cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sexual development in female rats treated with cortisone.

Summary and Conclusions1. Immature female rats were treated with 1.0 mg of cortisone acetate daily for 2 or 4 weeks starting at 23 days of age and were maintained on pair or ad libido feeding regimes. 2. Body weight, adrenal and thymus weights were reduced compared to control animals. These differences were less marked when animals were autopsied 3 weeks after cessation of treatment. 3. The weights of ovary and uterus were generally greater in the treated animals. The increased weight of the ovaries was due to a greater number of follicles and to an increased size of the antra. 4. Pituitary glands removed from animals treated with cortisone appeared to have a greater gonadotrophic potency than normal as indicated by the growth of the ovaries in immature rats injected with these glands. 5. Possible explanations for these changes are discussed.
The Effect of High Dietary Iron and Low Vitamin E on Lipid Peroxidation and Prostaglandin E2 in a Model of Colon Cancer

Abstract LEARNING OUTCOME: To assess the effects of high iron and low vitamin E status on lipid peroxidation and prostaglandin E 2 synthesis in a model of colon cancer In recent years there has been heightened concern that high iron (Fe) status may increase risk of cancer at several sites, including liver and colon. It has been theorized that Fe enhances carcinogenesis by catalyzing free radical production and lipid peroxidation (LPX). Animals with low vitamin E (VE) status may be more susceptible to Fe-enhanced LPX. Also, studies suggest that prostaglandins, which may be altered by Fe and VE status, play a role in colon cancer. The present study examined the effect of Fe and VE status on LPX and prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ) synthesis in an animal model of colon cancer. In a 2×2×2 factorial design, male Sprague Dawley rats were fed 2 levels of Fe (adequate- 45mg/kg; high- 450mg/kg diet), and 2 levels of VE (low- 15 IU/kg; adequate- 100 IU/kg diet) for 3 weeks, and then were treated with saline or the carcinogen azoxymethane (AOM; 30mg/kg; 2 week protocol). The study continued for an additional 6 weeks. Liver and colonic mucosa were collected for analysis at 3 and 10 weeks. Liver Fe, a key indicator of Fe status, was increased 162% and 71% at 3 and 10 weeks, respectively, in rats fed high Fe diets (p=0.0001). LPX of liver was significantly enhanced by high Fe diets after 3 (p 2 synthesis was decreased by AOM (p 2 synthesis in a model of colon carcinogenesis even when VE intake is low. Supported by GA AES #H-757.
Acquisition and structuring of midgut bacterial communities in gypsy moth (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) larvae

Insects are associated with a diversity of bacteria that colonize their midguts. The extent to which these communities reflect maternal transmission, environmental acquisition, and subsequent structuring by the extreme conditions within the insect gut are poorly understood in many species. We used gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar L.) as a model to investigate interactions between egg mass and environmental sources of bacteria on larval midgut communities. Egg masses were collected from several wild and laboratory populations, and the effects of diet, initial egg mass community, and internal host environment were evaluated using 454 16S-rRNA gene pyrosequencing. Wild populations were highly diverse, while laboratory-maintained egg masses were associated with few operational taxonomic units. As larvae developed, their midgut bacterial communities became more similar to each other and the consumed diet despite initial differences in egg mass-associated bacteria. Subsequent experiments revealed that while midgut membership was more similar to bacteria associated with diet than with egg mass-associated bacteria, we were unable to detect distinct, persistent differences attributable to specific host plants. The differences between foliar communities and midgut communities of larvae that ingested them were owing to relative changes in populations of several bacteria phylotypes. We conclude that gypsy moth has a relatively characteristic midgut bacterial community that is reflective of, but ultimately distinct from, its foliar diet. This work demonstrates that environmental acquisition of diverse microbes can lead to similar midgut bacterial assemblages, underscoring the importance of host physiological environment in structuring bacterial communities.
Steady and oscillatory flows of silicon-polypropylene ceramic compounds

The rheological properties of a ceramic moulding compound, silicon powder with a polypropylene binder system, were studied using a Rheometrics mechanical spectrometer RMS-800 and an Instron capillary rheometer. The study included steady simple shear flow, transient start-up shear flow, stress relaxation upon cessation of steady shear flow, stress relaxation after a sudden shear displacement, and dynamic oscillatory shear flow. Yield behaviour was observed in both steady-shear and dynamic measurements. The empirical Cox-Merz rule which is usually applicable to polymer melts and solutions was found to be invalid for this material. The modified Cox-Merz rule, in which the apparent viscosity versus shear rate is equal to the complex viscosity versus the shear-rate amplitude in the highly nonlinear region, was found to be valid for this material system. A series of anomalous phenomena were also observed during the shear-flow experiments including work hardening in the very-low-shear-rate region, stress oscillation in the high-shear-rate region, and stress relaxation followed by substantial stress growth in the stress-relaxation measurements.
Method to derive ocean absorption coefficients from remote-sensing reflectance

