cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Long-term effects of lifestyle and metformin interventions in DPP on bone density

In the Diabetes Prevention Program Outcome Study (DPPOS), a cohort at high risk of diabetes, randomization to intensive lifestyle intervention or metformin, both associated with weight loss, did not have long-term negative effects on BMD compared with the placebo group. Potential positive effects of metformin on bone warrant further investigation. Randomization to lifestyle intervention (ILS) or metformin in the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) resulted in weight loss and reduced progression to diabetes. Weight loss is associated with reduced bone mineral density (BMD), but the long-term effects of these interventions on BMD are unknown. In the DPP Outcome Study (DPPOS), we determined if randomization to ILS or metformin, compared with placebo, was associated with differences in BMD approximately 16 years later. Of 3234 DPP participants, 2779 continued in DPPOS and were offered ILS in group format. Those randomized to metformin were offered unmasked metformin. At DPPOS year 12, 1367 participants had dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scans. BMD in metformin and ILS groups was compared to placebo using sex-specific linear regression models, adjusted for age, race/ethnicity, and weight and weight-bearing activity at DPP baseline. At DPPOS year 12, mean age was 66.5 (±9.5) years. Femoral neck BMD was similar in the ILS and placebo groups in men (difference = −0.021 g/cm2, 95%CI (−0.063, 0.021)) and in women (+0.014 g/cm2, 95%CI (−0.014, 0.042)). Femoral neck BMD was higher in the metformin compared to placebo group although not statistically different in men (+0.017 g/cm2, 95% CI (−0.023, 0.058)) and in women (+0.019 g/cm2, 95% CI (−0.009, 0.047)). Prevalence of osteoporosis was low and similar across treatment groups in men (0.9%; p=0.745) and women (2.4%; p=0.466). In a cohort at high risk of diabetes, lifestyle intervention or metformin did not appear to have long-term negative effects on BMD. Potential positive effects of metformin on bone warrant further research.
An Approach to an Online EdD in Community College Leadership Program

The purpose of this article is to provide an example of how an EdD in Community College Leadership program is offered in an online format. First, the benefits of online programs, including increased access and flexibility for working professionals and higher levels of diversity among the student body are discussed. Then, several strategies to promote connection among students and to facilitate a supportive, engaging learning environment virtually are shared. For example, the value of using a cohort model, a carefully designed curriculum with assignments that have practical value, and a balance of synchronous and asynchronous learning activities is described. Finally, the important role of and strategies for incorporating models and mentors into an online doctoral program are discussed.
The Effects of Check-In/Check-Out on Kindergarten Students in an Urban Setting

The purpose of this project was to investigate the effectiveness of Check-in/Check-out (CICO), a targeted behavioral intervention, on reducing the problem behaviors of kindergarten students in an urban setting. Participants were referred by their teacher for exhibiting disruptive classroom behaviors, which resulted in classroom removal. Results indicate that CICO led to a reduction in off-task behaviors and an increase of on-task behavior for both students. This study provides support for the practicality of school support personnel as the primary interventionist using CICO.
Unusual teratoma of the ovary with implantation in the abdominal cavity

Abstract A case of a benign teratoma (dermoid cyst) of the ovary occurring in a 16-month-old female infant—believed to be the youngest patient on record with this condition—is reported. The size of this teratoma is unusual, and it is probably the largest one found in an infant of this age. This case also presents an unusual abdominal carcinomatosis-like spread of the benign teratoid tissue, and the omental implantations of “metastasizing” glial tissue is even more remarkable. The pathogenesis of this process warrants further investigation.
VERY LARGE ARRAY OBSERVATIONS OF EVOLVING NOISE STORM SOURCES ON THE SUN

The presence of coronal magnetic fields connecting active regions is inferred from decimetric observations of solar noise storms with the Very Large Array (VLA) and from soft X-ray images taken by Yohkoh. Temporal changes in the noise storms appear to be correlated with some soft X-ray bursts detected by both Yohkoh and the GOES satellite. Combined analysis of the radio and X-ray data suggests a re-arrangement of the coronal magnetic field during the onset of impulsive noise storm burst emission. On one day during the combined VLA–Yohkoh–GOES observations, two widely-separated active regions appear to be connected by a faint trans-equatorial 91 cm source as well as two distinct soft X-ray loops. The two active regions show anti-correlated fluctuations in decimetric radio emission. On another day of combined VLA–Yohkoh observations, a series of 91 cm noise storm bursts are observed along the major axis of the associated noise storm continuum. Time sequences of Yohkoh soft X-ray images show a contraction of coronal loops prior to the onset of this series of bursts and a corresponding increase in the X-ray flux in the apparent footpoint of the overarching loop containing the noise storm. These observations imply that energy from a realignment of the magnetic field is being transferred, possibly by accelerated particles, along loops connecting separated active regions on the Sun.
Consensus, Disorder, and Ideology on the Supreme Court

