cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modified viral capsid protein mediates non-viral targeting of unique non-covalent drug conjugates to HER2+ breast cancer cells.

1505 The purpose of this study is to test whether a unique recombinant cell-penetrating viral protein can transport DNA intercalating drugs by non-covalent interaction via a tiny nucleic acid carrier, and target such drugs to HER2+ breast cancer cells. Targeted conjugates were assembled by mixing the recombinant protein, HerPBK10, with a double-stranded oligonucleotide, and the chemotherapeutic agent, doxorubicin (Dox) at room temperature, then purified by size exclusion chromatography. Stability over time during different storage temperatures was tested by ultrafiltration through molecular weight limiting spin columns. Targeted toxicity was tested on separate and mixed cultures of HER2+ and HER2- human breast cancer cell lines by 4 hour exposure to conjugates (0.5 uM, with respect to Dox concentration) in cell media, then exchanging for fresh media, and measuring cytotoxicity by metabolic assay up to 3 days post-treatment. Receptor specificity was tested by competitive inhibition with excess free ligand. In vivo targeting was tested by IV injection in a mouse xenograft model of HER2+ human breast cancer and monitoring Dox fluorescence in live mice. The conjugate, called HerDox, exhibited undetectable Dox release under high speed centrifugation and high pressure chromatography conditions, as well as under storage at 4°C, 25°C, and 37°C for up to 12 days. In separate wells of HER2+ and HER2- human breast cancer cells, HerDox reduced HER2+ cell survival by over 75% whereas HER2- cells were unaffected. Dox alone reduced both cell types by the same order of magnitude. In mixed cultures of HER2- and HER2+ cells, HerDox nearly completely inhibited HER2+ cell proliferation whereas HER2- cells were little to modestly affected. Free heregulin ligand at 10x molar excess (compared to HerDox) completely inhibited HER2+ cell killing by HerDox. IV injection of HerDox in tumor-bearing nude mice exhibited widespread Dox fluorescence by 10 min, followed by fluorescence accumulation in the tumors by 20 min, which persisted up to 100 min after injection. Tissues harvested at 4h after injection showed that tumors exhibited the highest intensity of Dox fluorescence while residual fluorescence was observed in the liver and kidneys. Fluorescence was undetectable in the heart, lung, spleen and skeletal muscle. Targeting ligand alone showed similar biodistribution. These studies indicate that a stable non-covalent conjugate can assemble and deliver a well-established chemotherapy drug to target cells in serum-containing media. Toxicity can be targeted to HER2+ cells in a mixed cell culture, and is mediated via the heregulin receptor. HerDox exhibits preferential accumulation in HER2+ human breast cancer tumors in vivo, and appears to avoid other tissues including the heart, lung, spleen, and skeletal muscle, while exhibiting relatively low to negligible levels of delivery to the liver and kidney.
Optimal time trajectory and coordination for connected and automated vehicles

Abstract In this paper, we provide a decentralized theoretical framework for coordination of connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) at different traffic scenarios. The framework includes: (1) an upper-level optimization that yields for each CAV its optimal time trajectory and lane to pass through a given traffic scenario while alleviating congestion; and (2) a low-level optimization that yields for each CAV its optimal control input (acceleration/deceleration). We provide a complete, analytical solution of the low-level optimization problem that includes the rear-end, speed-dependent safety constraint. Furthermore, we provide a problem formulation for the upper-level optimization in which there is no duality gap. The latter implies that the optimal time trajectory for each CAV does not activate any of the state, control, and safety constraints of the low-level optimization, thus allowing for online implementation. Finally, we present a geometric duality framework with hyperplanes to derive the condition under which the optimal solution of the upper-level optimization always exists. We validate the effectiveness of the proposed theoretical framework through simulation.
Cushing's Disease as a Result of Two ACTH-Secreting Pituitary Tumors.

Objective Our objective is to present a case of Cushing's disease (CD) with 2 adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-secreting pituitary tumors. Multiple monohormonal pituitary tumors are rare. This case supports a consideration of repeat transsphenoidal surgery (TSS) in patients with initial surgical failure. Methods Salivary, 24-h urine, serum cortisol testing, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were used to diagnose CD. Treatment included TSS and postoperative hydrocortisone. Results A 36-year-old woman followed for hypothyroidism presented with a new left supraclavicular fossa swelling and underwent Cushing's syndrome screening. The levels of late-night salivary cortisol were 0.636 and 0.316 μg/dL, 24-h urine cortisol was 162 μg/24 h, cortisol after 1-mg dexamethasone suppression was 14.0 μg/dL, and serum morning cortisol was 26.4 μg/dL with ACTH of 66.7 pg/mL. A 7-mm hypoenhancing anterior pituitary lesion was noted on pituitary MRI. The cortisol level was 2.7 μg/dL after an 8-mg dexamethasone suppression. She underwent TSS, and her histopathology read as pituitary adenoma staining positive for ACTH. No residual tumor was seen intraoperatively. Postoperative morning serum cortisol was 17.9 μg/dL, and ACTH level was 79 pg/mL. Repeat TSS revealed a second adenoma previously unseen on MRI, which also stained positive for ACTH. Postoperative morning cortisol was 0.7 μg/dL, and ACTH was <9 pg/mL. Hydrocortisone, which was started for her central adrenal insufficiency, was tapered and stopped 1 year postoperatively. Late-night salivary cortisol levels were 0.016 and 0.012 μg/dL. Conclusion We conclude that surgical failure in CD after initial TSS should warrant the consideration of a second ACTH-secreting pituitary adenoma and possible repeat TSS.
A Monte Carlo Study of Efficiency Estimates from Frontier Models