A method to derive in-water absorption coefficients from total remote-sensing reflectance (ratio of the upwelling radiance to the downwelling irradiance above the surface) analytically is presented. For measurements made in the Gulf of Mexico and Monterey Bay, with concentrations of chlorophyll-a ranging from 0.07 to 50 mg/m3, comparisons are made for the total absorption coefficients derived with the suggested method and those derived with diffuse attenuation coefficients. For these coastal to open-ocean waters, including regions of upwelling and the Loop Current, the results are as follows: at 440 nm the difference between the two methods is 13.0% (r2 = 0.96) for total absorption coefficients ranging from 0.02 to 2.0 m−1; at 488 nm the difference is 14.5% (r2 = 0.97); and at 550 nm the difference is 13.6% (r2 = 0.96). The results indicate that the method presented works very well for retrieval of in-water absorption coefficients exclusively from remotely measured signals, and that this method has a wide range of potential applications in oceanic remote sensing.
Strength and Number of Solicitors and the Urge toward Altruism

Door-to-door solicitors contacted 371 people and asked for donations to the Leukemia Society of America. Solicitors were either of high strength (middle-aged and well-dressed females) or of low strength (college-aged and casually dressed females), either stood close or far from the door, and either approached the door alone or in pairs. Pairs of high strength solicitors elicited more donations than low strength pairs or single solicitors, while distance had no effect. The results provide some support for social impact theory and have implications for better collection techniques and for our conceptions of generosity and altruism.
Global communication analysis and optimization

Reducing communication cost is crucial to achieving good performance on scalable parallel machines. This paper presents a new compiler algorithm for global analysis and optimization of communication in data-parallel programs. Our algorithm is distinct from existing approaches in that rather than handling loop-nests and array references one by one, it considers all communication in a procedure and their interactions under different placements before making a final decision on the placement of any communication. It exploits the flexibility resulting from this advanced analysis to eliminate redundancy, reduce the number of messages, and reduce contention for cache and communication buffers, all in a unified framework. In contrast, single loop-nest analysis often retains redundant communication, and more aggressive dataflow analysis on array sections can generate too many messages or cache and buffer contention. The algorithm has been implemented in the IBM pHPF compiler for High Performance Fortran. During compilation, the number of messages per processor goes down by as much as a factor of nine for some HPF programs. We present performance results for the IBM SP2 and a network of Sparc workstations (NOW) connected by a Myrinet switch. In many cases, the communication cost is reduced by a factor of two.
Increased Erythrocyte Deformability in Fetal Erythropoiesis and in Erythrocytes Deficient in Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase and Other Glycolytic Enzymes

Erythrocyte deformability was determined in more than 500 clinical samples, and was found to be elevated in conditions in which fetal-like red cells are produced: aplastic anemia (3/3 cases), myelodysplastic syndromes, polycythemias, sickle cell anemia during treatment with hydroxyurea, paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, and recovery from B12 deficiency. Elevated deformability was observed in neonatal erythrocytes, and during recovery from transient erythroblastopenia of childhood, when fetal-like red cells are known to be produced. Increased deformability appears to be a feature of fetal and fetal-like red cells. Forty-eight cases of enzymatically verified glucose-6-phosphate (G-6-PD) deficiency were also examined. Thirty out of 32 G-6-PDA- individuals, including both heterozygotes and hemizygotes, exhibited increased deformability during the steady state. In contrast, G-6-PDMed hemizygotes had normal deformability. Increased deformability was also found in G-6-PDHuron (n = 3), G-6-PDWayne (n = 4), triose phosphate isomerase deficiency (n = 2), and pyruvate kinase deficiency (n = 2). An elevated osmoscan was found in more than 90% of female G-6-PD heterozygotes, affording a simple screening test for heterozygotes. Deformability remained high during hemolytic episodes, when older enzyme deficient cells are removed from the circulation. In four cases of G-6-PD deficiency with normal deformability, evidence for co-existing hereditary spherocytosis was found. The combination of conditions with opposing effects on deformability resulted in nearly normal deformability. Because increased red cell deformability is a feature of fetal erythrocytes, these results suggest that the red cells in many cases of glycolytic enzyme deficiency are fetal-like.
A demonstration of gidget, a debugging game for computing education

Online games have the potential to reach a wide audience and teach new skills. I propose to use Gidget, an online debugging game, to teach novices computer programming concepts in an engaging way. Learners must debug faulty programs to progress through the game, which are set up in modules to teach specific computer programming concepts. Once all the levels are complete, learners are given the option to further engage in the game by creating their own levels that can be shared with their friends and family. Over 800 people have played the game online as part of several research studies and it will be released freely to the public in the near future.
Small Angle Neutron Scattering from Polymers in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

SANS investigations of individual polymer chains and supramolecular structures have verified the high solubility of amorphous fluoropolymers in CO2, as well as the formation of micelles by block copolymers when CO2 is a preferential solvent for one of the blocks. In addition, the results clearly show that the micellar cores are capable of solubilizing CO2-insoluble material. A transition from unimers to aggregates occurs as a function of pressure, thus demonstrating that solvent strength is easily tunable with changes in solvent density, offering an unprecedented control over the solubility. The CMD constitutes a new concept in colloid and surface chemistry. The self-assembly of molecules in condensed phases is a ubiquitous phenomenon found in many biological structures, as well as in systems of interest to materials, colloid and surface science. These experiments indicate that neutron scattering has the potential to give the same level of microstructural insight into individual polymer molecules (unimers) and colloidal aggregates (micelles) in supercritical CO2 that it has provided in the condensed state and in aqueous media.
Laminar free convection from a nonisothermal plate immersed in a temperature stratified medium

