cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Super-resolution reconstruction to increase the spatial resolution of diffusion weighted images from orthogonal anisotropic acquisitions

Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) enables non-invasive investigation and characterization of the white matter but suffers from a relatively poor spatial resolution. Increasing the spatial resolution in DWI is challenging with a single-shot EPI acquisition due to the decreased signal-to-noise ratio and T2(∗) relaxation effect amplified with increased echo time. In this work we propose a super-resolution reconstruction (SRR) technique based on the acquisition of multiple anisotropic orthogonal DWI scans. DWI scans acquired in different planes are not typically closely aligned due to the geometric distortion introduced by magnetic susceptibility differences in each phase-encoding direction. We compensate each scan for geometric distortion by acquisition of a dual echo gradient echo field map, providing an estimate of the field inhomogeneity. We address the problem of patient motion by aligning the volumes in both space and q-space. The SRR is formulated as a maximum a posteriori problem. It relies on a volume acquisition model which describes how the acquired scans are observations of an unknown high-resolution image which we aim to recover. Our model enables the introduction of image priors that exploit spatial homogeneity and enables regularized solutions. We detail our SRR optimization procedure and report experiments including numerical simulations, synthetic SRR and real world SRR. In particular, we demonstrate that combining distortion compensation and SRR provides better results than acquisition of a single isotropic scan for the same acquisition duration time. Importantly, SRR enables DWI with resolution beyond the scanner hardware limitations. This work provides the first evidence that SRR, which employs conventional single shot EPI techniques, enables resolution enhancement in DWI, and may dramatically impact the role of DWI in both neuroscience and clinical applications.
Improving special education mediation

This article provides background information about special education and mediation and offers some points to consider for those interested in starting, improving or analyzing a special education mediation process. This article is based on the author's experience as a mediator as well as on site visits, interviews and a review of the relevant literature. The author concludes that mediation can be a very effective method for settling special education disputes and/or improving relationships but that the process can be affected by outside factors such as politics, finances and/or the system.
How red are the roses? A case study of US antidumping procedures.

On February 14, 1994, the Floral Trade Council of Haslett, MI, filed an antidumping petition with the International Trade Commission (ITC) alleging that Colombian and Ecuadorian producers were dumping fresh cut roses on the US market. Three criteria—volume of imports, price effects, and health of the domestic industry—were the basis of the petitioner's injury allegation. Preliminary findings indicated a loss of market share for US rose producers, declining production, employment, and underselling in the US market. While the Department of Commerce's final determination concluded that Colombian roses were sold at less than fair value, the ITC ruled that the US rose industry was not materially injured by imports of roses from Colombia and Ecuador and the case was terminated. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Immune responses and immunotherapeutic interventions in malignant pleural mesothelioma

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive, primary pleural malignancy with poor prognosis, hypothesized to originate from a chronic inflammatory state within the pleura. Similar to what has been observed in other solid tumors (melanoma, ovarian and colorectal cancer), clinical and pre-clinical MPM investigations have correlated anti-tumor immune responses with improved survival. As such, a better understanding of the complex MPM tumor microenvironment is imperative in strategizing successful immunotherapies. Herein, we review the immune responses vital to the development and progression of MPM, as well as assess the role of immunomodulatory therapies, highlighting recent pre-clinical and clinical immunotherapy investigations.
Developing and using composite indices to describe broadscale trends in forest management

Abstract This paper describes how to develop a composite index and how to use it to identify broadscale trends in sustainable forest management. The core issue is developing a composite measure from selected indicators of ecosystem conditions that captures the essence of the public's notions about environmental values and can be developed from existing data or by using existing data to develop proxies for key variables (indicators). This process reveals insights about the compatible nature of changes in both the composite measure and measures of socioeconomic progress. These insights suggest that there are opportunities for science to provide concise information that better informs policy or management decisions.
The mysterious persistence of hypnotic analgesia

Hypnotic treatment of pain has a long history and, among hypnotic phenomena, pain relief is a relatively commonplace focus for intervention, yet we lack a conceptual explanation for this treatment. Hilgard's neodissociation theory accounts for the phenomenon of acute hypnotic analgesia, but not of persistent pain relief. Perhaps the enduring effect of hypnotic treatment can be explained at either of two levels: a neurophysiological model or a learning model. This explanation leads to the further question: How does hypnotic treatment of recurring pain achieve enduring relief? Clinical experience suggests a two-component model. First, the clinician communicates specific ideas that strengthen the patient's ability to derive therapeutic support and to develop a sense of openness to the unexplored possibilities for pain relief within the security of nurturing therapeutic relationship. Second, the clinician employs posthypnotic suggestions that capitalize on the patient's particular pain experiences, which simultaneously ameliorate the pain experience, and which, in small, repetitive increments, tend to maintain persistent pain relief over increasing periods of time.
HEAT TRANSFER IN A CHANNEL WITH A POROUS WALL FOR TURBINE COOLING APPLICATION

A method of cooling turbine blades internally by continuous injection through an interior baffle is analyzed. The analytical model consists of a two-dimensional channel formed by a solid wall (blade surface) and a porous plate (injection source). Based on incompressible- and laminar-flow assumptions, the velocity and the temperature fields are determined. The Nusselt numbers for a power-law surface-temperature variation are obtained and expressed in terms of the Prandtl and the Reynolds numbers. A related problem of cooling the turbine disk is also solved.
Likelihood-based models for genetic linkage analysis using affected sib pairs.