Ideological models are widely accepted as the basis for many academic studies of the Supreme Court because of their power in predicting the justices' decision-making behavior. Not all votes are easily explained or well predicted by attitudes, however. Consensus in Supreme Court voting, particularly the extreme consensus of unanimity, has often puzzled Court observers who adhere to ideological accounts of judicial decision making. Are consensus and (ultimately) unanimity driven by extreme factual scenarios or extreme lower court rulings such that even the most liberal and most conservative justice can agree on the case disposition? Or are they driven by other, nonattitudinal influences on judicial decisions? In this article, we rely on a measure of deviations from expected ideological patterns in the justices' voting to assess whether ideological models provide an adequate explanation of consensus on the Court. We find that case factors that predict voting disorder also predict consensus. Based on that finding, we conclude that consensus on the Court cannot be explained by ideology alone; rather, it often results from ideology being outweighed by other influences on justices' decisions.
Nicotinic acid biosynthesis in prototrophs and tryptophan auxotrophs of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Yeasts utilize tryptophan for the synthesis of nicotinic acid under aerobic, but not under anaerobic, conditions. Under aerobic conditions of growth, radioactivity from tryptophan-14C uniformly labeled in the benzene ring and 14C-carboxyl-labeled 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid is incorporated into nicotinic acid. Under anaerobic conditions, little radioactivity from these compounds is incorporated into nicotinic acid. The presence of a tryptophan-nicotinic acid pathway in yeast is further supported by the establishment of the presence of formylkynurenine formamidase and 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid oxidase, two of the enzymes known to mediate the conversion of tryptophan to nicotinic acid in mammalian systems. Under anaerobic conditions, yeasts incorporate radioactivity from uniformly labeled aspartate-14C and glutamate-14C, suggesting that an alternative pathway similar to that shown in several bacterial systems is operative. Evidence is presented which establishes quinolinic acid as a precursor to nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide under either aerobic or anaerobic conditions. Quinolinic acid appears, therefore, to be a common intermediate in the alternative pathways for nicotinic acid biosynthesis in yeast.
Cognitive Systems and Cognitive Architectures

Cognitive systems refer to computational models and systems that are in some way inspired by human (or animal) cognition as we understand it. There is a variety of forms of cognitive systems. Among cognitive systems, cognitive architectures are generic models of cognition, inspired by psychological studies and aimed for capturing human cognition in a rather comprehensive fashion. Another common approach is specifying cognitive processes through logics and logic-based systems. Many theoretical tools and perspectives have been developed along these lines. In this article, example cognitive systems will be described, and general issues in developing cognitive systems and cognitive architectures will also be discussed along the way. Keywords: cognitive systems; cognition; modeling; cognitive architecture; logic; nonmonotonic reasoning; CLARION
Language-independent schedulability analysis of real-time programs

The use of embedded real-time computing systems to control industrial, medical, scientific, consumer, environmental and other processes is rapidly growing. A failure of an embedded computing system to properly control its real-time process may lead to major losses, possibly including the loss of human life. A real-time application thus demands from its embedded computing system not only significant computation and control processing, but also, even more importantly, a guarantee of predictable, reliable and timely operation.
Order-Maintenance Agenda as Land Use Policy

Debates about the broken windows hypothesis focus almost exclusively on whether the order-maintenance agenda represents wise criminal law policy — specifically on whether, when, and at what cost, order-maintenance policing techniques reduce serious crime. These questions are important, but incomplete. This Essay, which was solicited for a symposium on urban-development policy, considers potential benefits of order-maintenance policies other than crime-reduction, especially reducing the fear of crime. The Broken Windows essay itself urged that attention to disorder was important not just because disorder was a precursor to more serious crime, but also because disorder undermined residents’ sense of security. The later scholarly explications of the broken windows hypothesis also emphasize the connection between restoring the perception of security and its reality. One reason that social norms scholars link disorder and crime is that disorder has a predictable effect on law-abiding citizens: those with financial resources move away from, or choose not to move into, disorderly neighborhoods; those without resources remain inside and avoid public places. Even if these reactions (somewhat surprisingly) do not lead to more crime in a community, they certainly disadvantage city neighborhoods vis-a-vis their suburban alternatives. Moreover, and importantly, the goals of reducing crime and of helping poor, inner-city residents feel better about, and more vested in, their communities are not necessarily coterminous; order-maintenance policies might achieve the latter without achieving the former. In other words, it might be the case that order-maintenance policies “work” even if they do not curb serious crime.
Perioperative survival of elderly head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients

Objectives/Hypothesis To evaluate the survival benefit of surgery for elderly head and neck cancer (HNC) patients. Study Design Retrospective national database cohort study of HNC patients. Methods The study is a retrospective cohort review of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End-Results (SEER) database from 2004 to 2009. We developed an estimated perioperative window, based on the institutional database at a tertiary academic center. The average time to surgery among HNC patients at this center correlated with SEER's 3-month post diagnosis. From this estimate, we calculated postoperative (3 months), 2-year, and 5-year overall survival (OS) for patients receiving HNC surgery from 2004 to 2009 in the SEER database. Patients were matched for sex, tumor grade/stage, primary location, and radiation treatment status. Results Overall, after matching we found a statistically significant decrease in 3-month OS for the elderly patients versus younger controls who received surgery (P < .05). However, a matched analysis of elderly patients alone found a significant increase in OS for elderly patients who received surgery compared to those who did not (P < .05). Conclusions Surgery appears to offer overall benefit to elderly HNC patients. These patients have a significantly worse postoperative OS than their younger counterparts, but the clinical significance appears to be limited. The improved survival among elderly patients who receive surgery compared to those who do not suggests that surgery should be offered to properly selected patients regardless of age. Level of Evidence 2b Laryngoscope 124:2281–2286, 2014
American Beaux‐Arts Architects and The Decoration of Houses: Elucidating French Academic Influences for a Seminal Literary Work

