorded. Analyses of functional responses show promise in future studies of stream communities, particularly with regard to epibenthic foraging.
Prediction of Pathological Stage in Patients with Clinical Stage T1c Prostate Cancer: The New Challenge

Purpose: We developed an algorithm for predicting the likelihood of organ confined disease in patients with clinical stage T1c prostate cancer using biopsy pathology, computer assisted image analysis and serum prostate specific antigen (PSA).Materials and Methods: Of the 557 consecutive men enrolled in this study between October 1998 and January 2000 scheduled for radical prostatectomy at a single institution 386 (69%) presented with clinical stage T1c disease. Study exclusion criteria included neoadjuvant hormonal treatment with luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone, antiandrogen or 5α-reductase inhibitors. Preoperative serum, biopsy histology slides, clinical demographic information, prostatectomy pathology and prostate weight data were obtained. Biomarkers assessed included total PSA, complexed PSA, free PSA, the free-to-total PSA ratio, quantitative nuclear grade determined by image analysis, complexed PSA density, and biopsy Gleason grade and score. To determine patient specific quantitative nuclear ...
Interactive molecular biology computing.

Abstract It is clear that the selection of the best possible algorithm for a computer program is essential for the creation of a useful tool. After this first step is taken, however, the usefulness of such a program may be greatly enhanced or impeded by the way it is implemented. We illustrate this point by describing our implementation of the well known FASTP/FASTIN algorithm in an interactive software environment.
Crosswell electromagnetic tomography: System design considerations and field results

Electrical conductivity is an important petroleum reservoir parameter because of its sensitivity to porosity, pore fluid type, and saturation. Although induction logs are widely used to obtain the conductivity near boreholes, the poor resolution offered by surface-based electrical and electromagnetic (EM) field systems has thus far limited obtaining this information in the region between boreholes. Low-frequency crosswell EM offers the promise of providing subsurface conductivity information at a much higher resolution than was previously possible. Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Lab (LLNL), and Lawrence Berkeley Laboratories (LBL), together with an industrial consortium, recently began a program to conduct low-frequency crosswell EM surveys and develop suitable inversion techniques for interpreting the data. In developing the field instrumentation the authors used off-the-shelf components whenever possible, but custom-designed induction coil transmitters and receivers were built for the field experiments. The assembled field system has adequate power for moderate to high-resolution imaging, using boreholes spaced up to 500 m apart. The initial field experiment was undertaken in flat lying terrain at the British petroleum test site in Devine, Texas.
The sesquiterpenoid iresin

Abstract The three-dimensional structure of the sesquiterpenoid iresin has been obtained from an X-ray diffraction study of the p-dibromobenzoate diester. The position of the angular methyl group is in agreement with the bicyclofarnesol skeleton, previously found only in higher terpenes.
Effect of font size, italics, and colour count on web usability

Web usability measures the ease of use of a website. This study attempts to find the effect of three factors font size, italics, and colour count on web usability. The study was performed using a set of tasks and developing a survey questionnaire. We performed the study using a set of human subjects, selected from the undergraduate students taking courses in psychology. The data computed from the tasks and survey questionnaire were statistically analysed to find if there was any effect of font size, italics, and colour count on the three web usability dimensions. We found that for the student population considered, there was no significant effect of font size on usability. However, the manipulation of italics and colour count did influence some aspects of usability. The subjects performed better for pages with no italics and high italics compared to moderate italics. The subjects rated the pages that contained only one colour higher than the web pages with four or six colours. This research will help web developers better understand the effect of font size, italics, and colour count on web usability in general, and for young adults, in particular.
Lysosome disruption by a free radical-like component generated during microsomal NADPH oxidase activity

Abstract The oxidation of NADPH by liver microsomes in vitro produces a factor which causes the release of hydrolases from lysosomes. The factor appears to be a free radical involved in the mechanism of NADPH oxidation. The production of the factor requires a heat labile component in the microsome and is inhibited by the addition of substances which are radical-trapping agents or substrates for the drug metabolism system. These interactions suggest possible mechanisms which might promote necrosis through the release of lysosomal enzymes in vivo , especially in animals deficient in dietary radical-scavenging components.
Directional couplers based on cascaded second-order nonlinearities in surface-emitting geometry