Risch [Am J Hum Genet 1990;46:229-253] recently developed a likelihood method for testing genetic linkage using affected sib pairs. This paper proposes a reparameterization of the Risch likelihood in terms of genetic variance components divided by the affected-sib-pair ascertainment probability. The new parameters allow for ease of interpretation, particularly for multilocus models. A single-degree-of-freedom test of the total disease genetic effect at a marker locus can be constructed that has power comparable to the likelihood ratio ‘triangle’ test. Extension of the models to other types of relative pairs is also discussed. The models may be used in genome scanning and in studying single or multilocus models of inheritance.
Evaluation of the interactions of mu and delta selective ligands with [3H]D-ala2-D-Leu5-enkephalin binding to mouse brain membranes

The interactions of putative mu and delta selective ligands with [3H]D-ala2-D-leu5 enkephalin (DADLE) binding to mouse brain membranes were investigated. Computerized curve fitting of displacement curves performed at three different concentrations of 3H-DADLE indicated that a one site competitive model was sufficient to explain the interactions of leu-enkephalin (LE) and D-ser2-thr6-leucine enkephalin with 3H-DADLE binding. Similar experiments with morphine and morphiceptin were unique in that the multiple displacement curves crossed over one another. A two-site competitive model was required to adequately describe the interactions of these mu selective ligands with 3H-DADLE. This two-site model was one in which the inhibitor had higher affinity for the site labeled with lower affinity by 3H-DADLE. However, this two site model did not correctly predict the interaction of LE with 3H-DADLE in the presence of morphiceptin. These data indicate that: 1) putative mu and delta selective ligands do not bind to a common high affinity site; 2) mu selective ligands are not simple mixed inhibitors of a single site labeled by 3H-DADLE; and 3) competitive binding models may not explain the interaction of mu ligands with 3H-DADLE binding.
Supernova neutrinos and the signal from the next galactic supernova

Abstract After a review of the mechanism for generating supernova neutrinos, I describe the first results from a comprehensive Monte Carlo analysis which simulated the neutrino signal from a galactic supernova in a large water Cerenkov detector. By exploiting the various features of the signal in a way which is largely independent of the supernova model, a sensitivity to a tau neutrino mass down to the cosmologically interesting range of ≅25 eV for a medium luminosity burst seems possible. In addition, these results allow us to elucidate several aspects of a supernova neutrino signal in water detectors which had not been previously explored, including new results on the observability of the neutronization burst.
Ehrlichia chaffeensis replication sites in adult Drosophila melanogaster

Ehrlichia chaffeensis is a Gram-negative, obligate intracellular bacterium which causes the tick-borne disease human monocytic ehrlichiosis. In vertebrates, E. chaffeensis replicates in monocytes and macrophages. However, no clear cell or tissue tropism has been defined in arthropods. Our group identified two host genes that control E. chaffeensis replication and infection in vivo in Drosophila, Uridine cytidine kinase and separation anxiety. Using the UAS-GAL4 RNAi system, we generated F1 flies (UAS-gene of interestRNAi x tissue-GAL4 flies) that have Uck2 or san silenced in ubiquitous or tissue-specific fashion. When Uck2 or san were suppressed in the hemocytes or in the fat body, E. chaffeensis replicated poorly and caused significantly less severe infections. Silencing of these genes in the eyes, wings, or the salivary glands did not impact fly susceptibility or bacterial replication. Our data suggest that in Drosophila, E. chaffeensis replicates within the hemocytes, the insect homolog of mammalian macrophages, and in the fat body, the liver homolog of mammals.
Outpatient pediatric diabetes--I. Current practices.

A survey of pediatric diabetologists in the U.S. was made in an attempt to define current outpatient practices in diabetes subspecialty clinics. Survey questions addressed clinic organization, health care team members, content of histories and physical examinations, use of laboratory studies, patient education, therapeutic recommendations, self-management practices and screening procedures used to identify early diabetes-related complications. The results of the survey suggested similar clinic organization and operation in most settings; a high degree of reliance on glycosylated hemoglobin determinations; a preference for the use of NPH insulin; and a lack of credence given urinary glucose determinations. Additionally, screening tests for the development of complications are not performed with regularity.
Evolutionary ecology of aeolian and subterranean habitats in Hawaii

Inhospitable lava flows, high altitude stone deserts and subterranean habitats in the Hawaiian islands are now known to support a considerable variety of endemic arthropod species. Current studies of these organisms are revealing a remarkable range of morphological, behavioral and physiological adaptations to the physically extreme environments they inhabit.
Migraine and multiple sclerosis: Epidemiology and approach to treatment