Ogden Codman and Edith Wharton's book, The Decoration of Houses (1897), is considered among the most important books on interior decoration and classical architecture published in America (Reed, 1997, p. xi; Wilson, 2007; Holm 1997). Given the authors' limited training and prior experience in decorating houses, this study questions the extent that their authoritative advice comprised their own ideas and explores broader influences for Decoration's development. It appraises how the American Beaux-Arts movement impelled the seminal literary work and seeks to establish that American Beaux-Arts architects and French design theory were primary sources for Decoration's prescribed methodologies. Significantly, the study proposes an alternate view of the development of Decoration, and the process of simplification and unification of interiors and architecture in the late nineteenth century. By considering Decoration from an interiors perspective in relationship to French design theory, it is set apart from the work of previous scholars, who have examined the book from art historical, sociocultural, and literary perspectives. In this way, it broadens understanding of social class and professional competitions based on the aesthetics of taste in architecture and interior decoration.
Three-Dimensional Analysis of Vestibular Efferent Neurons Innervating Semicircular Canals of the Gerbil

Anterograde labeling techniques were used to examine peripheral innervation patterns of vestibular efferent neurons in the crista ampullares of the gerbil. Vestibular efferent neurons were labeled by extracellular injections of biocytin or biotinylated dextran amine into the contralateral or ipsilateral dorsal subgroup of efferent cell bodies (group e) located dorsolateral to the facial nerve genu. Anterogradely labeled efferent terminal field varicosities consist mainly of boutons en passant with fewer of the terminal type. The bouton swellings are located predominately in apposition to the basolateral borders of the afferent calyces and type II hair cells, but several boutons were identified close to the hair cell apical border on both types. Three-dimensional reconstruction and morphological analysis of the terminal fields from these cells located in the sensory neuroepithelium of the anterior, horizontal, and posterior cristae were performed. We show that efferent neurons densely innervate each end organ in widespread terminal fields. Subepithelial bifurcations of parent axons were minimal, with extensive collateralization occurring after the axons penetrated the basement membrane of the neuroepithelium. Axonal branching ranged between the 6th and 27th orders and terminal field collecting area far exceeds that of the peripheral terminals of primary afferent neurons. The terminal fields of the efferent neurons display three morphologically heterogeneous types: central, peripheral, and planum. All cell types possess terminal fields displaying a high degree of anisotropy with orientations typically parallel to or within +/-45 degrees of the longitudinal axis if the crista. Terminal fields of the central and planum zones predominately project medially toward the transverse axis from the more laterally located penetration of the basement membrane by the parent axon. Peripheral zone terminal fields extend predominately toward the planum semilunatum. The innervation areas of efferent terminal fields display a trend from smallest to largest for the central, peripheral, and planum types, respectively. Neurons that innervate the central zone of the crista do not extend into the peripheral or planum regions. Conversely, those neurons with terminal fields in the peripheral or planum regions do not innervate the central zone of the sensory neuroepithelium. The central zone of the crista is innervated preferentially by efferent neurons with cell bodies located in the ipsilateral group e. The peripheral and planum zones of the crista are innervated preferentially by efferent neurons with cell bodies located in the contralateral group e. A model incorporating our anatomic observations is presented describing an ipsilateral closed-loop feedback between ipsilateral efferent neurons and the periphery and an open-loop feed-forward innervation from contralateral efferent neurons. A possible role for the vestibular efferent neurons in the modulation of semicircular canal afferent response dynamics is proposed.
Robot-assisted laparoscopic renal artery aneurysm repair with selective arterial clamping.

Renal artery aneurysms represent a rare clinical entity, and most are managed with endovascular techniques when treatment is indicated. Laparoscopic and robot-assisted repair of renal artery aneurysms has been described; however, few reports exist in the literature. We describe our experience with the surgical management of a 1.6-cm right-sided renal artery aneurysms in a 35-year-old man who presented with flank pain. Using the DaVinci Si surgical platform (Intuitive, Sunnyvale, CA, USA), the aneurysm was resected and the renal artery was reconstructed. Segmental branches of the renal artery were dissected and selectively clamped during resection, allowing for regional rather than global renal ischemia. Operative time was 240 min, with an estimated blood loss of 200 cc. Warm ischemia time was only regional, for a duration of 44 min. Follow-up functional analysis showed preserved renal function in the right kidney. We describe our technique and show the technical feasibility of robot-assisted renal artery aneurysm repair. Furthermore, use of the DaVinci Si system facilitates segmental artery dissection, and allows for selective clamping during reconstruction. This avoids global renal ischemia and optimizes functional preservation.
Diffusion Measurements by Analytical Electron Microscopy

