cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gene Expression Profiling of Pulmonary Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue (MALT) Lymphoma Identifies New Diagnostic Markers, Biological Heterogeneity and Therapeutic Targets.

To further understand the molecular biology of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, we conducted a comprehensive gene expression study on the Affymetrix platform using total RNA extracted from biopsy specimen of 35 well-characterized pulmonary MALT lymphoma samples and compared them to gene expression profiles of a range of B and T cell lymphoma, such as Burkitt’s lymphoma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, multiple myeloma, and peripheral T-cell lymphoma, and normal cellular counterparts, such as different B-cell and T-cell populations, normal plasma cells and lung tussue. Analytical strategies were adopted to negate tissue specific effect such that our results can be generalized to MALT lymphoma from other anatomical sites. We further analyzed the data using functional tools such as gene-set enrichment analysis and gene ontology. Network/pathway analysis was performed using Metacore. Unsupervised clustering of whole dataset (including other lymphoid malignancies and normal cellular counterpart) using genes with variable expression, showed that compared to other B-cell lymphoid malignancies, MALT lymphoma have a prominent T-cell signature. Using established gene expression of different B-cell compartment, we confirmed that MALT has a marginal zone B-cell and memory B-cell cell-of-origin signature. Using ANOVA with post-hoc pair-wise comparison, we identified 4 novel transcripts over-expressed in MALT but not other B-cell tumors, and validated one of these using immunohistochemistry. MALT lymphoma with t(11;18) or t(14;18) over-expressed genes enriched for pathways other than the NFKB pathway such as JAK-STAT and SRC signaling pathways, which may represent novel therapeutic targets. We identified a number of genes with ‘outlier’ expression including RARA and RGS13. However, translocation involving RARA and the immunoglobulin heavy chain locus was not detected by FISH, suggesting other mechanisms of deregulating gene expression were involved. Using unsupervised clustering of only the MALT samples, we found that the molecular heterogeneity within MALT is composed of a group characterized by MALT1 translocations and another group with plasmacytic differentiation. Interestingly, further refinement of this grouping can be achieved by clustering the samples based on ‘outlier’ gene expression. Samples with MALT1 translocations have high expression of RARA, samples with plasmacytic differentiation have high FKBP11 expression and samples with high RGS13 expression tend to have trisomy 3 and reactive follicles. Our study therefore identified novel molecular markers, deregulated pathways and genetic defects in MALT. Furthermore, subgroups with distinct pathological features and anchored by unique pattern of ‘outlier’ gene expression were identified.
Comparison of Methods for Electrochemical Iron Removal from Titanium Ores

Titanium metal production by the Kroll process requires a high-grade ore material as a feedstock for chlorination, such as natural or synthetic rutile. Electrochemical methods for making titanium have generally required even higher purity. This paper describes different methods for iron removal from a pseudorutile mineral sand for the eventual goal of producing commercially pure titanium powder by the MER electrochemical process. One method involves the dissolution of the Fe $$_2$$ O $$_3$$ content of the ore in an alkali chloride molten salt, followed by plating to remove the dissolved species as metallic iron. The other method described involves the reduction of the ore to titanium oxycarbide, which also reduces iron and some other metal oxides present to metallic form. This reduced material is used as an anode in an electrochemical cell, and the metallic impurities are selectively removed by careful control of the anode potential. The products of both processes are compared with respect to their impurity contents, and their potential applications to different titanium production methods are also examined.
Rules of Engagement: Effects of Engagement Variability and its Subcomponents on Job Performance

Scholarly attention to the construct of engagement and its relation to job performance, notably task performance, has burgeoned over the last decade. Missing from the current understanding, however...
A Criterion for Constructing Powerful Supersaturated Designs When Effect Directions Are Known

As a criterion for selecting supersaturated designs, we suggest minimizing the variance of the pairwise inner products of the design-matrix columns, subject to a constraint on the E(s 2)-efficiency as well as a requirement that the average correlation between the columns is positive. We call these designs constrained positive Var(s)-optimal and argue that, if the direction of the effects can be specified in advance, these designs are more powerful to detect active effects than other supersaturated designs while not substantially increasing Type I error rates. These designs are constructed algorithmically, using a coordinate-exchange algorithm that exploits the structure of the criterion to provide computational advantages. We also demonstrate that, for the simulation scenarios considered, misspecification of the effect directions will, at worst, result in power and Type I error rates in line with standard supersaturated designs.
Assessing the PACE of California residential solar deployment: Impacts of Property Assessed Clean Energy programs on residential solar photovoltaic deployment in California, 2010-2015

