cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract A11: Adipocytes promote ovarian cancer cell survival in the presence of chemotherapeutic drugs

Ovarian cancer cells, both primary and metastatic, reside in an environment rich in adipocytes. Adipocytes have been shown to promote ovarian cancer metastasis by secreting chemoattractant cytokines and to stimulate growth by directly transferring fatty acids into cancer cells. In addition to metastasis, another key reason for the high mortality rate among ovarian cancer patients is chemoresistance. Whether adipocytes have any effects on ovarian cancer chemoresistance remains unknown. To address this question, we isolated conditioned media from human adipocytes and found that the conditioned media increased ovarian cancer cell survival in the presence of chemotherapeutic drugs. We confirmed the protective effects of adipocytes using different human ovarian cancer cell lines (CAOV3, OVCAR5, OVCAR8 and SKOV3) and multiple chemotherapy drugs (cisplatin, paclitaxel and doxorubicin). Conditioned media dialyzed using a 10kDa cut-off membrane displayed the same protection against chemotherapy drugs, suggesting that proteins, not lipids, are more likely to mediate the pro-survival effects of adipocytes. Adiponectin and Leptin are two of the most upregulated proteins during adipocyte differentiation. However, inhibition of these two proteins, either through siRNA silencing or antibody neutralization, did not diminish the pro-survival effects of adipocytes. We also investigated the downstream signaling pathways and found that Akt was activated by adipocyte-conditioned media and was critical for adipocyte-induced effects given that treating ovarian cancer cells with Akt pathway inhibitor LY294002 abolished the pro-survival effects of the adipocytes. Taken together, these data demonstrate that secreted factors from adipocytes enhance the survival of ovarian cancer cells treated with chemotherapeutic drugs by activating the Akt pathway and suggest that adipocytes and associated factors may be important mediators of ovarian cancer chemoresistance. (This work is supported by the Weitzman Family Fund.) Citation Format: Jiang Yang, Monisha Sachdev, Marsha Moses. Adipocytes promote ovarian cancer cell survival in the presence of chemotherapeutic drugs. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Precision Medicine Series: Drug Sensitivity and Resistance: Improving Cancer Therapy; Jun 18-21, 2014; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2015;21(4 Suppl): Abstract nr A11.
Feeding fat from distillers dried grains with solubles to dairy heifers: I. Effects on growth performance and total-tract digestibility of nutrients

The objective of this study was to determine if increased dietary fat from dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) in diets of growing heifers affected dry matter intake, average daily gain (ADG), growth performance, and nutrient digestibility. Thirty-three Holstein heifers (133±18 d old) were used in a 24-wk randomized complete block design. Treatments were (1) control (CON) containing ground corn and soybean products, (2) low-fat (LFDG) containing low-fat, high-protein DDGS and ground corn, and (3) high-fat (HFDG) with traditional DDGS. All diets contained 39.8% grass hay, 24.8% corn silage, and 1.5% vitamins and minerals. The HFDG diet was formulated to contain 4.8% fat compared with 2.8% in the CON and LFDG diets, which were greater in nonfibrous carbohydrate. Diets had a net energy gain of 1.0Mcal/kg of dry matter and were limit-fed at 2.45% of body weight. Heifers were weighed every 2wk and rations were adjusted accordingly. Heart girth, hip and wither heights, body length, and body condition score were recorded every 2wk. Total-tract digestion of nutrients was evaluated during wk16 using fecal grab sampling and an external marker. No treatments by time interactions were found. Dry matter intakes, body weights, ADG, and gain-to-feed ratio were similar among treatments; however, ADG averaged 0.96kg/d among treatments, which is greater than recommended. All body frame measurements and body condition scores were similar among treatments. Total-tract digestibilities of dry matter and organic matter were not different among treatments. However, crude protein and neutral detergent fiber digestibility were increased in the HFDG diet compared with the CON and LFDG diets. These results demonstrate that using DDGS or low-fat DDGS with corn in growing heifer rations can maintain performance. Utilizing the fat in DDGS as a dietary energy source in replacement of starch from corn did not influence growth performance or negatively affect nutrient digestion.
Impact of incorrect filling of citrate blood sampling tubes on thromboelastometry.

Background. ROTEM® test results can be affected by the citrate to blood ratio in the tested sample. Overfilling or underfilling specimen tubes can change this ratio. Objectives. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of under- and overfilling citrate test tubes on ROTEM® EXTEM measurements. Results. Overall repeated measures ANOVA demonstrated significant differences of CT (p = 0.004), CFT (p = 0.005), A5 (p = 0.001), A10 (p <0.001), and MCF (p < 0.001). Pairwise comparison revealed that underfilling significantly altered the results of those parameters reflecting functional clot firmness (A5, A10, and MCF), while overfilling led to a prolongation of the CT results only. No differences were observed for alpha angle and maximum lysis. Conclusion. Both underfilling and overfilling specimen tubes have significant influence on the results of the ROTEM® EXTEM test, although the small observed bias is likely of limited clinical relevance. However, it seems prudent to limit the maximum allowed differe...
Creatinine Metabolism in Humans with Decreased Renal Function: Creatinine Deficit