The analytical electron microscope (AEM) has been used to measure the concentration gradients which form in single and multiphase diffusion couples. The procedures used to collect x-ray microanalytical data and reduce that data to elemental compositions are typical of those used to quantify x-ray data generated in thin films. The primary difficulty in analyzing diffusion couples with the AEM is sample preparation. The principle advantage of the AEM as a tool to measure diffusion induced concentration gradients is its high spatial resolution, approximately 20 to 100 times better than that of the electron microprobe which has been traditionally used to measure these concentration profiles. As a consequence, the AEM data can yield diffusivities as much as 5 orders of magnitude smaller than those obtained from electron microprobe data. This paper will review the fundamental principles of the determination of diffusion coefficients from the concentration gradients measured in single and multiphase diffusion couples and the basic considerations of thin foil x-ray microanalysis. With this understanding of the basic concepts, recent studies of diffusion in Ta-W and U-Nb will be discussed.
Great Tsunami: 26 December 2004, Sumatra Region

The Sumatra-Andaman earthquake and tsunami of 26 December 2004, one of the deadliest natural events in human history, caused more than 223,000 fatalities around the margins of the Indian Ocean.The rupture initiated beneath northwestern Sumatra and propagated 1300 kilometers to the Andaman Islands. Access to extensive portions of the rupture zone north of Sumatra is restricted by the Indian or Chinese governments. In addition, because of political considerations, India does not provide open access to data from its extensive network of mainland broadband seismometers. These factors provide a context for Memoir 64 of the Geological Society of India, which documents primary observations of the earthquake and tsunami effects in Indian territories.
Early Holocene Evolution of San Francisco Estuary, Northern California

Abstract Fossil foraminifers (Elphidium excavatum forma selseyensis) recovered from a sediment core from the San Francisco Bay are analyzed for their oxygen isotopic composition. About 8 m of core believed to represent the first 600 years of the current (Holocene) bay's existence at the sample site (from approximately 7650–7050 cal YBP) are highlighted here. This record, deposited at a high, uniform accumulation rate, shows pronounced variation in measured carbonate δ18O, including some of the highest values in the entire Holocene record at the site. It is proposed that this interval records a period during which the fundamental mixing dynamics of the modern estuary became established. We interpret the extremely high δ18O values at about 7400 cal YBP as being indicative of a strongly stratified estuary sampled below its halocline and argue that subsequent details of the isotope record suggest a gradual decrease in water column stratification until conditions qualitatively characteristic of the modern estu...
The NS5A-binding heat shock proteins HSC70 and HSP70 play distinct roles in the hepatitis C viral life cycle

We previously identified HSP70 and HSC70 in complex with NS5A in a proteomic screen. Here, coimmunoprecipitation studies confirmed NS5A/HSC70 complex formation during infection, and immunofluorescence studies showed NS5A and HSC70 to colocalize. Unlike HSP70, HSC70 knockdown did not decrease viral protein levels. Rather, intracellular infectious virion assembly was significantly impaired by HSC70 knockdown. We also discovered that both HSC70 nucleotide binding and substrate binding domains directly bind NS5A whereas only the HSP70 nucleotide binding domain does. Knockdown of both HSC70 and HSP70 demonstrated an additive reduction in virus production. This data suggests that HSC70 and HSP70 play discrete roles in the viral life cycle. Investigation of these different functions may facilitate developing of novel strategies that target host proteins to treat HCV infection.
Eriophyid Mite Collections in the Texas Panhandle

Eriophyid mites, minute wormlike plant feeders measuring up to 0.20 mm. in length, possess two pairs of anterior legs and have no eyes. They may be found on the upper leaf surface of grasses or in the tender whorl.
An efficient 1.46 mu m thulium fiber laser via a cascade process

Continuous wave (CW) lasing in a thulium-doped fluorozirconate fiber at 1.46 mu m with a 20% slope efficiency was observed. Simultaneous lasing at 1.86 mu m with 29% slope efficiency depopulates the normally long lived 1.46- mu m terminal level. It is shown that the cascade process can increase the slope efficiency eta /sub s/, of the 1.45- mu m transition by a factor of ten and the 1.86- mu m transition by a factor of eight. Calculations indicate that the CW laser thresholds decrease significantly. >
TU‐EE‐A2‐04: Increasing the Efficiency and Radiobiological Relevance of IMRT Treatment Planning: Replacing Dose‐Volume Thresholds with Generalized Equivalent Uniform Dose Or Mean‐Tail‐Dose Metrics