Migraine is a highly prevalent neurological condition that commonly affects patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). In this review, we examine the case for a clinical and epidemiological association between migraine and MS and discuss how to diagnose and treat migraine effectively in MS patients. If there is an epidemiologic association between MS and migraine, a causal relationship remains to be demonstrated and the effect-size, at best, appears to be small. Accurate diagnosis of migraine in MS patients is important for improving care by (1) distinguishing symptoms related to MS versus migraine, (2) recognizing that migraineurs have altered sensory perception, which may influence the patient experience of certain MS-related symptoms, such as paresthesias and pain, (3) informing disease modifying therapy selection and (4) optimizing migraine treatment with appropriate preventive and acute therapy.
Empirical bayes methods and false discovery rates for microarrays

In a classic two-sample problem, one might use Wilcoxon's statistic to test for a difference between treatment and control subjects. The analogous microarray experiment yields thousands of Wilcoxon statistics, one for each gene on the array, and confronts the statistician with a difficult simultaneous inference situation. We will discuss two inferential approaches to this problem: an empirical Bayes method that requires very little a priori Bayesian modeling, and the frequentist method of "false discovery rates" proposed by Benjamini and Hochberg in 1995. It turns out that the two methods are closely related and can be used together to produce sensible simultaneous inferences.
Police Force or Police Service? Gender and Emotional Labor

Police work involves substantial emotional labor by officers, who must control their own emotional displays and those of citizens, who often are encountered at their worst—injured, upset, or angry. Although policing often is viewed as masculine work that focuses on fighting crime, it also requires that officers maintain order and provide diverse services, which officers tend to disdain as feminine activities. This article explores the varieties of emotional labor, the rules regulating emotional displays in policing, and the role of gender in shaping these occupational and organizational norms. It identifies variations in the norms regulating emotional labor across policing assignments, interactional situations, and the gender of both the officers and the citizens in an encounter. It also reviews coping mechanisms for regulating emotions—including socialization, organizational rituals, humor, and off-duty social activities—and the dilemmas that norms related to emotional labor pose for women officers.
Feed Intake of Goats During Volatile Fatty Acid Injections into Four Gastric Areas

Abstract Previous experiments indicate that changes in rumen fluid concentration of volatile fatty acids may be factors in the control of feed intake of ruminants. The present experiment was designed to test the sensitivity of different areas of the stomachs to volatile fatty acids. Water (control) or 1.0 M fatty acid solutions (pH = 6.5) (2 days each) were injected into the dorsal rumen, ventral rumen, ventral reticulum, or abomasum of goats during spontaneous meals. Acetate (.75 and .65 moles per day) injected into the dorsal rumen or abomasum decreased feed intake 30 and 20% (P
Amplitude and Habituation of the Orienting Reflex as a Function of Stimulus Intensity

Two within-S experiments involving 20 Ss each and one between-S experiment employing 100 Ss were performed to examine effects of stimulus intensity on orienting response amplitude and habituation. Five intensities of a 1000 Hz tone were presented, ranging from 0 to 40 dB in Experiment I and from 0 to 80 dB in Experiments II and III. Response measures were skin conductance response (SCR) and heart rate (HR). Skin conductance response amplitude increased monotonically with stimulus intensity while HR deceleration was a generally decreasing function which tended to decrease, increase, and finally decrease again as intensity increased. Not only was deceleration greatest at 0 dB but it was more resistant to habituation. Several intensities of test stimulation were presented after habituating stimuli in the between-S experiment. Skin conductance response to test stimuli was facilitated by habituation at 0 dB and depressed by habituation at 80 dB. The results suggest a direct relationship between stimulus intensity and development of habituation.
Assessing IV & V benefits using simulation

There is a critical need for cost effective independent verification and validation (IV & V). The goal of this research is to create a flexible tool that NASA IV & V can use to quantitatively assess the economic benefit of performing IV & V on NASA software development projects and to optimize that benefit across alternative IV & V plans. The tool is based on extensive research into software process simulation models (SPSMs) conducted at the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) by Watts Humphrey and Marc Kellner (1989), and Bill Curtis and others (1992). SPSMs can be used to quantify the costs and benefits associated with NASA IV & V practices enabling management to effectively allocate scarce resources for IV & V activities. In addition, SPSMs facilitate the IV & V of NASA software development processes by enabling checks and performance assessments.
On the functional significance of electron density protein structure alignments

Electron density protein alignments are analyzed in terms of their underlying similarity measure, the density overlap. These alignments are conceptually unrelated to biochemical structural elements and, therefore, are appropriate in structure-only similarity studies. The analysis is focused on the low sequence similarity subset of protein domains. A remarkable association is found between simple, density overlap measures and the expert designed Structural Classification of Proteins (SCOP) for which functional and evolutive analogies prevail. The association found validates the functional significance of electron density alignments.
Thyroxine Metabolism in the Low Thyroxine State of Critical Nonthyroidal Illnesses

