cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Contemporary role of postoperative radiotherapy for prostate cancer

While radical prostatectomy (RP) has provided long-term disease control for the majority of patients with localized prostate cancer (CaP), nearly 30% of all surgical patients have disease progression. For high-risk patients, more than half of men experience disease recurrence within 10 years. Postoperative radiotherapy is the only known potentially curative treatment for a large number of patients following prostatectomy. Lately, there have been several advances with the potential to improve outcomes for patients undergoing postoperative radiotherapy. This article will give an overview of the existing literature and current controversies on: (I) timing of postoperative radiation; (II) use of concomitant androgen deprivation therapy; (III) optimal dose to the prostate bed; (IV) use of hypofractionation; (V) elective treatment of the pelvic lymph nodes; (VI) novel imaging modalities, and (VII) genomic biomarkers.
The Development of the Secondary Trauma in Student Affairs Professionals Scale (STSAP).

College student affairs professionals increasingly act as first responders to student crises. This article describes the development and validation of an instrument designed to measure symptoms of ...
Detection and quantification of residues in sheep exposed to trace levels of dietary zilpaterol HCl.

ABSTRACTStudy objectives were to determine zilpaterol residues in urine and tissues of sheep fed dietary zilpaterol HCl, at levels commensurate with feed contamination, using common and novel scree...
Catalytic Asymmetric Syntheses of Antifungal Sphingofungins and Their Biological Activity as Potent Inhibitors of Serine Palmitoyltransferase (SPT)

Unambiguous synthetic routes to sphingofungins B and F and to their stereoisomers have been developed based on the tin(II)-catalyzed asymmetric aldol reaction (Chiral Lewis Acid-Controlled Synthesis (CLAC Synthesis)). Efficient enantioselective synthesis using a catalytic amount of a chiral source as well as the effectiveness of this strategy for the synthesis of the sphingofungin family have been successfully demonstrated. Using the stereoisomers of sphingofungin B synthesized, the relevance of its stereochemistry to its SPT inhibitory activity has been revealed.
The Intersection of “Natural” Edutainment and Perceptions of Natural Resource Uses

ABSTRACTThis analysis investigated relationships between experiences with edutainment elements of Walt Disney World and SeaWorld parks in Orlando, FL and perceptions of natural resource uses. While...
CCMapper: An adaptive NLP-based free-text chief complaint mapping algorithm

Abstract Objective Chief complaint (CC) is among the earliest health information recorded at the beginning of a patient's visit to an emergency department (ED). We propose a heuristic methodology for automatically mapping the free-text data into a structured list of CCs. Methods A comprehensive structured list categorizing CCs was developed by experienced Emergency Medicine (EM) physicians. Using this list, we developed a natural language processing-based algorithm, referred to as Chief Complaint Mapper (CCMapper), for automatically mapping a CC into the most appropriate category (ies). We trained and validated CCMapper using free-text CC data from the Mayo Clinic ED in Rochester, MN. We developed a consensus-based validation approach to handle both indifferences and disagreements between the two EM physicians who manually mapped a random sample of free-text CCs into categories within the structured list. Results The kappa statistic demonstrated a high level of agreement (κ = 0.958) between the two physicians with less than 2% human error. CCMapper achieved a total sensitivity of 94.2% with a specificity of 99.8% and F-score of 94.7% on the validation set. The sensitivity of CCMapper when mapping free-text data with multiple CCs was 82.3% with a specificity of 99.1% and total F-score of 82.3%. Conclusion Due to its simplicity, high performance, and capability of incorporating new free-text CC data, CCMapper can be readily adopted by other EDs to support clinical decision making. CCMapper can facilitate the development of predictive models for the type and timing of important events in ED (e.g., ICU admission).
Tug of War in the Xenophagy World

Xenophagy, the process of eliminating intracellular pathogens through the autophagy machinery, is an important defense mechanism against infectious disease, yet the underlying molecular mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Recent work (Xu et al., Cell, 2019) used the discovery of an inhibitor of xenophagy, SopF, to identify a SopF-sensitive mechanism that allows mammalian cells to detect invading bacteria.
Social interoception and social allostasis through touch: Legacy of the Somatovisceral Afference Model of Emotion

John Cacioppo and colleagues' Somatovisceral Afference Model of Emotion (SAME) highlighted the importance of interoception in emotional experience. Here we compare how the SAME and the more recent theory of constructed emotion (TCE) view the role of interoceptive signals in creating emotional experiences. We describe the characteristics of touch sensations that are carried by thin, unmyelinated fibers called C-tactile afferents (CTs) to the posterior insula, and are thus deemed interoceptive despite their typically social (external) origin. We explore how this social interoceptive input might contribute to the emotion-related effects of social touch more generally, and speculate that all social touch, with or without CT afferent stimulation, can directly influence allostasis, or the predictive regulation of short- and long-term energy resources required by the body. Finally, we describe several features of CT-optimal touch that make it a potentially useful tool to help illuminate basic interoceptive mechanisms, emotion-related phenomena, and disorders involving atypical affect or somatosensation. These proposed ideas demonstrate the long intellectual reach of John Cacioppo and Gary Berntson's highly productive scientific collaboration, which was formative for the fields of social neuroscience, social psychophysiology, and affective neuroscience.
Genetic Variants In Toll‐Like Receptor 4 are Associated with Lack of Steroid‐Responsiveness in Pediatric ITP Patients