This study was designed to test the hypothesis that, in a patient with decreased renal function and an increased plasma creatinine concentration, a significant quantity of creatinine is excreted into the gut, as is true of urea and uric acid, and is metabolized by gut flora. [ Methyl -14C] creatinine was given intravenously to five patients and [ methyl -14C] creatinine or [ carbonyl -14C] creatinine was given orally to five patients. Extracts of excreta, plasma, and urine were subjected to ion-exchange chromatography, with monitoring for 14C and for ninhydrin-positive material. Respiratory gases, collected in acid and base, were assayed for radioactivity. Blood specimens were obtained at intervals to furnish data on decay of labeled creatinine in the body pool. The data show that there is a true creatinine deficit (15.9 to 65.7% of the creatinine formed is metabolized or excreted via extrarenal routes) in patients with decreased renal function. In these patients, creatinine is metabolized to CO2 and methylamine, presumably by the microflora of the gut. A significant portion of the carbonyllabeled creatinine appeared in plasma in an unidentified compound.
TGF-beta isoform signaling regulates production of non-pancreatic endocrine cells

Abstract Introduction: TGF-beta isoforms are a multifunctional set of protein that regulates cell proliferation, differentiation and extracellular matrix synthesis. A few studies have suggested a role for TGF-beta in pancreatic organogenesis. We studied TGF beta signaling in the developing pancreas using ontogenic and inhibitory studies. Methods: Dorsal embryonic pancreatic rudiments were either harvested fresh for immunohistochemistry at serial ages, or placed in organ culture at E (embryonic day) 11.5 with TGF-beta specific pan-neutralizing antibody. After 6 days, tissues were processed for histological and immunohistochemical analysis of exocrine and endocrine markers. Results: The endogenous TGF-beta type II receptor (TBRII) was localized mainly to the epithelium at day 11, but with increasing age localized to the pancreatic islets and ducts. Blocking TGF-beta by pan-neutralizing antibody led to an increased differentiation of insulin-positive cells. Quantitative analysis showed nearly a 250% increase in insulin-positive cells. These insulin cells appeared to be mature, with co-expression of the beta cell marker, PDX-1. Amylase positive cells decreased by a small margin. Conclusions: Absence of TGF-beta signaling in embryonic period may direct pancreatic epithelial cells towards endocrine lineage, leading to growth and differentiation of endocrine cells. TBRII in the ducts and islets may normally serve to downregulate the production of beta cells.
Attachment and hikikomori: A psychosocial developmental model:

Background:Hikikomori (acute social withdrawal) is a social issue in Japan that affects both the society and the lives of the individual sufferers.Aims:This study aims to connect attachment theory ...
Is Rhythm Control Better Than Rate Control for New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation in the Emergency Department?

In patients with new-onset atrial fibrillation and symptom onset within 48 hours, rhythm control is preferred over rate control if the patient is younger than 65 years. For patients with congestive heart failure, valvular heart disease, hypertension, or permanent atrial fibrillation, rate control remains the favored strategy.
Non‐trivial solutions to the N‐person Prisoners' Dilemma

We have developed a new agent-based simulation tool to model social dilemmas for the case of a large number of not necessarily rational decision-makers (Szilagyi and Szilagyi, 2000). The combination of various personalities with stochastic learning makes it possible to simulate the multi-person Prisoners' Dilemma game for realistic situations. A variety of personality profiles and their arbitrary combinations can be represented, including agents whose probability of cooperation changes by an amount proportional to its reward from the environment. For the case of such agents the game has non-trivial but remarkably regular solutions. We discuss a method and present an algorithm for making accurate advance predictions of these solutions. We also propose our model as a viable approach for the study of populations of cells, organisms, groups, organizations, communities, and societies. It may lead to better understanding of the evolution of cooperation in living organisms, international alliances, sports teams, and large organizations. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of compressive reorientation on theT c andJ c of the superconducting composite Ag x Bi1.7Pb0.3Sr2Ca2Cu3O10