Abstract Potential of using cascaded χ (2) processes for all-optical switching in nonlinear directional coupler geometry is investigated. Using second harmonic field as coupling agent in a symmetric pair of waveguides is shown to be capable of attaining coupling efficiency in excess of 50%. For the asymmetric pair of waveguides, existence of a coupling threshold has been found.
Ground-state exchange energy of the Mn2 antiferromagnetic molecule

Abstract Peculiar transitions in the optical spectra of Mn atoms isolated in argon matrices confirm the existence of Mn 2 molecule. The temperature variation of the absorption and MCD intensity in the range 13-27 K demonstrate that the Mn 2 molecule is antiferromagnetic and allows a precise determination of its ground-state exchange energy: J = −10.3 ± 0.6 cm −1 .
A Grand Canonical Monte Carlo Study of the Adsorption of Methane, Ethane, and Their Mixtures in One-Dimensional Nanoporous Materials

In an effort to understand the adsorption and transport of substrates in one-dimensional nanoporous materials, we use grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations to study the adsorption of methane, ethane, and their mixtures in AlPO4-5. For pure component adsorption we show that the energetically favorable ethane molecules are preferentially adsorbed at low loadings at a constant temperature. An increase in loading leads to a reversal of the adsorption preference as the entropic advantage of the smaller methane molecules begins to dominate at higher loadings. We observe a similar effect in the adsorption behavior as a function of temperature. At low temperatures the energetically favorable ethane dominates the adsorption process. However, an increase in temperature reduces the energetic advantage of ethane as more molecules explore the energetically less favorable regions, and methane is preferred at high temperatures. This reversal occurs at lower temperatures as the chemical potential of the species increas...
Upon boundary conditions imposed by a stratified fluid

Abstract It is shown that in the limit of slow steady linearized flow and infinite stratification a stratified region lying above or below a layer of destabilized fluid produces zero velocity and zero stress boundary conditions. These novel boundary conditions constrain flow more fully than the more common rigid or free conditions, and arise because the penetrative flow in the stabilized region must pump only a finite amount of heat.
Optimally combining a cascade of classifiers

Conventional approaches to combining classifiers improve accuracy at the cost of increased processing. We propose a novel search based approach to automatically combine multiple classifiers in a cascade to obtain the desired tradeoff between classification speed and classification accuracy. The search procedure only updates the rejection thresholds (one for each constituent classier) in the cascade, consequently no new classifiers are added and no training is necessary. A branch-and-bound version of depth-first-search with efficient pruning is proposed for finding the optimal thresholds for the cascade. It produces optimal solutions under arbitrary user specified speed and accuracy constraints. The effectiveness of the approach is demonstrated on handwritten character recognition by finding a) the fastest possible combination given an upper bound on classification error, and also b) the most accurate combination given a lower bound on speed.
Copolymerization of methyl-α-cyanocinnamate with N-vinyl pyrrolidone

N-vinyl pyrrolidone was copolymerized with methyl α-cyanocinnamate in solution by radical initiation at 70°C up to low conversions. Essentially equimolar copolymers were formed over a wide range of monomer feed ratios. Terminal, penultimate, and complex copolymerization models were applied by using the copolymer composition data. The participation of monomer complexes in the propagation reactions could account for the deviations of the copolymerization behavior from terminal and penultimate models. The copolymers were characterized by IR, PMR and carbon-13 NMR spectroscopy.
Influence of meal frequency on body composition and energy utilization in male weanling rats.