Parametric stochastic frontier models yield firm-level conditional distributions of inefficiency that are truncated normal. Given these distributions, how should one assess and rank firm-level efficiency? This study compares the techniques of estimating a) the conditional mean of inefficiency and b) probabilities that firms are most or least efficient. Monte Carlo experiments suggest that the efficiency probabilities are more reliable in terms of mean absolute percent error when inefficiency has large variation across firms. Along the way we tackle some interesting problems associated with simulating and assessing estimator performance in the stochastic frontier environment.You can download a PDF version of the paper and view it and print it using a FREE copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Healthcare Process Modeling to Phenotype Clinician Behaviors for Exploiting the Signal Gain of Clinical Expertise (HPM-ExpertSignals): Development and evaluation of a conceptual framework.

Objective There are signals of clinicians' expert and knowledge-driven behaviors within clinical information systems (CIS) that can be exploited to support clinical prediction. Describe development of the Healthcare Process Modeling Framework to Phenotype Clinician Behaviors for Exploiting the Signal Gain of Clinical Expertise (HPM-ExpertSignals). Materials and methods We employed an iterative framework development approach that combined data-driven modeling and simulation testing to define and refine a process for phenotyping clinician behaviors. Our framework was developed and evaluated based on the Communicating Narrative Concerns Entered by Registered Nurses (CONCERN) predictive model to detect and leverage signals of clinician expertise for prediction of patient trajectories. Results Seven themes-identified during development and simulation testing of the CONCERN model-informed framework development. The HPM-ExpertSignals conceptual framework includes a 3-step modeling technique: (1) identify patterns of clinical behaviors from user interaction with CIS; (2) interpret patterns as proxies of an individual's decisions, knowledge, and expertise; and (3) use patterns in predictive models for associations with outcomes. The CONCERN model differentiated at risk patients earlier than other early warning scores, lending confidence to the HPM-ExpertSignals framework. Discussion The HPM-ExpertSignals framework moves beyond transactional data analytics to model clinical knowledge, decision making, and CIS interactions, which can support predictive modeling with a focus on the rapid and frequent patient surveillance cycle. Conclusions We propose this framework as an approach to embed clinicians' knowledge-driven behaviors in predictions and inferences to facilitate capture of healthcare processes that are activated independently, and sometimes well before, physiological changes are apparent.
Binge alcohol disrupts skeletal muscle core molecular clock independent of glucocorticoids.

Alcohol is a myotoxin that impairs skeletal muscle metabolism and function following either chronic consumption or acute binge drinking; however, mechanisms underlying alcohol-related myotoxicity h...
Drones, Infrared Imagery, and Body Heat

For decades, planes and satellites have remotely sensed the earth’s surface, transforming objects and sites into temperature data. Over time, this data has been used to understand the thermal properties of material phenomena and to generate heat signatures for objects ranging from nuclear power plants to glaciers. Within this planetary regime, the earth has been codified as a set of absolute temperature values such that military strategists, meteorologists, and earth scientists have built careers on perceived repetitions, variations, and/or anomalies in these values. In the current world order, temperature taking usually precedes decision making, and officials have invested enormous faith in the capacities of sensing instruments tasked to “see” electromagnetic radiation that is imperceptible to humans.
Alphabet size selection for symbolization of dynamic data-driven systems: An information-theoretic approach

Symbolic time series analysis (STSA) is built upon the concept of symbolic dynamics that deals with discretization of dynamical systems in both space and time. The notion of STSA has led to the development of a pattern recognition tool in the paradigm of dynamic data-driven application systems (DDDAS), where a time series of sensor signals is partitioned to obtain a symbol sequence that, in turn, leads to the construction of probabilistic finite state automata (PFSA). Although modeling of PFSA from symbol sequences has been widely reported, similar efforts have not been expended to investigate how to find an appropriate alphabet size for partitioning of time series so that the symbol sequences can be optimally generated. This paper addresses this critical issue and proposes an information-theoretic procedure of data partitioning to extract low-dimensional features from time series. The key idea lies in optimal partitioning of the time series via maximization of the mutual information between the input state probability vector and pattern classes. The proposed procedure has been validated by two examples. The first example elucidates the underlying concept of data partitioning for parameter identification in a Duffing system with a sinusoidal input excitation. The second example is built upon time series of chemiluminescence data to predict lean blow-out (LBO) phenomena in a laboratory-scale combustor. Classification performance of data partitioning is analyzed in each of the two examples.
The effect of organizational culture and ethical orientation on accountants' ethical judgments