Author(s): Deason, J; Murphy, S | Abstract: A new study by Berkeley Lab found that residential Property Assessed Clean Energy (R-PACE) programs increased deployment of residential solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in California, raising it by about 7-12% in cities that adopt these programs. R-PACE is a financing mechanism that uses a voluntary property tax assessment, paid off over time, to facilitate energy improvements and, in some jurisdictions, water and resilience measures. While previous studies demonstrated that early, regional R-PACE programs increased solar PV deployment, this new analysis is the first to demonstrate these impacts from the large, statewide R-PACE programs dominating the California market today, which use private capital to fund the upfront costs of the improvements. Berkeley Lab estimated the impacts using econometric techniques on two samples: -Large cities only, allowing annual demographic and economic data as control variables -All California cities, without these annual data Analysis of both samples controls for several factors other than R-PACE that would be expected to drive solar PV deployment. We infer that on average, cities with R-PACE programs were associated with greater solar PV deployment in our study period (2010-2015). In the large cities sample, solar PV deployment in jurisdictions with R-PACE programs was higher by 1.1 watts per owner-occupied household per month, or 12%. Across all cities, solar PV deployment in jurisdictions with R-PACE programs was higher by 0.6 watts per owner-occupied household per month, or 7%. The large cities results are statistically significant at conventional levels; the all-cities results are not. The estimates imply that the majority of solar PV deployment financed by R-PACE programs would likely not have occurred in their absence. Results suggest that R-PACE programs have increased PV deployment in California even in relatively recent years, as R-PACE programs have grown in market share and as alternate approaches for financing solar PV have developed. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Building Technologies Office supported this research.
Student self-reported use of standards-based grading resources and feedback

Standards-based grading (SBG) tightly links student assessment to course learning objectives, providing students with meaningful feedback. A well-designed SBG system should ease first-year engineer...
The Story of a Forgotten Battle

In her book THE MORMON QUESTION, Sarah Barringer Gordon offers the most sophisticated historical discussion to date of the massive legal battle fought in the nineteenth century between the federal government and the Mormon Church over the practice of polygamy. In this article, I offer a review of Gordon's work, identifying its important contributions and situating it within the literature of both American legal history and Mormon history. Finally, I suggest that Gordon's work offers Mormons an important opportunity to reassess their own legal history and the place of law in their religious thinking.
STUDIES OF THE MECHANISM AND SELECTIVITY OF INTRACELLULAR PROTEIN BREAKDOWN

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the studies of the mechanism and selectivity of intracellular protein breakdown. The rate of degradation of cell proteins is determined both by structural features of the individual molecules and by the overall nutritional or endocrine status of the cell. Thus, bacteria and mammalian cells degrade proteins with highly abnormal structures very rapidly. Such proteins may result from mutations, biosynthetic errors, and incorporation of amino acid analogs. The breakdown of abnormal proteins is rapid even if the cells are growing or starving. Studies with inhibitors of energy metabolism indicate that the subsequent hydrolysis of the abnormal protein requires high-energy phosphates. In reticulocyte extracts, the degradation of analog-containing proteins to free amino acids is stimulated by adenosine triphosphate that may account for the energy requirement of proteolysis in vivo. The proteolytic activity differs in many respects for the lysosomal proteases.
The Grading of Head and Brain Injury in Sports with Return to Play Guidelines Eliminating the Confusion of Concussion

Context: Sports are a common cause of head injury in today’s society. The term concussion has no universally accepted definition and rather than continue to use an epithet that can be confusing our focus should be on the diagnosis of a traumatic brain injury. It is imperative that athletes who suffer a traumatic brain injury are identified with alacrity and protected from further injury. We propose a grading system and return to play guidelines to assist sports medicine practitioners in the diagnosis of the severity of a head injury and a practical timetable for the safe return to sports participation. Evidence acquisition: The PubMed database was searched (1991-2014) for articles related to concussion and traumatic brain injury in sports. Grading systems were reviewed. Study Design: Clinical review. Level of Evidence: Level 3 Results: There is limited data to support the grading systems of traumatic brain injury in sports. One of the reasons for that is the lack of a clear definition of the word concussion. There is also a paucity of judicious guidelines to assist sports medicine practitioners in making a determination as to when an athlete can resume sports participation with reasonable safety. Conclusion: We present a new grading system of head and brain injury in sports with return to play guidelines and have eliminated the confusion and dissenting views that accompany the term concussion. We have also attempted to clearly separate out injuries that are not indicative of a traumatic brain injury, per se. Our goal is to protect athletes by providing the medical professionals who treat them with a basic framework for diagnosis and a set of guidelines to assist in making recommendations with regard to return to sport participation.
Probing the morphology evolution of chemically anisotropic colloids prepared by homopolymerization- and copolymerization-induced phase separation

We systematically probe the morphology evolution of chemically anisotropic colloids prepared by homopolymerization- and copolymerization-induced phase separation during seeded emulsion polymerization using non-crosslinked seeds. Selective dissolution of one phase reveals the extension of patchy-Janus surface properties into the colloid interior. Incorporating a comonomer in the seeded emulsion changes the progression of phase separation resulting in different internal morphologies. Varying the monomer feed composition and concentration controls the morphology of kinetically-trapped internal microdomains and produces composite particles that can serve as templates for porous colloids. Examination of the morphological evolution illuminates fundamental principles dictating phase separation and its impact on the global particle morphology while also generating opportunities to exploit both surface and interior properties.
Understanding the Role of Summer Camps in the Learning Landscape: An Exploratory Sequential Study