From the technological point of view, the difficulty of brittle mechanical properties and the low critical current density of c~b~per oxide superconductors must be overcome. To improve the mechanical properties, doping with silver has been found to give the most satisfactory results [1]. Improvement of critical current density can be achieved in several ways: by pinning the magnetic flux Well by creating defects [2], or by adding fine particles [3]; or by orienting the high-Jc directions of the microcrystals in the bulk sample in the direction of current flow by zone-melt processing [4], shock compaction [5]. Cold pressing [6] or vibrational alignment [7]. In the present work a series of studies were carried out to determine the optimal silver content in the composite AgxBi~.TPb0.3Sr2Ca2Cu3010, which does not decrease Tc too much but can improve the Jc and ductility of the bulk sample. The silver-ceramic composite was compressed in thez-direction while allowing it to expand freely in the xand y-directions. Both T~ and J~ were increased by adding silver and by compression. Pellets of composition BiL7Pbo3Sr2Ca2Cu3Olo, which was reported as the optimum composition for obtaining pure high-Tc phase in the B i P b S r C a C u O system [8], were prepared by thoroughly mixing Bi203, PbO, SrCO 3, CaCO 3 and CuO, calcining and sintering with intermediate regrinding several times as described previously [8]. The 110 K (onset) and 90-100 K (zero resistance) of the pellets as determined by four-point resistance measurements showed that they consisted of two phases, which is also consistent with the x-ray powder diffraction patterns and with the magnetization data obtained with a superconducting quantum induction device (SQUID). The Bil.TPb0.3Sr2Ca2Cu3010 pellets were ground to a fine powder and mixed with different stoichiometric amounts of Ag20 pressed at 50 MPa into 0.4 g pellets and heated for 30 min at 550 °C to convert all the Ag20 to metallic silver. The resultant pellets of composition Ag~Bil.7Pb0.3Sr2Ca2Cu3010 (x = 0, 4, 8, 12 and 16) were cut into narrow rectangular slices. Each selected small rectangular slice was compressed between the stainless surfaces of a large die at 1.5 GPa for 5 min. Then the irregular edge area was cut off and the slice was compressed again at 4 GPa for 5 min. The compressed as well as the uncompressed samples were annealed at 850 °C for 20 h in air to improve the coupling at the grain boundaries. The temperature dependence of resistance, R(T)/R(280), for a series of uncompressed and compressed samples of AgxBil.7Pb0.3Sr2Ca2Cu3010 ( x = 0 , 8 and 16; x = 4 and 12 not shown) is illustrated in Fig. la and b, respectively• It was found that increasing the silver content from x = 0 to x = 16 decreased the T c of the uncompressed
Expectation and satiation accounts of ambiguous figure-ground perception

An expectancy account of figure-ground shifts, promoted as an alternative to satiation theory, was tested. One-hundred and three subjects in six conditions (Experiment 1) were either informed or uninformed about 12 to 13 ambiguous figures, and had either unlimited time or 30 sec in which to respond. In two of the conditions, head and eye movements were restricted, and in one condition, incidental learning was used. In keeping with an expectancy view, uninformed subjects saw fewer meaningful shapes than informed subjects did, and restricted eye/head movements played no role. However, in accord with a satiation view, most figures did shift for many subjects. Unexpected for both accounts, inspection time was not a factor. In Experiment 2, 59 uninformed subjects saw two ambiguous figures whose alternative shapes were physically emphasized in order to increase both attention and satiation. Contrary to satiation expectations, but supporting an expectancy position, subjects saw one shape as often as two. The applicability of inherent stimulus factors to figure-ground perception was discussed.
Thermodynamic effects of mutations on the denaturation of T4 lysozyme

We investigated the folding of substantially destabilized mutant forms of T4 lysozyme using differential scanning calorimetry and circular dichroism measurements. Three mutations in an alpha-helix in the protein's N-terminal region, the alanine insertion mutations S44[A] and K48[A], and the substitution A42K had previously been observed to result in unexpectedly low apparent enthalpy changes of melting, compared to a pseudo-wild-type reference protein. The pseudo-wild-type reference protein thermally unfolds in an essentially two-state manner. However, we found that the unfolding of the three mutant proteins has reduced cooperativity, which partially explains their lower apparent enthalpy changes. A three-state unfolding model including a discrete intermediate is necessary to describe the melting of the mutant proteins. The reduction in cooperativity must be considered for accurate calculation of the energy changes of folding. Unfolding in two stages reflects the underlying two-subdomain structure of the lysozyme protein family.
Ultrastructural changes in renal proximal tubules after chronic organic and inorganic mercury intoxication

Adult male rats were intoxicated daily with CH/sub 3/HgCl and HgCl/sub 2/ (1.0 mg/kg BW). Kidneys were sampled for electron microscopic and histochemical evaluation as well as neutron activation analysis between 1 day and 6 weeks of the experimental period. Ultrastructural changes were confined primarily to the pars recta segment of proximal tubules. HgCl/sub 2/ induced epithelial changes, observed at 5 days, consisted of apical vacuolation, mitochondrial swelling with dilation of cristae and calcinosis. Marked increase in lysosomal profiles, formation of membranous cytosomes and isolated cellular necrosis were observed afer 14-21 days of CH/sub 3/HgCl intoxication. Electron microscopic histochemical studies demonstrated mercury within mitochondria, lysosomes, microbodies, cytomembranous profiles and on cellular membrane structures. Neutron activation analysis demonstrated highest kidney total mercury levels after 5 days (HgCL/sub 2/) and 6 weeks (CH/sub 3/HgCl) intoxication.
The hidden cost of low prices: limited access to new drugs in India.

