cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 2068: Combination erlotinib and cisplatin causes decrease angiogenesis in lung adenocarcinoma.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Introduction: Platinum based agents such as cisplatin have been traditionally used to for the treatment of lung cancer, and tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as erlotinib are being used more readily. Combinations of anti-cancer agents are becoming more popular due to the anticipation that combination treatment is more effective than individual drug treatments. In this study, we evaluate the anti-cancer effects of combination erlotinib and cisplatin in in vitro cell lines and in in vivo mice models. In addition, as studies of cisplatin and erlotinib in other cancer types show potential to inhibit angiogenesis, we examine whether these agents are able to target angiogenesis in lung adenocarcinoma. Method: Three individual lung adenocarcinoma cell lines (PC9, A549, and H292) were utilized. Each cell line had four treatment groups: control, erlotinib only, cisplatin only, and combination erlotinib and cisplatin. Alamar Blue Assay was utilized to evaluate for in vitro cell death following two day treatments. PC9 cells were injected into the left flank of nude mice for in vivo experiments. Erlotinib and/or cisplatin treatments were injected directly into the tumor and tumor measurements were made every 2 days for a total of 14 days. Western blot analysis of VEGFR, p-VEGFR, and CD31was performed for both in vitro and in vivo samples. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and 3,3′-Diaminobenzidine (DAB) staining for CD31 were done on tumor samples. Results: Combination treatment in EGFR mutated PC9 cells led to significantly higher cell death compared to other treatment groups (P<0.0001); the effect was synergistic. In EGFR wild type A549 and H292 cell lines there were no significant differences. Similar to results from cell cultures, in vivo studies of combination treatment showed significant inhibition of tumor growth compared to other treatment groups (p=0.001). On western blot analysis, there were significantly lower levels of p-VEGFR (p<0.0001) and CD31 (p=0.0291) in the combination group compared to all other groups. H&E staining shows significantly lower density of blood vessel and DAB staining of CD31in the combination group compared to other groups. Conclusions: Combination low dose erlotinib and cisplatin is able to induce synergistic cell death. This effect, however, may be specific to EGFR mutated lung adenocarcinoma. Combination treatment also demonstrated the ability to inhibit tumor growth in mice. The inhibition of tumor growth may be secondary to inhibition of angiogenesis. Citation Format: Jasmine G. Lee, Reen Wu. Combination erlotinib and cisplatin causes decrease angiogenesis in lung adenocarcinoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2068. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-2068
Additional courses of total skin electron beam therapy in the treatment of patients with recurrent cutaneous T-cell lymphoma

Abstract Background: Recurrent cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) is managed with a variety of modalities. Repeat treatment with additional courses of total skin electron beam therapy (TSEBT) has not been formally evaluated. Objective: Our purpose was to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of additional TSEBT for recurrent CTCL. Methods: A total of 14 patients were treated with TSEBT and received at least two courses, with five of those patients receiving a third course. Patients were offered additional TSEBT if they suffered recurrence despite other therapy if the extent of the recurrence precluded localized radiation. The median follow-up was 36 months. Results: The median dose for the entire group was 57 Gy. Thirteen patients (93%) achieved a complete response (CR) after the initial course. After the second course, 12 patients (86%) had a CR; of the five patients who underwent a third course, three (60%) achieved a CR. The median disease-free interval after the first course of therapy for those with a CR was 20 months and 11.5 months after the second course. Median survival after the second course was 15 months. All patients had xerosis, pruritus, desquamation, mild erythema, epilation, and anhidrosis of the skin. Conclusion: Patients with recurrent CTCL recalcitrant to other forms of therapy or too diffuse for treatment with localized radiation fields are candidates for additional TSEBT. This therapy is effective and well tolerated with an acceptable risk profile.
The gross morphology of the coronary arteries of the common squirrel monkey.

The coronary arteries of 16 squirrel monkeys were pre-perfused with acetone and subsequently filled with vinyl acetate. Thirteen of the hearts were then bleached, dehydrated and cleared in cedar oil; three were subjected to corrosion in concentrated hydrochloric acid. The right coronary artery arises from the right coronary sinus of Valsalva. In 50% of specimens, the “artery of the conus” arises independently from the same sinus by a separate ostium; in the other 50% being a branch of the proximal portion of the right coronary artery. The right coronary distributes vessels supplying the lateral three-fourths of the anterior right ventricle, all of the posterior right ventricle, the posterior one-third of the interventricular septum, the right atrium, the posterior papillary muscles of the right ventricle, the atrioventricular node, the sinus node (in 9 specimens), and the medial one-third of the posterior left ventricle. The left coronary artery, supplying the remainder of the heart, arises in all cases from the left coronary sinus and bifurcates to form the ventrally terminating anterior interventricular coronary artery and the left coronary circumflex. In one specimen, the left coronary artery supplied the atrioventricular node.
Immunogenicity and safety of inactivated monovalent 2009 H1N1 influenza A vaccine in immunocompromised children and young adults.

