cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spatial Tracking Applications

In this chapter, various technologies that permit law enforcement agencies to track people and objects through time and space are discussed. Innovative applications of spatial technologies have been adopted by law enforcement agencies to reduce crime , apprehend offenders , and keep officers safe. A brief review of each technology is given followed by examples in which the technologies have been successfully utilized. Specifically, this chapter examines the following: (1) Global Positioning Systems , (2) cellular phone tracking, (3) unmanned aerial vehicles , (4) automated license plate recognition technology, and (5) radio frequency identification technology.
Bone induction in experimental periodontal bony defects in dogs with decalcified allogeneic bone matrix grafts

Abstract Decalcified allogeneic bone matrix grafts have been studied in periodontal bony defects in twenty-seven dogs. DABM grafts were resorbed and replaced by new bone. There occurred union of new bone to the cemental (tooth) surface (ankylosis). Clinical, radiologic, fluorescent, and histologic studies revealed that such grafts could ultimately be of use in human beings, especially since these grafts are not rejected and, to our knowledge, do not cause any immunologic response.
Estimating Risks of De Novo Kidney Diseases After Living Kidney Donation

De novo post donation renal diseases, such as glomerulonephritis or diabetic nephropathy, are infrequent and distinct from the loss of GFR at donation that all living kidney donors experience. Medical findings that increase risks of disease (e.g. microscopic hematuria,borderline hemoglobin A1C) often prompt donor refusal by centers. These risk factors are part of more comprehensive risks of low GFR and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) from kidney diseases in the general population that are equally relevant. Such data profile the ages of onset, rates of progression, prevalence and severity of loss of GFR from generically characterized kidney diseases. Kidney diseases typically begin in middle age and take decades to reach ESRD, at a median age of 64. Diabetes produces about half of yearly ESRD and even more lifetime near-ESRD. Such data predict that (1) 10- to 15-year studies will not capture the lifetime risks of post donation ESRD; (2)normal young donors are at demonstrably higher risk than normal older candidates; (3) low-normal predonation GFRs become risk factors for ESRD when kidney diseases arise and (4) donor nephrectomy always increases individual risk. Such population-based risk data apply to all donor candidates and should be used to make acceptance standards and counseling more uniform and defensible.
Municipal Finance of Urban Infrastructure: Knowns and Unknowns

Various trends, including an increasing emphasis on fiscal decentralization; political democratization in many areas; globalization and the financial liberalization that often accompanies it; growing demands for urban services as urbanization continues in major cities around the world; all argue compellingly for finding ways to help municipalities finance large scale infrastructure. Improved urban infrastructure, for water supply, sanitation, urban transportation and solid waste management is widely believed essential in encouraging and facilitating economic growth. Evidence indicates that those countries most successful in sustaining high growth supported their cities with transformative investments to improve urban infrastructure that could accommodate rapid population growth in major economic centers. This evidence suggests that infrastructure has a strong â€œsupplysideâ€ orientation and in practice, it is the effects of infrastructure on â€œsupplyâ€ that are most often emphasized. There is also a strong â€œdemand-sideâ€ aspect: individuals and businesses value the services that flow from the stock of infrastructure facilities and these demands should be (but are often not) considered in determining the appropriate level of infrastructure investment. In addition to the potential supply-and-demand-side impacts on economic growth, the services of infrastructure also play a significant role in the distribution of income.[Working paper No. 19]
Tools for Visual and Spatial Analysis of CAD Models

The paper describes a suite of spatial analysis programs to support architectural design. Building these computational tools not only supports the task of spatial analysis for designers but it also helps us think about the spatial perception. We argue that building design software is an important vehicle for understanding architecture, using our efforts to build various visual and spatial analysis tools as examples.
Tailoring an Interferometer to its Science and Vice Versa

In the process of planning for the CHARA Array, the science/technical team devoted significant effort to exploring possible science objectives over a broad range of astronomical fields, from solar system bodies to extragalactic objects. In this analysis, we attempted to define a scientific figure of merit for each of the various science areas based upon the optimum wavelength regime, median magnitude of the object class, representative angular size, minimum required integration time, and structural complexity as it relates to requirements for imaging rather than visibility analysis. These quantities were incorporated into a feasibility estimate that was then combined with our estimate of scientific priority to define a figure of overall merit. This rather elaborate and admittedly subjective analysis clarified the role the CHARA Array will play in high resolution astronomical imaging. It also clearly demonstrated the unlikelihood that any single interferometric array will have the breadth of capability to cover the rich scientific opportunities that lay before us.
Shorting-pin loaded annular ring microstrip antenna