Although the most common front-line therapies for immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) have been in use for decades, it is still not possible to predict an individual patient's clinical course and response to therapy. Patients are managed with a trial-and-error approach and often suffer side effects of therapies which could have been avoided if response prediction were possible. Corticosteroids are the most frequently used upfront therapy for adults and children with ITP. Our group performed whole exome sequencing on a cohort of pediatric ITP patients, and identified two missense single nucleotide variants (SNV) in Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). These coding variants in TLR4 had an increased frequency in Caucasian patients with poor response to upfront steroid therapy. Both TLR4 (D299G; rs4986790) and TLR4 (T399I; rs4986791) had a minor allele frequency (MAF) of 20.7% in those patients unresponsive to steroids, but were present at lower allele frequencies of 2.3% and 3.4% in responders respectively (P < .001). These findings were consistent with the trend identified in an independent cohort of pediatric ITP patients treated with corticosteroids who underwent direct genotyping for both SNVs. This study identified two candidate genetic variants in two unique cohorts of ITP patients which may contribute to steroid response and have prognostic implications for treatment response in ITP.
Androgen receptor cfDNA longitudinal mutational analysis in metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer.

197Background: Androgen receptor (AR) mutations commonly occur in metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Methods: Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) data were obtained from Guardant 360 ...
Utility of the Free Vascularized Fibula Flap to Reconstruct Oncologic Defects in the Upper Extremity.

Background/aim Non-vascularized methods to reconstruct bone defects following tumor resection are associated with complications. As a result, the free vascularized fibular flap (FVF) has become a mainstay for reconstruction. The purpose of this study was to analyze FVF reconstruction in the upper extremity. Patients and methods We reviewed 28 (14 female and 14 male, mean age of 29±20 years) patients reconstructed with an FVF in the upper extremity following tumor resection. Reconstruction most commonly involved the humerus (n=17, 61%) and a malignant (n=23, 82%) tumor. Results The limb salvage rate was 93% (n=26), with primary union occurring in 71% (n=20) of patients. Following bone grafting the overall union was 96% (n=27) at a mean 13±11 months. At most recent follow-up the mean MSTS93 rating was 82±22%. Conclusion FVF effectively provided a functional reconstruction following tumor resection. Although, one in four patients will need additional bone grafting, the overall union rate is high.
Corneal Endothelial Decompensation

Endothelial decompensation can occur from a variety of insults to the endothelium that result in loss of stromal clarity. Direct insults to the endothelium commonly occur in inherited, inflammatory, traumatic, immunological, and infectious etiologies. These injuries may cause transient injury without decompensation, but repetitive injury or severe isolated injury can lead to permanent non-compensatory endothelial cell loss. Elevated intraocular pressure can induce stromal hydration, either primarily or secondarily. With partial and full thickness corneal transplants, chronic endothelial dysfunction can be treated surgically when medical therapy proves inadequate. Practitioners should be aware of the underlying causes for corneal endothelial injury.
A comparison of venous blood gas analysis with paired specimens collected in syringes and evacuated blood collection tubes.

Abstract Background Venous blood samples collected in evacuated blood collection tubes are generally not considered suitable for measurement of oxygenation status. However, whether pH, pCO2 and HCO3– results from venous blood samples collected in evacuated tubes are reliable remains unclear. Methods Paired samples were collected from 38 healthy volunteers using two collection methods: (1) collection of blood directly into a blood gas syringe and (2) collection of blood into an evacuated tube with subsequent anaerobic transfer into a blood gas syringe. Samples were analyzed for pH, pCO2, HCO3–, and pO2. Results Samples collected in evacuated tubes showed significant positive mean biases of 0.03 and 7.5 mmHg for pH and pO2, respectively, and significant negative mean biases of 5.0 mmHg and 1.2 mmol/l for pCO2 and HCO3–, respectively. Collection in evacuated tubes resulted in biases exceeding the total allowable errors in 16%, 40%, 21% of samples for pH, pCO2, HCO3–, respectively, when compared to samples collected in syringes directly. Conclusions Samples for venous blood gas analysis should be collected directly into blood gas syringes for accurate assessment of ventilation and/or acid-base status. Biases observed for samples collected in evacuated tubes are consistent with air contamination and/or vacuum effects.
A pneumatic compression vest for transthoracic manipulation of ventilation-perfusion in critical care patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome caused by COVID-19