This paper examines the relationship between organizational ethical culture in two large international CPA firms, auditors' personal values and the ethical orientation that those values dictate, and judgments in ethical dilemmas typical of those that accountants face. Using an experimental task consisting of multiple judgments designed to vary in "moral intensity" (Jones, 1991), and unique as well as tried-and-true approaches to variable measurements, this study examined the judgments of more than three hundred participants in our study. ANCOVA and path analysis results indicate that: (1) Ethical judgments in situations of high moral intensity are affected by personal values and by environmental variables, such as the professional code of conduct (direct and indirect effects) and previous ethics instruction (direct effect only). (2) Corporate ethical culture, and a relatively strong firm rules-orientation, affect auditors' idealism but not relativism, and therefore indirectly affect ethical judgments. Jones' (1991) moral intensity argument is supported: differences in the characteristics of specific judgment tasks apparently result in different decision processes.
The Subordinate Status of Negative Speech Rights

The Supreme Court has long acknowledged negative First Amendment rights of freedom from compulsion to engage in speech or association that impairs expressive activities. The idea of a unitary right to refrain from speaking, however, ignores the existence of discrete forms of compelled speech posing distinctive considerations. This Article contends that the notion of a single animating principle of negative speech rights has fostered and obscured their vulnerability. Just as affirmative speech rights are not treated as an undifferentiated whole, proper protection of negative speech rights rests largely in recognizing the distinctive nature of each.
Origin of the left anterior descending coronary artery from the pulmonary artery: 3 year angiographic follow-up after saphenous vein bypass graft and proximal ligation

A 55 year old woman had an extremely rare congenital anomaly of the coronary circulation in which the left anterior descending coronary artery arose from the pulmonary artery. Proximal ligation and saphenous vein grafting to the aberrant vessel were performed. Five month and 3 year angiographic follow-up studies demonstrated 1) a widely patent vein graft, 2) regression of large collateral vessels between the right coronary and circumflex arteries and the left anterior descending artery, and 3) marked attenuation of the distal right coronary and left circumflex arteries on the 3 year study. This report describes the clinical course of the oldest reported patient with this unique coronary artery anomaly and the only angiographic study of the effect of ligation and saphenous bypass grafting on its natural history.
Delay insensitive encoding and power analysis: a balancing act [cryptographic hardware protection]

Unprotected cryptographic hardware is vulnerable to a side-channel attack known as differential power analysis (DPA). This attack exploits data-dependent power consumption of a computation to determine the secret key. Dual-rail asynchronous circuits have been regarded as a potential countermeasure to this attack. In this paper, we evaluate the security of asynchronous dual-rail circuits against DPA. Our results show that, unless special precautions are taken, asynchronous circuits are not inherently more DPA resistant than their synchronous dual-rail counterparts. We show that the use of null-spaced or return-to-zero (RTZ) protocols, used to provide delay-insensitive encoding for asynchronous circuits, can make a DPA attack easier. We present an overview of balancing dynamic implementations of dual-rail fine-grained asynchronous gates that offer a solution for the DPA weakness. We demonstrate the use of asynchronous balanced cells that use RTZ which are not only secure against DPA but also deliver high performance with low design effort through automated pipelining.
Atmospheric microwave discharges for plasma treatment of fibers

Summary form only given. Many contemporary plasma applications require the treatment of irregular shaped substrates such as filamentary or fiber-like objects. Additionally, for reasons of simplicity, efficiency and low process costs, it is desirable to develop plasma sources and associated processes that can continuously process a moving web or strand of materials at atmospheric pressure; i.e. without a high vacuum environment. Thus the article describes the development and testing of atmospheric plasma sources and associated processes that enable the treatment of individual fibers and/or bundles of fibers. Graphite fibers are chosen as the example substrate material. Specifically, a 2.45 GHz, atmospheric discharge plasma source is described. It is able to continuously treat single or multiple graphite fibers or even treat graphite fiber tows. Small cylindrical discharges are created in gases that flow through a small 1-3 mm diameter quartz tube placed axially inside a tunable, cylindrical microwave applicator. The fibers are subjected to plasma treatment as they are passed through the discharge. The reactor design process involved an initial ANSOFT HFSS numerical analysis of the material/discharge loaded reactor excited with a variety of different electromagnetic modes. Based on this analysis, two modes, the TE/sub 112/ and the TM/sub 102/ modes were experimentally evaluated with input power levels of 20-200 W, and with a variety of gases, such as mixtures of argon, nitrogen, methane, etc. The experiments have demonstrated a controllable, atmospheric plasma source capable of heating and treating fibers from 300-850/spl deg/C without the need of an associated vacuum system. Experimental operating parameters, such as substrate temperatures, plasma densities, discharge power densities, etc versus input power, gas flow rate, and gas mixture are presented.
Earth in Google maps: rendering trillions of triangles in JavaScript