Summer camp is an important setting within the learning landscape of youth—a landscape that also includes school, sports, arts and music, religious settings, home, and eventually, work. While research on camp outcomes is abundant, practitioners and policymakers have little empirical evidence that summer camp participation offers long-term impact and value. The purpose of this study was to build on existing camp research to identify learning outcomes that are highly attributable to camp participation and to determine whether these outcomes are considered important in everyday life. A second purpose was to identify other settings that may contribute to learning outcomes often associated with camp participation. This study used mixed methods design and involved a national sample of 352 individuals (18-25 years old) who had attended camp for at least 3 weeks in their youth and had not worked at a camp. Alumni reported that the development of independence, perseverance, responsibility, appreciation for differences, and appreciation for being present were camp-related outcomes that were highly attributable to their camp experiences and that these outcomes were also of high importance in daily life. Among all outcomes that were highly attributable to camp, study participants noted that camp was a primary setting for developing affinity for nature, how to live with peers, leisure skills, a willingness to try new things, independence, being present, and empathy and compassion. School and home were primary learning settings for other outcomes. Findings from this study help identify where camp is particularly effective in promoting lasting outcomes and areas where camps may need more intentionality and resources.
The Importance of Improving Incentives and Employment Opportunities for Farm Households in Poland

Poland is experiencing the first stages of a period where its active labour force will decline steadily over time. This has raised important concerns with how well labour markets in Poland function, especially those in rural areas where there are still large numbers of households on small farms that have only limited engagement with formal work, and whose farm income is too low to provide an acceptable family income. The result is a high level of rural under-employment that imposes a growing burden on the economy and society, both in terms of unproductive labour and in high transfer payments to these families. There is a clear understanding that reducing the number of small full-time family farms in Poland is desirable as a way to: improve household incomes, address the need for more workers in other sectors, and further enhance the competitiveness of farming. Achieving this goal has been problematic, largely because to date there have been few incentives for these farm families to alter their behaviour. Simply put, the vast majority of small farm households do not perceive that they would be better off by engaging in formal employment. This largely reflects limited job opportunities in rural areas and a significant skill mismatch in local labour markets. But, it also reflects the continued existence of a variety of Polish policies that provide considerable financial benefits to these farm households, including a highly subsidized medical and retirement plan and exemption from income taxes, that significantly reduce the incentive to change behaviour. With a shrinking work force the cost of holding these potential workers in their current situation will only increase over time, but changing these longstanding policies remains a major challenge for the government.
Hydrogen production over Co-promoted Mo-S water gas shift catalysts supported on ZrO2

Abstract A series of CoMo-S/ZrO2 catalysts were prepared by modifying Co and Mo content using incipient wetness impregnation method, investigated in the water gas shift (WGS) reaction in the presence of H2S and characterized by TEM, XRD, Raman, TPR, and XPS. The supported CoMo-S catalyst corresponding to the CoMo-O monolayer coverage displayed the presence of highly dispersed CoMo-S species that were characterized by the highest extent of sulfidation. The presence of cobalt facilitated the formation of active CoMo-S species that were more H2S-dependent as compared to Mo-S entities. The Co/Mo = 0.3 catalyst at monolayer CoMo-O coverage was the most active and thermally stable, as well as the least H2S-dependent during 4 weeks of WGS reaction among all catalysts investigated.
Evaluating pedestrian head Sub-System test procedure against full-scale vehicle-pedestrian impact

The current Euro NCAP pedestrian head test procedure encourages the industry to optimise their vehicle design towards a simplistic, sub-system test procedure instead of the full-scale pedestrian im...
Newborn clavicle fractures

A prospective screening program of 9106 newborns identified 43 infants with clavicle fractures for a prevalence of 1 fracture in every 213 live births (0.5%). The fractures were equally distributed by right and left side involvement, and male and female sex. All fractures occurred during vaginal deliveries. None were breech presentation. Risk factors for fracture included large birth-weight, shoulder dystocia, mechanically assisted delivery, and prolonged gestational age. One in 11 newborns with a clavicle fracture also had a brachial plexus palsy.
Determination of Genomic Epidemiology of Historical Clostridium perfringens Outbreaks in New York State by Use of Two Web-Based Platforms: National Center for Biotechnology Information Pathogen Detection and FDA GalaxyTrakr.