Purpose: Our goal is to validate treatment planning metrics that are computationally efficient yet have inherent radiobiological meaning, either directly or by correlating highly with more explicitly biological metrics. We show how mean‐tail‐dose and the generalized equivalent uniform dose (gEUD) metrics could be used to replace dose‐volume metrics in IMRTtreatment planning.Method and Materials: gEUD and MOH/MOCx (mean of the hottest/coldest x% of a structure) are candidates for dose‐volume metric replacements due both to their averaging‐nature (closer to the expected radiobiology), as well as their convexity (and the linearity of MOH/MOCx), which allows for optimal solutions and faster optimization. We used datasets from both 3DCRT planning (219 lung/pneumonitis; 263 lung/esophagitis; 491 prostate) and IMRT (40 prostate; 398 head and neck). We calculated the Spearman's rank‐correlation coefficient between typical clinical dose‐volume metrics and these quasi‐radiobiological metrics with a range of values for the variable parameter (a for gEUD; x for MOH/MOCx). We also calculated the sensitivity and specificity values resulting from using the quasi‐radiobiological metrics to ‘predict’ violation of a clinical dose‐volume threshold. Results: We found high correlations between the proposed quasi‐radiobiological metrics and clinical dose‐volume metrics. Twenty‐seven out of thirty correlations tested had a Spearman correlation coefficient above 0.90 with highly significant p‐values. We also found, for many of the dose‐volume metrics, the associated quasi‐radiobiological metric was an excellent classifier. Conclusion: There is evidence from large datasets including both 3DCRT and IMRT patients that the biological metrics of gEUD and MOH/MOCx are highly correlated to traditional dose‐volume metrics and are fairly accurate for classifying acceptable from non‐acceptable plans. Many of the gEUD or MOH/MOCx metrics could be substituted for traditional dose‐volume constraints with a sensitivity and specificity well above 0.80. Conflict of Interest: Partially supported by a grant from Tomotherapy, Inc., as well as NIH R01 grant CA85181.
Sustainable development: Mainstream and critical perspectives

Like democracy and globalization, the concept of sustainable development has become one of the most ubiquitous, contested, and indispensable concepts of our time. Although the concept was first int...
Liver Graft Failure and Hyperbilirubinemia in Liver Transplantation Recipients After Clostridium difficile Infection

Abstract Introduction Liver transplant recipients are at high risk for Clostridium difficile infection. We have recently encountered multiple cases of CDI in our liver transplant recipients and for some of them it led to severe hyperbilirubinemia, liver failure, and even death. Our goals are to report our experience and analyze the factors that contributed to unfavorable outcomes. Material and Methods All liver transplant recipients diagnosed with CDI between December 1, 2007, and January 30, 2009, were included and retrospectively reviewed. Results Twenty-four patients were identified, 14 men and 10 women. Fourteen patients experienced hyperbilirubinemia after the infection and 7 progressed to liver failure. Pre-CDI biopsy-proven liver abnormality, use of extended-criteria donors (ECDs) and a donor risk index (DRI) greater than 1.9 were associated with a higher risk of graft failure ( P P Conclusion CDI in liver transplant patients can be very serious and may lead to sustained hyperbilirubinemia or graft failure. Marginal grafts are more susceptible to decompensate after such an infection than standard criteria grafts; moreover, already abnormal grafts do not tolerate this infection well and decompensate to complete failure in 85% of the cases.
Science in Carbon Economies: Debating What Counts in US Biofuel Governance:

This paper analyzes the scientific practices that constitute carbon economies by rendering carbon countable, fungible, and governable. Examining US biofuel governance, I draw on field research and document and policy analyses to consider the roles state, private industry, and civil society actors play in negotiating scientific practice in biofuel governance and to explore the geographically uneven consequences of contrasting science–society configurations. This research illustrates the complex and contradictory roles of nature's quantification and state-supported science in carbon economies. Although nature's quantification as carbon was initially used as a technology of opposition and accountability to limit vested interest power and maintain biofuels' greenhouse gas reduction capacity, it ultimately served industry interests by focusing policy deliberation on technical issues industry deftly navigated and away from policy rationale, value conflict, and biofuels' broader social–ecological consequences. D...
An implicitly restarted block Lanczos bidiagonalization method using Leja shifts

In this paper, we propose an implicitly restarted block Lanczos bidiagonalization (IRBLB) method for computing a few extreme or interior singular values and associated right and left singular vectors of a large matrix A. Our method combines the advantages of a block routine, implicit shifting, and the application of Leja points as shifts in the accelerating polynomial. The method neither requires factorization of A nor of a matrix that contains A. This makes the method well suited for very large matrices. For many matrices, the method presented in this paper requires less computational work and computer storage than other available approaches. Computed examples illustrate the performance of the method described.
Hematopoietic cell transplantation as a form of immunotherapy.

The association of graft-versus-host disease with diminished relapse rates following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation, together with the dramatic responses sometimes seen following donor lymphocyte infusions, demonstrates the considerable power of the human immune system to eradicate hematological malignancies.The development of methods that reliably achieve complete engraftment of donor lymphohematopoiesis without subjecting patients to very-high-dose toxic chemoradiotherapy represents an important step in capitalizing on the allogeneic graft-versus-tumor effect. Nonmyeloablative hematopoietic cell transplantation can achieve complete chimerism in essentially all patients with HLA-matched siblings and the large majority of patients with matched unrelated donors. It can be carried out with relative safety, even in patients aged up to 70 years. Enduring complete responses have been seen in patients with virtually all varieties of hematological malignancies. Current studies are defining the role of this procedure in patient management.The greater challenge is to further capitalize on this approach by segregating the graft-versus-tumor effect from graft-versus-host disease.
γ-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) Concentration Inversely Correlates with Basal Perfusion in Human Occipital Lobe