Microstrip antennas have been used for a wide variety of applications. Some applications require an omnidirectional radiation pattern with the maximum gain at the horizon. While the maximum gain of the lowest mode for the microstrip antenna is at the zenith direction, a higher order mode can be used to obtain the maximum gain at the horizon. But, in a 450 MHz frequency band, the size of the typical microstrip antenna with the higher order mode is too large to be useful. This paper presents a new design for the annular ring microstrip antenna that utilizes two shorting pins to reduce the antenna to 25% of its original size by decreasing the resonant frequency. Impedance matching and frequency tuning are easily accomplished by adjusting the pin diameters and locations. With the shorting pins to reduce the size, the radiation pattern is vertically polarized and omnidirectional with the maximum gain at the horizon.
Absence of associations between influenza vaccines and increased risks of seizures, Guillain–Barré syndrome, encephalitis, or anaphylaxis in the 2012–2013 season

Purpose We conducted weekly surveillance for pre-specified adverse events following receipt of the 2012–2013 influenza vaccines in the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD). Methods For each outcome, risk intervals (i.e., period after vaccination with a potentially increased risk) were defined on the basis of biologic plausibility and prior literature. Seizures following inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV) were monitored in children in three age groups (6–23 months, 24–59 months, and 5–17 years) using a self-controlled risk interval design. We also monitored for Guillain–Barre syndrome, encephalitis, and anaphylaxis following IIV in patients ≥6 months of age using a cohort design with historical controls. In the risk intervals following live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV), we collected weekly counts of Guillain–Barre syndrome, encephalitis, and anaphylaxis in patients ages 2–49. Among LAIV vaccinees, numbers of expected events based on rates in historical controls were calculated, adjusted for age and site. Results At the end of surveillance, approximately 3.6 million first doses of IIV and 250 000 first doses of LAIV had been administered in the VSD. No elevated risks were identified in risk intervals following 2012–2013 IIV, as compared with a self-matched control interval or to historical controls. For each outcome, fewer than three events occurred in the risk interval following 2012–2013 LAIV, and we thus were unable to estimate measures of relative risks. Conclusions No increased risk was identified for any of the pre-specified outcomes following 2012–2013 influenza vaccinations in the VSD. Published 2014. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Measuring the effectiveness of social media on an innovation process

Incorporating social media into the Enterprise is a key opportunity as well as critical challenge facing many organizations today. Tantamount in decision-making about social media implementation is the question of 'value'. Our research examines the deployment of an online innovation management platform to execute an annual research and development proposal competition over two cycles of usage. Our findings suggest strategies for monitoring and measuring the effectiveness of social media's impact to an existing innovation process within the context of a business strategy.
Identification of calcium-dependent phospholipase A2 isoforms in human and rat pancreatic islets and insulin secreting beta-cell lines.

Phospholipase A2 (PLA2) and its end product, arachidonic acid, are thought to be important signaling components in insulin secretion from pancreatic beta-cells. Because there are multiple Ca2+ -dependent and independent PLA2 biochemical activities in beta-cells, we have used a combination of molecular and immunological techniques to identify the isoforms of Ca2+ -dependent PLA2 present in pancreatic beta-cells. Total RNA extracted from the purified rat and human pancreatic islets and from insulin-secreting beta-TC3 and beta-HC6 cells was used as a template for complementary DNA (cDNA) synthesis. The RT-PCR was performed based on the oligonucleotide primers designed for the 14- kDa type II PLA2 and the 85-kDa cytosolic PLA2. The PCR products for both enzymes yielded single bands (375 bp and 910 bp for type II PLA2 and cytosolic PLA2, respectively). The PCR-generated cDNA fragments were confirmed to be identical to the type II and cytosolic PLA2 isoforms expressed in rat tissues, U937 cells, and A9 cells by...
Psychosocial Predictors of Dental Anxiety

Building on earlier research on psychosocial predictors of dental anxiety, this study examined the predictive ability of several demographic and personality variables. To accomplish this goal, a combined sample of 89 dental patients and 55 college students completed a self-report survey. Results indicated that greater age, female gender, lower income, greater satisfaction with life, greater thought suppression, and a stronger internal health locus of control predicted higher levels of dental anxiety. Possible strategies for reducing both thought suppression and exaggerated levels of internal health locus of control were discussed.
Chipping away at the surface of the endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) mystery.

Ever since Asahara et al published their seminal report describing “putative progenitor endothelial cells“ in 1997 [1], the idea of circulating cells that can replenish dysfunctional endothelium and promote angiogenesis has captured the imagination of cardiovascular researchers. In the following years, these cells were widely referred to as “endothelial progenitor cells” or “EPCs” and the adjective “putative” that the authors had astutely used in the initial report was dropped. Numerous in vitro and in vivo studies were subsequently conducted to elucidate the role of these cells in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease and to investigate their therapeutic potential. This resulted in roughly 1000 publications using the expression “endothelial progenitor cells” within a decade of the initial 1997 publication, and by now this number has grown to over 2500. Most studies have found that the number of circulating EPCs is reduced in patients with known cardiovascular risk factors or established cardiovascular disease. This has lead to the notion that circulating EPCs may be required to maintain a healthy vasculature.
Three-dimensional structure of adenosylcobinamide kinase/adenosylcobinamide phosphate guanylyltransferase from Salmonella typhimurium determined to 2.3 A resolution,.