ABSTRACT Clostridium perfringens is the second leading cause of bacterial foodborne illness in the United States. The Wadsworth Center (WC) at the New York State Department of Health enumerates infectious dose from primary patient and food samples and, until recently, identified C. perfringens to the species level only. We investigated whether whole-genome sequence-based subtyping could benefit epidemiological investigations of this pathogen, as it has with other enteric organisms. We retrospectively sequenced 76 patient and food samples received between May 2010 and February 2020, including 52 samples linked epidemiologically to 13 outbreaks and 24 sporadic samples not linked to other samples. Phylogenetic trees were built using two Web-based platforms: National Centers for Biotechnology Information Pathogen Detection (NCBI-PD) and GalaxyTrakr (a Galaxy instance supported by the GenomeTrakr initiative). For GalaxyTrakr analyses, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) matrices and maximum-likelihood (ML) trees were generated using 3 different reference genomes. Across the four separate analyses, phylogenetic clustering was generally concordant with epidemiologically identified outbreaks. SNP diversity among phylogenetically linked samples from an outbreak ranged from 0 to 20 SNPs, excepting one outbreak ranging from 4 to 62 SNPs. Importantly, four of the 13 outbreak isolates harbored one or more samples that were phylogenetic outliers, and for two outbreaks, no samples were closely related. Two specimens were found harboring two distinct genotypes. For samples below CDC enumeration dose threshold, phylogenetic clustering was robust and linked patient and/or food samples. We concluded that WGS phylogenetic clusters (i) are largely concordant with epidemiologically defined outbreaks, irrespective of analysis platform or reference genome we employed; (ii) have limited pairwise SNP diversity, allowing phylogenetic clusters to be distinguished from sporadic cases; and (iii) can aid in epidemiological investigations by identifying outlier and polyclonal samples.
Cell non-autonomous requirement of p75 in the development of geniculate oral sensory neurons

During development of the peripheral taste system, oral sensory neurons of the geniculate ganglion project via the chorda tympani nerve to innervate taste buds in fungiform papillae. Germline deletion of the p75 neurotrophin receptor causes dramatic axon guidance and branching deficits, leading to a loss of geniculate neurons. To determine whether the developmental functions of p75 in geniculate neurons are cell autonomous, we deleted p75 specifically in Phox2b + oral sensory neurons (Phox2b-Cre; p75fx/fx) or in neural crest-derived cells (P0-Cre; p75fx/fx) and examined geniculate neuron development. In germline p75−/− mice half of all geniculate neurons were lost. The proportion of Phox2b + neurons, as compared to Phox2b-pinna-projecting neurons, was not altered, indicating that both populations were affected similarly. Chorda tympani nerve recordings demonstrated that p75−/− mice exhibit profound deficits in responses to taste and tactile stimuli. In contrast to p75−/− mice, there was no loss of geniculate neurons in either Phox2b-Cre; p75fx/fx or P0-Cre; p75fx/fx mice. Electrophysiological analyses demonstrated that Phox2b-Cre; p75fx/fx mice had normal taste and oral tactile responses. There was a modest but significant loss of fungiform taste buds in Phox2b-Cre; p75fx/fx mice, although there was not a loss of chemosensory innervation of the remaining fungiform taste buds. Overall, these data suggest that the developmental functions of p75 are largely cell non-autonomous and require p75 expression in other cell types of the chorda tympani circuit.
Exploring the interplay between attributions and metacognitive monitoring ability in a post-secondary classroom

Understanding the development of self-regulated learning (SRL) in applied educational contexts is currently an important goal for researchers. There exists a relatively rich literature for most SRL...
Financial Burden of Drugs Prescribed for Cancer-Associated Symptoms.

PURPOSE:The financial toxicity of anticancer drugs is well-documented, but little is known about the costs of drugs used to manage cancer-associated symptoms.METHODS:We reviewed relevant guidelines...
Local time-averaged gas holdup in fluidized bed reactor using gamma ray computed tomography technique (CT)

Many invasive and non-invasive techniques have been used to analyze the hydrodynamics of fluidized beds. In this study, the effect of superficial gas velocity and bed particle density on the hydrodynamics of gas–solid fluidized beds was investigated by using a cylindrical plexiglas fluidized bed column, 14 cm in diameter. Air at room temperature was used as the fluidizing gas and two different Geldart type-B particles were used: glass beads and copper particles with material densities of 2.5 and 5.3 g/cm3, respectively, with the same size particle, 210 µm. To measure the time-averaged cross-sectional gas and solid holdup distribution, gamma ray computed tomography was used for the first time as a non-invasive technique instead of using X-rays (due to the height attenuation of the copper particles). The results show that gas holdup increases by increasing the superficial gas velocity, and decreasing the particle density increases the gas holdup in the bed.
Studies on rates of abortive ternary complex formation of lactate dehydrogenase isozymes.