Critical Care patients who experience symptoms of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) are commonly placed on mechanical ventilators to increase the oxygen being supplied to their pulmonary system. If patients' pulmonary inflammation is severe, they can experience ventilation-perfusion mismatch (V/Q mismatch) where blood flow and gas exchange are mismatched such that oxygen uptake is greatly impaired. In these cases, patients are typically rotated into a prone position to facilitate improved blood flow to segments of the lung that were not previously participating in the gas exchange process. However, proning a patient has a significant risk of complications. The low-cost vest presented in this work is designed to be used as a surrogate to patient proning while also requiring less hospital staff to operate than the proning process. The vest was preliminarily tested on 6 patients with Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) who experienced ARDS and presumptive V/Q mismatch. The results from this preliminary testing show that 5 out of 6 patients showed a significant increase in ventilation-perfusion similar to the effects of proning. © 2019 by ASME.
Antioxidants and/or fish oil reduce intermittent hypoxia-induced inflammation in the neonatal rat terminal ileum

Intermittent hypoxia (IH) is associated with the pathogenesis of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). We tested the hypothesis that early supplementation with antioxidants and/or fish oil protects the terminal ileum from oxidative injury induced by neonatal IH. Newborn rats were exposed to neonatal IH from birth (P0) until P14 during which they received daily fish oil, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), glutathione nanoparticles (nGSH), fish oil + CoQ10, or olive oil. Pups were then placed in room air from P14 to P21 with no further supplementation. Terminal ileum was assessed for IH-induced injury and inflammatory biomarkers. Neonatal IH induced severe damage consistent with NEC, and was associated with oxidative stress and elevations in PGE2, PGF2α, TxB2, NOS-2 and TLR-4, effects that were ameliorated with nGSH and combination CoQ10+fish oil. Early postnatal supplementation with antioxidants and/or fish oil during neonatal IH may be favorable for preserving gut integrity and reducing oxidative injury.
Assessing Decadal Predictability in an Earth-System Model Using Explainable Neural Networks

We show that explainable neural networks can identify regions of oceanic variability that contribute predictability on decadal timescales in a fully coupled Earth system model. The neural networks ...
Genetics, Diagnosis, and Management of Hürthle Cell Thyroid Neoplasms.

Hurthle cell lesions have been a diagnostic conundrum in pathology since they were first recognized over a century ago. Controversy as to the name of the cell, the origin of the cell, and even which cells in particular may be designated as such still challenge pathologists and confound those treating patients with a diagnosis of "Hurthle cell" anything within the diagnosis, especially if that anything is a sizable mass lesion. The diagnosis of Hurthle cell adenoma (HCA) or Hurthle cell carcinoma (HCC) has typically relied on a judgement call by pathologists as to the presence or absence of capsular and/or vascular invasion of the adjacent thyroid parenchyma, easy to note in widely invasive disease and a somewhat subjective diagnosis for minimally invasive or borderline invasive disease. Diagnostic specificity, which has incorporated a sharp increase in molecular genetic studies of thyroid tumor subtypes and the integration of molecular testing into preoperative management protocols, continues to be challenged by Hurthle cell neoplasia. Here, we provide the improving yet still murky state of what is known about Hurthle cell tumor genetics, clinical management, and based upon what we are learning about the genetics of other thyroid tumors, how to manage expectations, by pathologists, clinicians, and patients, for more actionable, precise classifications of Hurthle cell tumors of the thyroid.
COVID-19 Impacts on Native American Citizens and Tribal Governments

The economic impacts of COVID-19 on the United States economy have been devastating for many Americans, but have been especially damaging for Native Americans, tribal governments, and tribal enterprises. On-reservation Native Americans especially have struggled as their governments lose revenue from casinos and other enterprises while attempting to address social and health needs of their citizens. COVID-19 has forced increased adoption of automation in the workplace that will heavily impact Native Americans, due to their increased exposure to the effects of automation in the leisure, transportation, education, and health industries. This paper highlights the unique position that Native Americans and tribal governments face during COVID-19 economic recovery and beyond as well as policy options tribes can implement to mitigate the looming threat of automation on their tribal citizens.
Experimental Perspectives on Direct Visualization of Endosomal Rupture

Endosomal escape continues to be a limiting factor in the therapeutic use of nanomaterials. Assays to visualize endosomal escape often do not decouple the endosomal/lysosomal disruption from the release of payload into the cytosol. Here, we discuss three approaches to directly probe endosomal/lysosomal rupture: calcein dye dilution, lysosome size quantification and endosome/lysosome membrane integrity visualized with a genetically engineered cell line. We apply the three assays to endosomes/lysosomes ruptured via osmotic pressure and photochemical internalization.
Leveraging stretching directions for stationkeeping in Earth-Moon halo orbits

Abstract Near Rectilinear Halo Orbits (NRHOs) are stable or nearly stable orbits that are defined as part of the L1 and L2 halo orbit families in the circular restricted three-body problem. Within the Earth-Moon regime, the L1 and L2 NRHOs are proposed as long horizon trajectories for cislunar exploration missions, including NASA’s upcoming Gateway mission. The spacecraft, however, incurs continuous deviations due to unmodeled forces and orbit determination errors in this dynamically sensitive region. The current investigation focuses on an impulsive stationkeeping technique to maintain the spacecraft near a virtual reference orbit despite these uncertainties. The flow dynamics in the region are utilized to identify appropriate maneuver and target locations. The investigation reflects the impact of various factors on maneuver cost and efficacy. For orbits where position and velocity states are particularly sensitive to epoch time, an additional feedback control strategy is applied for phasing constraints.
Examination of serological memory in rabbits injected with Bacillus anthracis protective antigen adsorbed to Alhydrogel