JavaScript is not typically associated with high performance rendering. This talk covers techniques that were used to bring the massive data set of Google Earth into a web browser using standard JavaScript and WebGL. The client has access to a 3d model of the entire world, an ever-growing data set stored in servers, and the client needs to fetch and display any views (see Figures 1 and 2) of it very quickly with a limited memory budget of few tens of megabytes. The total data set, on the other hand is measured in trillions of triangles and their associated textures. The talk describes the hierarchical subdivision and the data layout used to manage this complexity. Level-of-detail mechanisms are used to render objects at different scales and to provide a quick preview when high resolution data is still loading. The unpredictable network bandwidth and latency pose additional challenges. The talk describes the algorithm used to decide which data should be 1) requested, 2) evicted, 3) kept in memory, or 4) rendered. Rendering of map elements such as roads and labels is more challenging in 3d than on a 2d map. The talk describes techniques that were used to render vectors and labels quickly at right location on the surface of the 3d terrain. JavaScript was not originally designed for high performance realtime use. For instance, the garbage collector may kick in at any point pausing the execution for tens of milliseconds. The talk describes the memory management techniques used to avoid this. To optimize for stable frame-rate and quick load time, tasks have to be carefully scheduled such that data processing and rendering can happen seemingly at the same time. The talk describes how the work was scheduled in the main execution thread and in Web Workers. To make the Earth appear realistic, atmospheric attenuation needs to be modeled accurately. The talk describes how the atmosphere and the real-time clouds are rendered.
Relationship of immunologic response to antiretroviral therapy with non-AIDS-defining cancer incidence

Objective: Toestimatetheassociationbetween immunologicresponseto antiretroviral therapy (ART) and non-AIDS defining cancer (NADC) incidence in HIV-infected patients. Design: A prospective cohort including patients with at least 1cell/ml CD4 þ cell count and HIV-1 RNA measure after ART initiation between 1996 and 2011 in the Centers for AIDS Research Network of Integrated Clinical Systems, a collaboration of eight HIV clinics at major academic medical centres in the United States. Methods: Measures of immunologic response were 6-month CD4 þ post-ART, latest CD4 þ and CD4 þ count-years, a cumulative measure of CD4 þ lymphopenia. Cox regression with inverse probability-of-exposure weights was used to calculate adjusted hazard ratios of virus-related and virus-unrelated NADC incidence. Results: Among 9389patients atART initiation,median CD4 þ cell countwas 200cells/ ml [interquartile range (IQR) 60‐332)], and median HIV-1 RNA was 4.8log10copies/ml (IQR 4.3‐5.4). Median follow-up was 3.3 years (IQR 1.5‐6.5). After 6 months of ART, median CD4 þ cell count was 304cells/ml (IQR 163‐469). One hundred and sixty-four NADCs were diagnosed during study follow-up, 65 (40%) considered virus-related. Virus-related NADCs were inversely associated with 6-month CD4 þ cell count (hazard ratio per 100cells/ml increase ¼0.71), latest CD4 þ cell count (hazard ratio per 100cells/ml increase ¼0.70) and CD4 þ cell count-years (hazard ratio per 200cellyears/ml increase ¼0.91) independent of CD4 þ cell count at ART initiation, age and HIV-1 RNA response. No associations were found with virus-unrelated NADCs. Conclusion: Poor CD4 þ cell count response was strongly associated with virus-related NADC incidence, suggesting an important role for T-cell mediated immunity in pathogenesis. Lower CD4 þ cell count proximal to cancer diagnosis may be a result of subclinical cancer. Intensified cancer screening should be considered for patients on ART with low CD4 þ cell counts.
Quinolones Share a Common Interaction Domain on Topoisomerase II with Other DNA Cleavage-Enhancing Antineoplastic Drugs†

Topoisomerase II is the cytotoxic target for a number of clinically relevant antineoplastic drugs. Despite the fact that these agents differ significantly in structure, a previous study [Corbett, A. H., Hong, D., & Osheroff, N. (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268, 14394−14398] indicated that the site of action for etoposide on topoisomerase II overlaps those of other DNA cleavage-enhancing drugs. Therefore, to further define interactions between drugs and the enzyme, the functional interaction domain (i.e., interaction domain defined by drug function) for quinolones on Drosophila topoisomerase II was mapped with respect to several classes of antineoplastic agents. This was accomplished by characterizing the effects of ciprofloxacin (a gyrase-targeted antibacterial quinolone) on the ability of etoposide, amsacrine, genistein, and the antineoplastic quinolone, CP-115,953, to enhance topoisomerase II-mediated DNA cleavage. Although ciprofloxacin interacts with the eukaryotic type II enzyme, it shows little ability to ...
Induction and Processing of Oxidative Clustered DNA Lesions in 56Fe-Ion-Irradiated Human Monocytes