The X-ray structure of adenosylcobinamide kinase/adenosylcobinamide phosphate guanylyltransferase (CobU) from Salmonella typhimurium has been determined to 2.3 A resolution. This enzyme of subunit molecular weight 19 770 plays a central role in the assembly of the nucleotide loop for adenosylcobalamin where it catalyzes both the phosphorylation of the 1-amino-2-propanol side chain of the corrin ring and the subsequent attachment of GMP to form the product adenosylcobinamide-GDP. The kinase activity is believed to be associated with a P-loop motif, whereas the transferase activity proceeds at a different site on the enzyme via a guanylyl intermediate. The enzyme was crystallized in the space group C2221 with unit cell dimensions of a = 96.4 A, b = 114.4 A, and c = 106.7 A, with three subunits per asymmetric unit. The structure reveals that the enzyme is a molecular trimer and appears somewhat like a propeller with overall molecular dimensions of approximately 64 A × 77 A × 131 A. Each subunit consists of a...
A p53/ARF-dependent Anticancer Barrier Activates Senescence and Blocks Tumorigenesis without Impacting Apoptosis

In response to oncogene activation and oncogene-induced aberrant proliferation, mammalian cells activate apoptosis and senescence, usually via the p53–ARF tumor-suppressor pathway. Apoptosis is a known barrier to cancer and is usually downregulated before full malignancy, but senescence as an anticancer barrier is controversial due to its presence in the tumor environment. In addition, senescence may aid cancer progression via releasing senescence-associated factors that instigate neighboring tumor cells. Here, it is demonstrated that apoptosis unexpectedly remains robust in ErbB2 (ERBB2/ HER2)-initiated mammary early lesions arising in adult mice null for either p53 or ARF. These early lesions, however, downregulate senescence significantly. This diminished senescence response is associated with accelerated progression to cancer in ARF-null mice compared with ARF–wild-type mice. Thus, the ARF–p53 pathway is dispensable for the apoptosis anticancer barrier in the initiation of ErbB2 breast cancer, the apoptosis barrier alone cannot halt mammary tumorigenesis, and senescence is a key barrier against carcinogenesis. Implications: Findings in this relevant mouse model of HER2driven breast cancer suggest that effective prevention relies upon preserving both ARF/p53–independent apoptosis and ARF/p53– dependent senescence. Mol Cancer Res; 13(2); 231–8. � 2014 AACR.
Regional expression of the anesthetic-activated potassium channel TRESK in the rat nervous system

The two-pore-domain potassium (K(2P)) channels contribute to background (leak) potassium currents maintaining the resting membrane potential to play an important role in regulating neuronal excitability. As such they may contribute to nociception and the mechanism of action of volatile anesthetics. In the present study, we examined the protein expression pattern of the K(2P) channel TRESK in the rat central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS) by immunohistochemistry. The regional distribution expression pattern of TRESK has both similarities and significant differences from that of other K(2P) channels expressed in the CNS. TRESK expression is broadly found in the brain, spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia (DRG). TRESK expression is highest in important CNS structures, such as specific cortical layers, periaqueductal gray (PAG), granule cell layer of the cerebellum, and dorsal horn of the spinal cord. TRESK expression is also high in small and medium sized DRG neurons. These results provide an anatomic basis for identifying functional roles of TRESK in the rat nervous system.
Comparison of Arterial-End-Tidal PCO2 Difference and Dead Space/Tidal Volume Ratio in Respiratory Failure

End-tidal CO2 monitors are used to estimate arterial CO2 pressure (PaCO2), but appropriate use of this noninvasive method of assessing blood gases is unclear. In patients with lung disease, the end-tidal CO2 pressure (PETCO2) can differ from PaCO2 because of ventilation-perfusion (VA/Q) mismatching, and changes in PETCO2 may be seen with corresponding increase, decrease, or no change in PaCO2 depending on what happens to VA/Q mismatching. We compared the difference between PETCO2 and PaCO2 in 17 patients undergoing mechanical ventilation. Large differences were found between PaCO2 and PETCO2 in individual patients; P(a-et)CO2 correlated closely with VD/VT. Our studies confirm that PetCO2 is a poor estimate of PaCO2 in patients with respiratory failure. However, the P(a-et)CO2 may be the most appropriate use for end-tidal PCO2 monitoring. In addition, we found that the end-tidal CO2 monitor may be easily adapted for expedient measurement of VD/VT.
Variable splitting ratio 2×2 MMI couplers using multimode waveguide holograms