The pricing and accessibility of patent-protected drugs in low- and middle-income countries is a contentious issue in the global context. But questions about price have little meaning if a drug is ...
Fear renewal preferentially activates ventral hippocampal neurons projecting to both amygdala and prefrontal cortex in rats

Anxiety, trauma and stress-related disorders are often characterized by a loss of context-appropriate emotional responding. The contextual retrieval of emotional memory involves hippocampal projections to the medial prefrontal cortex and amygdala; however the relative contribution of these projections is unclear. To address this question, we characterized retrieval-induced Fos expression in ventral hippocampal (VH) neurons projecting to the prelimbic cortex (PL) and basal amygdala (BA) after the extinction of conditioned fear in rats. After extinction, freezing behavior (an index of learned fear) to the auditory conditioned stimulus was suppressed in the extinction context, but was “renewed” in another context. Hippocampal neurons projecting to either PL or BA exhibited similar degrees of context-dependent Fos expression; there were more Fos-positive neurons in each area after the renewal, as opposed, to suppression of fear. Importantly, however, VH neurons projecting to both PL and BA were more likely to express Fos during fear renewal than neurons projecting to either PL or BA alone. These data suggest that although projections from the hippocampus to PL and BA are similarly involved in the contextual retrieval of emotional memories, VH neurons with collaterals to both areas may be particularly important for synchronizing prefrontal-amygdala circuits during fear renewal.
Entrepreneurial Orientation, Management Commitment, and Human Capital: The Internationalization of SMEs in India

Abstract Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) make sizeable contributions to the economic success of nations. Research concerning the internationalization of SMEs is available in the context of developed economies but less is can be found dealing specifically with the entrepreneurial behavior and international expansion of SMEs in emerging markets such as India. This research extends the literature addressing the relationships surrounding the internationalization of SMEs in India as related to entrepreneurial behavior, firm resources, and commitment to internationalization. Entrepreneurial orientation, a commitment to internationalization, and the ability to leverage human capital influence the international success of Indian SMEs, based on the analysis of data collected from 150 Indian SMEs.
Equilibrium and double resonance in the unquenched mode in trapped ion cyclotron resonance spectrometry

Abstract If a MeIver-type trapped ion cyclotron resonance (ICR) cell is used without a quenching pulse, a steady-state abundance of ions is achieved, based on a balance between production and coIlisional ion loss to the walls. The intensity of mass signals in this unquenched mode is shown to be related to the kinetic and equilibrium parameters involved, although not in a linear fashion. Double resonance signals have meaning in certain cases. All transient intermediates and many slowly formed products are observed when using this mode.
New green fluorescent protein genes for plant transformation: Intron-containing, ER-localized, and soluble-modified

We describe several new modifications of theAequorea victoria green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene. TheerGFP5INTreporter gene combines the PIV2 intron fromgusINTandLUCINTwith the ER-localizedmGFP4-ER gene. TheerGFP6INT, erGFP7INT, anderBFP8INTgenes also include the fluorophore and solubility modifications of smGFP, smRS-GFP, and smBFP, respectively. A parallel set of reporter genes (erGFP5, erGFP6, erGFP7, anderBFP8) is otherwise identical to the respectiveerGFPINTgenes but lacks the PIV2 intron. The intron-containing genes are expressed in plant cells but not in bacteria, allowing detection of plant cell expression in the presence ofAgrobacterium during the early stages of transformation. Transient expression of theerGFPINTanderGFP genes is comparable in tobacco and maize suspension culture protoplasts, indicating that the PIV2 intron is spliced effectively in both monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plant species.
An Experimental Determination of the Thermal Conductivity of a 304L Stainless Steel Powder Metallurgy Material

The thermal conductivity of a 304L stainless steel powder metallurgy (P/M) material was experimentally determined to support research aimed at understanding the poor machining characteristics of P/M austenitic stainless steels. Thermal conductivity measurements were made on samples having relative densities ranging between 64 and 90% of theoretical density since workpieces requiring machining are often fabricated in that density range. The measurements were also made over a temperature range of 50 to 300C since workpiece temperatures can attain levels this high during the machining operation. The thermal conductivity was measured using an apparatus having a design based on the comparative method. The experimentally determined thermal conductivities were modeled by mathematical models found in the technical literature and modified for the present study. The thermal conductivity of this material increases with increasing relative density and temperature; it is also dependent on the matrix structure for a given porosity.
Applicability of Automated Functional Imaging for Assessing Right Ventricular Function

Background: Understanding of right ventricular (RV) function has significantly improved in recent years; however, objective assessment remains problematic. This study sought to demonstrate that a novel speckle tracking method can be used to assess RV global systolic function when compared with traditional echocardiographic measures. Methods: A total of 125 patients (mean age 50 ± 16 years) with a wide range not only of systolic function for both ventricles but also pulmonary pressures and acoustic windows based on patient's body surface areas were studied. Standard parameters of left and RV systolic function were collected and echocardiographic images from four-chamber apical planes were analyzed by conventional manual tracing using a novel General Electric (GE) automated functional imaging (AFI) to measure myocardial strain. Results: Global longitudinal RV strain measurements obtained with manual tracing showed good correlation with traditional parameters of main RV chamber as well as right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) systolic performance. In a stepwise multiple regression analysis, tricuspid annular systolic motion was the best independent variable that correlated with global AFI RV peak systolic strain followed by RV outflow tract systolic excursion. Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed a global RV AFI peak systolic strain value <−17% to be abnormal (sensitivity 73%, specificity 91%). Discussion: This new automated AFI method provides simultaneous quantitation of global and regional RV function that is angle independent and correlates with standard measures of RV performance without the need for additional derivative measurements, complex calculations, or tedious offline analysis.
Artists of Colonial America