Abstract Serological memory after inoculation of protective antigen (PA) combined with Alhydrogel adjuvant (PA/Alhydrogel) was examined in New Zealand white rabbits, an animal model for anthrax. A threshold dose of 0.1 μg of PA/Alhydrogel was identified which resulted in an ELISA titer 2 weeks after a primary immunization of only 0.168 μg anti-PA IgG per ml and a toxin-neutralizing antibody titer (TNA ED 50 ) of 1.8 ( n = 40). A significant increase in anti-PA IgG and TNA ED 50 titers were measured ( p n = 10; 40.9 μg anti-PA IgG per ml; 522 TNA ED 50 ) and 28 days ( n = 10; 63.8 μg anti-PA IgG per ml; 501 TNA ED 50 ). At this threshold dose of PA/Alhydrogel, protection against an aerosol exposure to Bacillus anthracis Ames spores improved as the booster immunization was administered from 4 days (40% survival), to 8 days (50% survival), and to 12 days (80% survival) before challenge. The partial protection of rabbits, even in the absence of protective antibody titers (0.9 μg anti-PA IgG per ml and 26 TNA ED 50 ) when the booster immunization was administered 4 days before challenge, suggested a protective potential for serologic memory.
Chapter 19 Inference and causality in economic time series models

Publisher Summary This chapter is concerned with a particular formalization that has proved useful in empirical work, hence the juxtaposition of causality and inference. It also bears close relation to notions of strictly exogenous and predetermined variables, which have considerable operational significance in statistical inference, and to the concepts of causal orderings and reliability which are important in model construction in econometrics and engineering. Causality is defined in terms of predictability; it cannot be an acceptable definition of causation for most philosophers of science. The chapter focuses on the operational usefulness of the definition in the construction, estimation, and application of econometric models. It considers the logical relationships among Wiener–Granger causality, Simon's definition of causal ordering, the engineer's criterion of reliability, and the concept of structure. It also discusses that unidirectional causality from X to Y is not equivalent to the assertion that X is predetermined in a particular behavioral relationship whose parameters are to be estimated. It further focuses on parameterization problems, processes that are nonautoregressive or have deterministic components or are nonstationary, and inference about many variables.
Mutants of Escherichia coli with an Altered Tryptophanyl-Transfer Ribonucleic Acid Synthetase

Fourteen mutant strains of Escherichia coli were examined, each of which requires tryptophan for growth but is unaltered in any of the genes of the tryptophan biosynthetic operon. The genetic lesions responsible for tryptophan auxotrophy in these strains map between str and malA. Extracts of these strains have little or no ability to charge transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA) with tryptophan. We found that several of the mutants produce tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetases which are more heat-labile than the enzyme of the parental wild-type strain. Of these heat-labile synthetases, at least one is protected against thermal inactivation by tryptophan, magnesium, and adenosine triphosphate. Two other labile synthetases which are not noticeably protected against heat inactivation by substrate have decreased affinity for tryptophan. On low levels of supplied tryptophan, these mutants exhibit markedly decreased growth rates but do not contain derepressed levels of the tryptophan biosynthetic enzymes. This suggests that the charging of tryptophan-specific tRNA is not involved in repression, a conclusion which is further substantiated by our finding that 5-methyltryptophan, a compound which represses the tryptophan operon, is not attached to tRNA by the tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase of E. coli.
Extensive Sprouting of Sensory Afferents and Hyperalgesia Induced by Conditional Expression of Nerve Growth Factor in the Adult Spinal Cord

Genetic transfer of growth-promoting molecules was proposed as a potential strategy to modify the nonpermissive nature of the adult CNS to induce axonal regeneration. To evaluate whether overexpression of neurotrophins or cellular adhesion molecules would effect axonal plasticity, adenoviruses encoding fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2/Adts), nerve growth factor (NGF/Adts), neurotrophin-3, and the cell adhesion molecules N-cadherin and L1 were injected into the dorsal horn of the adult spinal cord. Transgene expression was primarily localized to astrocytes in the dorsal horn and motor neurons within the ventral horn. Overexpression of these factors, with the exception of NGF/Adts, failed to increase axonal sprouting. Eight days after NGF/Adts injections, axonal sprouting within the dorsal horn was apparent, and after 4 weeks, extensive spouting was observed throughout the entire dorsal horn, extending into the ventral horn and the white matter of the lateral funiculus. These axons were identified primarily as a subpopulation of nociceptive fibers expressing calcitonin gene-related peptide and substance-P. Behavioral analysis revealed thermal hyperalgesia and perturbation of accurate paw placement on grid-walking tasks for both FGF-2- and NGF-treated animals. These results indicate that the administration of growth-promoting molecules can induce robust axonal plasticity of normal adult primary sensory neurons into areas of transgene expression, causing significant alterations in behavioral responses. This observation also indicates that gene transfer protocols that aim to reconstruct diseased or injured pathways should also be designed to prevent the sprouting of the normal circuitry from adjacent unaffected neurons.
Reduced-dimension beam-space broad-band source localization: preprocessor design and evaluation