Variable power splitting ratio 2×2 MMI couplers using multi-mode waveguide holograms are analyzed. Theoretical analysis shows that variable splitting ratios can be obtained with surface relief holograms on MMI couplers with fixed dimensions. Devices with paired-imaging lengths are designed on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platform. Beam propagation simulations are used to verify a matrix theory analysis and to investigate proposed device performance. Fabrication tolerance of the proposed device is also analyzed.
Gray Scale lithography of photosensitive polyimide and its graphitization

Gray scale lithography GSL was implemented using an aqueous developing photosensitive polyimide, HD8820. Silicon carbide high kilo-volt power diodes and transistors fabrication required a tapered barrier for dopant ion implantation and annealing at elevated temperatures for formation of junction edge terminations. The GSL photomask was made by electron beam lithography 32-bit gray scale intensity profile exposure of a silver doped HEBS glass that is sensitive to electron beams but not to ultra-violet UV radiation. When the photosensitive polyimide HD8820 was exposed through the gray scale photomask in a UV lithography system, the desired polyimide tapered profile was obtained. The polyimide patterns were subsequently converted to amorphous graphite at 650°C in a nitrogen furnace. Boron and aluminum high temperature ion implantations at several energies and doses were performed and the resulting dopant profiles, characterized using secondary ion mass spectroscopy SIMS, were found to correlate well with computer simulations. The GSL tapered photosensitive polyimide can therefore serve as an effective ion implantation barrier to obtain precisely graded dopant profiles. Micro-optics components such as gratings and Fresnel micro-lenses were also successfully fabricated using gray scale lithography of the photosensitive polyimide.
Review of uv laser damage measurements at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Laser damage threshold measurements in the ultraviolet' (UV) have been made at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) since 1979. These tests were conducted using single pulses at the third (355 nm) and fourth (266 nm) harmonic wavelengths of 1064-nm Nd-glass lasers, and single and repetitively fired pulses from KrF (248 nm) and XeF (351 nm) excimer lasers respectively. Surface damage thresholds of dielectric thin films, antireflective (AR) coatings, highly reflective (HP) coatings, and porous and graded-index AR coatings, as well as surface and bulk thresholds of optical windows and crystals have been measured. More than twenty different parameter studies have been conducted to develop materials with increased laser damage thresholds.
A theoretical search for the methylenefluoronium ylide

Abstract Ab initio molecular-orbital theory with electron correlation energy (MP2/6-31G*) is used to explore the potential surface of CH3F. No local minimum is found for the methylenefluoronium structure H2C-FH, although a weak minimum is found for a hydrogen-bonded structure H2C⋯HF. The barrier for rearrangement to methyl fluoride is small (≈ 1 kcal mol ).
Mobility and Reactions of VO2+ on Hydrated Smectite Surfaces1

The electron spin resonance (ESR) spectra of varying quantities of vanadyl ion (VO2+) adsorbed on hydrated hectorite indicated that hydrolysis of VO2+ was promoted at low levels of adsorption. The hydrolyzed product was adsorbed on the clay surfaces, with a ligand environment that was partially aqueous and partially hydroxide in nature. Greater amounts of VO2+ adsorbed on wetted hectorite obscured the ESR spectrum of the strongly adsorbed hydrolysis product with a solutionlike spectrum. An approximately 50% reduction in rotational mobility of VO2+ relative to solution was indicated by the linewidth of this spectrum. Loss in mobility occurred with reduction of the interlamellar spacing until, under strongly dehydrating conditions, the VO(H2O)52+ ions became aligned with the V=O bond axis normal to the plane of the clay platelets.
The Relationship between Substance Abuse and Crime Among Native American Inmates in the Nebraska Department of Corrections

Native Americans incarcerated within the Nebraska Department of Corrections are the focus of an investigation concerning the relationship between substance abuse, particularly alcohol abuse, and criminal activity leading to long-term incarceration. Inmate historical data are analyzed using two sources—prison computer records and ethnographic interviews1—and are compared, revealing strong discrepancies between the two datasets. Interview data yield significantly stronger correlations between early substance abuse and the onset of a pattern of juvenile criminal activity. Family history, analysis of offenses committed, issues of child custody and parental alcoholism are investigated as factors contributing to chemical dependency and subsequent offense commission. Efforts to achieve sobriety and rehabilitation "behind the walls" are discussed, focusing on particular Native American spiritual and cultural beliefs as they assist in the offender's commitment to sobriety. Based on the character of early offender ...
Algebraic quantization of the SU(3) skyrmion

Abstract The algebraic quantization of the SU(3) skyrmion is presented. We discuss the role of the number of colors ( N c ) in QCD and the Wess-Zumino term in the quantization. Two distinct dynamical group chains are shown to correspond to different methods of semiclassical quantization. We obtain most of the SU(6) quark model predictions for the skyrmion quantized with N c =3.
Technique assessment of demyelination from endoneurial injection