Commonly used neuroimaging approaches in humans exploit hemodynamic or metabolic indicators of brain function. However, fundamental gaps remain in our ability to relate such hemo-metabolic reactivity to neurotransmission, with recent reports providing paradoxical information regarding the relationship among basal perfusion, functional imaging contrast, and neurotransmission in awake humans. Here, sequential magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) measurements of the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA+macromolecules normalized by the complex N-acetyl aspartate-N-acetyl aspartyl glutamic acid: [GABA+]/[NAA–NAAG]), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements of perfusion, fractional gray-matter volume, and arterial arrival time (AAT) are recorded in human visual cortex from a controlled cohort of young adult male volunteers with neurocognitive battery-confirmed comparable cognitive capacity (3 T; n=16; age=23±3 years). Regression analyses reveal an inverse correlation between [GABA+]/[NAA–NAAG] and perfusion (R=−0.46; P=0.037), yet no relationship between AAT and [GABA+]/[NAA–NAAG] (R=−0.12; P=0.33). Perfusion measurements that do not control for AAT variations reveal reduced correlations between [GABA+]/[NAA–NAAG] and perfusion (R=−0.13; P=0.32). These findings largely reconcile contradictory reports between perfusion and inhibitory tone, and underscore the physiologic origins of the growing literature relating functional imaging signals, hemodynamics, and neurotransmission.
Internal Reorganization Energies for Copper Redox Couples: The Slow Electron-Transfer Reactions of the [CuII/I(bib)2]2+/+ Couple

[CuII(bib)2]2+ and [CuI(bib)2]+ (bib = 2,2‘-bis(2-imidazolyl)biphenyl) have similar geometries, with the Cu(II) complex best described as pseudo-square planar and the Cu(I) complex pseudo-tetrahedral. The cyclic voltammograms in acetonitrile are only quasi-reversible, with ΔEp/p ∼ 103 mV, which leads to uncertainty in E1/2. UV−vis measurements of the reaction [CuII(bib)2]2+ + [CoII((nox)3(BC6H5)2)] ⇌ [CuI(bib)2]+ + [CoIII((nox)3(BC6H5)2)]+ ((nox)3(BC6H5)2 = a clathrochelate ligand) yield K = 2.6 in acetonitrile at 25 °C with μ = 0.1 M (Et4NBF4). Using the known E° for the CoIII/II couple yields E° = 0.274 V vs Ag/AgCl for [CuII/I(bib)2]2+/+. This, in turn, leads to K = 72 for reaction with [CoII((nox)3(BC4H9)2)]. The reaction of [CuII(bib)2]2+ with [CoII((nox)3(BC4H9)2)] obeys simple bimolecular kinetics with k = 87 M-1 s-1. Similar behavior occurs with [CoII((nox)3(BC6H5)2)] and [CoII((dmg)3(BC4H9)2)] as reductants. A value of k11 = 0.16 M-1 s-1 is calculated for the [CuII(bib)2]2+/[CuI(bib)2]+ self-exch...
Telomere dysfunction in human bone marrow failure syndromes

Approximately 90% of all human cancers, in which some deregulation of cell cycle arrest or programmed cell death has occurred, express telomerase, a ribonucleoprotein whose activity is normally turned off in healthy somatic tissues. Additionally, small populations of self-renewing stem cells, such as hematopoietic stem cells, skin and hair follicle basal layer cells and intestinal basal crypt cells, have been shown to retain telomerase activity. Conversely, hereditary defects that result in shortened telomeres in humans have been shown to manifest most often as bone marrow failure or pulmonary fibrosis, along with a myriad of other symptoms, likely due to the loss of the stem and/or progenitor cells of affected tissues. The aim of this review is to highlight our knowledge of the mechanisms of telomere maintenance that contribute to the pathology of human disease caused by dysfunctional telomere homeostasis. Specifically, a new role for the SNM1B/Apollo nuclease in the pathologies of Hoyeraal-Hreidarsson syndrome will be discussed.
Inelastic Cyclic Model for Steel Braces

A beam--column element that can accurately model the inelastic cyclic behavior of steel braces is presented. A bounding surface plasticity model in stress-resultant space coupled with a backward Euler algorithm is used to keep track of spread of plasticity through the cross section. Deterioration of cross-section stiffness due to local buckling is accounted for by a damage model. The proposed formulation has been implemented in a large deformation analysis program and is shown to be capable of predicting with accuracy the experimentally observed inelastic behavior of a variety of members subjected to reversed cyclic loading and a subassemblage under simulated seismic conditions.
Illusions of knowing: Metamemory and memory under conditions of retroactive interference

The present experiments represent a phenomenon in which people experienced an illusion of knowing such that they were overconfident in their ability to remember information they subsequently were unable to recall. Semantic associates of cues served as targets and were studied during the original and interpolated study phases of a retroactive interference paradigm in either an intralist (cue-target together) or extralist (targets alone) cueing procedure. The paradigm was modified to include a prediction-of-knowing (POK) metamemory phase during which people predicted their performance on a subsequent recall test. Memory performance was worse when the cue was repaired with a second semantic associate (interference condition) than in the control condition. However, POKs were more positive in the interference condition. Even when people were told not to base their predictions on any information from the second list and were specifically told which information to eliminate from consideration (Exp. 2), they were unable to do so. The findings are discussed in terms of potential sources of metamemory predictions.
Genetic and biochemical studies of N-alkane non-ultilzing mutants of Saccharomycopsis lipolytica.