Abstract Background Influenza vaccination is recommended for immunocompromised patients. Methods Children (6 months to 21 years) with cancer, HIV infection, or sickle cell disease (SCD) received 1 or 2 doses of pandemic 2009 H1N1 monovalent influenza vaccine (H1N1 MIV). Safety and tolerability, hemagglutination inhibition (HI) and microneutralization (MN) antibody titers were measured against 2009 H1N1 influenza A virus after each dose. Seroprotection (SP) and seroconversion (SC) rates were determined. Results 103 participants were enrolled and 99 were evaluable (39 with HIV, 37 with cancer and 23 with SCD). Mean age (±SD) was 7.9 (±5.4) years for cancer participants, 18.0 (±3.5) for HIV, and 13.3 (±4.2) for SCD. 54% were males; 65% black; and 96% had received seasonal influenza vaccine. HIV-infected participants had a median CD4 count of 625 cells/mm3 (range, 140–1260). 46% had an undetectable HIV viral load and 41% were perinatally infected. No participant had vaccine-related serious adverse events. None developed influenza A proven illness during the 6 months after the vaccine. Local injection reactions were reported in 29% and systemic reactions in 42% after the first dose of vaccine. SC and SP were achieved after the last dose in 48% and 52%, respectively, of participants with leukemia or lymphoma, 50% and 75% of participants with solid tumors, 63% and 92% of HIV-infected participants, and 74% and 100% of participants with SCD. Conclusion H1N1 MIV was safe and well tolerated. H1N1 MIV resulted in an adequate immune response in children with SCD. It was only modestly immunogenic in cancer or HIV participants.
What a difference a day makes: Estimating daily learning gains during kindergarten and first grade using a natural experiment

Abstract Knowing whether time spent in formal schooling increases student achievement, and by how much, is important for policymakers interested in determining efficient use of resources. Using the ECLS-K, we exploit quasi-randomness in the timing of assessment dates to examine this question. Conservative estimates suggest a year of school results in gains of about one standard deviation above normal developmental gains in both reading and math test scores. The results are statistically significant and extremely robust to specification choice, supporting quasi-randomness of test dates. Estimates of skill accumulation due to formal schooling do not vary based on socioeconomic characteristics.
TH-E-BRC-04: Monte-Carlo Simulation in a Cloud Computing Environment with MapReduce

Purpose: Monte Carlo simulation is considered the most reliable method for modeling photon and electron transport in heterogeneous media. However, its widespread use is prohibited by the high computational cost. The purpose of this work is to report our implementation of a simple MapReduce method for performing fault‐tolerant Monte‐Carlo computations in a massively‐ parallel cloud computing environment. Designed for solving Internet‐scale problems, MapReduce hides the complexity of parallelization, data distribution, fault‐tolerance, and load balancing, thereby vastly simplifying parallel code development. Methods: We ported MC321, a commonly‐used Monte‐Carlo package for optical photontransport to Hadoop, an open‐ source MapReduce framework. Photon histories were computed using parallel Map tasks, and photon absorption scored using Reduce tasks. The distributed implementation was executed on a commercial compute cloud, using the propagation of optical photons in a turbid phantom as a benchmark. Results: This novel implementation simulated 100 billion photon histories on 240 virtual nodes in 1 hour 14 minutes, a 378X speed‐up compared to the single‐threaded execution of the Monte‐Carlo program. The performance of the MapReduce implementation scaled nearly linearly with the number of nodes. The overall computational throughput was 85,178 photon histories per node per second, with a latency of 100 seconds. The distributed simulation produced the same output as the original implementation, and was resilient to hardware failure: the correctness of the simulation was unaffected by the failure of 50% of all worker nodes. Conclusions: MapReduce is a new tool to rapidly deploy reliable and scalable applications on hundreds of nodes in the cloud. Applied to medical physics, these technologies could substantially accelerate the translation of novel algorithms into practical use.
Antisense drug delivery through the blood-brain barrier

Abstract The blood-brain barrier evolved to protect the brain against peripheral neurotransmitters, cytotoxins and microorganisms. This barrier prevents the delivery to brain of antisense oligomers and other potential therapeutics for the treatment of viral infections, tumors, and other brain disorders. The brain represents a shelter for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), for low grade gliomas, and early stages of metastatic tumors to the brain. Non-invasive delivery systems for antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) therapeutics have been developed that include transcellular avidin-based delivery systems, such as conjugates of avidin analogues and the monoclonal antibody directed to the transferrin receptor (OX26), which targets all tissues expressing these receptors including the blood-brain barrier and liver. Although 3′-biotinylation of phosphodiester oligodeoxynucleotides provides complete protection against serum and cellular exonuclease-mediated degradation, the in vivo administration of unconjugated or vector-conjugated biotinylated PO-ODN results in a rapid degradation through an endonucleasemediated mechanism, thus limiting the efficacy of this potential therapeutic for the brain. This rapid in vivo degradation also occurs with phosphorothioate-ODN containing a single internal phosphodiester bond. Alternatively, a biotinylated peptide nucleic acid (PNA) conjugated to the OX26-streptavidin delivery system is metabolically stable in vivo and is transported to brain through the blood-brain barrier at a rate 28-fold higher than the oligomer alone. This results in a brain uptake comparable to that of morphine, a molecule well known for its pharmacological brain effects. In summary, this review discusses different approaches for delivery of antisense oligonucleotides to the brain and suggests that biotinylated PNA conjugated to avidin-based transcellular delivery system represents a model for the delivery of antisense therapeutics through the blood-brain barrier.
Genetics and genomics of behavioral and psychiatric disorders