Abstract Solutions or sera can be subperineurally injected into rat nerve to test their neuropathologic and, especially, their demyelinating effects. In the present study we assessed the effect of the endoneurial injection technique itself. The rate of axonal degeneration and segmental demyelination increased wth extraneous movement (of the needle or the animal), increasing needle size, rapid injection, and large volumes of injectate. We showed that graded evaluation of the pathologic abnormalities of teased fibers provides a more sensitive measure of demyelination than does evaluation of transverse sections. Transverse sections provide an inadequate approach to assess the rate of axonal degeneration. Using these approaches, no difficulty was encountered in demonstrating the greatly increased demyelinating activity of 5 nmol lysolecithin (lysophosphatidylcholine) compared with lactated Ringer's solution.
The Second Ottoman Empire: Political and Social Transformation in the Early Modern World

Baki Tezcan, Cambridge and New York, Cambridge University Press, 2010, xxi +284 pp. In an ambitious attempt at grand narrative form, Baki Tezcan argues for a paradigm shift for the historiography o...
Comment: The Dimensionality of Public Attitudes toward Government Spending

In “The Two Faces of Government Spending,” Paul Goren applies a confirmatory factor model to data from the Center for Political Studies (CPS) National Election Studies (NES) to show that public attitudes toward policy spending are two dimensional. Here, I show that a unidimensional model, derived from nonparametric item response theory, can be used to represent the same data. This latter model provides additional insights about specific spending responses and also produces results that are equivalent to the two-dimensional model with respect to the impact of racial stereotypes. Therefore, by scientific standards, the unidimensional representation of public opinion toward government spending seems to be preferable.
Ecdysis and the location of the plasma membrane in the dinoflagellateHeterocapsa niei

The outer membrane is the plasma membrane in the pelliculate dinoflagellateHeterocapsa niei (Loeblich) Morrill and Loeblich, except when the cell is preparing to ecdyse and is forming a new amphiesma. At maturity the theca and pellicle are enclosed within a single large amphiesmal vesicle which surrounds the cell; thus, the amphiesmal components are intracellular. The plasma membrane lies outside this vesicle and is continuous with the flagellar membrane. At ecdysis retraction of the flagella and fusion of the innermost or cytoplasmic membrane over the flagellar region facilitates the shedding of all layers external to the cytoplasmic membrane. This membrane eventually becomes the bounding membrane (plasma membrane) of the reformed amphiesma.
Growth factor receptor-Src-mediated suppression of GRK6 dysregulates CXCR4 signaling and promotes medulloblastoma migration

Metastasis in medulloblastoma (MB) is associated with poor survival. Recent genetic studies revealed MB to comprise distinct molecular subgroups, including the sonic hedgehog (SHH) subgroup that exhibits a relatively high rate of progression. To identify targeted therapeutics against metastasis, a better understanding of the regulation of MB cell migration is needed. G protein-coupled receptor kinases (GRKs) have been implicated in cancer metastasis through their regulation of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) involved in growth factor (GF)-mediated cell migration. However, the specific roles and regulation of GRKs in MB have not been investigated. Microarray mRNA analysis was performed for GRKs, GPCRs, and GFs in 29 human MB, and real time RT-PCR was used to detect GRK6 expression in MB cells. Lenti- or retro-virus infection, and siRNA or shRNA transfection, of MB cells was used to overexpress and knockdown target genes, respectively. Western blot was used to confirm altered expression of proteins. The effect of altered target protein on cell migration was determined by Boyden chamber assay and xCELLigence migration assays. We observed co-overexpression of PDGFRA, CXCR4, and CXCL12 in the SHH MB subtype compared to non-SHH MB (5, 7, and 5-fold higher, respectively). GRK6, which typically acts as a negative regulator of CXCR4 signaling, is downregulated in MB, relative to other GRKs, while the percentage of GRK6 expression is lower in MB tumors with metastasis (22%), compared to those without metastasis (43%). In SHH-responsive MB cells, functional blockade of PDGFR abolished CXCR4-mediated signaling. shPDGFR transfected MB cells demonstrated increased GRK6 expression, while PDGF or 10% FBS treatment of native MB cells reduced the stability of GRK6 by inducing its proteosomal degradation. Overexpression or downregulation of Src, a key mediator of GF receptor/PDGFR signaling, similarly inhibited or induced GRK6 expression, respectively. siRNA downregulation of GRK6 enhanced CXCR4 signaling and promoted MB migration, while lentiviral-GRK6 overexpression suppressed CXCR4 signaling, potentiated the effect of AMD3100, a CXCR4 antagonist, and impaired migration. Our findings demonstrate a novel mechanism of GF receptor/PDGFR-Src-mediated dysregulation of CXCR4 signaling that promotes MB cell migration, which could potentially be exploited for therapeutic targeting in SHH MB.
Gas transport and oxygen storage capacity in some pinnipeds and the sea otter.