Alkane non-utilizing mutants of the yeast Saccharomycopsis lipolytica were induced by ultraviolet light. Thirtyfour of the mutants were found to be alkaline-negative and fatty acid-positive (Phenotypes A and C) indicating a defect in n-alkane uptake or in hydroxylase complex activity. The hydroxylase complex is a microsomal aggregate composed of the first three enzymes of n-alkane catabolism. Leaky and non-mating mutants were eliminated leaving 21 mutants which were analyzed genetically. All 21 of the mutations showed a 1:1 pattern of segregation indicating they are chromosomal and all but one were recessive. Analyses of inter-mutant complementation and recombination showed that the 21 mutations represent 18 genes.
SMAD4 Gene Mutations Are Associated with Poor Prognosis in Pancreatic Cancer

Purpose: Recently, the majority of protein coding genes were sequenced in a collection of pancreatic cancers, providing an unprecedented opportunity to identify genetic markers of prognosis for patients with adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. Experimental Design: We previously sequenced more than 750 million base pairs of DNA from 23,219 transcripts in a series of 24 adenocarcinomas of the pancreas. In addition, 39 genes that were mutated in more than one of these 24 cancers were sequenced in a separate panel of 90 well-characterized adenocarcinomas of the pancreas. Of these 114 patients, 89 underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy, and the somatic mutations in these cancers were correlated with patient outcome. Results: When adjusted for age, lymph node status, margin status, and tumor size, SMAD4 gene inactivation was significantly associated with shorter overall survival (hazard ratio, 1.92; 95% confidence interval, 1.20-3.05; P = 0.006). Patients with SMAD4 gene inactivation survived a median of 11.5 months, compared with 14.2 months for patients without SMAD4 inactivation. By contrast, mutations in CDKN2A or TP53 or the presence of multiple (≥4) mutations or homozygous deletions among the 39 most frequently mutated genes were not associated with survival. Conclusions: SMAD4 gene inactivation is associated with poorer prognosis in patients with surgically resected adenocarcinoma of the pancreas.
Reassignment of the luminescence from ruthenium(III) complexes

Abstract Luminescence from ruthenium(II) complexes is reported and assigned to a charge-transfer electronic transition based upon qualitative ligand-field arguments.
Episodic hormone secretion: a comparison of the basis of pulsatile secretion of insulin and GnRH

Rhythms govern many endocrine functions. Examples of such rhythmic systems include the insulin-secreting pancreatic beta-cell, which regulates blood glucose, and the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neuron, which governs reproductive function. Although serving very different functions within the body, these cell types share many important features. Both GnRH neurons and beta-cells, for instance, are hypothesized to generate at least two rhythms endogenously: (1) a burst firing electrical rhythm and (2) a slower rhythm involving metabolic or other intracellular processes. This review discusses the importance of hormone rhythms to both physiology and disease and compares and contrasts the rhythms generated by each system.
Stability of a Dual-Spin Spacecraft with a Flexible Momentum Wheel

The attitude stability of a dual-spin satellite with damping in the momentum wheel as well as the "despun" portion is analyzed. Wheel energy dissipation is modeled by assuming the wheel can flex with two degrees of freedom relative to the hub. The nonlinear attitude equations are derived for small wheel flexural motion and are a ninth order nonautonomous set. If the main body damper mass and wheel transverse moment of inertia are assumed small when compared with main satellite masses and inertias, an averaging process can be used to determine the zeroth and first order secular perturbations on the behavior of the system nutation angle. From this a general analytic stability criterion is established. A numerical evaluation of this criterion using parameters and measured wheel damping data for the Small Astronomy-A satellite indicates that stability about a zero degree nutation angle is insured by a factor of 128 under normal operating conditions. Numerical integration of the nonlinear equations confirms the analytic results for special cases.
Buying and selling an asset over the finite time horizon: A non-parametric approach

Abstract We consider the problem of buying an asset and selling it later in the open market within a limited time-period. In such a situation, it is usually assumed that the market prices are random observations from a known distribution. However, we propose in the paper the rank-based trading strategy that does not require any distributional assumption. We only assume that the agent's utility depends on the actual ranks of the purchase and selling prices of the asset. The non-parametric trading policy, which maximizes the agent's expected utility, can be stated with a sequence of critical ranks; the agent must buy an asset at time j if the relative rank of its purchase price is larger than the pre-specified critical rank at that time. Likewise, the agent must sell the asset at time k if the relative rank of its selling price is less than the pre-specified critical rank at time k . Finally, we conduct a simulation experiment to analyze the effect of the auto-correlation in market prices on the performance of the optimal trading policy.
Recognition and organocatalysis with a synthetic cavitand receptor.