Abstract Rates of formation and dissociation of an abortive ternary complex between lactate dehydrogenase isozymes from various mammalian tissues, NAD+, and pyruvate were studied utilizing stopped-flow spectrofluorometry. Formation of the complex was accompanied by a decrease in protein fluorescence at 340 mµ and a loss of lactate dehydrogenase activity. Rates of formation of an abortive lactate dehydrogenase-1 and lactate dehydrogenase-5 complex were compared at 25° and 40° over a range of pyruvate and enzyme concentrations, at two NAD+ concentrations, and with two coenzyme analogues. Dialysis against buffer produced an increase in protein fluorescence and recovery of lactate dehydrogenase activity that suggested dissociation of the abortive complex. At pyruvate concentrations of 0.3 mm the abortive ternary complex formed twice as fast with lactate dehydrogenase-1 as with lactate dehydrogenase-5 and with 40.0 mm pyruvate it formed 5 times faster. The rate of complex formation increased with both isozymes when pyruvate concentrations were raised from 0.3 mm to 40.0 mm and when the temperature was elevated from 25° to 40°. However, the rates of abortive complex formation were inversely related to enzyme concentration. Compared to lactate dehydrogenase turnover numbers, the rates of formation of the abortive ternary complex were slow. Under physiological conditions of temperature (40°) and pyruvate concentration (0.3 to 1.0 mm), half the maximum fluorescence quenching required approximately 50 sec for partially purified lactate dehydrogenase-1. Changes in coenzyme concentration from 0.10 mm to 0.75 mm failed to alter the rates of abortive complex formation. With the 3-acetylpyridine analogue of NAD+, rates of abortive complex formation for both lactate dehydrogenase-1 and lactate dehydrogenase-5 were similar, whereas with deamino-NAD+ the abortive complex formed faster with lactate dehydrogenase-1 than with lactate dehydrogenase-5. Dialysis of the abortive complex resulted in recovery of enzyme activity; the rate of recovery was faster with lactate dehydrogenase-5 than with lactate dehydrogenase-1. The stopped-flow spectrophotofluorometer permitted measurement of lactate dehydrogenase activity at enzyme concentrations approaching those in tissue. At lactate dehydrogenase-1 concentrations of 3.5 x 10-6 m or 3.5 x 10-7 m no substrate inhibition was detected with pyruvate concentrations up to 20.0 mm, whereas with enzyme levels at and below 1.8 x 10-7 m, substrate inhibition appeared at pyruvate concentrations greater than 1.0 mm.
Go‐To‐Market Strategy

The firm's go-to-market strategy is the delivery mechanism to market the selected product. It involves the development of a marketing program to create, capture, and sustain value with the firm's offering for the firm's customers, given that the firm has identified a product to market. Typically, the firm's go-to-market strategy can be conceptualized into two stages: (i) market segmentation, target market selection and positioning, given the product's (good or service) unique selling proposition, (ii) the marketing mix for the product, given the market segment the firm seeks to target for the product. An effective go-to-market strategy will ensure that there is a match between the firm's target market and the marketing mix developed for the product so that both consumer needs and the firm's performance objectives are met. Keywords: segmentation; targeting; positioning; marketing mix; product; place; promotion; price
At Home and under Fire: Air Raids and Culture in Britain from the Great War to the Blitz

1. Modern war and the militarization of domestic life 2. Destroying the innocent: the arrival of the air raid, 1914-16 3. Redefining the battlezone: responding to intensified aerial warfare, 1917-18 4. Writing and rewriting modern warfare: memory, representation, and the legacy of the air raid in interwar Britain 5. Inventing civil defense: imagining and planning for the war to come 6. Trying to prevent the war to come: efforts to remove the threat of air raids 7. Facing the future of air power: responding to interwar air raids 8. Preparing the public for the next war: the expansion of air raid precautions 9. Protecting the innocent: gas masks and the domestication of air raid precautions 10. Responding to the air war's return: the militarized domestic sphere from Munich to the Blitz 11. Representing the new air war: morale and the domestication of the air raid in wartime popular culture 12. Conclusion: air raids and the domestication of modern war.
Agriculture in the WTO: Limits on Domestic Support

A potential major constraint affecting U.S. agricultural policy choices is the set of commitments made as part of membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO), with its various agreements governing agriculture and trade, including dispute settlement. This report provides a brief overview of the WTO commitments most relevant for U.S. domestic farm policy. A key question that policymakers ask of virtually every new farm proposal is, how will it affect U.S. commitments under the WTO?
Rotation and cropping resilient data hiding with Zernike moments

Most digital data hiding schemes are sensitive to simple geometric attacks namely rotation, cropping, and scaling. Of these, rotational attacks possess the capability to not only change each pixel value but also dislocate the image pixels in a circular fashion, thus creating a synchronization issue for any linear data hiding algorithm. So far, Fourier Mellin transform (FMT) based algorithms have been considered a standard for rotation invariant data hiding. This method causes some difficulties in implementation due to unstable log-polar mapping, iterative inversion of the interpolation and aliasing effects on the FMT magnitude and phase spectra. In this paper, we propose a data hiding algorithm that is based on the Zernike moment transform (ZMT), accompanied with an odd-even quantizer based embedding scheme to defeat the effects of rotation and cropping attacks. We note that this algorithm is robust to a combination of rotation and other popular attacks. The proposed algorithm has good embedding capacity and very low induced distortion. Experimental results over a range of rotational attacks (from 0/spl deg/ to 360/spl deg/) show a recovery rate (of the embedded bits) of 97% or greater.
Identification and spatial analysis of metallothioneins expressed by the adult human lens.