Abstract The present study summarizes the factors contributing to oxygen storage capacity in several species of marine mammals. Additional data are presented on respiratory properties of blood. Phocid seals showed the highest Hb concentration and hematocrit which correlate with longer and deeper dives in comparison with the otariid seals, the walrus and the sea otter which were also studied. A larger circulating blood volume in the phocid seals gave them a blood O2 storage capacity more than twice the average for the other species studied. Muscle myoglobin concentration was also about twice as high in the phocid seals. The lung oxygen storage capacity calculated from maximum lung volume, was conversely smaller in the phocid seals than in the other species studied. The sea otter was exceptional with a very high lung O2 storage capacity making up two thirds of the total capacity. The larger total O2 storage capacity in the phocid seals is discussed in relation to the diving behavior of the animals. The respiratory properties of blood showed no significant adaptive features in O2-Hb affinity or Bohr shift, but a distinctly higher buffering capacity distinguishes blood of marine mammals from terrestrial non-diving species.
Biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease: ready for the next step

As potential disease-modifying treatments for Alzheimer's disease advance into phase II and III human trials, it is apparent that biomarker development will be needed for several reasons. The most relevant of these include the ability to detect treatment response sensitively, to improve understanding of the effect of drugs that target disease mechanisms, and to identify Alzheimer's disease in its pre-clinical stage. We have reviewed several recent papers published in Brain , which address biomarker development in Alzheimer's disease, and use their findings to suggest further research. Some of these studies are early results from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), a large multi-centre trial of biomarker modalities in patients with Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and cognitively healthy older controls with an emphasis on standardized imaging techniques across centres. Nestor et al . (2008) measured ventricular volume changes over time and found that MCI subjects had a faster rate of ventricular enlargement than controls, and that Alzheimer's disease subjects had an even faster rate. Most importantly, among participants with MCI, the rate of ventricular enlargement was higher in those who progressed to Alzheimer's disease than in those who did not. The authors estimate that using ventricular enlargement as a surrogate marker of treatment outcome could improve the power of a treatment trial significantly versus standard cognitive outcomes. Desikan et al . (2009) developed methods of automated MRI analysis of regional brain volumes with the goal of identifying differences between patients with MCI and healthy controls. Entorhinal and supramarginal gyrus cortical thickness and hippocampal volumes afforded the best discrimination between these two groups. The automated analysis tools were impressively reliable and yielded replicable results in two different cohorts and with many different MRI scanners. Querbes et al . (2009) developed a rapid automated method for measuring cortical thickness and found …
Differential sensitivity to apomorphine and clonidine following frontal cortical damage in rats

Abstract Rats trained to bar-press on a FI 15 sec schedule for water reinforcement were administered various doses of apomorphine (0.25–10 mg/kg) and clonidine (0.002–0.1 mg/kg) both before and 6–10 weeks after bilateral ablation of frontal cortex. Both drugs monotonically depressed response rates with increasing dose. Frontal cortical lesions increased sensitivity to apomorphine without altering sensitivity to clonidine. The results suggest that the frontal cortex modulates the activity of dopaminergic but not noradrenergic neuronal pathways.
Analysis of the utility of stone gram stain in urolithiasis treated with percutaneous nephrolithotomy.

Objective To define the sensitivity and specificity of stone gram stain for infected urolithiasis treated with percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). Methods PCNL procedures performed at our institution were analyzed between January 2009 and May 2013. Stone fragments were sent in a sterile fashion for aerobic and fungal cultures. A gram stain and fungal smear were performed on the stones and reported within 24 hours of collection. Results A total of 228 patients underwent 248 PCNLs. Of the 248 stones, 81 (33%) had a positive stone culture. Stone gram stain was positive in 31 cases and negative in 50. There were 167 negative stone cultures, and in these cases, gram stain was positive in 5 and negative in 162. The calculated sensitivity and specificity of stone gram stain were 38% and 97%. The positive and negative predictive values were 86% and 76%, respectively. In the subset of 16 patients with positive stone fungal cultures, fungal smear was performed in 12 and was positive in 4, giving fungal smear a sensitivity of 33%. Conclusion The results of this study suggest that stone gram stain cannot be relied on to detect a positive stone culture and may fail to detect up to 62% of infected stones. However, when positive, gram stain accurately predicts a positive stone culture in 86% of cases.
Altered expression of isoniazid-regulated genes in drug-treated dormant Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Methods: Global gene expression analysis was used to study M. tuberculosis treated with isoniazid in dormancy models of nutrient depletion and progressive hypoxia in vitro, as well as in an in vivo hollow fibre model of dormancy. Mycobacterial expression of the drug’s putative transcriptional signature was investigated by RT‐PCR in each dormancy model, and during the early and chronic phases of infection in the mouse aerosol model. Transcriptional responses were correlated with the bactericidal activity of isoniazid in the respective models. Results: A small group of genes directly relevant to the mechanism of action of isoniazid was confirmed to constitute a transcriptional signature of the drug, as differential regulation of these genes was abrogated in an isoniazid-resistant, katG-deficient M. tuberculosis strain following isoniazid exposure. Isoniazid-induced expression of this transcriptional signature was abolished in dormant bacilli which had acquired phenotypic tolerance to isoniazid, regardless of the specific conditions responsible for the induction of the dormancy phenotype. Quantitative RT‐PCR revealed that expression of isoniazidregulated genes (IRGs) is dramatically altered under conditions of nutrient depletion and progressive hypoxia in vitro. Although these IRGs are highly induced following drug exposure early in infection in the mouse hollow fibre and aerosol models, correlating with potent bactericidal activity of the drug, their expression levels are markedly diminished during late-stage infection in these two models, coinciding with the greatly reduced bactericidal activity of isoniazid against these organisms. Conclusions: The reduced susceptibility of bacilli to the bactericidal drug isoniazid, as well as lack of expression of IRGs upon exposure to the drug, may be defining features of M. tuberculosis dormancy.
Determination of Alkalinity of Reclaimed Rubber