Psychiatric conditions are to some degree under genetic influences. Despite the application of advanced genetic and molecular biological technologies, the genetic bases of the human behavioral traits and psychiatric diseases remains largely unresolved. Conventional genetic linkage approaches have not yielded definitive results, possibly because of the absence of objective diagnostic tests, the complex nature of human behavior or the incomplete penetrance of psychiatric traits. However, recent studies have revealed some genes of interest using multifaceted approaches to overcome these challenges. The approaches include using families in which specific behaviors segregate as a mendelian trait, utilization of endophenotypes as biological intermediate traits, identification of psychiatric disease phenotypes in genomic disorders, and the establishment of mouse models.
Systemic hypothermia in treatment of severe brain injury: a review and update.

ABSTRACT Laboratory studies of moderate hypothermia (30–33°C) after injury show diminished neuronal loss after ischemia, diminished excessive neurotransmitter release after ischemia, prevention of blood–brain barrier disruption after ischemia and brain injury, and behavioral improvement after brain injury. Clinical literature suggests that brief periods of moderate hypothermia (≥30°C) in humans are not associated with cardiovascular, hematologic, metabolic, or neurological toxicity. Clinical studies were, therefore, organized to investigate the potential application of moderate systemic hypothermia in patients after severe brain injury. A study of 21 elective craniotomy patients and 11 patients with severe brain injury led to the conclusion that 32 to 33°C was the lowest safe temperature in patients with severe brain injury. A randomized study of moderate hypothermia in 46 patients with Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) 4–7 gave an indication of improved neurologic outcome in the hypothermia group. A multicenter, ...
Mineralogy of ash of some American coals: variations with temperature and source

Abstract Ten samples of mineral-matter residue were obtained by the radio-frequency low-temperature ashing of subbituminous and bituminous coals. The low-temperature ash samples were then heated progressively from 400 °C to 1400 °C at 100 °C intervals. Mineral phases present at each temperature interval were determined by X-ray diffraction analyses. The minerals originally present in the coals (quartz, kaolinite, illite, pyrite, calcite, gypsum, dolomite, and sphalerite) were all altered to higher temperature phases. Several of these phases, including kaolinite, metakaolinite, mullite, anhydrite, and anorthite, were found only in limited temperature ranges. Therefore the temperature of formation of the ashes in which they occur may be determined. Mineralogical differences were observed between coal samples from the Rocky Mountain Province, the Illinois Basin, and the Appalachians; and as a result of these mineralogical differences, different high-temperature phases resulted as the samples were heated. However, regional generalizations cannot be made until a greater number of samples have been studied.
The effects of liquid ventilation on cardiopulmonary function in preterm lambs.

Summary: The effects of fluorocarbon ventilation on cardiopulmonary function were studied in 8 preterm lambs, 132–136 days gestation. After mechanical ventilation with 100% oxygen (control period), the lambs were ventilated with fluorocarbon (P1O2 = 622 torr). The liquid was then removed from their lungs and gas ventilation resumed (recovery period). During normothermic liquid breathing the alveolar-arterial O2 gradient (A-a DO2) decreased (P <0.01) from control by 154 torr and remained decreased (P <0.05); PaO2 increased 50% (P <0.05); and PaCO2 decreased 29% (P <0.01) as compared to control values. The change in A-a DO2 and PaO2 before and after liquid ventilation was correlated (r = 0.79 and P <0.01) with control CL. There was a gradual decrease (P <0.01) in mean arterial pressure from 62 ± 5.4 torr (control) to 53.1 ± 9.3 torr (recovery); however, there were no significant alterations in mean central venous pressure, heart rate, or mean electrical axis. Speculation: These data demonstrate an imporvement in gas exchange and dynamic lung compliance in preterm lambs after liquid fluorocarbon ventilation. Regression lambs with the lowest initial lung compliance. Futhermore, the secondary effects of improved ventilation and pulmonary blood flow, in the long run could facilitate surfactant synthesis.
Luft's disease: an electron cytochemical study.