Abstract Tsao, D., Kalogerinis, P., Tabrizi, I., Dingfelder, M., Stewart, R. D. and Georgakilas, A. G. Induction and Processing of Oxidative Clustered DNA Lesions in 56Fe-Ion-Irradiated Human Monocytes. Radiat. Res. 168, 87–97 (2007). Space and cosmic radiation is characterized by energetic heavy ions of high linear energy transfer (LET). Although both low- and high-LET radiations can create oxidative clustered DNA lesions and double-strand breaks (DSBs), the local complexity of oxidative clustered DNA lesions tends to increase with increasing LET. We irradiated 28SC human monocytes with doses from 0–10 Gy of 56Fe ions (1.046 GeV/ nucleon, LET = 148 keV/μm) and determined the induction and processing of prompt DSBs and oxidative clustered DNA lesions using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and Number Average Length Analysis (NALA). The 56Fe ions produced decreased yields of DSBs (10.9 DSB Gy−1 Gbp−1) and clusters (1 DSB:∼0.8 Fpg clusters:∼0.7 Endo III clusters: ∼0.5 Endo IV clusters) compared to pre...
Characterization of mannosyl-transfer reactions catalyzed by dolichyl-mannosyl-phosphate-synthase☆

Evidence suggesting that a single enzyme catalyzes mannosyl transfer from GDP-mannose to both dolichyl phosphate and to phenyl phosphate was obtained as follows: (a) The two activities were coeluted from columns of DEAE-cellulose and Sepharose CL-6B, (b) both reactions demonstrated similar kinetic constants for the glycosyl donor and for guanosine nucleoside inhibitors, (c) both reactions were sensitive to inhibition by low concentrations of nonionic detergents, and (d) both activities were found to be thermally inactivated at similar rates upon incubation at 55 degrees. The reaction conditions required for optimal mannosyl transfer by the purified enzyme preparation to the hydrophobic and water soluble acceptors, however, were found to be quite different. Whereas mannosyl transfer from GDP-mannose to dolichyl phosphate occurred at maximal rates only in the presence of specific phospholipids, the rate of mannosyl transfer to phenyl phosphate was essentially unaffected by the addition of phospholipid. These results indicate that dolichyl-mannosyl-phosphate-synthase, which has some of the properties of an intrinsic membrane protein, does not have an absolute requirement for phospholipid for catalytic activity, but rather that phospholipid is required for interaction of the enzyme with the long chain polyisoprenol substrate dolichyl phosphate.
K$pi$ INTERACTION IN THE DOUBLE DISPERSION REPRESENTATION

The low-energy K- pi interaction was studied on the basis of the double dispersion representation. Exact dispersion relations for partial wave amplitudes were derived for K- pi scatterirg and for the process pi + pi -- K + K. These relations were reduced to manageable form and effectiverange fomulas were derived under the assumption that the K- pi interaction proceeds principally through a contact "potential." For the process pi + pi -- K + K, the initialstate interaction was taken into account. For the p wave of K- pi scattering, the two-pion exchange mechanism was considered. Other types of solutions are briefly discussed. (auth)
Application of the thermodynamic multilayer model to the small, nonuniform systems

Abstract It is shown that the multilayer model used previously for describing surface phenomena is able to account for phenomena occurring in systems which are simultaneously small and nonuniform. The disjoining pressure and the shift of the vapor pressure of a liquid contained in a small container are analyzed on this basis. It is shown how global quantities such as disjoining pressure and vapor pressure shift can be expressed as functions of local quantities.
Psychotherapy for female sexual dysfunction: A review

The increasing recognition of the significant incidence of female sexual dysfunction as well as the increasing acceptance of sex therapy as the preferred option for addressing problems in sexual functioning give rise to questions as to effectiveness of psychotherapy for female sexual dysfunction. This article presents a review of empirical studies of the treatment of female sexual dysfunction that meet minimal methodological criteria. Because of the variety and seriousness of methodological problems in the studies reviewed, guidelines for sample selection and description, research design, assessment and classification, and data analysis are provided. In addition, the 21 studies reviewed are examined for information they give about the treatment of female sexual dysfunction.
Microstructural characterization of irradiated U-7Mo/Al-5Si dispersion fuel to high fission density

The fuel development program for research and test reactors calls for improved knowledge on the effect of microstructure on fuel performance in reactors. This work summarizes the recent TEM microstructural characterization of an irradiated U-7Mo/Al-5Si dispersion fuel plate (R3R050) irradiated in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at Idaho National Laboratory to 5.2×1021 fissions/cm3. While a large fraction of the fuel grains is decorated with large bubbles, there is no evidence showing interlinking of these large bubbles at the specified fission density. The attachment of solid fission product precipitates to the bubbles is likely the result of fission product diffusion into these bubbles. The process of fission gas bubble superlattice collapse appears through bubble coalescence. The results are compared with the previous TEM work of the dispersion fuels irradiated to lower fission density from the same fuel plate.
Correlation of Mineral Dust-Induced Changes in the Composition of a Fraction Enriched in Lung Surfactant with Pulmonary Histologic Lesions in Rats

Abstract In previous work the composition of surfactant isolated from cell-free bronchoalveolar lavage (CF-BAL) from the right lungs of monkeys instilled with 500 mg of either generic bituminous, anthracite, quartz, or titanium dioxide dust was compared with that of surfactant isolated from CF-BAL from control left lungs. Exposure to quartz, anthracite, or titanium dioxide induced a significant increase in the amount of protein recovered, which was evident throughout most of the time period (1 year) studied. Exposure to quartz also induced a significant decrease in the total amount of lipid-associated phosphorus. To determine whether dust-induced changes in surfactant composition paralleled changes in lung morphology, consecutive studies were carried out in rats. Rats were instilled with 50 mg of either quartz or anthracite dust/kilogram body weight. One milligram of bituminous dust was instilled with every 5 mg of quartz dust as a marker to indicate dust location. Histologic evaluation of quartz dust-exp...
Care of Women Veterans