Abstract A new method is given for determining the relative alkalinity of reclaimed rubber. The extraction of the alkaline material is based on a digestion of the sample in a mixture of ethanol, benzene, and water. The method is compared with the previous method described by the authors in 1928. The experimental figures given show that the new method gives results which are dependable, and approximately four times as accurate as the previous method. The higher degree of accuracy is due to the elimination of much of the personal error, the extraction of a larger percentage of alkaline material, and a more accurate titration end point. The purpose of this paper is to present a method for determining the relative alkalinity of reclaimed rubber which, in the authors??? opinion, has certain advantages over other methods in use at present.
Substrate Preference in Phosphatidylserine Biosynthesis for Docosahexaenoic Acid Containing Species

Neuronal membranes contain high levels of phosphatidylserine (PS) and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3, DHA). In this study, substrate preference in PS synthesis was determined to gain insight on the ...
Polypeptide influences on attention, memory and anxiety in man.

Abstract The effects of two polypeptides, ACTH 1–24 and ACTH 4–10 on a variety of bioelectric and behavioral measures of attention, memory and anxiety in human subjects were examined within the context of a disjunctive reaction time paradigm. ACTH 1–24 had no effect on any of the measures involved; ACTH 4–10 , however, served to improve visual memory, decrease anxiety, reinstitute a previously habituated alpha blocking response in the occipital EEG, and generally influence the occipital EEG toward a pattern consistent with increased attention. The results were taken to suggest a direct polypeptide influence on CNS attentional mechanisms.
Gender Identity Conflict/Affirmation and Major Depression Across the Life Course of Transgender Women

ABSTRACT Using the Life Chart Interview, a validated instrument for the collection of biographical data, lifetime information about transgender experiences was collected in a community-based sample of 571 transgender women from the New York metropolitan area. Disclosures of transgender identity in different types of relationships, responses of relationship partners indicative of gender identity conflict or affirmation, and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, major depression were assessed within and across five stages of the life course. Gender identity conflict/affirmation was associated with major depression within stages of the life course (contemporaneous analysis) and predictive of changes in major depression across stages of the life course (lagged analysis).
Future directions for pain research in oral and maxillofacial surgery: Findings of the 2005 AAOMS Research Summit

p s o c he diagnosis and management of acute and chronic ain states by the oral and maxillofacial surgeon coninue to be a challenge and a persistent public health oncern. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons confront atients with both acute and persistent problems on n ongoing basis. In addition, contemporary clinical odels used to study pain mechanisms and analgesics re based on oral surgical procedures. In fact, the hird molar extraction model is the most popular cute pain model used to assess the efficacy of analesics in clinical trials. Therefore, as a profession, ral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS) is uniquely posiioned to take advantage of emerging technologies to mprove diagnostics and develop effective therapeu-
Values and negotiation in classification work

My research interest is in the embodiment of community and personal values in knowledge organization systems. My dissertation research examines how classification workers make decisions in the context of conflicting user needs, author intent, and ethical implications. I am taking an ethnographic approach as a participant observer in a volunteer team of classification workers who create a "curated folksonomy" by linking together user-generated tags, and am planning interviews and comparison cases. By examining in detail the daily decisions made by classification workers, we can better understand the possibilities for the design of systems that embody values.
Measurements of the concentrations of 26Al in lunar rocks 15555 and 60025