This study reports in vitro and in vivo parameters of T4 metabolism in patients with critical nonthyroidal (illnesses who were selected because of serum total T4 values less than 3µg/dl and normal TSH levels. Despite the depressed total (T)4 concentrations, the normal serum free T4 values (7 of 9 patients), T4 production rates (8 of 9), and TSH responses to TRH (8 of 8) provided evidence for normal free T4 availability to peripheral tissues. Elevated rT3 values in 10 of 14 patients were consistent with this view. However, serum free T4 index (determinations markedly underestimated free T4 (20 of 20). This resulted from failure of the T3 uptake measurement to reflect the defective state of serum T4 binding. Defective serum T4 binding to carrier proteins was evidenced by the 2- to 3-fold increase in both the free fraction and the MCR values for T4. The normal early distribution phase, despite defective serum T4 binding, suggested an additional abnormality of deficient extra-vascular T4 binding. The blunted ...
Structural and Functional Characterization of PC2 and RNA Polymerase II-Associated Subpopulations of Metazoan Mediator

The coactivator complexes TRAP/SMCC and PC2 represent two forms of Mediator. To further understand the implications of the heterogeneity of the cellular Mediator populations for regulation of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) transcription, we used a combination of affinity and conventional chromatographic methods. Our analysis revealed a spectrum of complexes, including some containing significant proportions of Pol II. Interestingly, the subunit composition of the Pol II-associated Mediator population resembled that of PC2 more closely than that of the larger TRAP/SMCC complex. In in vitro transcription assays reconstituted from homogeneous preparations of general transcription factors, Mediator-associated Pol II displayed a greater specific activity (relative to that of standard Pol II) in activator-independent (basal) transcription in addition to the previously described effects of Mediator on activator-dependent transcription. Purified PC2 complex also stimulated basal activity under these conditions. Immobilized template assays in which activator-recruited preinitiation complexes were allowed to undergo one cycle of transcription revealed partial disruption of Mediator that resulted in a PC2-like complex being retained in the scaffold. This result implies that PC2 could originate as a result of a normal cellular process. Our results are thus consistent with a dynamic nature of the Mediator complex and further extend the functional similarities between Saccharomyces cerevisiae and metazoan Mediator complexes.
Fiberoptic and conventional esophagoscopy in the diagnosis of esophageal varices. A comparison of techniques and observers

Summary This investigation was undertaken to compare objectively fiberoptic and conventional esophagoscopy in the diagnosis of esophageal varices. Fifty-four patients, most of whom had cirrhosis, were examined for the presence or absence of esophageal varices by two experienced endoscopists. One used a conventional Eder-Hufford esophagoscope and the other a LoPresti fiberoptic esophagoscope. All patients had barium esophagograms and ammonia tolerance tests as comparative indices of the presence or absence of esophageal varices. Esophageal varices were reported by conventional esophagoscopy in 21 of the 54 patients (39%) and by fiberoptic examination in 19 (35%). The two techniques agreed in 70% of the patients. Radiological interpretations supported conventional esophagoscopic diagnoses in 37 (69%) and fiberoptic interpretations in 35 (65%). Ammonia tolerance tests supported conventional esophagoscopy in 31 of 41 patients (76%) and fiberoptic esophagoscopy in 29 (70%). Patients in general found that fiberoptic esophagoscopy was an easier procedure than conventional esophagoscopy. The discordant diagnoses by the two methods were attributed partly to observer variation and partly to methodological differences in the two techniques. Conventional and fiberoptic esophagoscopy agreed in approximately equal frequency with the diagnostic interpretations of barium esophagograms and ammonia tolerance tests. Fiberoptic esophagoscopy in experienced hands appears to provide safe and reasonably accurate diagnosis of esophageal varices. Further controlled experience is needed, however, to establish precise criteria for the diagnosis of esophaeal varices by this new technique.
Local Earthquake Wave Propagation through Mississippi Embayment Sediments, Part II: Influence of Local Site Velocity Structure on Qp-Qs Determinations

Elastic, near-surface structure and receiver depth effects are seen to control body-wave amplitude spectra in the band from 2 to 50 Hz for local earthquake observations in the New Madrid Seismic Zone. P - and S -wave spectral peaks are created by resonance in shallow low-velocity zones, and spectral nulls are created by interference of direct and free-surface reflections due to receiver depth. These wave propagation effects dominate Sp/S spectral ratios and mimic anelastic attenuation effects by making it appear that S waves are deficient in higher frequencies relative to Sp waves. There is no evidence from Sp/S spectral ratios that unconsolidated sediments of the Mississippi embayment are highly attenuating. Dominance of P - and S -wave resonance suggests that the unconsolidated sediments amplify rather than attenuate seismic waves at high frequency. This has important implications for estimating hazards from strong ground motions in the area. In the absence of any identifiable anelastic attenuation effect in the spectral ratio, the only allowable Q p- Q s relationship for embayment sediments is that Q s = 3 Q p, based on consideration of wave travel times. Manuscript received 11 March 2003.
Normal Production Rate of Apolipoprotein B in LDL Receptor–Deficient Mice