Abstract This study deals with natural convection heat transfer from a non-isothermal vertical flat plate immersed in a temperature stratified environment. Extensive numerical calculations based on similarity solutions have been carried out for a wide range of wall and ambient temperature distributions for Prandtl numbers between 0.1 and 20. The limiting cases of the Prandtl number approaching zero and infinity have also been considered. The relative effect of the individual temperature distributions is discussed in detail. The flow reversal and temperature defect behavior found in other investigations dealing with nonuniform ambient temperatures is closely examined. It is also shown that approximations based on the local temperature difference can introduce large errors into the prediction of surface heat transfer rates. Although the magnitude of this error depends on the situation being examined, the procedure for calculating it is clearly discussed.
Illumination coding for fast Fourier Ptychography with large field-of-view and high-resolution

Fourier Ptychography recovers high-resolution phase and amplitude from low-resolution images taken at varying illumination angles. Here, we describe multiplexing methods for reduction of both acquisition time and data size requirements.
Superior performance of thrombomodulin coated small caliber ePTFE grafts

Abstract Introduction: The performance of synthetic bypass grafts to tibial level outflow arteries is greatly limited by early thrombosis and intimal hyperplasia. In addition to its anticoagulant effect, thrombomodulin (TM), an endogenous thrombin inhibitor, also displays anti-proliferative and anti-migratory effects on vascular smooth muscle cells. In this study, we coated small caliber expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) grafts with TM to examine its effect on patency and intimal hyperplasia. Methods: 4 mm diameter ePTFE grafts were pretreated with the cross-linking agent 1-ethyl-3-(3-diamethylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide and then incubated with either 40μg (0.1 μg/μl) TM or buffer control at 4o C overnight. Either coated or uncoated grafts were then surgically implanted into the common carotid arteries of male pigs (32–47 kg) as an interposition graft. Grafts were then harvested at 1 week post-implantation and analyzed grossly and histologically for patency and intimal hyperplasia. Samples were also analyzed by scanning (SEM) and transmission (TEM) electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry for the presence of TM on the graft surface at explantation. Results: Successful coating of ePTFE with soluble TM was confirmed using SEM and TEM and protein C activation assays prior to implantation. At 1 week following implantation, 5 of 6 uncoated grafts thrombosed while 5 of 6 TM coated grafts remained patent (P = 0.01). In addition, endothelialization was evident histologically on the TM coated grafts and absent in control grafts. No difference was observed in degree of intimal hyperplasia at 1 week with minimal hyperplasia in either group at this early time point. SEM, TEM and immunohistochemical staining demonstrated the presence of TM remaining on the surface of the explanted coated grafts (open circles). Conclusion: Thrombomodulin can be durably coated onto ePTFE with TM remaining on the graft under arterial flow conditions. TM appears to promote endothelial growth and provides an anti-thrombotic surface to reduce early graft thrombosis. Download : Download high-res image (96KB) Download : Download full-size image
Global Ensemble Forecast Tracks for Tropical Storm Debby

AbstractOperational-model track forecasts for Tropical Storm Debby (June 2012) diverged as much as 180°, making the National Hurricane Center forecast particularly challenging. Forecast tracks from the members of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction Global Ensemble Forecast System (GEFS) were similarly divergent; some forecast Debby to turn westward, some forecast Debby to go northward, and others forecast Debby to go eastward. Part of the divergence in the operational models can be from differences in model code, but the divergence in the GEFS is due only to differences in initial conditions. To understand the meteorological reasons for this model divergence, GEFS forecasts for Debby were examined in detail. Debby formed in the south-central Gulf of Mexico and then became a tropical storm by 1200 UTC 23 June 2012. Careful examination of the GEFS tracks showed that those storms turning east were stronger and deeper than those turning west. The storm strength was measured by the mean sea level...
Assessment of Child-Rearing Behaviors of Midwestern Rural Parents

The Iowa Parent Behavior Inventory (IPBI) was developed and utilized as part of the NC-124 regional research project. Behaviors of rural Iowa parents (part of the regional project sample) were measured over a one-year period during which they remained relatively stable. When parent behaviors were analyzed in relation to a variety of demographic variables, parent and child ages were found to be the most salient variables. Negative correlations were found between age for both parents and the IPBI factors Reasoning Guidance and Intimacy and be tween the child's age and the IPBI Intimacy factor. Positive correlations were found between child's age and the IPBI factors Limit Setting and Reasoning Guidance. Number of siblings and ordinal position were negatively correlated with the IPBI factor Parental Involvement. Number of siblings was positively related to the IPBI factors Limit Setting and Responsiveness in fathers. Sex of child was not a significant demographic variable in the study.
Mechanistic characterization of the HDV genomic ribozyme: solvent isotope effects and proton inventories in the absence of divalent metal ions support C75 as the general acid.