The vertebrate eye lens contains multiple protective and regulatory pathways to maintain its transparent function. Insult to these pathways is believed to result in cataract formation. Insulting agents include toxic metals, free radical formation, and oxidative stress.1–7 We are interested in identifying those components of the human lens that protect against these insults. One component, likely to play a major role in lens protection are the metallothioneins (MTs), which are a large family of closely related isoforms that have been implicated in numerous detoxification and protective pathways.8 We have previously detected increased levels of MT IIA transcripts in pooled, age-related cataractous relative to normal human lenses by RT-PCR differential display,9 indicating a potential role for at least one member of the MT family in the maintenance of lens transparency. MTs are 6- to 7-kDa metal binding proteins that are induced upon exposure to heavy metals and participate in heavy metal regulation and detoxification.8 They are known to bind Zn, Cu, Co, Cd, Hg, Pb, Ag, Bi, Sn, Ni, and Au.8 Recent studies suggest that detoxification and regulation of heavy metals is not the only or even the primary function of MTs.10 In addition to their metal binding properties, they are also free radical scavengers,11 whose synthesis is activated by steroids,12,13 carcinogens,14 chemicals that induce oxidative stress,15 X-irradiation, and UV-induced DNA damage.16 They have been reported to function as regulators of copper homeostasis,17–19 as zinc donors for the zinc-dependent transcription factors,20,21 as mediators of redox balance,22 and as protectors against reactive oxygen intermediates.23–25 The MT family is composed of multiple, separately encoded isoforms26 that are grouped into four physically distinct classes called I–IV.10 MTs I and II are the most widely expressed and are regulated coordinately in all tissues.27,28 MT III is brain specific,29 and MT IV is expressed mainly in squamous epithelium.30 In humans, single genes located on chromosome 16 and designated IIA, III, and IV encode MT isoforms II–IV, whereas there are 13 separately encoded MT I isoforms.30 Given the large number of MTs and their different expression patterns, we have explored the range and spatial expression patterns of specific MTs expressed by the adult human lens as a first step toward elucidating their potential lens functions. We demonstrate that at least six different MT transcripts are expressed by the lens that exhibit different patterns of expression in the lens epithelium compared with the lens fibers. We also demonstrate that MT protein is primarily present in the lens epithelium.
Star Gods of the Maya: Astronomy in Art, Folklore, and Calendars

Star Gods of the Maya: Astronomy in Art, Folklore, and Calendars. Susan Milbrath. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2000. 382 pp.
Circulating microparticle tissue factor, thromboembolism and survival in pancreaticobiliary cancers ☆

Abstract Background Tissue factor (TF), the physiologic initiator of coagulation, is over-expressed in pancreatic cancer, and is associated with a pro-coagulant and pro-angiogenic state. We hypothesized that in patients with pancreaticobiliary cancers (PBC), elevated circulating microparticle-associated TF (MP-TF) activity would be associated with thrombosis and worsened survival. Patients and Methods Clinical data and plasma were obtained for consecutive patients with PBC seen at Roswell Park Cancer Institute from 2005-08. MP-TF activity levels were measured using a TF-dependent FXa generation assay. Results The study population comprised 117 patients, including pancreatic (n = 80), biliary (n = 34) or unknown primary histologically consistent with PBC (n = 3). Of these, 52 patients (44.5%) experienced thromboembolism, including pulmonary embolism (n = 15), deep venous thrombosis (n = 21) and other arterial or venous events (n = 32). Mean TF was 2.15 (range 0.17- 31.01) pg/mL. Median survival was 98.5 days for MP-TF activity ≥ 2.5 pg/mL versus 231 days for MP-TF activity Conclusions Elevated circulating MP-TF activity is associated with thrombosis and worsened survival in patients with PBC. MP-TF activity as a prognostic biomarker warrants further prospective evaluation.
Physical properties and subunits of Haemopis grandis erythrocruorin.

The erythrocruorin of the leech Haemopis grandis possessed an s20,w of 57 S at neutral pH, its isoelectric point at pH 6.0 and exhibited a slightly sigmoid oxygenation curve with n ≈ 2.1 and P50 = 11.2 mm at pH 7.4. A minimum molecular weight of 24 000 ± 1 500 per heme group was determined from the iron and heme contents, 0.22 ± 0.01 and 2.73 ± 0.14 weight %, respectively. The subunit composition of the erythrocruorin was investigated using gel filtration in sodium dodecyl sulfate and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate at neutral pH. Haemopis erythrocruorin dissociated in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate into four subunits (1 through 4) possessing molecular weights of about 27 000, 23 000, 21 000 and 13 500, respectively. When the erythrocruorin was reduced with mercaptoethanol prior to sodium dodecyl sulfate electrophoresis, three subunits were observed, possessing molecular weights of about 13 000 (I), 16 500 (II) and 28 000 (III). Sodium dodecyl sulfate electrophoresis of the isolated subunits 1 through 4 showed that subunit I was provided by subunits 1 and 4, subunit II was provided by subunit 1 and subunit III was provided by both subunit 2 and subunit 3. Haemopis erythrocruorin thus appeared to consist of at least five different polypeptide chains. It is likely that not all of the constituent polypeptide chains were associated each with a heme group. The shape of the Haemopis erythrocruorin observed by electron microscopy appeared to be consistent with the two-tiered hexagonal array characteristic of annelid erythrocruorins and chlorocruorins.
Solubilization of Naphthalene and Methyl-Substituted Naphthalenes from Crude Oil Using Biosurfactants