A beam-space processor structure is described that reduces the data from element-space to a reduced-dimension beam-space while focusing broadband sources that are within the selected location sector. The objective is principally to reduce the data observation dimension, thereby reducing computation in subsequent source location estimation and focusing sources within the sector. Additional advantages include: spatial filtering to eliminate multiple source cluster processing; improved spectral resolvability relative to element space processing; and reduced sensitivity to assumed noise characteristics. >
Transgenerational patterns of abusive parenting: Analog and clinical tests

Two studies were conducted to determine whether there was an association between punitive childhood histories and abusive parenting. In the first experiment, undergraduate students who reported more punitive childhood histories and undergraduates who reported mild or nonpunishing childhoods were tested with an Analog Parenting Task. The task used photographic stimuli to depict child behaviors and to elicit disciplinary choices in response to children's transgressions. Persons from the more punitive backgrounds were significantly more likely to endorse potentially injurious disciplinary responses. Additionally, in a post-hoc analysis, women with mild punishment backgrounds were more likely to indicate they were annoyed by the depicted child behaviors than women with the severe punishment backgrounds and men with both punishment histories. In the second experiment, childhood histories of parents of children seen at a psychiatric clinic were assessed. The data indicated an association between severely punitive backgrounds of parents and the probability that the referred child had been physically abused. Also, the punishment histories of the parents were associated with the presence of antisocial and aggressive presenting problems displayed by the referred child. The two experiments together were considered to provide support for a modified version of the trans-generational hypothesis of abuse.
Trace element uptake by sagebrush leaves in Washington

Abstract A one-time application of inorganic compounds in separate aqeous solutions containing boron, copper, manganese, molybdenum and zinc in amounts ranging between 0.5 and 20 g per liter was added to the ground beneath individual sagebrush plants. After 2 years, only Mo was measurable at significantly increased levels in sagebrush leaves. The failure of the added B, Cu, Mn and Zn to appear in sagebrush leaves indicates that these elements were either not biologically available for transport to leaves or else had not moved deep enough into the soil to be available to sagebrush roots.
Novel tyrosine kinase inhibitors for renal cell carcinoma

Although targeted therapy against VEGF and mTOR have revolutionized the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC), additional agents are required due to toxicity and resistance to currently available drugs. Some next-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors have focused on VEGF, narrowing the spectrum of receptors which are inhibited and enhancing binding affinity. However, targeting novel receptors with tyrosine kinase inhibition of additional receptor targets has also emerged as an important future therapeutic strategy for RCC, both clear cell and variant histology. New pathways being targeted include FGF, angiopoietin and MET. In this review, we highlight five novel tyrosine kinase inhibitors in development for RCC: tivozanib; dovitinib; regorafenib; cabozantinib; and tivantinib.
Measurements of hyperfine constants in Ca

We have measured the hyperfine constants {ital A}({sup 2}{ital S}{sub 1/2}), {ital A}({sup 2}{ital P}{sub 1/2}), and {ital A}({sup 2}{ital P}{sub 3/2}) for Ca{sup +}. We compare our results with the calculations of Martensson-Pendrill and Salomonson (Phys. Rev. A 30, 712 (1984)), who used many-body perturbation theory (MBPT). The agreement between our results and MBPT calculations for Ca{sup +} is about 3%, which is comparable to similar comparisons reported for Cs (S. Blundell, in 2 Relativistic, Quantum Electrodynamic, and Weak Interaction Effects in Atoms, AIP Conf. Proc. No. 189, edited by Walter Johnson, Peter Mohr, and Joseph Sucher (AIP, New York, 1988)).
School Consultants as Agents of Social Justice: Implications for Practice: Introduction to the Special Issue

This article introduces the special topic issue “School Consultants as Agents of Social Justice: Implications for Practice.” In this overview, a brief history of recent developments in education and psychology as relates to social justice research and advocacy is provided and the argument is advanced that school consultants have much to contribute to this emerging social justice discourse. A brief overview of different definitions of social justice is provided and the guest editors provide their own definition, an adaptation of North's (2006) conceptualization, as a frame for this issue. Finally, a preview of each article within this issue is provided. Collectively, these writings provide multiple perspectives on ways in which a social justice orientation can be translated to effective consultation practice as well as advice for future directions.
Comparison of Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor Responses at Segmental and Descending Inputs to Motoneurons in Neonatal Rat Spinal Cord