Conventional electron microscopic studies of skeletal muscle from a second patient with Luft's disease revealed the presence of subsarcolemmal and intermyofibrillar collections of large mitochondria containing packed cristae, round osmiophilic inclusions, and numerous electron-dense granules as the most prominent morphological feature. Study of a respiration-linked accumulation of electron-dense strontium supported by pyruvate, α-glycerophosphate, and succinate in freshly isolated mitochondria revealed an impairment in the uptake of strontium supported by α-glycerophosphate and succinate in a group of large mitochondria with abnormal cristae. These electron cytochemical findings suggest the presence of two populations of mitochondria in the second patient with Luft's disease.
Topological Localization Via Signals of Opportunity

We consider problems of localization, disambiguation, and mapping in a domain filled with signals-of-opportunity generated by transmitters. One or more (static or mobile) receivers utilize these signals and from them characterize the domain, localize, disambiguate, etc. The tools we develop are topological in nature, and rely on interpreting the problem as one of embedding the domain into a sufficiently high-dimensional space of signals via a signal profile function. Varying kinds of signal processing (TOA, TDOA, DOA, etc.) and discretization are addressed. Finally, we describe experiments that demonstrate the feasibility of these ideas in practice.
Multiple receptors contribute to the behavioral effects of indoleamine hallucinogens.

Serotonergic hallucinogens produce profound changes in perception, mood, and cognition. These drugs include phenylalkylamines such as mescaline and 2,5-dimethoxy-4-methylamphetamine (DOM), and indoleamines such as (+)-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin. Despite their differences in chemical structure, the two classes of hallucinogens produce remarkably similar subjective effects in humans, and induce cross-tolerance. The phenylalkylamine hallucinogens are selective 5-HT2 receptor agonists, whereas the indoleamines are relatively non-selective for serotonin (5-HT) receptors. There is extensive evidence, from both animal and human studies, that the characteristic effects of hallucinogens are mediated by interactions with the 5-HT2A receptor. Nevertheless, there is also evidence that interactions with other receptor sites contribute to the psychopharmacological and behavioral effects of the indoleamine hallucinogens. This article reviews the evidence demonstrating that the effects of indoleamine hallucinogens in a variety of animal behavioral paradigms are mediated by both 5-HT2 and non-5-HT2 receptors.
Ventricular diastolic dysfunction in sickle cell anemia is common but not associated with myocardial iron deposition.

Background Cardiac failure from myocardial iron deposition is a severe complication in patients with transfusion-related iron overload. Progressive heart damage from iron overload can cause left ventricular systolic and diastolic dysfunction in patients with hematologic disorders. Since non-transfused patients with sickle cell anemia (SCA) have a high incidence of diastolic dysfunction, we investigated the relationships among transfusional iron burden, myocardial iron deposition, and diastolic ventricular dysfunction by T2*-MRI and tissue Doppler echocardiography in iron-overloaded children with SCA.
A statistical analysis of the magnitude and composition of drug promotion in the United States in 1998.

Abstract Background: Although pharmaceutical industry marketing and other factors may influence physician decisions regarding medication prescribing in the United States, little information is available about the composition of promotional efforts by promotional mode and medication class. Objectives: The aims of this study were to determine the magnitude of expenditures for common modes of promotion and to delineate patterns of promotional strategies for particular classes of medications. Methods: Nationally representative data on expenditures (in US $) for the 250 most promoted medications in the United States in 1998 were available from an independent pharmaceutical market research company for the 5 most commonly used modes of promotion. Key patterns of drug promotion were identified by descriptive statistics, a cluster analysis of expenditures by class, and an analysis of expenditure concentration. Results: In 1998, the pharmaceutical industry spent $12,724 million promoting its products in the United States, of which 85.9% was accounted for by the top 250 drugs and 51.6% by the top 50 drugs. Direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising was more concentrated on a small subset of medications than was promotion to professionals. Overall, 1998 expenditures were dominated by free drug samples provided to physicians (equivalent retail cost of $6602 million) and office promotion ($3537 million), followed by DTC advertising ($1337 million), hospital promotion ($705 million), and advertising in medical journals ($540 million). Four distinct patterns of expenditures were observed: promotion to office physicians with little consumer promotion (14 drug classes); dual focus on office physicians and consumer advertising (4 drug classes); predominant DTC advertising (1 class: smoking-cessation products); and promotion to office- and hospital-based professionals without consumer advertising (1 class: narcotic analgesics). Conclusions: The present findings reinforce the perception that the pharmaceutical industry invests heavily in promoting its products and demonstrates that promotional expenditures are concentrated on a small number of medications. Although promotion to professionals remains dominant, DTC advertising has become key for a subset of common medications
Relational databases create online publications

Relational databases that are accessible and updatable via the Internet afford Web designers many advantages over traditional HTML documents. The automatic interactive database approach (AIDA) to Web publishing eliminates old information, creates automatic links, and reduces memory requirements by using virtual HTML pages. The pages are consistent, reliable, and up to date.
Evidentialism, Explanationism, and Beliefs About the Future

Earl Conee and Richard Feldman have argued that epistemic support should be understood in terms of explanatory considerations. Very roughly, they hold that one’s evidence supports a given proposition when that proposition is part of the best explanation of one’s evidence. This proposal is attractive, but T. Ryan Byerly has recently argued that it is false. Byerly claims that such explanationist accounts of epistemic support cannot account for the fact that one’s evidence can support propositions about the future. Although Byerly presents an interesting challenge, his argument is problematic and, ultimately, unconvincing.
A Mass Spectrometric Study of Some Factors Affecting Angular Distribution Curves