The low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor is well known for its role in mediating the removal of apolipoprotein B (apoB)-containing lipoproteins from plasma. Results from in vitro studies in primary mouse hepatocytes suggest that the LDL receptor may also have a role in the regulation of very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) production. We conducted in vivo experiments using LDLR-/-, LDLR+/-, and wild-type mice (LDLR indicates LDL receptor gene) in which the production rate of VLDL was measured after the injection of [35S]methionine and the lipase inhibitor Triton WR1339. Despite the fact that LDLR-/- mice had a 3.7-fold higher total cholesterol level and a 2.1-fold higher triglyceride level than those of the wild-type mice, there was no difference in the production rate of VLDL triglyceride or VLDL apoB between these groups of animals. Experiments were also conducted in apobec1-/- mice, which make only apoB-100, the form of apoB that binds to the LDL receptor. Interestingly, the apobec1-/- mice had a significantly higher production rate of apoB than did the wild-type mice. However, despite significant differences in total cholesterol and triglyceride levels, there was no difference in the production rate of total or VLDL triglyceride or VLDL apoB between LDLR-/- and LDLR+/- mice on an apobec1-/- background. These results indicate that the LDL receptor has no effect on the production rate of VLDL triglyceride or apoB in vivo in mice.
Effects of Metered Entry Volume on an Oversaturated Network with Dynamic Signal Timing

This paper analyzes the effects of different traffic metering levels at the entry points of a simulated signalized network to maintain efficient vehicle processing. Metering signals were placed along the network perimeter in advance of the bordering intersections to reduce the vehicle arrival rate and prevent oversaturation. In the simulation environment, traffic signals were externally controlled by independent agents using a learning algorithm based on approximate dynamic programming. Agents operated the signals in a cycle-free mode, reacting in real time to current demands and occupancy estimated from detectors placed at the entry and exit points of all links. The metering strategies were analyzed for delay, throughput, network congestion, and queue management. Results indicate that metering have a significant effect on network performance. Metering to levels just below the maximum throughput capacity of an intersection resulted in increased network throughput (up to 5%); reduced delay (up to 10.9%), i...
Content analysis for Agricultural Records of the United Kingdom, AD 200 to 1977: a study of frequency in human records concerning climate phenomenon

Abstract. A content analysis has been completed on a text from the UK that has gathered agricultural and climate data from the years AD 220 to 1977 from 100s of sources. The content analysis coded all references to climate and agriculture to ascertain which climate events were recorded and which were not. This study addressed the question: is there bias in human records of climate? This evaluated the continuous record (AD 1654–1977), discontinous record (AD 220–1653), the whole record (AD 220–1977), the Little Climate Optimum (AD 850–1250) and the Little Ice Age (AD 1450–1880). This study shows that there is no significant variation in any of these periods in frequency occurrence of "good" or "bad" climate suggesting humans are not recording long-term changes in climate, but they are recording weather phenomenon as it occurs.
Early Immune Response to the Components of the Type III System of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Children with Cystic Fibrosis

The lungs of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) are colonized initially by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which is associated with progressive lung destruction and increased mortality. The pathogenicity of P. aeruginosa is caused by a number of virulence factors, including exotoxin A (ETA) and the type III cytotoxins (ExoS, ExoT, ExoU, and ExoY). P. aeruginosa contacts the plasma membrane to deliver type III cytotoxins through a channel formed by PopB, PopD, and PcrV; ETA enters mammalian cells via receptor-mediated endocytosis. The Wisconsin CF Neonatal Screening Project is a longitudinal investigation to assess the potential benefits and risks of newborn screening for CF; the project was the source of serum samples used in this study. Past studies evaluated the longitudinal appearance of antibodies to ETA and elastase and P. aeruginosa infections in patients with CF. The current study characterized the longitudinal appearance of antibodies to components of the type III system in children with CF. Western blot analyses showed that serum antibodies to PopB, PcrV, and ExoS were common. Longitudinal enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays determined that the first detection of antibodies to pooled ExoS/PopB occurred at a time similar to those of detection of antibodies to a P. aeruginosa cell lysate and the identification of oropharyngeal cultures positive for P. aeruginosa. This indicates that children with CF are colonized early with P. aeruginosa expressing the type III system, implicating it in early pathogenesis, and implies that surveillance of clinical symptoms, oropharyngeal cultures, and seroconversion to type III antigens may facilitate early detection of P. aeruginosa infections.
Threats and organizational design