We compared the contribution of metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) to the generation and modulation of synaptic responses elicited in intracellularly recorded L5 motoneurons from neonatal rats by segmental and descending fibers. Dorsal root (DR) stimulation at high intensity (C-fiber strength) evoked long latency (2-5-s) depolarization in addition to early monosynaptic and polysynaptic responses. Stimulation of the descending ventrolateral funiculus (VLF) failed to evoke a late response in the same motoneuron. The mGluR antagonist (+)-α-methyl-4-carboxyphenylglycine (MCPG; 0.4 mM) selectively blocked the long latency DR response. This mGluR-mediated response persisted in α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA)/kainate or N -methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) antagonists, but not both, suggesting that glutamate transmission (either AMPA/kainate or NMDA) is required for mGluR-mediated inputs from small diameter sensory afferents to affect the motoneuron. Although MCPG inhibited the long latency DR response, it induced moderate facilitation of monosynaptic DR and VLF responses. The mGluR agonist 1s3r-ACPD induced motoneuron depolarization and depressed the monosynaptic DR and VLF responses. MCPG also facilitated the neurotrophin-3 and brain-derived neurotrophic factor induced strengthening of the monosynaptic DR responses (but only before P6, since neurotrophins are ineffective later at DR synapses and never at VLF synapses after birth). Our results suggest that mGluRs are involved in synaptic pathways to motoneurons made by DR but not VLF fibers. MCPG-induced facilitation of monosynaptic AMPA/kainate DR and VLF responses suggests the possibility of tonic mGluR-mediated inhibition of DR and VLF responses. We speculate that MCPG facilitates neurotrophin-induced strengthening of monosynaptic DR responses by reducing this tonic inhibition.
Oxidation of lipoprotein in injury and repair of obstructive nephropathy

Background. To test the hypothesis that oxidized low density lipoprotein (oLDL) is involved in the renal injury of obstructive nephropathy, male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 125–150 g were used. Methods. Three days after arrival, the rats were randomly assigned to undergo: (1) sham operation, (2) left unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO), or (3) reversal of the unilateral ureteral obstruction (R-UUO). Seven days after the reversal operation or 10 days after the sham or UUO procedure, all animals were killed by exsanguination under anesthesia, with blood taken from the abdominal aorta. LDL was prepared by gradient ultracentrifugation and used immedi-ately after isolation. Rat mesangial cells were utilized with an LDL concentration of 100 μg/ml/protein in the media. After 72 h, cell survival was determined by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5 diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method. Cell survival was determined by comparing the optical density between the control wells and the experimental wells. In order to investigate the mechanisms of injury and repair of obstructive nephropathy, data for kidney apoptosis, malondialdehyde (MDA), and transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1) mRNA were obtained in the sham-operated, UUO, and R-UUO groups. Results. Our results showed that LDL malondialdehyde during UUO was increased 87% over baseline values (P < 0.005). With R-UUO, the oxidized LDL dropped 23% from the peak values during UUO (P < 0.005), but was still different from that of the baseline values (P < 0.025). Rat mesangial cell survival, after 72 h exposure to oLDL, inversely correlated to oLDL cytotoxicity and showed a 14% drop during UUO compared with sham-operated animals (P < 0.01). Cell survival increased 11% after R-UUO (P < 0.02) and was not different from control values (P = NS). The apoptotic counts by the TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end-labelling) technique showed significant increases during UUO and a noticeable reduction after R-UUO. Conclusion. Our data support the proposition that UUO stimulates oxidation of LDL. The cytotoxicity of oLDL plays a significant role in the injury of UUO. A decrease in cytotoxicity was associated with the repair in R-UUO. Our observations that apoptosis follows this same pattern, point to the importance of apoptosis in the injury and repair of obstructive nephropathy. Future studies to interrupt these processes of injury may lead to novel treatment modalities in reversing the injury and hastening the repair of obstructive nephropathy.
Resonance frequency of microbubbles: Effect of viscosity

The transmitted frequency at which a gas bubble of millimeter or submillimeter size oscillates resonantly in a low-viscosity liquid is approximately equal to the undamped natural frequency (referred to as the Minnaert frequency if surface tension effects are disregarded). Based on a theoretical analysis of bubble oscillation, this paper shows that such an approximation cannot be validated for microbubbles used in contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging. The contrast-agent microbubbles represent either encapsulated bubbles of size less than 10 microm or free (nonencapsulated) bubbles of submicron size. The resonance frequency of the microbubbles deviates significantly from the undamped natural frequency over the whole range of microbubble sizes due to the increased viscous damping coefficient. The difference between these two frequencies is shown to have a tremendous impact on the resonant backscatter by the microbubbles. In particular, the first and second harmonics of the backscattered signal from the microbubbles are characterized by their own resonance frequencies, equal to neither the microbubble resonance frequency nor the undamped natural frequency.
Tightness in subset bounds for coherent configurations

Association schemes have many applications to the study of designs, codes, and geometries and are well studied. Coherent configurations are a natural generalization of association schemes, however, analogous applications have yet to be fully explored. Recently, Hobart [Mich. Math. J. 58:231–239, 2009] generalized the linear programming bound for association schemes, showing that a subset Y of a coherent configuration determines positive semidefinite matrices, which can be used to constrain certain properties of the subset. The bounds are tight when one of these matrices is singular, and in this paper we show that this gives information on the relations between Y and any other subset. We apply this result to sets of nonincident points and lines in coherent configurations determined by projective planes (where the points of the subset correspond to a maximal arc) and partial geometries.
The Roles of the Aesthetic in Mathematical Inquiry