The hepatitis delta virus (HDV) ribozyme uses the nucleobase C75 and a hydrated Mg(2+) ion as the general acid-base catalysts in phosphodiester bond cleavage at physiological salt. A mechanistic framework has been advanced that involves one Mg(2+)-independent and two Mg(2+)-dependent channels. The rate-pH profile for wild-type (WT) ribozyme in the Mg(2+)-free channel is inverted relative to the fully Mg(2+)-dependent channel, with each having a near-neutral pKa. Inversion of the rate-pH profile was used as the crux of a mechanistic argument that C75 serves as general acid both in the presence and absence of Mg(2+). However, subsequent studies on a double mutant (DM) ribozyme suggested that the pKa observed for WT in the absence of Mg(2+) arises from ionization of C41, a structural nucleobase. To investigate this further, we acquired rate-pH/pD profiles and proton inventories for WT and DM in the absence of Mg(2+). Corrections were made for effects of ionic strength on hydrogen ion activity and pH meter readings. Results are accommodated by a model wherein the Mg(2+)-free pKa observed for WT arises from ionization of C75, and DM reactivity is compromised by protonation of C41. The Bronsted base appears to be water or hydroxide ion depending on pH. The observed pKa's are related to salt-dependent pH titrations of a model oligonucleotide, as well as electrostatic calculations, which support the local environment for C75 in the absence of Mg(2+) being similar to that in the presence of Mg(2+) and impervious to bulk ions. Accordingly, the catalytic role of C75 as the general acid does not appear to depend on divalent ions or the identity of the Bronsted base.
Cysteine 70 of ankyrin-G is S-palmitoylated and is required for function of ankyrin-G in membrane domain assembly.

Ankyrin-G (AnkG) coordinates protein composition of diverse membrane domains, including epithelial lateral membranes and neuronal axon initial segments. However, how AnkG itself localizes to these membrane domains is not understood. We report that AnkG remains on the plasma membrane in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells grown in low calcium, although these cells lack apical-basal polarity and exhibit loss of plasma membrane association of AnkG partners, E-cadherin and β2-spectrin. We subsequently demonstrate using mutagenesis and mass spectrometry that AnkG is S-palmitoylated exclusively at Cys-70, which is located in a loop of the first ankyrin repeat and is conserved in the vertebrate ankyrin family. Moreover, C70A mutation abolishes membrane association of 190-kDa AnkG in MDCK cells grown in low calcium. C70A 190-kDa AnkG fails to restore biogenesis of epithelial lateral membranes in MDCK cells depleted of endogenous AnkG. In addition, C70A 270-kDa AnkG fails to cluster at the axon initial segment of AnkG-depleted cultured hippocampal neurons and fails to recruit neurofascin as well as voltage-gated sodium channels. These effects of C70A mutation combined with evidence for its S-palmitoylation are consistent with a requirement of palmitoylation for targeting and function of AnkG in membrane domain biogenesis at epithelial lateral membranes and neuronal axon initial segments.
Application of POM to e‐business: B2C e‐shopping

Can operations management impact significantly the profitability of consumer‐based businesses on the Internet (called B2C)? During the past two years, Internet retailers have not provided satisfactory financial results. Whereas, leading in‐store retailers have been profitable using traditional modes for selling and delivering goods to customers. The research underlying this paper focused on analyzing the costs of doing business which are affected by operations management decisions. We wanted to determine if the criteria for best practice normally used by operations managers applied to firms engaged in e‐tailing (Internet B2C). To do this we singled out a well‐known dot.com retail failure, Webvan. Cost data were studied from startup (1998) to bankruptcy (2001). It was found that operating costs were way out of line with (even) good practice. Under in‐store retailing circumstances, the inability to reach breakeven would not have been tolerated. While concentrating on Webvan, this paper uses information about other firms to provide additional insights.
Reversal of bubble charge in multivalent inorganic salt solutions—effect of lanthanum

Abstract It was discovered recently that the charge of gas bubbles in aqueous solution can be reduced and even reversed by the addition of multivalent inorganic salts. In this work, the effect of LaCl 3 on the charge of bubbles was investigated and found to have an effect similar to that previously observed with AlCl 3 and MgCl 2 . The electrokinetic behavior of gas bubbles was affected slightly by LaCl 3 additions at low concentrations but changed markedly at high concentration (1 × 10 −3 mol dm −3 ) of LaCl 3 . A reversal of bubble charge was observed and this is attributed to the specific adsorption of La 3+ in the lower pH region and to the formation of La(OH) 3 (s) precipitate at the gas—liquid interface in the alkaline pH region.
Computer-Based and Paper-Based Reading Comprehension in Adolescents With Typical Language Development and Language-Learning Disabilities

Purpose With the global expansion of technology, our reading platform has shifted from traditional text to hypertext, yet little consideration has been given to how this shift might help or hinder ...
Self-similarity of Siegel disks and Hausdorff dimension of Julia sets