As more women have joined the US military, there has been a shift in the overall veteran population. Those who served in the US military, especially women, have undergone experiences that will impact their overall health and wellbeing. It is therefore critical for providers to better understand US military culture and be prepared on how to ask patients about their military experience. Health care providers need to be aware of the unique medical, psychiatric, and psychosocial needs of women veterans in order to best serve this patient population.
Urban America Reconsidered: Alternatives for Governance and Policy by David Imbroscio

David Imbroscio, Urban America Reconsidered: Alternatives for Governance and Policy (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2010).Urban America Reconsidered: Alternatives for Governance and Policy i...
Locomotion in the pulmonate snail Melampus—II. Recovery after pedal ganglion excision

Abstract 1. 1. When one pedal ganglion is removed, snails first crawl using the unoperated side of the foot, but in 4–8 weeks the operated side exhibits an anterior-to-posterior gradient of recovery. 2. 2. A ganglion bud bridges the site of the missing ganglion and axons project from intact central ganglia into the foot. 3. 3. Rhythmic activity in right and left pedal nerve pairs is correlated during locomotion in the regenerated snails. 4. 4. The oscillator in the remaining pedal ganglion drives bilaterally coorclinated activity. Regenerated projections from the cerebral ganglia through the bud to the remaining pedal ganglion suffice to initiate locomotion.
BLACKS AND THE CONTINUING QUEST FOR EQUAL EMPLOYMENT IN SIX FLORIDA COMMUNITIES

One of the anticipated results of the civil rights movement in the South was increased economic opportunity for blacks. Yet, little is known about contemporary black employment in the South and the factors related to it. This study is a longitudinal examination of this issue in six carefully selected Florida communities which highlights the relative importance of political and community contextual variables in the hiring of blacks. The results suggest that black resource variables (black population and applicants) are significant in the private sector employment of blacks while political variables are less important today than in the 1970s.
Fiber-optic liquid-level sensor

Abstract A novel intensity-based liquid-level sensor that operates up to 300°C is described. Liquid-level measurements for different liquids with refractive indices ranging from 1.33 to 1.635 have been obtained with extinction ratios between 20 and 39 dB. The hysteresis for the measurement of lubricating oil is 0.175 mm.
Lip silicone granulomatous foreign body reaction treated with aldara (imiquimod 5

We report a case of a lip granulomatous reaction after injection of silicone being treated successfully with topical Aldara (Imiquimod 5%). Silicone granulomas and the inflammatory foreign body reaction that can occur are some of the complications that arise from using silicone for cosmetic enhancement. The inflammatory reaction of this patient first appeared shortly after silicone injection of both the upper and lower lips. Histopathologic examination revealed a foreign body inflammatory reaction that is consistent with silicone granuloma. Although this reaction has been described extensively in the dermatologic literature as one of the disfiguring side effects of silicone injection, its treatment has plagued cosmetic dermatologists. We report the use of an immunomodulatory cream Aldara (Imiquimod 5%) to treat this type of reaction.
«De nouveaux et étranges éducateurs »: Dangers de la lecture et remèdes littéraires, 1883-1914

En las primeras decadas de la III a Republica, inquietos discursos denunciaban «una intoxicacion literaria» de la cual serian victimas los jovenes franceses bajo la influencia de sobreabundantes y desmoralizantes lecturas. Ensayistas y pedagogos coinciden en la necesidad de ensenar a los adolescentes, por medio de atractivas pero cuidadas lecturas, de enfrentar la literatura con discernimiento y moderacion. Muchos escritores, como Paul Bourget y Maurice Barres, proponen a titulo personal una novela de tipo didactico, que propicie la identificacion del lector con un personaje-lector, y asi plantear una paradojica prevencion contra los peligros de la lectura
Short-wavelength automated perimetry: it's role in the clinic and for understanding ganglion cell function

Short-wavelength automated perimetry (SWAP) is a more sensitive test than standard achromatic perimetry for early loss of vision due to glaucoma and other ocular and neurological diseases. SWAP is also more successful for detecting changes in vision as glaucoma progresses. Results from various visual function-specific tests, including SWAP, suggest that there are individual differences in ocular hypertensive and glaucoma eyes in the subtype of ganglion cell first affected. However, the disease targets the same retinal area for all function-specific tests that show a deficit in a given individual. Psychophysical tests of vision are critical to understand glaucoma's effect on retinal ganglion cells, to verify the success or failure of treatment including new neuroprotective agents, and to determine the relationship of genetic markers for glaucoma to the presence and progress of the disease.
Network Models of Spatial Oligopoly with an Application to Deregulation of Electricity Generation