Glycolipids produced by Rhodococcus species H13-A and a representative synthetic surfactant Tween-80 (polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate) were used to demonstrate enhanced substrate “solubility” (aqueous-plus-micellar phase) in the presence of surfactants. Nascent concentrations of naphthalene and its methyl-substituted derivatives in crude oil were used as representative polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons for the study. Both biosurfactant glycolipids from H13-A and Tween-80 lowered the surface tension of aqueous solutions from 72 to ∼30 dyn/cm. The two-ring aromatics showed a substantial increase in their apparent solubilities in the presence of surfactants; the increase being significantly greater for the biosurfactant as compared to the synthetic surfactant. The aqueous phase solubility enhancement was greater for the highly substituted derivatives as compared to the lesser substituted compounds. Higher toxicity levels, as seen by the lower EC50 values, of the surfactant mixtures indicated enhanced part...
Latitudinal variation in reproductive biology and growth of female Dover sole (Microstomus pacificus) in the North Pacific, with emphasis on the Gulf of Alaska stock

Abstract Dover sole ( Microstomus pacificus ) have a wide distribution throughout the North Pacific, ranging from southern Baja California (26°N) to the Gulf of Alaska (GOA, 59°N). Prior to this study, our understanding of Dover sole reproductive biology was limited to the stock off the US west coast. This study was initiated to determine the length and age at maturity for Dover sole in the GOA. We also compared the length at maturity and growth rate across latitudes to test the hypothesis that individuals near the northern extent of their range (GOA stock) mature at a larger size than individuals in the southern stock off California and Oregon. Female Dover sole (n=273) ranging in length from 198–663 mm were collected opportunistically around Kodiak Island, Alaska, (55–59°N) from February 2000 to October 2001, with sampling concentrated in the months February-April, June–July, and October–November. All ovaries were examined to determine the maturity stage using standard histological criteria. The spawning season of Dover sole in the GOA spanned at least 4 months, from February to May. Dover sole in the GOA matured at a larger size than those off California and Oregon, with an estimated length at 50% maturity (ML 50 ) of 439 mm. At the same fish length that nearly 100% of Dover sole from California and Oregon waters are mature, Dover sole in the GOA are just beginning to mature. The estimated age at 50% maturity (MA 50 ) for female Dover sole in the GOA was 6.7 years and was similar to the MA 50 for cohorts at more southern latitudes. We attribute the latitudinal variation in ML 50 , combined with the similar MA 50 across latitudes, to spatial differences in growth rates.
msh may play a conserved role in dorsoventral patterning of the neuroectoderm and mesoderm

Abstract Many of the mechanisms that govern the patterning of the Drosophila neuroectoderm and mesoderm are still unknown. Here we report the sequence, expression, and regulation of the homeoɡ gene msh, which is likely to play an important role in the early patterning events of these two tissue primordia.msh expression is first observed in late blastoderm embryos and occurs in longitudinal bands of cells that are fated to become lateral neuroectoderm. This expression is under the control of dorsoventral axis-determination genes and depends on dpp-mediated repression in the dorsal half of the embryo and on flb-(EGF-) mediated repression ventrally. The bands of msh expression define the cells that will form the lateral columns of proneural gene expression and give rise to the lateral row of SI neuroblasts. This suggests that msh may be one of the upstream regulators of the achaete-scute (AS-C) genes and may play a role that is analogous to that of the homeoɡ gene vnd/NK2 in the medial sector of the neuroectoderm. During neuroblast segregation, msh expression is maintained in a subset of neuroblasts, indicating that msh, like vnd/NK2, could function in both dorsoventral patterning of the neuroectoderm and neuroblast specification. The later phase of msh expression that occurs after the first wave of neuroblast segregation in defined ectodermal and mesodermal clusters of cells points to similar roles of msh in patterning and cell fate specification of the peripheral nervous system, dorsal musculature, and the fat body. A comparison of the expression patterns of the vertebrate homologs of msh, vndNK2, and AS-C genes reveals striking similarities in dorsoventral patterning of the Drosophila and vertebrate neuroectoderm and indicates that genetic circuitries in neural patterning are evolutionarily conserved.
Galactic superhaloes, globular clusters, and high latitude x-ray sources

I SHOW here that the observational features of unidentified, high latitude, X-ray sources1 are consistent with the suggestion that they are a population of remote, optically undetectable, globular clusters. The principal objection to the hypothesis that the high latitude sources are members of any galactic population is their isotropy in galactic longitude. But if it is assumed that the most distant unidentified high latitude source radiates at 1038 erg s−1 (a typical value for a bright globular cluster X-ray source2,3) and that it is the faintest unidentified high latitude source, visible at 1–2 Uhuru counts s−1, its distance would be ∼ 200 kpc. Then, extrapolating to the brightest unidentified source at 7 counts s−1, we get a lower bound on the minimum distance to any objects of about 80 kpc, and the volume toward the galactic centre ,between −90° < lII < 90° in the ‘shell’ from 80 to 200 kpc, differs negligibly from the volume toward the anticentre, at 90° < lII < 270°. Although a specific radiation model is used in this case, the luminosities do not affect the basic result.
Changing the identity of a transfer RNA