A mass spectrometric investigation of the KC1 vapor system using a Knudsen cell has shown that the orifice material, internal cell volume, sample surface condition, and the absolute orifice dimensions have no effect on the angular distribution curves. This is in sharp contrast to the Sm and Bi vapor systems where orifice materials have a marked effect on the angular distribution curves. Massenspektrometrische Untersuchungen an KCl-Dampfen unter Verwendung einer Knudsenzelle haben gezeigt, das das Material der Zellenoffnung, das innere Volumen der Zelle, die Beschaffenheit der Probenoberflache und die absolute Grose der Zellenoffnung keinen Einflus auf die Winkelverteilung haben. Dies steht im krassen Gegensatz zu Sm- und Bi-Dampfen, wo das Material der Zellenoffnung einen deutlichen Einflus auf die Winkelverteilung hat.
Three-Dimensional Magnetic Assembly of Microscale Hydrogels

Directed assembly of nano and microscale particles is of great interest and has widespread applications in various fields including electronics, nanomaterials and tissue engineering. Bottom-up tissue engineering is motivated by the occurrence of repeating functional units in vivo. The bottom-up approach requires novel techniques to assemble engineered functional units as building blocks at a high speed with spatial control over three-dimensional (3D) micro-architecture. Here, we report a magnetic assembler that utilizes nanoparticles and microscale hydrogels as building blocks to create 3D complex multi-layer constructs via external magnetic fields using different concentrations of magnetic nanoparticles. This approach holds potential for 3D assembly processes that could be utilized in various tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications.
The Dialogics of Conversation: Power, Control, Vulnerability

This essay takes up three quite different discourses—Mikhail Bakhtin's work on speech communication and speech genres; Friedrich Nietzsche's thinking on genealogical philosophy and the will to power; and Gregory Bateson's work on the cybernetics of mind and nature—in order to theorize the conditions of discursive possibility for transitioning from dialectic to dialogic conversation. Missing in both Bakhtin's and Bateson's very different projects, however, are adequate theorizations of power. To address (the will to) power in ways that distinguish it from (the will to) control are Nietzsche's thoughts on genealogical philosophy, the will to power, relations of force, the eternal return, and the being of becoming, each of which speak to power in necessarily different ways. With those distinctions made, I specify several correspondences between speech genres and cybernetic minds as a theoretical context for Nietzsche's thinking. Given those correspondences, discursive formations can be theorized as self-organizing systems. Such systems incorporealize selves as dialogic subjectivities, and such selves are always already unfinalizable and an open totality. Dialogics can now be theorized as the praxis of mediating competing and contradictory discourses. The point of this theoretical work is to specify conversation practices that effect movement between dialectic and dialogic genres of speech communication. By way of extending these lines of thinking, I sketch some theoretical ideas for a dialogics of conversation.
Revolution and Ideology: Images of the Mexican Revolution in the United States

intellectual historian John A. Britton examines contemporary accounts written by Americans commenting on 50 years of social upheaval south of the border. The Mexican revolution differed from many others in this century in that Marxist-Leninist theory was only one of many radical and reformist influences. With the recent collapse of communist regimes, historians and political scientists are looking at Mexico today with renewed interest in its mostly nonideological revolution.
The engineering research center for plasma-aided manufacturing

Plasma-aided manufacturing, the use of electrically charged particles in the manufacturing process, is used for producing new materials with unusual and superior properties, for developing new chemical compounds and processes, for machining, and/or altering and refining materials and surfaces. It has direct applications to semiconductor fabrication, materials synthesis, welding, lighting, polymers, anticorrosion coatings, machine tools, metallurgy, electrical and electronics devices, hazardous-waste removal, high-performance ceramics, and many other items in both high-technology and the more «traditional » industries
Toward a Computational Model of Tutoring

This chapter addresses several issues around successful integration of instructional science and computer science. It addresses issues of building computational models of tutoring and incorporating instructional principles. The first barrier to overcome towards this integration is development of principled programs in which cognitive principles about learning and teaching are realized at a level of granularity consistent with building computational models. Such cognitive studies would facilitate fine-grained modelling of learning and teaching. The second barrier to overcome is the gap between the two disciplines, in terms of goals, motivations, literature, and even defining concepts. This situation suggests that a large effort should go into two areas: research on understanding basic principles behind learning and teaching, and the establishment of clearer lines of communication between instructional and computer scientists. This chapter addresses both these issues.
The Topological‐Algebraic System(βN, +, ˙)a

. The interaction of the left continuous extensions of ordinary addition and multiplication to the Stone-Cech compactification of N is studied.
Nearest-neighbor thermodynamics of internal A.C mismatches in DNA: sequence dependence and pH effects.