Organizational design is aimed primarily at insuring that the “collective” decisions taken by the different members of the organization possess certain “desirable” properties (coordination, mutual satisfaction, and so on). According to the Simon-March-Barnard theory an organization can be viewed as a coalition of participants with different goals; solutions to organizational problems are reached through a bargaining process in which all of them participate. If appropriate constraints on the bargaining process are provided by the organizational structure, the negotiated solutions will have some “desirable” properties that an unconstrained bargaining solution cannot guarantee. The method of analysis is along the lines of economic theory.
Simian immunodeficiency virus in kidney cell cultures from highly infected rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta)

Trace amounts of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) proviral DNA were detected in monolayers of primary kidney cells from two rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) heavily infected with the highly pathogenic strain SIVmac251. There was no detectable infectious SIV in the supernatant from the kidney cell cultures obtained from either monkey. However, infectious SIV was rescued by co-culture of kidney cells with a permissive lymphoid cell line. Macrophages, present in these cultures, may be the reservoir for the proviral genomes.
Distinction by Concanavalin A Agglutination between Ulceration and Repair of Rat Bladder Epithelium Induced by Freezing or Cyclophosphamide and the Effect of Sodium Saccharin

Agglutination of rat urinary bladder epithelial cells by concanavalin A (Con A) has been reported to be an early marker of bladder carcinogenesis. Ulceration of the bladder, induced by cyclophosphamide (CP) or freezing, followed by sodium saccharin in the diet results in the induction of bladder cancer. In the present studies, the agglutination of rat urinary bladder epithelial cells by Con A was shown to be increased during the regenerative hyperplasia following ulceration induced by i.p. CP injection, but it returned to normal levels by Day 21 when the preparative process was nearly complete. This effect correlated quantitatively with the dose of CP. However, if CP administration was followed by sodium saccharin in the diet beginning 14 days after the injection, the agglutinability of bladder cells by Con A persisted. In contrast, agglutination of bladder cells by Con A during regenerative hyperplasia following ulceration induced by freezing was not increased whether sodium saccharin was fed or not. These results indicate that Con A agglutination distinguishes between the regenerative hyperplasia induced by CP or freezing, even though either method followed by sodium saccharin in the diet results in bladder cancer in the rat.
Creating microstructures in electrospun nanofibers using a micropatterned collector chip

This paper reports a simple fabrication approach to create microstructures in electrospun polymer nanofibers. A collector chip with micropatterned electrodes generates electromechanical energy wells above the substrate, which induce selective patterning of polymer nanofibers on the collecting surface. This work provides a sound technology to interface electrospun nanomaterials to larger scaled structures. Particularly, it opens a door for developing MEMS components made of fibrous nanomaterials. It thus has immediate impacts in a broad array of biomedical and industrial applications including tissue engineering, drug delivery, and nanoelectronics.
FUNGUS TRANSPORT STRUCTURES IN THE FIR ENGRAVER, SCOLYTUS VENTRALIS (COLEOPTERA: SCOLYTIDAE)

Adult fir engraver beetles were examined by serial paraffin sections and scanning electron microscopy. In both male and female beetles small cup-shaped pits covering the top and portions of the side of the head were consistently found to carry fungal spores. These pits usually contained a waxy looking material in which the spores were imbedded. The pits provide a mechanism for fungal transport and storage.
How Sustainable Agriculture Can Address the Environmental and Human Health Harms of Industrial Agriculture

The industrial agriculture system consumes fossil fuel, water, and topsoil at unsustainable rates. It contributes to numerous forms of environmental degradation, including air and water pollution, soil depletion, diminishing biodiversity, and fish die-offs. Meat production contributes disproportionately to these problems, in part because feeding grain to livestock to produce meat—instead of feeding it directly to humans—involves a large energy loss, making animal agriculture more resource intensive than other forms of food production. The proliferation of factory-style animal agriculture creates environmental and public health concerns, including pollution from the high concentration of animal wastes and the extensive use of antibiotics, which may compromise their effectiveness in medical use. At the consumption end, animal fat is implicated in many of the chronic degenerative diseases that afflict industrial and newly industrializing societies, particularly cardiovascular disease and some cancers. In terms of human health, both affluent and poor countries could benefit from policies that more equitably distribute high-protein foods. The pesticides used heavily in industrial agriculture are associated with elevated cancer risks for workers and consumers and are coming under greater scrutiny for their links to endocrine disruption and reproductive dysfunction. In this article we outline the environmental and human health problems associated with current food production practices and discuss how these systems could be made more sustainable. Key words: diet, environment, health, industrial agriculture, sustainability, sustainable agriculture. Environ Health Perspect 110:445‐456 (2002). [Online 20 March 2002] http://ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov/docs/2002/110p445-456horrigan/abstract.html
Detection of proteins synthesized during the establishment of lysogeny with phage P22