SummaryThe influence of restricted meal frequency on body composition and energy utilization has been investigated in male weanling rats. Two groups of rats were fed equivalent amounts of a 24% casein diet at three different restricted levels of intake for 21 days. One group was fed one time per day (1800 hr) and the other four times per day (0600, 1200, 1800, and 2400 hr). There were no significant differences in the water, fat, or fat-free weights (g); and final body energy, lean energy, and fat energy between rats fed one time and four times per day. When ΔBE/W0.75, ΔLE/W0,75, and ΔFE/W0.75 were regressed on GEI/W0.75, there were no significant differences in the body, lean, and fat energy deposition coefficients between rats fed one and four times per day. In this study, meal frequency did not alter body composition, nor the efficiency with which feed was utilized above maintenance.
Interpreting organic solute transport data from a field experiment using physical nonequilibrium models

Abstract In a field experiment, two inorganic tracers and five organic solutes were injected into an unconfined sand aquifer. Breakthrough response curves were obtained at several points downgradient of the injection zone. These response curves are analyzed using a model which assumes equilibrium sorption and two models which postulate physical nonequilibrium. The physical nonequilibrium models hypothesize the existence of zones of immobile water, which act as diffusion sources and sinks for the solutes. The physical nonequilibrium models better simulate the sharp breakthrough and extended tailing exhibited by the experimental responses than does the model assuming equilibrium sorption. The reasonableness of parameters obtained from curve-fitting the data is assessed. The two physical nonequilibrium models are compared.
An extraskeletal para-articular osteochondroma of Hoffa’s fat pad

Extraskeletal para-articular osteochondromas are rather unusual tumors that arise in the soft tissues adjacent to the joint with no bony or joint continuity. We report a 25-year-old female who presented with a two-year history of right knee mass. Diagnostic imaging revealed a calcifying mass in the Hoffa’s fat pad of the knee. Roentgenographic, magnetic resonance imaging, and histopathologic features are presented.
Potential for glucose monitoring with nanoengineered fluorescent biosensors.

Possibilities for engineering of fluorescent micro/nanoscale devices for glucose sensing are presented. A description of the potential for clinical use is given in terms of overall concept, current knowledge, advantages of the fabrication approach proposed, and challenges that must be addressed prior to clinical use. Deployment of micro/nanoparticles in the dermis may allow transdermal monitoring of glucose changes in interstitial fluid. Using electrostatic self-assembly, an example of nanotechnology for fabrication, two types of sensors are being studied: (1) solid nanoparticles coated with fluorescent enzyme-containing thin films and (2) hollow micro/nanocapsules containing fluorescent indicators and enzymes or glucose-binding proteins. Nanoengineering of the coated colloids and microcapsules allows precision control over optical, mechanical, and catalytic properties to achieve sensitive response using a combination of polymers, fluorescent indicators, and glucose-specific proteins. Challenges to in viv...
Microstructural Dynamics of a Homopolymer Melt Investigated Using Two-Dimensional Raman Scattering

The microstructural dynamics of polyisobutylene have been investigated using a new rheooptical technique, two-dimensional Raman scattering (2D Raman). 2D Raman employs intrinsic bond vibrations to selectively resolve the segmental dynamics within a material subjected to small-amplitude oscillatory deformation. In addition, interspecies interactions are probed through a cross-correlation of the orientation-induced response from distinct Raman peaks. It has been observed that the motions of the main chain and side groups in polyisobutylene are affected independently as the mechanical frequency is increased from the rubbery plateau into the glassy regime. In particular, at low frequencies ( 10 s -1 ), the groups reorient independently as the mechanical glass transition is approached. The results are in accord with the observed frequency dependence of the stress-optical coefficient.
Urban sustainability in Russia's Arctic: lessons from a recent conference and areas for further investigations

Drawing on research presentations at a recent conference, this article presents a big picture overview of the factors determining urban sustainability in the Russian Arctic and lays out ideas for further study. It argues that there are two main drivers affecting the development of Russian Arctic cities: resource extraction and climate change. Russia's responses to these drivers work through a number of mechanisms, including evolving decision-making processes, demography and migration policies, and international cooperation in the Arctic. In the area of Arctic urban sustainability, Russia's leaders usually favor economic development over environmental protection while depriving city governments of the resources needed to address sustainability issues. The concluding section suggests avenues for further research designed to advance scholarly understanding and policy outcomes, including further refining our understanding of the drivers and policy-making process, comparative analysis, and focused case studies.