Artists of Colonial America Elisabeth L. Roark. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2003. In recent years, the scholarship on nineteenthcentury American art has become increasingly sophisticated, historically and methodologically. It has engendered an ever-widening and vibrant discourse. Other than a handful of monographs on portraiture and gravestones in the 1970s and the 1980s, and some significant work on Copley since the 1990s, it is therefore surprising to find that the field of colonial American art has been largely ignored. Artists of Colonial America is a significant corrective to this collective and unaccountable oversight. Elisabeth Roark presents the first historically rigorous, comprehensive narrative of the arts of painting, sculpture, printmaking, pastel drawing, and silversmithing in colonial America. Roark examines the art and lives of ten specific colonial artists. In the introduction to the book, she describes how these ten artists were chosen and presents her theoretical and methodological orientation. The ten artists examined include John White, an artist-explorer from the late sixteenthcentury Roanoke Island colony; John Foster, the first known colonial prmtmaker from Massachusetts; the unidentified late seventeenth-century painter of the Freake family portraits in Boston; Joseph Lamson, one of the first early eighteenthcentury stonecutters whose work is found in both northern and southern colonies; Henrietta Johnson, the first professional woman artist to work in the early eighteenth-century colonies; Criistavns Hessehus, the first significant portrait painter to work in early nineteenth-century Philadelphia; Paul Revere, the silversmith, printer, and revolutionary whose fame spanned both pre- and postRevolutionary Boston; John Singleton Copley, the first late-colonial portrait painter from Boston to achieve fame and fortune in the colonies and in England; and finally, Benjamin West, the first latecolonial history painter from Philadelphia, who ultimately became painter to King George III and second president of London's Royal Academy. Roark explores the respective historical, political, economic, social, religious, and cultural milieux from which each artist emerged. This contextual analysis is then buttressed by extended passages identifying very specific political, religious, or cultural pressures that were brought to bear on each artist. In chapter three, for instance, Roark interweaves her art historical narrative of the painter of the Freake portraits with extended expositions on the character of mercantile and Puritan Boston in 1670. …
Antifungal Activity of Colistin against Mucorales Species In Vitro and in a Murine Model of Rhizopus oryzae Pulmonary Infection

In immunosuppressed hosts, mucormycosis is a life-threatening infection with few treatment options. We studied the activity of colistin (polymyxin E) against Mucorales species in vitro and in a murine model of pulmonary Rhizopus oryzae infection. Colistin exhibited fungicidal activity in vitro against Mucorales spores and mycelia. At the colistin MIC, initial R. oryzae hyphal damage was followed by rapid regrowth; however, regrowth was prevented by combining colistin with a subinhibitory concentration of amphotericin B. Using electron microscopy and FM4-64 staining, we demonstrated that colistin disrupts R. oryzae cytoplasmic and vacuolar membranes, resulting in the leakage of intracellular contents. The prophylactic intranasal treatment of immunosuppressed mice with colistimethate significantly reduced the mortality rate and pulmonary fungal burden resulting from inhalational challenge with R. oryzae spores, whereas intraperitoneal colistimethate treatment had no effect. We conclude that colistin has modest in vitro and in vivo fungicidal activity against Mucorales spp. Further studies are warranted to assess the use of this drug in the prevention and treatment of mucormycosis.
Congenital Brain Malformations in the Neonatal and Early Infancy Period

Congenital brain malformations are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in pediatric patients who are younger than 2 years. Optimization of patient care requires accurate diagnosis, which can be challenging as congenital brain malformations include an extensive variety of anomalies. Radiologic imaging helps to identify the malformations and to guide management. Understanding radiologic findings necessitates knowledge of central nervous system embryogenesis. This review discusses the imaging of congenital brain malformations encountered in patients who are younger than 2 years in the context of brain development.
Candidate genes within tissue culture regeneration QTL revisited with a linkage map based on transcript-derived markers.

Green plant regeneration from tissue culture is under the genetic control of multiple genes. Candidate genes for regeneration have been identified in multiple species using quantitative trait loci (QTL) and microarray analyses, and some of these genes have been verified as improving regeneration through transformation. Multiple studies have located QTL for regeneration from barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) tissue cultures, but these studies have been based on restriction fragment length polymorphism markers that do not provide information on candidate genes. A recent transcript-derived marker barley map based on expressed sequence tags was used to locate QTL for barley green plant regeneration and identify candidate genes. Quantitative trait loci analysis identified four significant regions, on chromosomes 2H, 3H, 6H, and 7H, in places where QTL were previously identified. An additional four regions were suggestive for green and/or albino plant regeneration on chromosomes 1H, 3H, 4H, and 5H. Examination of transcript-derived markers at the QTL peaks showed that many genes identified as important for regeneration in other species were located in these QTL peaks, including a gene for ferre-doxin-nitrate reductase and genes involved in hormone response and synthesis, cell division and the cell cycle, chloroplast development, and transcription factors. Identifying these genes allows manipulation to better understand the processes involved in regeneration from barley tissue cultures.
Quantifying disrupted outer retinal-subretinal layer in SD-OCT images in choroidal neovascularization.