Abstract A method is described which utilizes pulse labeling with S 35 , starch gel electrophoresis, and autoradiography to detect the synthesis of proteins at various times after infection of Salmonella typhimurium with phage P22. The system was developed especially to study proteins involved in lysogeny. A comparison was made of various infections. These involve the wild-type phage ( c + ) under conditions producing a high frequency of lysogeny; clear mutants, c 1 and c 2 , each producing 100% lysis; and infection with temperature-sensitive mutants unable to make viable phage at 37 °. The c + , c 1 , and c 2 phage infections caused the appearance of four new protein bands at about the 4th minute after infection. The synthesis of these bands persisted throughout the latent period in the infections leading to phage production and lysis (with phages c 1 and c 2 ). In the c + infection, synthesis continued through the 8th minute, following which the rate decreased until approximately the 20th minute, when synthesis of the bands was no longer detectable. In infection with a particular temperature-sensitive phage mutant, three of the four bands were missing but a new band was observed. The evidence suggests that the proteins whose synthesis was observed are associated with phage production and are phage-specified proteins. The implications of these findings with respect to control phenomena in lysogeny are discussed.
Long-term progression, prognosis, and treatment of patients with recurrent ocular manifestations of Reiter's syndrome.

Abstract Purpose To investigate the spectrum of ocular involvement, to examine the clinical outcome, and to analyze the influence of treatment in patients with chronic ocular manifestations of Reiter's syndrome (RS) referred to a tertiary care ocular immunology service. Design Retrospective, noncomparative, interventional case series. Participants Twenty-five patients with RS evaluated at the Ocular Immunology and Uveitis Service of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary from 1981 through 2001. Methods Charts of patients were reviewed and data on age, gender, follow-up time, ocular symptoms, extraocular involvement, ocular complications, therapy, and visual acuities were recorded. Main outcome measures Visual acuity, ocular complications, disease progression, clinical outcome, and systemic treatment. Results Twenty-five patients (20 male and 5 female) diagnosed with RS, with a mean age at presentation to our service of 37 years, were studied. The mean follow-up was 48.5 months. Eighty-five percent of patients tested were positive for human leukocyte antigen B27. Sixty-four percent of patients had a positive family history. All patients had oligoarthritis and enthesitis, most commonly affecting the back (56%), Achilles tendon (52%), and sacroiliac joint (24%). Eighty percent had a history of infection, most frequently urethritis (68%). Forty-four percent had a history of mucocutaneous lesions. All patients demonstrated ocular involvement at the time of diagnosis (68% with unilateral and 32% with bilateral disease), 84% had evidence of uveitis, 3% had scleritis, 2% had conjunctivitis, and 1% had pars planitis and iridocyclitis. During follow-up, the ocular complications included conjunctivitis (96%), anterior uveitis (92%), posterior uveitis (64%), keratitis (64%), cataract (56%), intermediate uveitis (40%), scleritis (28%), cystoid macular edema (28%), papillitis (16%), and glaucoma (16%). Systemic treatment for ocular inflammation was initiated in all patients. Ninety-six percent were treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents. Eighty-eight percent were treated with corticosteroids, 64% requiring systemic prednisone. Immunosuppressive therapy was initiated in 52% of patients, with all receiving methotrexate. Seven patients required more than one immunosuppressive agent. The mean initial visual acuity was 20/25 in the right eye and 20/30 in the left eye. The mean final visual acuity was 20/25 in the right eye and 20/25 in the left eye. Conclusions Reiter's syndrome may be associated with chronic recurrent ocular inflammation. Systemic therapy (including immunosuppressive treatment) typically is required to control the ocular inflammation and to prevent progressive visual loss.
Real Option As The Tool For Valuation And Strategic Guidance For The Post-Industrial Organizations

Post industrial organization puts premium on flexibility, and also on assets that confer flexibility. In the post-industrial business environment, uncertainty need to be understood and managed to reap the potential benefit. Flexibility in organization enables it to take benefit of such uncertainty. Flexibility can be increased by tangible assets; and also by intangible assets like knowledge, group work, routine and experience. “Real options” confer value to flexibility. Besides valuation It also provides decision making guidance for managers involved in identification, acquisition and development of (both tangible and intangible) resources that post industrial organization require to make itself flexible.
Organic farms' seasonal farm labour-sourcing strategies in the pre-‘Arizona’ mode of immigration control

ABSTRACTThis study analysed the strategies of the more labour-intensive organic farms in sourcing seasonal farmworkers for their operations. The study period (2002) captures the farm labour market conditions prior to enforcement of stricter ‘Arizona’ style of immigration controls. Farmers at that time usually would tend to exhaust the full potentials of family labour contributions before relying on off-farm labour sources. When off-farm workers were considered, the results establish the farms' dependence on foreign labourers for seasonal farm work, although farmers seemed to have already been more cautiously hiring these workers in areas with lower concentrations of undocumented workers. This study also confirmed that farmers generally used high wage offers (possibly directed to domestic workers with more employment options) to lure them into working in their farms. The results also emphasize the need for improvements in the H2A guest farmworker visa programme that did not offer significant remedy for sea...
Pluvial Drainage Patterns and Holocene Desiccation Influenced the Genetic Architecture of Relict Dace, Relictus solitarius (Teleostei: Cyprinidae)