Let f(z) = ez+ z, where θ is an irrational number of bounded type. According to Siegel, f is linearizable on a disk containing the origin. In this paper we show: • the Hausdorff dimension of the Julia set J(f) is strictly less than two; and • if θ is a quadratic irrational (such as the golden mean), then the Siegel disk for f is self-similar about the critical point. In the latter case, we also show the rescaled first-return maps converge exponentially fast to a system of commuting branched coverings of the complex plane.
Rotor winding short detection

The paper presents a review of four techniques which are used for detecting, and in some instances locating, short-circuited turns in the rotors of large turbogenerators. The information is supplemented by experience with some of the techniques gained in a manufacturing establishment. The four techniques described are airgap search coil, recurrent surge oscillograph (RSO), circulating stator current, and rotor shaft current.
Development of a novel system to estimate protein degradability in legume and grass silages.

Abstract Five trials were conducted to develop a system to estimate rumen-undegradable protein (RUP) of legume and grass silages using near infrared reflectance spectroscopy. In situ procedures were the reference method used to determine silage RUP content. Trials 1, 2, and 3 were devoted to improving in situ procedures. In trial 1, alfalfa silage with and without heat treatment was incubated ruminally in 30 cows. The standard deviation of in situ RUP attributable to cow and diet was 0.82 and 3.80g/10 –1 kg of crude protein (CP) for the unheated and heated alfalfa, respectively. Based on trial 1, it was determined that 8 cows would be required to establish RUP standards. In trial 2, low (13.3g/10 –1 kg of CP) and high (44.5g/10 –1 kg of CP) RUP standards were developed using eight ruminally cannulated cows. In trial 3, 11 new RUP standards were developed by mixing trial 2 RUP standards together. The RUP standards were used to employ a calibration curve technique in ruminally cannulated cows. The technique was employed in four ruminally cannulated cows to estimate RUP contents of 121 silages, and RUP values were used for near-infrared reflectance spectroscopic analysis in trial 4. Trial 4 procedures yielded a calibration for RUP content of silages with an R 2 of 0.84 and a standard error of calibration of 1.55g/10 –1 kg of CP. In trial 5, the equation was tested on 300 silage samples. The mean predicted RUP content was 21.8g/10 –1 kg of CP. Data suggest near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy can predict RUP content of silages.
Anxiety During Respirator Use: Comparison of Two Respirator Types

Anxiety may interfere with proper respirator use. This study directly compares the effect of two types of respirators—elasto- meric half-face mask with dual-cartridges (HFM) and N95 filtering facepiece—on anxiety levels. Twelve volunteers with normal or mildly impaired respiratory conditions performed a series of simulated work tasks using the HFM and N95 on different days. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) measured state anxiety (SA) before and during respirator use. STAI also measured trait anxiety (TA), a stable personal characteristic. The effect of the respirator was measured as the difference between SA pre-use and during use. Work with HFM was associated with an increase in SA (2.92 units, p < .01), whereas work with the N95 had no observed effect. Anxiety should be considered in the selection of the best respirator for a user. Impact on anxiety should be considered for respirator design and certification purposes, particularly if the device is to be widely used in workplace and community se...
The Molecular Perspective: Nicotine and Nitrosamines

The Oncologist 2004;9:353-354 www.TheOncologist.com Nicotine and nitrosamines are the two opposite faces of tobacco use. The nicotine in tobacco is the reason that smoking has spread to the entire world. Nicotine is a powerful alkaloid toxin, but when taken in small doses, it is a mild stimulant. Some smokers report that it arouses alertness and enhances concentration, and for others, it is soothing and calming. This self-administered stimulation, however, is addictive. The nicotine in smoke crosses into the blood in seconds and targets the brain’s reward system, stimulating the receptors that reward essential activities like eating when hungry. Smokers quickly come to crave this reward, requiring increasing amounts as the body becomes habituated, and facing powerful withdrawal symptoms when quitting. The addictive but pleasurable stimulation of nicotine, combined with an aggressive tobacco industry, has chained roughly a quarter of the U.S. population to smoking. The rewards of nicotine, however, come with a terrible cost. Nitrosamines are the dark face of nicotine, leading directly to a high risk of cancer. Nitrosamines are nicotinederived compounds, also found in tobacco, which are activated within the body to form powerful alkylating agents that attack DNA. Nicotine-derived nitrosaminoketone (NNK) (Fig. 1) and many similar compounds are found in tobacco products and are delivered along with nicotine to the respiratory tract in tobacco smoke. NNK has a reactive nitrosamino group, with a methyl group on one side and a larger ketone group on the other. When activated in the body, either the methyl or the ketone group may be transferred to a DNA base. This can lead to misreading of the genetic information when the DNA is replicated. The methyl groups are particularly insidious, because they are small enough to evade the normal repair systems but different enough to corrupt the normal pairing of bases. The methyl groups from NNK commonly lead to Fundamentals of Cancer Medicine The Oncologist
On path selection and rate allocation for video in wireless mesh networks