Purpose. We reported a fully automated method to identify and quantify the thickness of the outer retinal-subretinal (ORSR) layer from clinical spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) scans of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) due to exudative age-related macular degeneration (eAMD).
Electrical properties of elements mediating saccadic eye movements within macaque V1: excitability differences between layers

Electrical stimulation of superficial V1 (layers I through IV) interrupts a monkey's ability to select visual targets appearing in the receptive field region of the stimulated neurons, whereas stimulation of the deep V1 (layers V and VI) tends to drive the eyes toward the target (Schiller and Tehovnik 2001). Given this functional segregation between layers, we performed experiments to assess the excitability of neural elements activated while inducing saccadic eye movements electrically from different cortical layers of V1 in the rhesus monkey. Using cathodal-first stimulation, saccades could not be evoked from the surface of V1 using currents as high as 30 uA. The current threshold to evoke saccades, however, dropped to between 2 and 3 uA as the electrode was advanced between 1.5 and 2.0 mm below the cortical surface. The minimum latency at which saccades were evoked from V1 using suprathreshold currents that were 10 times threshold ranged from 48 to 55 ms. The chronaxies of the directly-stimulated elements mediating saccades in V1 ranged from 0.12 to 0.41 ms, with elements in superficial V1 exhibiting longer chronaxies than those of deep V1. Anodal-first pulses were more effective than cathodal-first pulses at evoking saccadic eye movements from superficial V1, while cathodal-first pulses were most effective at evoking saccades from deep V1. Our chronaxie estimates and the anode-cathode ratio values obtained for evoking saccades from V1 are similar to those reported for elements mediating phosphenes in humans.  Received October 16, 2002.
Driven molecular dynamics studies of the shared proton motion in the H5O2+·Ar cluster: the effect of argon tagging and deuteration on vibrational spectra.

We report IR spectra of H5O2+ and H5O2+·Ar and their deuterium isotopologues using ab initio molecular dynamics. The trajectories were propagated as microcanonical (NVE) ensembles at energies corresponding to temperatures 50 and 100 K. The potential energy surface is calculated on-the-fly at the MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ level of theory. The calculations show that adding an argon atom to H5O2+ introduces symmetry breaking in the Zundel core ion, causes blueshift in the shared proton vibration by about 200 cm–1, and leads to the splitting of the OH stretch vibrations into four bands. Driven molecular dynamics (DMD) method is used to assign the spectrum by coupling the dipole moment to an external electric field oscillating at frequency ω. The broad feature at 1100 cm–1 in the H5O2+·Ar spectrum is ascribed to the large amplitude shared proton vibration coupled with torsion and wag modes. MD MP2 simulations predict the H/D redshift in the shared proton vibration and water bending vibration to be about 280 and 460 cm–1...
Multiphonon relaxation of rare-earth ions in beryllium-fluoride glass

Relaxation of excited electronic states of rare-earth ions by multiphonon emission was investigated in a beryllium-fluoride glass. Decay rates were measured from the transient fluorescence following pulsed laser excitation of selected states. The multiphonon emission rates exhibit an approximately exponential dependence on the energy gap to the next-lower state and are in general agreement with the phenomenological treatment of multiphonon processes.
Effect of testosterone propionate on compensatory renal hypertrophy.

The effect of testosterone propionate (TP) injected subcutaneously in the doses of 0.2, 0.1, and 2.5 mg per day on kidney weight and compensatory renal hypertrophy (CRH) at 7 and 30 days was studied in the castrate and intact mature male rat. TP does have a role in maintaining kidney weight since castration significantly decreased kidney weight at the 7 and 30-day intervals and this deficit was eliminated by testosterone propionate in the doses used. CRH is decreased in the castrate rat at 7 days but not at 30 days and the deficit at 7 days is eliminated by testosterone propionate. There is no evidence that testosterone propionate causes “super” growth of kidneys in the doses utilized in either the intact, castrated, or nephrectomized mature male rats at 7 or 30 days. (Endocrinology 94: 599, 1974)
Joining of polymers and polymer-metal hybrid structures: Recent developments and trends

The development of new materials and fabrication techniques has become a matter of success for industrial sectors such as transportation. Polymers, polymeric composites, and polymer–metal structures are being increasingly employed in several products mainly due to the associated weight savings. The main joining methods for polymer and polymeric composites are mechanical fastening, adhesive bonding, and welding. On the other hand, polymer–metal structures are more difficult to join by traditional joining methods, mostly due to their strong dissimilar physical–chemical features. Constant efforts on developing improved alternative joining techniques for these hybrid structures, such as the FricRiveting and injection over molding, have contributed to the dissemination of such structures in industrial applications. This work shows that the field of joining of polymers, polymeric composites, and polymer–metal hybrid structures for industrial applications is still a growing research and development area. This is due to the increasing aspirations for more environmental-friendly technologies and lightweight materials. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2009. © 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers
Evaluation of physiological and blood serum differences in heat-tolerant (Romosinuano) and heat-susceptible (Angus) Bos taurus cattle during controlled heat challenge.