Because of the existence of transmission costs and significant scale economies in power production, deregulation of electricity generation would lead to spatial oligopolistic markets. This paper uses linear programs to obtain short-run spatial price equilibria for a deregulated bulk power market in upstate New York. These models, unlike most previous models of imperfect competition, capture spatial variations in production costs and demand functions. We present two models. One calculates a Nash-Bertrand equilibrium, in which each firm believes that rivals will not react to price changes. This equilibrium represents the most intense level of competition to be expected. The other model yields limit prices that are designed to discourage new firms from entering the market.
Predicting Unsure Responses to a Proposed Moose Hunt in Anchorage, Alaska

We examined correlates of nonsubstantive survey responses (i.e., NSR, unsure) to a voting intention question for a proposed moose (Alces alces) hunt. We compared respondents who gave unsure responses (15% of sample) against those who would vote for (51%) or against (34%) the hunt using demographic characteristics, tendency to use NSRs throughout the survey, psychological indicators, prior negative experiences with moose, and hunting participation. Data were obtained from a mail survey (n = 971) of Anchorage, Alaska residents. Respondents with unsure voting intentions were older, female, more likely to give NSRs throughout the survey, and tended to be non-hunters. NSR (i.e., unsure) respondents also had fewer negative experiences with moose, did not have a strong attitude toward the hunt, and were ambivalent toward wildlife in general compared to those who voiced an opinion either for or against the hunt. We used discriminant analysis to identify variables that best differentiated among the three voting in...
SO2 structure and reactivity on clean and sulfur modified Pd(100)

Abstract Below 120 K SO2 was found to adsorb intact on clean and sulfided Pd(100) surfaces. The molecule bonds to the surface via its sulfur atom with preferential occupation of a four-fold hollow binding site. The SO2 molecular plane apparently lies normal to the surface, but evidence of in-plane tilting and PdO binding was found, in sharp contrast to the out-of-plane tilt observed on Ag(110). This difference is explained in terms of the surface electronic structure of the two metals. Decomposition of SO2 on Pd(100) occurs above 240 K on the clean surface to yield adsorbed atomic oxygen and SO which in turn dissociates at higher temperatures. For initially high SO2 coverages an SO4 species is formed above 300 K by reaction of SO2 with oxygen formed in SO2 dissociation. A quarter monolayer of preadsorbed sulfur blocks SO2 decomposition, but the geometry and stability of adsorbed SO2 is not strongly perturbed at this sulfur coverage, suggesting that SO2 adsorbs in the four-fold hollow. At a sulfur coverage of 0.5 ML, adsorbed SO2 bonds weakly via the sulfur atom, and the molecule is no longer tilted. SO2 desorption is complete by 170 K at this sulfur coverage.
Transient two‐dimensional heat conduction problems solved by the finite element method

A finite element weighted residual process has been used to solve transient linear and non-linear two-dimensional heat conduction problems. Rectangular prisms in a space-time domain were used as the finite elements. The weighting function was equal to the shape function defining the dependent variable approximation. The results are compared in tables with analytical, as well as other numerical data. The finite element method compared favourably with these results. It was found to be stable, convergent to the exact solution, easily programmed, and computationally fast. Finally, the method does not require constant parameters over the entire solution domain.
Effective operators and spectroscopic properties

In 1968, Wybourne1 [J. Chem. Phys. 48 (1968) 2596] asked two major questions while pointing out that a few years earlier, “Judd and Ofelt considered only second-order contributions to the oscillator strength: 1. Are the higher-order contributions significant? 2. What new angular-dependent terms enter when the higher-order contributions are considered?” In the present paper, the answers to these questions are discussed in the form of a report woven onto the background of Wybourne’s publication. The very last sentence of his paper might be taken as an obligation and also as a source of inspiration for all of us who have been trying to describe the properties of rare earth ions over the years. Indeed, he remarks: “At this state (1968) there would seem to be little point in extending calculations to higher orders until actual numerical estimates of the relative importance of the second- and third-order contributions are established.” In this context, the present analysis is performed up to the third-order terms, and the new effective operators are discussed. In addition, to fulfill the demand for “actual numerical estimates”, the results of ab initio calculations are presented to illustrate the hierarchy of important physical mechanisms that contribute to the f↔f transition amplitude.
Combining ORAM with PIR to Minimize Bandwidth Costs

Cloud computing allows customers to outsource the burden of data management and benefit from economy of scale, but privacy concerns limit its reach. Even if the stored data are encrypted, access patterns may leak valuable information. Oblivious RAM (ORAM) protocols guarantee full access pattern privacy, but even the most efficient ORAMs proposed to date incur large bandwidth costs.We combine Private Information Retrieval (PIR) techniques with the most bandwidth-efficient existing ORAM scheme known to date (ObliviStore), to create OS+PIR, a new ORAM with bandwidth costs only half those of ObliviStore. For data block counts ranging from 2^20 to 2^30, OS+PIR achieves a total bandwidth cost of only 11X-13X blocks transferred per client block read+write, down from ObliviStore's 18X-26X. OS+PIR introduces several enhancements in addition to PIR in order to achieve its lower costs, including mechanisms for eliminating unused dummy blocks.
Implications of the day versus night differences of water vapor, carbon monoxide, and thin cloud observations near the tropical tropopause