Multi-path transport is an important mechanism for supporting video communications in multihop wireless networks. In this paper, we investigate the joint problem of optimal path selection and rate allocation for multiple video sessions in a wireless mesh network. We present a mathematical formulation to optimize the application level performance (i.e., video distortion) in the context of path selection and rate allocation. For this complex optimization problem, we propose a branch-and-bound based solution procedure, embedded with the reformulation-linearization technique (RLT) that can produce (1-epsiv)-optimal solutions for any small epsiv . This result is significant as it not only provides theoretical understanding of this problem, but also offers a performance benchmark for any future proposed distributed algorithm and protocol for this problem. Simulation results are also provided to demonstrate the efficacy of the solution procedure.
Liquid-Solid Phase Diagrams of Ternary and Quaternary Organic Carbonates

This work presents the liquid-solid phase diagrams of ternary and quaternary (or quasiternary) organic carbonates calculated using the thermodynamic nonideal solution models for the carbonates in the liquid state and assuming no solubility of one in any other in the solid state. Further, the molecular interaction term in the models was considered for only binary combinations of different molecules but not for ternary or quaternary interactions. The binary interaction parameters used in the calculation of the ternary and quasitemary phase diagrams were obtained by fitting the same models to the measured phase diagrams of binary carbonates. The results showed the ternary and the quasiternary phase diagrams of the carbonates to have the typical topography of a eutectic ternary system, with a liquidus surface formed from three solubility surfaces of the components which expand in composition and fall in temperature from the melting points of the components. They also showed the effectiveness of adding a carbonate to increase the solubility of another whose cyclicity is the same as that of the added, he it a component by itself or in a mixture, as compared to one with the opposite cyclicity.
Sexual dimorphism in neuronal number of the posterodorsal medial amygdala is independent of circulating androgens and regional volume in adult rats.

The posterodorsal medial amygdala (MePD) in rodents integrates olfactory and pheromonal information, which, coupled with the appropriate hormonal signals, may facilitate or repress reproductive behavior in adulthood. MePD volume and neuronal soma size are greater in male rats than in females, and these sexual dimorphisms are maintained by adult circulating hormone levels. Castration of adult males causes these measures to shrink to the size seen in females 4 weeks later, whereas testosterone treatment of adult females for 4 weeks enlarges these measures to the size of males. We used stereological methods to count the number of cells in the MePD and found that, in addition to the sex difference in regional volume and soma size, males also have more MePD neurons than do females, yet these numbers are unaffected by the presence or absence of androgen in adults of either sex. Males also have more glial cells than do females, but, in contrast to the effects on neuronal number, the number of glial cells is affected by androgen in the right MePD of both sexes and, therefore, may contribute to regional volume changes in adulthood in that hemisphere. Thus, regional volume, neuronal size, and glial numbers vary in the MePD of adult rats in response to circulating androgens, but neuronal number does not. These results suggest that the sex difference in neuronal number in the rat MePD may be “organized” by androgens prior to adulthood, whereas regional volume, neuronal size, and glial numbers can be altered by androgens in adulthood. J. Comp. Neurol. 506:851– 859, 2008. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Identification and quantification of a major anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory phenolic compound found in basil, lemon thyme, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage, and thyme

Major phenolic compounds from basil, lemon thyme, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage, and thyme were investigated using a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) profiling technique in combination with DPPH-radical scavenging, xanthine oxidase and cyclooxygenase assays. For the present study, 15 plant-derived phenolic compounds (gallic, protocatechuic, vanillic, syringic, chlorogenic, rosmarinic, caffeic, ferulic, and sinapic acids, protocatechualdehyde, vanillin, N-coumaroyltyramine, N-caffeoyltyramine, N-feruloyltyramine, and N-sinapoyltyramine) were selected and their DPPH-radical scavenging activities were first determined. Then, a standard HPLC profiling of these phenolics was constructed using an HPLC method to isolate anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory phenolic compounds from MeOH extracts of the plants. Rosmarinic acid was identified as a major anti-oxidant compound (0.22-0.97%) in all seven herbs, confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance. Rosmarinic acid from the plants quenched superoxide radicals from xanthine oxidase and inhibited cyclooxygenase I and II enzymes. In this study, the rosmarinic acid content of perilla was also determined and compared with those of the seven herbs.
Tumor-Infiltrating Regulatory T Cells Inhibit Endogenous Cytotoxic T Cell Responses to Lung Adenocarcinoma