A study was performed to evaluate differences in thermoregulat ory ability of 2 Bos taurus breeds with known differences in heat tolerance. Nine Angus (AG; 304 ± 7 kg of BW) and 9 Romosinuano (RO; 285 ± 7.5 kg of BW) steers were transported to the Brody Environmental Center at the University of Missouri. Steers were housed for 18 d at thermoneu- trality (TN; 21°C) before initiation of heat stress (HS), which consisted of daily cyclic air temperature (26°C, night; 36°C, day) for 14 d. Rectal temperature and res- piration rate were measured 6 times daily throughout the study. Sweat rates at shaved skin sites were re- corded on specific days. Blood samples were taken once per week. Angus steers maintained rectal temperature 0.5°C greater than RO at TN (P < 0.001). Likewise, respiration and sweat rates were greater (P < 0.001) in AG than RO at TN (P < 0.05). Rectal temperature increased during HS for both breeds with AG main- taining greater temperatures (P < 0.001). Both breeds increased respiration rate during HS, with AG steers exhibiting the greater rate (P < 0.001). Sweat rate in- creased more than 4-fold during HS (P < 0.001), fol- lowed by reduction after 7 d. Even after HS acclima- tion, AG exhibited the greater sweat rate (P < 0.001). Breed differences for serum leptin, creatinine, and cho- lesterol were found throughout the study with AG be- ing greater than RO. Although there were no breed differences (P — 0.21) at TN, only AG steers exhibited a HS-induced increase (P < 0.05) in prolactin, creati- nine, and cholesterol concentrations to suggest that an increase in rectal temperature is required for this effect. Use of rectal temperature along with endocrine mark- ers, such as prolactin, may aid in the identification of B. taurus sensitivity to heat.
A phase I study of sunitinib combined with modified FOLFOX6 in patients with advanced solid tumors

Purpose This phase I study assessed the safety, tolerability, maximum tolerated dose (MTD), pharmacokinetics, and preliminary antitumor effects of sunitinib combined with modified FOLFOX6 (mFOLFOX6).
Basilar membrane nonlinearity and loudness

Loudness matching functions for tones for persons with one shifted-threshold ear (hearing loss and noise-shifted thresholds) and one ear within normal limits were used to derive the presumed basilar membrane (BM) input–output (I/O) function in a normal ear. The comparison was made by assuming that the BM I/O function for the ear with the cochlear threshold shift has a slope of one (a linearized cochlea). The function for the normal ear was derived from the loudness matching function based on this assumption. Comparisons were made for archival basilar membrane data [M. A. Ruggero, N. C. Rich, A. Recio, S. S. Narayan, and L. Robles, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 101, 2151–2163 (1997)] for chinchilla and archival loudness matches for long-duration tones for persons with various degrees of cochlear hearing loss [F. Miskolczy-Fodor, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 32, 486–492 (1960)]. Comparisons were made also between BM I/O functions and ones derived from loudness matches for persons with unilateral hearing loss simulated by broa...
CFD Simulations of Boron Mixing in ESBWR Core Bypass Regions During an Anticipated Transient Without Scram (ATWS) Event

CFD was used to simulate boron mixing in the ESBWR core during a limiting ATWS event. During the ESBWR design process, questions were raised regarding the Standby Liquid Control System (SLCS), which adds a sodium penta-borate solution to the core during ATWS events for the purpose of halting reactivity and core shutdown. The questions involved the design prediction of boron transport and mixing in the core bypass spaces, and how that influenced the core shutdown time prediction associated with the SLCS. In response, a CFD simulation was performed to study the mixing of the sodium penta-borate solution in bypass spaces of the ESBWR core. The CFD solution was a transient, Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) solution using two-equation turbulence modeling and 25 million computational nodes. Compared with the design predictions, the CFD results showed a much faster transport of boron toward the center of the core and a much greater quantity of boron is ingested into the fuel bundles. These findings demonstrate an adequate level of conservativism in the core shutdown time predictions, and confirm the effectiveness of the ESBWR SLCS system.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Intravascular lymphomatosis presenting in the lung

We report four patients who had intravascular lymphomatosis (IVL) that presented as interstitial lung disease. All four patients had progressive shortness of breath, weight loss, fever, and diffuse interstitial infiltrates on chest radiographs. Open lung biopsy samples showed an interstitial pneumonia except for the intravascular proliferation of large lymphoid cells associated with irregular congestion, fibrin microthrombi, and intimal proliferation in vessels. This appearance corresponded to an intravascular large cell lymphoma (malignant angioendotheliomatosis [MAE], angiotropic lymphoma). The differential diagnosis of IVL with other pulmonary lymphoproliferations and intravascular malignancies is reported.
Poloidal beta scaling for a bootstrapped tokamak