[1] There are some interesting day versus night differences in the water vapor and carbon monoxide concentrations near the tropopause over tropical land and ocean from 4 years of EOS Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) observations. To interpret these differences, the diurnal cycle of deep convection reaching near tropical tropopause summarized from a decade of tropical rainfall measuring mission (TRMM) observations. We also present the diurnal cycle of the cold point tropopause temperature and height derived from 2 years of constellation observing system for meteorology ionosphere and climate (COSMIC) GPS temperature profiles, the day versus night differences of occurrence of thin clouds from 2 years of cloud-aerosol lidar and infrared pathfinder satellite observations (CALIPSO) and 16 years of stratospheric aerosol and gaseous experiment (SAGE) II. In the tropical upper troposphere, day versus night differences of water vapor and carbon monoxide are consistent with the diurnal cycle of the vertical transport of water vapor and carbon monoxide–rich air from the surface by deep convection. However, in the tropical tropopause layer (TTL) over land, day versus night differences of water vapor concentration are more consistent with the diurnal variations of temperature in a saturated TTL, which is related to the diurnal cycle of cooling in the TTL induced by deep convection. The day versus night differences of occurrences of thin clouds in the TTL are also consistent with the freeze drying, controlled by the diurnal cycles of temperature in the TTL.
Ketogenic diet in the treatment of seizures associated with hypothalamic hamartomas.

Summary Seizures associated with hypothalamic hamartoma (HH) are notoriously intractable to medical therapy, and while surgical resection affords most affected patients with complete or near seizure-freedom, there remains a need to identify alternative treatments. In this retrospective study, we identified six patients from a large cohort of 220 patients with HH who were treated with the ketogenic diet (KD). Four patients had a 50–90% reduction in multiple seizure types (including gelastic, partial-onset and atonic seizures), and two individuals failed to respond. In order to study possible mechanisms, we then performed microelectrode recordings of small neurons in surgically resected HH tissue slices. Exposure to ketone bodies decreased spontaneous firing in 5 of 7 small HH neurons. These preliminary results suggest that seizures associated with HH may respond favorably to the KD, and that ketone bodies might directly modulate the intrinsic epileptogenicity of HH tissue.
Robust optimization of diffusion-weighted MRI protocols used for fiber reconstruction

Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) is a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique that employs diffusion-encoding gradients to sensitize the signal to the diffusion of water molecules. DWI allows the noninvasive and quantitative probing of opaque structures such as fibrous soft tissues. Model-based DWI post-processing algorithms, such as diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), solve an inverse problem to estimate from a series of DWI data a set of model parameters representing the diffusion process and the environment of the water molecules. DWI models connect the model parameters (e.g., fiber orientations for fibrous soft tissues) with the experimental parameters (e.g., strengths and directions of the 3-D diffusion-encoding gradients). For spinal cord injuries and skeletal muscle characterization, the fiber orientations within the imaged region can be approximately known a priori using localizer images. Then, we propose and implement a model-based robust optimization framework for two axisymmetric diffusion models, producing robust DWI protocols with respect to the approximate knowledge of the fiber orientations within the images, thereby reducing the uncertainty in the parameter estimates caused by experimental noise. Our goal is to improve the yield of quantitative DWI diagnostics used in clinical and preclinical trials by minimizing the experimental uncertainty.
A comparison of signal-to-noise ratios for single channel methods (sequential and multiplex) vs multichannel methods in optical spectroscopy☆

Abstract Four major types of spectroscopic systems for quantitative analysis of one or more spectral components we compared, with regard to signal-to-noise ratio for constant analysis time. These four methods are based on sequential-linear scan, sequential-slew scan, multichannel, and multiplex approaches. The multiplex methods can generally be classified into two types, namely Fourier transform spectroscopy and Hadamard transform spectroscopy. It is shown that for the same spectral source, for the same resolving power luminosity product of the optical system, and the same detector, the multichannel approach is the best and the sequential slew scan system is nearly as good for relatively simple spectra in the u.v.- Visible region. Multiplex methods have little to offer in the u.v.- Visible region, where the detector noise limitation seldom applies and where background shot and/or fluctuation noise are dominant but could find considerable use in the u.v.- Visible region for atomic fluorescence or emission spectroscopy especially if the density of spectral lines in the measurement region is not too great and the background intensity is low.
The mid-ocean ridge axial valley as a steady-state neck

Abstract In this paper the mid-ocean ridge axial valley is modelled as a steady-state lithospheric neck in which lithospheric stretching balances lithospheric accretion. Conversely, the axial high is a steady-state lithospheric bulge. The lithosphere is modelled as a thin plate with a Newtonian rheology. It is shown that an axial valley will occur if the rate of viscosity increase away from the ridge axis is faster than the rate at which accretion decreases. An axial high will occur if the opposite condition holds. This is consistent with the observation that axial valleys occur at low spreading rates and axial highs at high spreading rates. By fitting our model to profiles across the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the East Pacific Rise and assuming the lithospheric thickness at the ridge axis to be 5 km, we find accretion widths of 6–8 km. We find the width over which there is a significant increase in lithospheric viscosity to be also 6–8 km.