Abstract The authors have measured the concentrations of 26 Al in lunar rock samples 15555,859 and 60025,28 with a multidimensional gamma-ray spectrometer, obtaining concentrations of 167±14 and 255±10 dpm/kg for the two rocks, respectively. Computer modelings were carried out on both samples of the 26 Al production rates from cosmic-ray bombardment using consistent values of cosmic-ray parameters and reasonable values of surface erosion to see if an inconsistency in values needed for a fit between measurement and modeling could be found which would suggest the presence of surface-implanted 26 Al in one or both samples. The final result was that both of the samples could be fitted by the computer models using omnidirectional SEP flux and rigidity shape values of 125 protons/cm 2 /s>10 MeV and 125 MV/unit charge, respectively, and with the reasonable surface erosion rates of 0–0.24 mm/Myr for rock 15555,859, and 1.6 mm/Myr for 60025,28.
Acute Hemarthrosis of the Knee in Children

The purpose of this study was to determine the cause of acute hemarthrosis of the knee in a prospective pediatric patient population. Between December 1988 and August 1991, 21 consecutive children who were seen with an acute traumatic hemarthrosis of the knee had an arthroscopic evaluation. The average age of the children at the time of injury was 14 years, 3 months (range, 10 to 17 years). The mechanism of injury was a torsional strain to the knee in 12 (71%) of the 17 patients who could accurately remember the injury. The initial evaluation included a history, physical examination, and anteroposterior, lateral, sunrise, and comparison radiographs. The arthroscopic procedure was performed under general anesthesia, and the arthroscopic findings were compared with preoperative findings. During arthroscopic examination, an osteochondral fracture of the lateral femoral condyle or patella was identified in 14 (67%) of the 21 patients. Preoperative radiographs failed to identify the fracture in 5 (36%) of the 14 patients who had an osteochondral fracture. The anterior cruciate ligament was visualized and probed; an injury was found in only two cases (10%). We concluded that in children an acute traumatic hemarthrosis reflects a major injury to the knee. The children in this study had a high frequency of osteochondral fractures; ACL injuries were found in only two patients. Because of the unreliable nature of radiographic evaluation, arthroscopic evaluation is a valuable tool in differential diagnosis and treatment of acute hemarthrosis of the knee.
I-TASSER: a unified platform for automated protein structure and function prediction

The iterative threading assembly refinement (I-TASSER) server is an integrated platform for automated protein structure and function prediction based on the sequence-to-structure-to-function paradigm. Starting from an amino acid sequence, I-TASSER first generates three-dimensional (3D) atomic models from multiple threading alignments and iterative structural assembly simulations. The function of the protein is then inferred by structurally matching the 3D models with other known proteins. The output from a typical server run contains full-length secondary and tertiary structure predictions, and functional annotations on ligand-binding sites, Enzyme Commission numbers and Gene Ontology terms. An estimate of accuracy of the predictions is provided based on the confidence score of the modeling. This protocol provides new insights and guidelines for designing of online server systems for the state-of-the-art protein structure and function predictions. The server is available at http://zhanglab.ccmb.med.umich.edu/I-TASSER.
Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: Treating a Systemic Disease With Systemic Therapy

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma, even when resectable, remains highly lethal. Although surgical outcomes have improved considerably, median overall survival after surgery and adjuvant therapy such as single-agent gemcitabine remains less than 2 years. We discuss preclinical and clinical data supporting the contention that even early-stage pancreatic cancer is a systemic disease. Autopsy series reveal that 70% to 85% of patients die of systemic recurrence, rather than local disease, after pancreatic cancer resection. Preclinical studies using genomics and mouse models reveal evidence of metastatic spread even before histopathologic evidence of a pancreatic tumor. Analogous to breast cancer, we propose that the Halstedian approach of treating pancreatic cancer as a local, surgical problem should be replaced by Fisher's alternative hypothesis of cancer as a systemic disease. Newer multiagent chemotherapy regimens have shown meaningful response rates and improvement in overall survival in the metastatic setting and, for the first time, offer investigators an opportunity to use effective systemic therapy. We emphasize that a surgery-first approach is not resonant with our current understanding of pancreatic adenocarcinoma biology and that an upfront systemic approach for even resectable pancreatic cancer warrants testing in clinical trials.
The responses of manufacturing businesses to geographical differences in electricity prices

The price of electricity varies considerably across localities and states. This paper focuses on the geographical differences in electricity prices and the consequences of those differences for business production and location. It accounts for the dynamic nature of business responses to these geographical differences by classifying manufacturing businesses into three groups based on intensity of electricity use and business mobility: (1) heavy users of electricity that are relatively highly mobile; (2) heavy users that are relatively tied to their location; and (3) businesses for which electricity is not a significant cost of production. For empirical analysis, plant- or firm-level data is most desirable, but was not available. As an alternative, the most disaggregate (6-digit NAICS) industry data has been utilized. Findings suggest that heavy users of electricity, regardless of the degree of business mobility, tend to stay in their current location rather than relocate, as they often have a greater technical ability to substitute away from electricity when electricity prices are high.