A new scaling of the poloidal plasma beta with the bootstrap fraction is derived for a steady‐state tokamak. In this derivation, the seed current profile is specified, but no assumptions are made regarding the functional form of the total current profile. The scaling, which holds for a wide class of density and temperature profiles, exhibits a quadratic dependence of the poloidal beta on the bootstrap fraction. The effects of the ionic charge and unequal electron and ion temperatures are considered.
Absence of the negative strand of GBV-C/HGV RNA from the liver

Abstract Background/Aims: The pathogenic role of the human virus GBV-C/HGV remains unclear as information on tissue specific tropism and sites of replication of GBV-C/HGV is limited and controversial. The aim of this study was to determine whether the liver is the site of GBV-C/HGV replication. Methods: We utilized the strand-specific Tth RT-PCR assay to investigate the presence of the positive- and negative-strand of GBV-C/HGV RNA in liver and serum samples from 12 patients with chronic GBV-C/HGV infection; four were infected with GBV-C/HGV alone, six were coinfected with HCV and two with HBV. A control group of six patients infected with HCV alone was included. The presence of the positive- and negative-strand of HCV RNA was also investigated in the same samples. Results: All liver specimens were negative for the presence of the replicating negative-strand of GBV-C/HGV RNA. Positive-strand GBV-C/HGV RNA was found in 6 of the 12 liver samples and was detectable only at low levels, most probably reflecting serum contamination. By contrast, the negative strand of HCV RNA was detected in high titers in the liver of all HCV-infected and -coinfected subjects with less than a 100-fold difference from the positive strand. In serum samples only the positive strands of GBV-C/HGV and HCV RNA were detected in comparable titers. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that GBV-C/HGV is not replicating in the liver and, taken together with the bulk of evidence against hepatopa-thogenicity, they argue against the new agent being a hepatotropic virus. We suggest that the acronymic term of this agent GBV-C/HGV is used with the understanding that it is not a hepatitis virus.
Meritocracy and Its Discontents

Hayes, Christopher L. (2012). Twilight of the Elites: America After Meritocracy. New York, NY: Crown. 304 pp. $26.00, hardback, ISBN-13: 978-0-307-72045-0. Reviewed by ROBERT L. DAHLGREN (Robert.Da...
Parental use of EpiPen for children with food allergies.

Background EpiPen is often underused in children with food allergy experiencing anaphylaxis. Objective We explored whether underuse of EpiPen might be attributed to parental discomfort with administration, as measured by a lack of parental empowerment and knowledge of proper administration. Methods A written survey was mailed to parents of children with food allergy. Those children with physician-diagnosed food allergy who had been prescribed EpiPen were included in the analysis. Parents were recruited from a local food-allergy support group and private allergy practice. Perceived comfort with administering EpiPen was measured by using a 10-cm visual analog scale. Knowledge of EpiPen use and anaphylaxis was tested by using a series of multiple-choice questions. Empowerment was measured with a 16-item instrument that included statements from the Family Empowerment Scale. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine how much of the variance in the comfort ratings could be explained by knowledge, empowerment, and other factors assessed in the survey. Results Of 360 mailed surveys, 165 (46%) completed surveys met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Anaphylaxis was reported in 42% of children (n=70); 8% of parents (n=14) had administered EpiPen to their child. Factors correlating with comfort included prior administration of EpiPen ( P =.009), EpiPen training ( P =.005), and empowerment ( P Conclusions Empowerment directly correlated with increased comfort with EpiPen use, but knowledge did not. Physicians should continue to instruct all parents on EpiPen administration because this correlated significantly with comfort. Other psychological factors beyond empowerment might contribute to underuse of EpiPen.
Calibration and performance of the Viking Lander cameras

The paper discusses Viking lander cameras which have an angular resolution of 0.12 deg, and (for broadband imaging) a resolution of 0.04 deg, used for the acquisition of data in six spectral bands for color and near-infrared imaging. Attention is given to photogrammetric calibration techniques used in the determination of spatial and spectral brightness variations from image data. The effects of sampling on the achievable photogrammetric precision are described along with techniques for preflight spectral calibrations and the corrections required for degradation in the infrared response of the detectors. The effects of the known internal reflections on the qualitative images (such as the appearance of artifact clouds) are presented, noting their effects on skyline radiometry. The qualitative and quantitative effects of the signal quantization are briefly reviewed.
Multi-state travel time reliability model: Impact of incidents on travel time reliability

This paper attempts to quantify the impact of traffic incidents on travel time reliability using a newly proposed multi-state travel time reliability model. Given that the multi-state travel time reliability model provides significantly better fits when compared to using a single-mode density function, it is possible to quantify the incident impacts more accurately. In order to obtain travel times, the study simulates weekday traffic on a section of I-66 over 17 days, once with incidents and once without them, using the INTEGRATION microscopic traffic simulation software. The simulated travel time data sets are then used to fit a three-state travel time reliability model (three normal distributions) to calibrate the parameters of the density function using the Expectation Maximization (EM) algorithm. The study demonstrates that incidents do not introduce an additional component distribution when congestion has already onset; instead they increase the mean travel time and variability in travel times for the congested conditions. For instance, the 90th percentile travel time of the second component distribution increases by up to 93 percent. Additionally, the study addresses technical issues related to the calibration and interpretation of the model from a practical standpoint.