Thermodynamics of 27 oligonucleotides with internal A.C mismatches at two different pHs were determined from UV absorbance versus temperature melting profiles. The data were combined with four literature values and used to derive nearest-neighbor parameters for all 16 trimer sequences with internal A.C mismatches at pH 7.0 and 5. 0. The results indicate that the contribution of single A.C mismatches to duplex stability is strongly dependent on the solution pH and the nearest-neighbor context. On average, the protonation of an internal A.C mismatch stabilizes the duplex by 1.39 kcal/mol for DeltaG degrees37 and 7.0 degreesC for the TM. The nearest-neighbor parameters predict DeltaG degrees37, DeltaH degrees, DeltaS degrees, and TM of oligonucleotides presented in this study with average deviations of 6.3%, 11.0%, 12.2%, and 1.8 degreesC, respectively, at pH 7.0 and 4.7%, 5.9%, 6.1%, and 1.3 degreesC, respectively, at pH 5. 0. At pH 7.0, the contribution of single A.C mismatches to helix stability ranges from 2.25 kcal/mol for TCA/AAT to 1.22 kcal/mol for GCG/CAC. At pH 5.0, however, the contribution of A+.C mismatches ranges from 1.09 kcal/mol for TCT/AAA to -0.43 kcal/mol for GCC/CAG. Implications of the results for replication fidelity and mismatch repair are discussed.
Decoupling features and virtual sensors for diagnosis of faults in vapor compression air conditioners

This paper describes the development and evaluation of features and virtual sensors that form the basis of a methodology for detecting and diagnosing multiple-simultaneous faults in vapor compression air conditioning equipment. The features were developed based upon a physical understanding of the system, cost considerations, and heuristics derived from experimental data and modeling results. Virtual sensors were developed in order to reduce the cost of implementation. The validity of the features and virtual sensors was evaluated using measurements from a variety of different air conditioners tested in a laboratory environment. More detailed evaluation results are presented in separate papers.
DIFFERENTIAL LOCALIZATION OF CYSTEINE PROTEASE INHIBITORS AND A TARGET CYSTEINE PROTEASE, CATHEPSIN B, BY IMMUNO-CONFOCAL MICROSCOPY

The cystatin superfamily of cysteine protease inhibitors and target cysteine proteases such as cathepsin B have been implicated in malignant progression. The respective cellular/extracellular localization of cystatins and cysteine proteases in tumors may be critical in regulating activity of the enzymes. Confocal microscopy has enabled us to demonstrate the differential localization of cystatins and cathepsin B in an embryonic liver cell line and an invasive hepatoma cell line. In both, stefins A and B were distributed diffusely throughout the cytoplasm, whereas cystatin C was distributed in juxtanuclear vesicles. Stefin A and cystatin C, but not stefin B, were present on the cell surface. Cystatin C was found on the top surfaces of both cell lines, whereas stefin A was found only on the top surface of the embryonic liver cells. Cathepsin B staining was concentrated in perinuclear vesicles in the embryonic liver cells. In the hepatoma cells, staining for cathepsin B was also present in vesicles adjacent t...
Soft decision-directed MAP estimate of fast Rayleigh flat fading channels

An iterative receiver with soft-decision feedback is derived by using the expectation-maximization algorithm for maximum a posteriori estimate of fast Rayleigh flat fading channels. Simulation results indicate that in a fast fading environment, the derived receiver can perform better than an iterative receiver with hard-decision feedback.
1,4-Diiso­cyano-2,5-di­methyl­benzene

1,4-Diiso­cyano-2,5-di­methyl­benzene, p-C6H2(CH3)2(NC)2, crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/c. One-half of the mol­ecule is crystallographically independent, with the other half being generated by an inversion centre located at the centre of the mol­ecule.
Low-Temperature Densification of Lanthanum Strontium Manganite (La1−xSrxMnO3+δ), x=0.0–0.20

Intermediate-stage sintering of lanthanum strontium manganite (LSM, where Sr=0.00, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, and 0.20) was shown in dilatometry studies to be accelerated when subjected to alternating flows of air and nitrogen. The extent of rate enhancement decreased with increased Sr content, and decreases with increased temperature, which coincides with diminished oxygen non-stoichiometry. Shrinkage rates were shown further to be sensitive to the difference in oxygen content in the alternating gas flows. Baseline air sintering rates were measured using stepwise isothermal dilatometry, from which kinetic parameters were calculated using the Makipirtti-Meng model. Activation energies for sintering in air were determined to be 255±26, 258±28, 308±32, 373±37, and 417±41 kJ/mol for Sr=0.0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, and 0.20, respectively. A diffusion-based model is proposed that is consistent with trends in accelerated shrinkage versus temperature. Transient cation vacancy gradients, which lead to higher cation mobility, were calculated from established oxygen diffusivities and oxygen non-stoichiometry as a function of temperature and time. A potential application of this approach is processing of LSM-based cathode-side contact pastes in solid oxide fuel cells.
A conserved domain in type III secretion links the cytoplasmic domain of InvA to elements of the basal body.