Immune cells comprise a substantial proportion of the tumor mass in human nonsmall cell lung cancers (NSCLC), but the precise composition and significance of this infiltration are unclear. In this study, we examined immune complexity of human NSCLC as well as NSCLC developing in CC10-TAg transgenic mice, and revealed that CD4(+) T lymphocytes represent the dominant population of CD45(+) immune cells, and, relative to normal lung tissue, CD4(+)Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells (Tregs) were significantly increased as a proportion of total CD4(+) cells. To assess the functional significance of increased Tregs, we evaluated CD8(+) T cell-deficient/CC10-TAg mice and revealed that CD8(+) T cells significantly controlled tumor growth with antitumor activity that was partially repressed by Tregs. However, whereas treatment with anti-CD25-depleting mAb as monotherapy preferentially depleted Tregs and improved CD8(+) T cell-mediated control of tumor progression during early tumor development, similar monotherapy was ineffective at later stages. Because mice bearing early NSCLC treated with anti-CD25 mAb exhibited increased tumor cell death associated with infiltration by CD8(+) T cells expressing elevated levels of granzyme A, granzyme B, perforin, and IFN-γ, we therefore evaluated carboplatin combination therapy resulting in a significantly extended survival beyond that observed with chemotherapy alone, indicating that Treg depletion in combination with cytotoxic therapy may be beneficial as a treatment strategy for advanced NSCLC.
Solubility and transport of NiO cathodes in molten carbonate fuel cells

Equilibrium NiO solubility measurements were made in Li2CO3/K2CO3 mixtures as a function of temperature, ambient gas environment, and salt composition for gases containing 3.1% H2O. The equilibrium solubility was found to increase with increasing temperature, CO2 partial pressure, and cation fraction Li+ and to decrease slightly with increasing O2 partial pressure. These results were coupled with theoretical predictions of (1) O2, H2, and CO2 activities and (2) compositional gradients which develop across the electrolyte structure of an operating carbonate fuel to explain the two distinct regions of nickel precipitation across the fuel cell. Precipitation occurs near the cathode because NiO solubility decreases commensurate with electrolyte compositional gradients, whereas the second region deeper within the electrolyte matrix results from a decreased O2 activity.
Mental Health Service Utilization by Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans After Entry Into PTSD Specialty Treatment

ObjectiveUse of care by Iraq and Afghanistan veterans was examined after entry into a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) specialty outpatient program for treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Those who had received mental health care before entry (continuing patients) were compared with those who had not (new patients).MethodsRegression analyses compared veterans’ retention in PTSD programs in the 180 days after program entry for new patients (N=172) and continuing patients (N=422). Two retention measures, total visits and completion of nine or more visits, were developed from VA administrative data.ResultsNew patients completed fewer PTSD visits than did continuing patients (5.2±9.5 versus 8.3±14.3; incidence risk ratio=.91, 95% confidence interval [CI]=.85–.97) and were also less likely to complete nine or more visits (OR=.81, CI=.68–.97).ConclusionsContact with providers before entering PTSD specialty care may facilitate veterans’ treatment engagement, suggesting the value of repeate...
Bacteriophage T4 Self-Assembly: Localization of gp3 and Its Role in Determining Tail Length

Gene 3 of bacteriophage T4 participates at a late stage in the T4 tail assembly pathway, but the hypothetical protein product, gp3, has never been identified in extracts of infected cells or in any tail assembly intermediate. In order to overcome this difficulty, we expressed gp3 in a high-efficiency plasmid expression vector and subsequently purified it for further analysis. The N-terminal sequence of the purified protein showed that the initial methionine had been removed. Variant C-terminal amino acid sequences were resolved by determining the cysteine content of the protein. The molecular mass of 20.6 kDa for the pure protein was confirmed by Western blotting, using a specific anti-gp3 serum for which the purified protein was the immunogen. We also demonstrated, for the first time, the physical presence of gp3 in the mature T4 phage particle and localized it to the tail tube. By finding a nonleaky, nonpermissive host for a gene 3 mutant, we could clearly demonstrate a new phenotype: the slow, aberrant elongation of the tail tube in the absence of gp3.
Improved parallel performance of the CICE model in CESM1

The Los Alamos sea ice model, CICE, is a sophisticated finite difference grid point model. It has been a part of the National Science Foundation and Department of Energy community climate models Community Climate System Model CCSM and Community Earth System Model CESM for over a decade. It includes various physical and dynamical processes and is parallelized to run on large-scale computer systems. The CICE model was assessed in the CESM at different resolutions and target processor counts to better understand and optimize the performance. Several new decompositions and a new feature to reduce the halo cost were added to the model. The new decompositions better leverage land block elimination and take advantage of scaling opportunities in different computational kernels. As a result of these new features, the CICE model performance has been improved by up to 45% and has more flexibility to be run efficiently at arbitrary Message Passing Interface MPI task counts.
A 12-year comparison of hospitalized veterans' attitudes toward smoking and smoking cessation.

A 48-item questionnaire designed to measure attitudes toward smoking and interest in smoking cessation treatment was administered to 73 male hospitalized veterans and compared with previous administrations of the same instrument 4 and 8 years earlier. A surprising degree of stability of responses over time was evident. The alarmingly high rate of smoking among hospitalized veterans was again confirmed by this survey. The present survey showed that 60% of the sample smoked, compared with 68% and 69% found in the previous surveys. Forty-five percent of the smokers surveyed reported that they would be willing to participate in a program designed to help them stop smoking. It was pointed out that the Veterans Administration has failed to adequately address the problem behavior of smoking.
A class of Bayesian shared gamma frailty models with multivariate failure time data