A leucine transfer RNA has been transformed into a serine transfer RNA by changing 12 nucleotides. This result indicates that a limited set of residues determine tRNA identity.
Design and development of a free-floating hexrotor UAV for 6-DOF maneuvers

This paper presents design and development of an experimental testbed for nonlinear geometric controls of a rigid body. We develop a fully actuated hexrotor UAV that uses six variable pitch propellers to control six degrees of freedom maneuvers, namely three position and three attitude variables, independently. In contrast to the popular quadrotor UAVs that can hover at a single attitude, the hexrotor presented in this paper is capable of hovering at any attitude provided that thrust is sufficiently large. A geometric controller is also developed on the special Euclidean group to track given desired position and attitude trajectories under the effects of unknown disturbances. These are particularly useful for ground tests for large angle rotational dynamics of spacecraft that are combined with arbitrary translational motions. A numerical example that involves a nontrivial maneuver and preliminary experimental tests are also presented.
5-Hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5 HIAA) and homovanillic acid (HVA) following probenecid in acute psychotic patients treated with phenothiazines

Lumbar CSF 5 HIAA and HVA were measured following probenecid administration in acute psychotic patients before and during treatment with phenothiazines. Patients with more classical schizophrenic symptoms had higher values for 5 HIAA/HVA than other psychotics, depressives, and inmate volunteers. Prior to treatment CSF 5 HIAA, but not HVA, correlated significantly with several clinical items related to psychotic disorganization. Phenothiazine treatment produced significant increases in CSF HVA which could not be correlated with the dose of antipsychotic or antiparkinson drugs.
Yttrium-90 Microsphere Radioembolotherapy of Hepatic Metastatic Neuroendocrine Carcinomas after Hepatic Arterial Embolization

Hepatic artery radioembolization was performed in a cohort of patients with unresectable neuroendocrine hepatic metastases who exhibited hepatic progression or toxicity despite technically adequate embolization procedures without other reasonable therapeutic options. Eight patients (five men) with a median age of 55.5 years met the study criteria. Infusions of yttrium-90 resin microspheres were performed in a lobar fashion. Standard clinical, laboratory, and imaging follow-up was performed. Median hepatic parenchyma replacement by tumor was 55% (range, 25%–60%). Twelve 90 Y resin microsphere infusions were performed, and the median delivered activity was 33.25 mCi (range, 23–55 mCi). One partial response, four cases of disease stabilization, and three cases of progressive disease were noted. No cases of radiation-induced liver disease occurred. Median survival times were 14 months (range, 3–15 months) from the time of 90 Y microsphere treatment and 36.5 months (range, 16–105 months) from the time of diagnosis of hepatic metastases. In this cohort, 90 Y microsphere radioembolization of neuroendocrine hepatic metastases was not precluded by previous nonradioactive embolization procedures, but the effectiveness in this population requires further investigation.
A multidimensional mixed ordered-response model for analyzing weekend activity participation

The objective of this paper is to examine the frequency of participation of individuals in out-of-home non-work and non-school episodes over the weekend. A multivariate mixed ordered response formulation accommodating the effects of explanatory variables and capturing the dependence among the propensity to participate in different activity types is presented and applied using a San Francisco Bay area travel survey conducted in 2000. The results indicate the important effects of household sociodemographics (income, household structure, and bicycle ownership), individual sociodemographics (age, employment status, gender, and availability of driver's license), internet use, location effects, and day of week/seasonal effects. Interestingly, the results show that motorized vehicle ownership and urban form characteristics of the individual's neighborhood (land-use mix and density) do not have a statistically significant effect on stop-making propensity for any of the activity purposes. The lack of effects of these variables may be due to self-selection of individuals and households into neighborhoods based on their travel preferences. That is, individuals and households may locate themselves based on their motorized vehicle ownership preferences and mobility preferences. In addition to the effect of several variables on stop-making, the model also reveals substitution and complementarity effects among different activity types due to unobserved factors.
Skyrmions and the nuclear force.

The derivation of the nucleon-nucleon force from the Skyrme model is reexamined. Starting from previous results for the potential energy of quasistatic solutions, we show that a calculation using the Born-Oppenheimer approximation, properly taking into account the mixing of nucleon resonances, leads to substantial central attraction. We obtain a potential that is in qualitative agreement with phenomenological potentials. We also study the nonadiabatic corrections, such as the velocity dependent transition potentials, and discuss their importance.
Slowing of the rate of axonal regeneration during growth and maturation.

Abstract Neurons of animals of various ages were induced to regenerate and the rate at which their axons elongated was measured. Axonal elongation was monitored by radioactively labeling axonal proteins which were transported to the tips of the regenerating axons. We found that the rate of axonal elongation decreased as neurons aged. These results are related to the changes with age which occur in the axonal transport system.