Protein type III secretion systems (T3SSs) are organic nanosyringes that achieve an energy-dependent translocation of bacterial proteins through the two membranes of Gram-negative organisms. Examples include the pathogenic systems of animals, plants and symbiotic bacteria that inject factors into eukaryotic cells, and the flagellar export system that secretes flagellin. T3SSs possess a core of several membrane-associated proteins that are conserved across all known bacterial species that use this system. The Salmonella protein InvA is one of the most highly conserved proteins of this core of critical T3SS components. The crystal structure of a C-­terminal domain of InvA reveals an unexpected homology to domains that have been repeatedly found as building blocks of other elements of the T3SS apparatus. This suggests the surprising hypothesis that evolution has produced a significant component of the apparatus structure through a series of gene-duplication and gene-rearrangement events.
Local versus Systemic Immunotoxicity of Isobutyl Nitrite Following Subchronic Inhalation Exposure of Female B6C3F1 Mice

Female B6C3F1 mice were exposed to isobutyl nitrite (IBN) by inhalation at 0, 37.5, 75, or 150 ppm for 6 hr per day, 5 days per week for 15 weeks. The potential of this compound to induce immunotoxicity was assessed during the 3rd, 13th, 14th, and 15th week of exposure and after 2 weeks of recovery following the 15 weeks of exposure. Both systemic and lung immune functions were examined, including body and lymphoid organs weights, pulmonary macrophage function and host defense, expression of splenic lymphocyte cell-surface markers, natural killer cell function, mixed lymphocyte reaction, and induction of specific antibody to a T-cell-dependent antigen. There was a dose-related suppression of T-cell-dependent antibody-forming cell responses in the spleen following IBN exposure; however, other measures of T-cell and nonspecific immunity were not significantly affected. A dose-related increase of H202 production by alveolar macrophages was present after 12 but not after 68 exposures to IBN. In contrast, pulmonary host defense mechanisms against Klebsiella pneumoniae were unaffected. These results suggest that in the absence of changes in host resistance, IBN may have selective and partially reversible effects on the immune system.
College of the Overwhelmed: The Campus Mental Health Crisis and What to Do About It

Written as a guide for parents, students, counselors, and administrators in higher education, College of the Overwhelmed provides a remarkable commentary on the mental health crisis facing so many college students on our nation’s campuses today.
Traumatic stressor exposure and post-traumatic symptoms in homeless veterans.

ABSTRACTObjectives: To better understand potential risk factors for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and homelessness in veterans, we studied trauma exposure and responses in archival data on 115 homeless veterans. Methods: Rates of exposure to military and a variety of civilian high magnitude stressor (HMS) and persistent post-traumatic distress (PPD) events and symptoms of post-traumatic stress were assessed. The relationships between frequency of different trauma types and symptoms of post-traumatic stress were examined. Results: Exposure to both HMS and PPD events were extremely high in this sample, with particularly high exposure to adult (82%) and childhood (62%) interpersonal violence HMS events and HMS events during military service (53%). Exposure to both military and civilian PPD events was associated with significantly higher levels of PTSD symptoms than exposure to no PPD events or only civilian PPD events, and almost all HMS event types were significantly correlated with both PTSD and di...
Pricing Options When Asset Return Follows a ''Colored'' Brownian Process

The evolution of prices in market is usually given by geometric Brownian motion, where the Brownian process describes fluctuations is often called "white" noise. We study the effect of correlations introduced by a "colored" noise. We demonstrate how the "color" Brownian process may capture the momentum often observed in the market prices. When the prices follow the "colored" Brownian process, we show the price of option can be obtained explicitly as a solution to the generalized Fokker-Planck equation.
The value of day-ahead solar power forecasting improvement

The value of day-ahead solar power forecasting improvements was analyzed by simulating the operation of the Independent System Operator – New England (ISO-NE) power system under a range of scenarios with varying solar power penetrations and solar power forecasting improvements. The results showed how the integration of solar power decreased operational electricity generation costs, by decreasing fuel and variable operation and maintenance costs, while decreasing start and shutdown costs of fossil fueled conventional generators. Solar power forecasting improvements changed the impacts that the uncertainty of solar power has on bulk power system operations; electricity generation from the fast start and lower efficiency power plants, ramping of all generators, start and shutdown costs, and solar power curtailment were all reduced. These impacts led to a reduction in overall operational electricity generation costs in the system that translates into an annual economic value for improving solar power forecasting.
Endothelial Mineralocorticoid Receptor Mediates Diet-Induced Aortic Stiffness in Females

Rationale:Enhanced activation of the mineralocorticoid receptors (MRs) in cardiovascular tissues increases oxidative stress, maladaptive immune responses, and inflammation with associated functional vascular abnormalities. We previously demonstrated that consumption of a Western diet (WD) for 16 weeks results in aortic stiffening, and that these abnormalities were prevented by systemic MR blockade in female mice. However, the cell-specific role of endothelial cell MR (ECMR) in these maladaptive vascular effects has not been explored. Objective:We hypothesized that specific deletion of the ECMR would prevent WD-induced increases in endothelial sodium channel activation, reductions in bioavailable nitric oxide, increased vascular remodeling, and associated increases in vascular stiffness in females. Methods and Results:Four-week-old female ECMR knockout and wild-type mice were fed either mouse chow or WD for 16 weeks. WD feeding resulted in aortic stiffness and endothelial dysfunction as determined in vivo ...
Mutual fund efficiency and tradeoffs in the production of risk and return