Mathematicians have long claimed that the aesthetic plays a fundamental role in the development and appreciation of mathematical knowledge. To date, however, it has been unclear how the aesthetic might contribute to the teaching and learning of school mathematics. This is due in part to the fact that mathematicians' aesthetic claims have been inadequately analyzed, making it difficult for mathematics educators to discern any potential pedagogical benefits. This article provides a pragmatic analysis of the roles of the aesthetic in mathematical inquiry. It then probes some of the beliefs and values that underlie mathematical aesthetic responses and reveals the important interplay between the aesthetic, cognitive, and affective processes involved in mathematical inquiry.
Photoluminescence plasmonic enhancement in InAs quantum dots coupled to gold nanoparticles

Abstract Photoluminescence enhancement due to dipole field from gold nanoparticles was observed at 77 K for GaAs capped InAs quantum dots. The gold nanoparticles were coupled to the surface of the cap layer by using dithiol ligands. The enhancement was investigated as a function of the GaAs capped layer thickness. An order of magnitude enhancement in the emission was observed in samples with a cap thickness of 12 nm. This enhancement however is drastically decreased in samples with a cap thickness of 200 nm. The observed enhancement is interpreted in terms of photon scattering from the large dipole scattering cross section.
Stieltjes integral representation of effective diffusivities in time-dependent flows

A Stieltjes integral representation for the effective diffusivity of a passive scalar in time-dependent, incompressible flows is developed. The representation provides a summability formula for the perturbative expansion of the diffusivity in powers of the P\'eclet number. In particular, upper and lower bounds on the effective diffusivity are obtained from Pad\'e approximants of the series.
A crystallographic model for azurin at 3 Å resolution

Abstract The structure of the blue copper protein azurin (Mr 14,000) from Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been determined from a 3.0 A resolution electron density map computed with phases based on a uranyl derivative to 3 A resolution and a platinum derivative to 3.7 A. Interpretation of the somewhat noisy map was based on comparison of the density of the four molecules in the asymmetric unit with their averaged density. The polypeptide chain folds into an eight-strand β barrel with an additional flap containing a short helix. The copper atom is bound at one end and on the inside of the barrel, probably to a cysteine, a methionine, and two histidine residues.
OOH dissociation on Pt clusters

Abstract OOH dissociation on Pt 2 , Pt 3 , Pt 4 , Pt 7 and Pt 12 clusters is studied using density functional theory. The activation energy varies widely with the size and geometry of the clusters, from 2.23 kcal/mol for Pt 2 to 13.9 kcal/mol for Pt 12 . Calculations on a single-layer Pt 12 used to emulate surface, edge, and corners of Pt(1 1 1) nanoparticles reveal that the energy barrier depends significantly on the adsorbate position on the cluster. The edge adsorption sites exhibit the highest catalytic activity. A correlation between the activation energy and the Pt–Pt distance suggests that the dissociation reaction can be facilitated by increasing the Pt–Pt distance.
Is GX5 – 1 a millisecond pulsar?

It is proposed that the quasi-periodic behavior of the bright galactic bulge source GX5 - 1 results from fluctuations in accretion rate onto a millisecond pulsar which has been spun up by accretion to its steady-state spin rate. According to models that use spin-up by accretion to bring the neutron stars to steady-state fast short periods, galactic bulge sources are likely progenitors of millisecond pulsars. After steady state is achieved in these systems, accretion may continue without further spin-up, so that for a substantial fraction of the lifetime of a galactic bulge X-ray source, the neutron star may already be spinning rapidly at the equilibrium spin. The behavior of GX5 - 1 can be explained in terms of deviations from this equilibrium state resulting from changes in the accretion rate.
The effects of drug therapy on radiographic progression of rheumatoid arthritis. results of a 36-week randomized trial comparing methotrexate and auranofin

Objective. To determine the effects of drug therapy (methotrexate [MTX] versus auranofin [AUR]) on radiographic progression in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods. We conducted a 9-month randomized, multicenter, double-blind trial comparing MTX and AUR. Standardized radiographs of the hands and wrists were obtained at baseline and at completion of the study. Four experienced bone radiologists graded the radiographs for erosions, joint space narrowing, erosion healing, and reparative bone formation. Results. Two hundred eighty-one patients were enrolled in the study. Radiographs were available on 167 of the 183 who completed the trial. After 9 months of therapy, there was a significantly greater worsening of the erosion score in the AUR group (mean ± SEM change of 1.67 ± 0.4) compared with the change in the MTX group (0.60 ± 0.3) (P = 0.040). There was also a significantly greater worsening of the joint space narrowing score in the AUR group compared with the MTX group (1.36 ± 0.3 versus 0.42 ± 0.2) (P = 0.007). There was no difference demonstrated between groups in healing of erosions or in reparative bone formation. Conclusion. The rate of radiographic progression in patients with RA, as measured by erosion score and joint space narrowing score, was demonstrated to be lower in those treated with MTX, as compared with AUR, over a 36-week period.
Structure and function of a warm monomictic lake