Changing drainage patterns have played a significant role in the evolution of western North American aquatic taxa. Relict dace, Relictus solitarius, is a Great Basin endemic cyprinid with a native range that is restricted to four valleys in eastern Nevada. Relictus solitarius now occupies spring systems that are the remnants of Pleistocene-era pluvial lakes, although it may have occurred in the area for much longer. Here we use mitochondrial DNA sequence data to assess range-wide genetic diversity of R. solitarius, and to estimate divergence times to determine whether pluvial drainages played an important role in shaping intraspecific genetic diversity. Genetic diversification within R. solitarius began during the early to mid-Pleistocene, separating populations within two sets of valleys (Butte/Ruby and Goshute/Steptoe). Additional diversification in each of the two sets of valleys occurred more recently, in the mid- to late-Pleistocene. Holocene desiccation has further isolated populations, and each population sampled contains unique mtDNA haplotypes. Pluvial drainage patterns did contribute to the genetic structure observed within R. solitarius, but most of the intraspecific diversification does not appear to be associated with the Last Glacial Maximum. Holocene desiccation has also contributed to the observed genetic structure. The relict dace populations we sampled are all unique, and we recommend that future management efforts should strive to preserve as much of the genetic diversity as possible.
Survey of Michigan Residents on the Issue of Global Warming and Climate Policy Options: Key Findings Report

This key findings report summarizes data collected in a telephone survey of residents of the state of Michigan between October 10 and November 26, 2007. The surveys are based on stratified random samples of adults age 18 and older who reside in Michigan.
Abstract A33: Utilizing insulin the treatment of prostate cancer with BKM120 abrogates the therapeutic effect of PI3K pathway inhibition

Genetic aberrations in PTEN, the negative regulator of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling, are common in prostate cancers (PCA) with high Gleason Scores and correlate with adverse outcome. Currently, PI3K inhibitors, as single agents and in combination, have entered Phase I and II clinical trials for metastatic castrate resistant PCA. Alpha-specific and pan-PI3K inhibitors cause hyperglycemia as an on-target side effect by blocking insulin-dependent PI3K signaling in the liver and muscle and patients develop hyperinsulinemia in response to hyperglycemia, and insulin treatment is often needed to manage drug-induced hyperglycemia. Using human and murine prostate cancer cell lines, we examined the effect of adding insulin to BKM120 treatment on PI3K pathway activation. Using human prostate cancer cell lines LNCaP and PC3 which both express insulin receptor (IR) and IGF-1 receptor (IGF-1R), we found downregulation of the PI3K pathway by BKM120 treatment and upregulation of the PI3K pathway by insulin treatment, as assessed by AKT phosphorylation. In both cell lines, the PI3K pathway is reactivated when insulin is added to BKM120 treatment. Using cells derived from PTEN-/-P53-/- murine PCA which express low levels of IR and IGF-1R, we found minimal activation of the PI3K pathway with insulin, either alone or in combination with BKM120. Conversely, using cells derived from Myc-overexpressing mice which express high levels of IR and IGF-1R, we found robust activation of the PI3K pathway with insulin treatment. More importantly, while BKM120 abolished PI3K activity in the Myc-overexpressing cells, the addition of insulin to BKM120 resulted in the reactivation of the PI3K pathway to the level of PI3K pathway activity without BKM120 treatment. Together these findings suggest that the use of insulin in combination with BKM120 abrogates the therapeutic effect of PI3K inhibition. In addition, they indicate that PCAs that have high levels of IR and/or IGF-1 expression are particularly sensitive to PI3K inhibitors as well as insulin reactivation of the PI3K pathway. Citation Format: Lily C. Wang, Sunnie S. Kim, David M. Nanus, Lewis C. Cantley. Utilizing insulin the treatment of prostate cancer with BKM120 abrogates the therapeutic effect of PI3K pathway inhibition. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Targeting the PI3K-mTOR Network in Cancer; Sep 14-17, 2014; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2015;14(7 Suppl):Abstract nr A33.
Methodological Approaches to Evaluating the Effectiveness of Interbudget Relations in Subjects of the Russian Federation

Municipal reform in the Russian Federation represents one of the most impressive transformations achieved in the course of the 2000s. Reform addressed all aspects of the organizational activity carried on by bodies of local self-government: the territorial structure, the governmental system's organization, the spheres of competence, etc. One of the most important directions of reforming involved changes in the financial bass of local self-government.
Levoglucosenone : Old but New Optically Active Starting Material

Levoglucosenone [1, 6-anhydro-3, 4-dideoxy-β-D-glycero-hex-3-eno-pyrano-2-ulose, (4)] is widely known as a pyrolytic product of cellulose. It is very useful chiral source for synthesizing natural products owing to its highly functionalized structure containing essentially one chiral center. The synthesis of useful compounds starting from levoglucosenone (4) and their applications as useful chiral building blocks are reviewed in this article.