– The purpose of this paper is to estimate the performance of 188 mutual funds relative to the risk/return frontier accounting for the transaction costs of producing a portfolio of investments. , – The directional output distance function is used to estimate mutual fund performance. The method allows the data to define a frontier of return and risk accounting for the transaction costs associated with securities management and production of risky returns. Proxies for the transaction costs of producing a portfolio of securities include the turnover ratio, load, expense ratio, and net asset value. The estimates of mutual fund performance are bootstrapped to account for the unknown data generating process. By comparing each mutual fund’s performance relative to the capital market line the authors determine how the fund should adjust their portfolio in regard to risk and return in order to maximize the inefficiency adjusted Sharpe ratio. , – The bootstrapped estimates indicate that the average mutual fund could simultaneously expand return and contract risk by 3.2 percent if it were to operate on the efficient frontier. After projecting each mutual fund’s return and risk to the efficient frontier the authors find that a majority of the mutual funds should reduce risk to be consistent with the capital market line. , – Many researchers have used data envelopment analysis to estimate a piecewise linear frontier of risk and return to measure mutual fund performance. To the authors’ knowledge the research is the first to use a twice-differentiable quadratic directional distance function to measure the managerial performance and risk/return tradeoff of mutual funds.
In vivo uptake and metabolism of α-[11C]methyl-L- tryptophan in human brain tumors

Abnormal metabolism of tryptophan has been implicated in modulation of tumor cell proliferation and immunoresistance. a-[ 11 C]Methyl-L-tryptophan (AMT) is a PET tracer to measure cerebral tryptophan metabolism in vivo. In the present study, we have measured tumor tryptophan uptake in 40 patients with primary brain tumors using AMT PET and standard uptake values (SUV). Tryptophan metabolism was further quantified in 23 patients using blood input data. Estimates of the volume of distribution (VD 0 ) and the metabolic rate constant (k3 ) were calculated and related to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and histology findings. All grade II to IV gliomas and glioneuronal tumors showed increased AMT SUV, including all recurrent/residual tumors. Gadolinium enhancement on MRI was associated with high VD 0 values, suggesting impaired blood–brain barrier, while k3 values were not related to contrast enhancement. Low-grade astrocytic gliomas showed increased tryptophan metabolism, as measured by k3 . In contrast, oligodendrogliomas showed high VD 0 values but lower k3 as compared with normal cortex. In astrocytic tumors, low grade was associated with high k3 and lower VD 0 , while high-grade tumors showed the reverse pattern. The findings show high AMT uptake in primary and residual/recurrent gliomas and glioneuronal tumors. Increased AMT uptake can be due to increased metabolism of tryptophan and/ or high volume of distribution, depending on tumor type and grade. High tryptophan metabolic rates in low-grade tumors may indicate activation of the kynurenine pathway, a mechanism regulating tumor cell growth. AMT PET might be a useful molecular imaging method to guide therapeutic approaches aimed at controlling tumor cell proliferation by acting on tryptophan metabolism. Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism (2006) 26, 345–357. doi:10.1038/sj.jcbfm.9600199; published online 3 August 2005
Prediction of Calcite Morphology from Computational and Experimental Studies of Mutations of a De Novo-Designed Peptide

Many organisms use macromolecules, often proteins or peptides, to control the growth of inorganic crystals into complex materials. The ability to model peptide–mineral interactions accurately could allow for the design of novel peptides to produce materials with desired properties. Here, we tested a computational algorithm developed to predict the structure of peptides on mineral surfaces. Using this algorithm, we analyzed energetic and structural differences between a 16-residue peptide (bap4) designed to interact with a calcite growth plane and single- and double-point mutations of the charged residues. Currently, no experimental method is available to resolve the structures of proteins on solid surfaces, which precludes benchmarking for computational models. Therefore, to test the models, we chemically synthesized each peptide and analyzed its effects on calcite crystal growth. Whereas bap4 affected the crystal growth by producing heavily stepped corners and edges, point mutants had variable influences...
Consolidation of Effort Benefits All

Dan Janzen has vividly drawn attention to perhaps the most serious problem facing plant and animal systematists (“Degradation of Tropical Forests: A Dialogue,” Bull. Entomol. Soc. Am. 31(1): 10–13): Mass extinction of a significant portion of the world's biota. Who can doubt that habitat destruction and traumatic alteration of natural systems have a far-reaching, negative impact on humanity in general and on the future of biological, agricultural, and medical research specifically. Unless we act quickly to survey and study the biota of these areas, the opportunity to do so will be lost forever.
Ocular LEMS or MLOS.

Keywords: Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome; LEMS; MG; MG and LEMS overlap syndrome; myasthenia gravis
Study on technologic parameters in extracting flavonoids from the seed and peels dregs of hippophae

The best extracting technologic of flavonoids from the seed and peels dregs of hippophae Sea buckthorn was studied. The factors and levels impacting the extraction of flavonoids were determined by the single factor experiments, and the best extraction technologic of flavonoids was obtained by using the orthogonal test as followed: alcohol concentration 50%, temperature 80 ℃, time 2 h, solid-to-liquid ratio1∶40.