Abstract Construction and simulation of a model of Lake Conway, Florida, U.S.A., provided a framework for defining major characteristics of this ecosystem. The relationships that are formalized in this model comprise a set of hypotheses about the nature of a warm monomictic lake. The data that were used to parameterize the model came primarily from literature estimates, although approximations of biomass levels were available from associated research conducted on the lake. Submersed macrophytes are a major biomass component in Lake Conway; simulation suggested that their role in nutrient recycling overshadows their importance in the grazing food chain. Phytoplankton biomass and degree of fluctuation are considerably lower than are observed in most cool temperate lakes, although simulated respiration and herbivory rates are closer to temperate values than tropical values. Simulated epipelic algae biomass varies an order of magnitude during the year, and this group appears to be a significant part of the food chain. Simulated zooplankton consumption and turnover rates are very high, in part because of the relatively small biomass per individual. Simulation of the model suggests that slightly more carbon is processed through the grazing food chain in Lake Conway than through the detritus food chain.
Pathogenic Characterization of Genotypes A and B of Phialophora gregata f. sp. sojae.

ABSTRACT Genetic studies of Phialophora gregata f. sp. sojae, the causal agent of brown stem rot (BSR) of soybean, have led to the development of species-specific primers capable of separating isolates into two distinct genotypes, A and B. To determine whether genotypic characterization could be related to differences in BSR symptom expression, five soybean cultivars, Pioneer 9234, Corsoy 79 (both BSR susceptible), Williams, BSR 101, and Jack and plant introduction (PI) 437970 (all BSR resistant), were inoculated with a total of 27 isolates of each genotype in four greenhouse experiments conducted from February to November 2000. BSR severity was calculated as the percentage of symptomatic foliar, internal stem, and internal root tissue. Genotype A isolates caused significantly more severe (P < 0.0001) BSR foliar symptoms than genotype B isolates on Pioneer 9234, Corsoy 79, Williams, and BSR 101, while Jack and PI 437970 expressed minimal foliar symptoms regardless of isolate genotype. Overall, internal st...
Broad electrical tuning of graphene-loaded optical antennas

We demonstrate electrical tuning of graphene-loaded optical antennas over a broad wavelength range (∼650 nm, 10% of the resonance frequency) and optical intensity modulation with a bandwidth of 600 nm in the mid-infrared wavelength region.
Depression in patients with coronary heart disease : A 12-month follow-up

Little is known about the course and outcome of depression in patients with coronary heart disease, despite its prevalence and effect on medical prognosis. A series of 200 patients undergoing diagnostic cardiac catheterization and coronary angiography were administered a psychiatric diagnostic interview. Seventeen percent were diagnosed with a current major depressive episode, and another 17% with a current minor depressive episode. Ninety percent of those patients who consented to follow-up completed the study. Half of the patients with major depression either remained depressed or relapsed within 12 months. Nearly half of the patients with minor depression remitted, but 42% subsequently developed major depression. These results suggest that major depression, if left untreated, is persistent in patients with coronary heart disease. Furthermore, minor depression is nearly as likely to progress to major depression as to remit over the course of the 12 months following diagnostic angiography.
CRH-DEFICIENT MICE REVEAL A GLUCOCORTICOID REQUIREMENT FOR MORPHOLOGIC AND BIOCHEMICAL LUNG MATURATION. • 550

Glucocorticoid (GC) is thought to have its major effect in perinatal lung via stimulation of surfactant production. We have established the absolute requirement of GC for fetal lung development by analysis of matings of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)-deficient mice, generated by gene targeting in embryonic stem cells. Homozygous mutant mice have impaired GC production due to inadequate ACTH release during stressful and circadian stimuli, and die during the first postnatal day due to inadequate lung development. Histologic studies demonstrate normal lung development until embryonic day 16.5, with a marked divergence in architecture thereafter. Reduced levels of surfactant apoprotein-A,-B, and to a lesser extent -C mRNAs are observed by Northern blot analysis at 16.5- 18.5 days of gestation, though production of dipalmitoyl phophatidylcholine and appearance of lamellar bodies are not significantly different between wildtype and CRH-deficient mice. Alveolar architecture, which should not be affected by surfactant status in the fluid-filled fetal lung, is abnormal in the CRH-deficient fetus. Furthermore, hypercellular mesenchyme in mutant fetuses is associated with persistent cell division, as demonstrated by increased proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) immunohistochemistry. Clara cell maturation is also delayed in the CRH-deficient fetus as evidenced by Clara cell secretory protein (CC10) immunoreactivity. Abnormalities are reversed by prenatal GC therapy. Thus, GC is essential for morphologic and biochemical pulmonary maturation beyond and possibly independent of its effect on surfactant production.