The cyclization reaction of an epoxyalcohol is catalyzed by a synthetic cavitand receptor with an inwardly directed carboxylic acid function. The receptor features a hydrophobic pocket in which the substrate is bound and positioned to react in a regioselective manner. The nature of this substrate−catalyst complex and its dynamic properties were investigated by NMR methods and with the aid of a model compound lacking the epoxide function. The kinetic parameters of the cyclization reaction were also studied. A catalytic cycle is proposed and diverse inhibition mechanisms are identified that parallel those encounterd in enzymology.
Effect of pharmacological agents on human keratinocyte mitosis in vitro. II. Inhibition by catecholamines

Catecholamines produce mitotic inhibition in primary cell cultures of human keratinocytes probably via a block in the G2 part of the cell cycle. Epinephrine produced significant mitotic inhibition (49%) at a concentration as low as 4.5 X 10(-10) M, while its analog, isoproterenol, produced 47% inhibition at 1 X 10(-10) M. Norepinephrine elicited a 49% inhibitory response at 1 X 10(-8) M. One other catecholamine, dopamine, caused a 53% decrease in mitosis at 1 X 10(-6) M. Other structurally related amines to exhibit mitotic inhibition were phenylephrine, 58% at 1 X 10(-7) M; octopamine, 47% at 1 X 10(-5) M; and tyramine, 52% at 1 X 10(-4) M. Serotonin showed no mitotic inhibition at 1 X 10(-4) M. Various alpha and beta adrenergic blocking agents were added to the cell system. The alpha blocking agent, phentolamine, had no effect on mitosis. When added in conjunction with epinephrine or norepinephrine, no reduction of the catecholamine-induced mitotic inhibition was observed. The beta blocking agent, propranolol, by itself showed slight mitotic inhibition at 1 X 10(-6) M. When added along with epinephrine or noreinephrine, propranolol reduced the catecholamine-induced mitotic inhibition approximately 65%. In addition, propranolol blocked mitotic inhibition caused by phenylephrine, an alpha adrenergic agent. However, another beta blocking agent, dichloroisoproterenol, showed strong mitotic inhibition (53%) when added to the cultures at a concentration of 1 X 10(-8) M. The effect was reduced to zero in the presence of propranolol. These data suggest that while beta receptors may be involved in the catecholamine-induced mitotic inhibition of human keratinocytes in vitro, the nature of the receptor-molecule interaction may be complex.
N-aralkyl-N-methylaminoethyl carbanilates as hypocholesteremic agents

A group of aralkylaminoethyl esters and ureas of substituted carbanilic acids was prepared and studied for hypocholesteremic activity in eucholesteremic mice. Biological results indicated that modification of either terminal aromatic ring altered the activity of the resultant compound. The meta and para methyl substituted carbanilates of aralkylmethylaminoethanol consistently exhibited the most desirable effect. In the dicarbanilate series of aralkyl or aryl substituted iminodiethanols, no appreciable activity was seen.
Molecular cloning of multiple cDNAs encoding human enzymes structurally related to 3α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase

Abstract Rat liver 3α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase cDNA was previously cloned by us. In this study, we used the rat cDNA as the probe to screen a human liver lambda gt11 cDNA library. A total of four different cDNAs were identified and sequenced. The sequence of one of the cDNAs is identical to that of the human chlordecone reductase cDNA except that our clone contains a much longer 5′-coding sequence than previously reported. The other three cDNAs display high degrees of sequence homology to those of both rat 3α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and human chlordecone reductase. Because 3α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and human chlordecone reductase belong to the aldo-keto reductase superfamily, we named these human clones HAKRa to HAKRd. Northern blot analysis showed that the liver expresses the highest levels of all four clones. Expression of all four clones was also detected in the brain, kidney, lung, and testis, whereas the placenta expressed only the messenger RNA for HAKRb. Genomic blot analysis using HAKRb as the probe detected multiple DNA fragments hybridized to the probe and a high degree of restriction fragment length polymorphism, suggesting the complexity of this supergene family.
Isothermal titration calorimetry study of the influence of temperature, pH and salt on maltodextrin–anionic surfactant interactions

Abstract The effects of temperature (10–50 °C), pH (3–7) and salt concentration (0–100 mM NaCl) on the interactions between maltodextrin (DE=5) and an anionic surfactant (sodium dodecyl sulfate, SDS) were studied using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). ITC measurements indicated that the enthalpy changes associated with surfactant demicellization were highly temperature dependent, going from endothermic at higher temperatures to exothermic at lower temperatures. In contrast, the enthalpy changes associated with binding of surfactants to maltodextrin were always exothermic and much less sensitive to temperature. A minimum was observed for both the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of SDS and the apparent CMC (CMC*) of SDS in the presence of maltodextrin at intermediate temperatures (∼30 °C); however, the temperature dependences of the CMC and CMC* were quite small (∼0.5 mM). There was no effect of pH (3, 5, and 7) on surfactant demicellization or binding to maltodextrin. On the other hand, salt concentration (0, 10, and 100 mM NaCl) affected both of these parameters: there being a decrease of CMC and CMC* with increasing salt concentration and a maximum in the amount of surfactant bound to maltodextrin at 10 mM NaCl.