Nous proposons ici, dans le cadre des donnees de survie. une nouvelle classe de modeles a fragilite gamma partagee en appliquant la transformation de Box-Cox a la fonction de hasard, ainsi qu'au produit du risque de base et de la fragilite. Cette nouvelle classe de modeles offre un large eventail de formes et relations entre la fonction de hasard et le risque de base, et inclut, en tant que cas particuliers, le modele de Cox usuel a fragilite gamma ainsi qu'un nouveau modele additif a fragilite gamma. De par la contrainte que le risque soit non negatif, ce modele a fragilite gamma partagee presente un defi calculatoire dans le paradigme bayesien. Les distributions conjointes a priori sont definies par une distribution conditionnelle marginale, ou la distribution conditionnelle est univariee: cela permet d'integrer les contraintes non lineaires sur les parametres. La partie marginale de la distribution a priori, quant a elle, est libre de toute contrainte. Les distributions a priori permettent de programmer facilement l'integralite des distributions conditionnelles requises pour l'echantillonnage de Gibbs, tout en integrant les contraintes. Un jeu reel de donnees permet d'illustrer cette classe de modeles a fragilite gamma partagee.
Oppositio in Geoffrey of Vinsauf and Its Background

Abstract: The negation-figure oppositio was re-invented in the Middle Ages by Geoffrey of Vinsauf, who was able to reconstruct it by observing the practice of Virgil, Ovid, Statius, and Lucan. This was the procedure of the grammarians, for Geoffrey9s treatment developed independently of the rhetorical tradition. The figure digressio was developed similarly by Geoffrey, whose approach was also used by two contemporary poets, Joseph of Exeter and Gautier of Châtillon.
Design of novel printed elliptical monopole antenna for UWB applications

This paper presents a novel design of an UWB printed monopole antenna. It is based on an elliptical-shaped monopole antenna with slots along the edges. Assuming a substrate with dielectric constant of 2.2, the proposed antenna features a small size of 14 mm times 19.6 mm (the size of the radiating element). It exhibits less than -10 dB return loss from 3.4 GHz to 10 GHz, which has been verified by both simulations and measurements.
Distributed associative memory (DAM) for bin-picking

The feasibility of using a distributed associative memory as the recognition component for a bin-picking system is established. The system displays invariance to metric distortions and a robust response in the presence of noise, occlusions, and faults. Although the system is primarily concerned with two-dimensional problems, eight extensions to the system allow the three-dimensional bin-picking problem to be addressed. It is noted that there are implicit weaknesses in the neural network model chosen for the heart of the recognition system. The distributed associative memory used is linear, and as a result there are certain desirable properties that cannot be exhibited by the computer vision system. >
Chemotherapy of brain metastases: Current status

The precise frequency ofbrain metastases in the cancer population is not known. While the incidence of primary malignant intracranial neoplasms is approximately 4.2 per 100,000; that of metastatic tumours has been estimated to be 8.5 per 100,000 (227). Posner (180, 181) has reviewed a number ofepidemiological, clinical and autopsy studies and from these has suggested that approximately 24% of all patients dying from cancer have intracranial metastases, including those of the dura. Further, the number of metastic brain tumours appears to be increasing (79, 137, 181). This can be related to earlier and more accurate diagnosis by computerized tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET), to the rising incidence oflung cancer, and possibly most important, to the increased longevity of patients with systemic (extracerebral) cancer achieved by current combination modalities; during this time CNS metastases can become apparent. As systemically administered anticancer agents have proved effective against peripheral sites of the disease but have been shown to be ineffective against cerebral metastases from the same cell population, it has been postulated that the major problem in the treatment of CNS metastases is drug delivery. For a drug to be effective against a tumour, the malignant cell must be sensitive to the drug, which must reach its site of action in an adequate concentration for an adequate time (C x T) (124). I n addition, if the anticancer agent is cell-cycle phase specific, it must do this at the correct time. The maintenance of therapeutic drug levels for a prolonged period of time provides a more optimal tumour cell kill than a high dose over a short period, even though the areas under the concentration us time curves may be similar. There are two major consequences of inadequate drug delivery. The most obvious is suboptimal cell kill, producing a poor therapeutic response. Repetitive treatments would overcome this but for the induction of drug resistance in the surviving cells.
A millimeter-scale wireless imaging system with continuous motion detection and energy harvesting

We present a 2×4×4mm 3 imaging system complete with optics, wireless communication, battery, power management, solar harvesting, processor and memory. The system features a 160×160 resolution CMOS image sensor with 304nW continuous in-pixel motion detection mode. System components are fabricated in five different IC layers and die-stacked for minimal form factor. Photovoltaic (PV) cells face the opposite direction of the imager for optimal illumination and generate 456nW at 10klux to enable energy autonomous system operation.
Mechanisms for Superconductivity in the Transition Metals

From experimental results on superconducting transition metals, regarding their reduced isotope effects on superconductivity, the pressure dependence of the transition temperature, the relation of the transition temperature to position in the periodic table, and impurity effects, it is shown that the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer theory of superconductivity is valid for these metals. It is found that a one-gap dirty-superconductor theory explains the experimental results. (T.F.H.)