cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evidence for a common active site for cleavage of an AP site and the benzene-derived exocyclic adduct, 3,N4-benzetheno-dC, in the major human AP endonuclease.

We have previously reported that the 3,N4-benzetheno-dC (p-BQ-dC) endonuclease activity found in HeLa cells is a novel function of the major human AP endonuclease (HAP1) [Hang et al. (1996) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 93, 13737-13741]. In this study, we compare the enzymatic and biochemical properties of the enzyme toward p-BQ-dC and an AP site in a defined oligonucleotide. A comparative analysis of the specificity constants (Kcat./Km) for p-BQ-dC and an AP site indicates that the AP site is the preferred substrate. The enzyme does not cleave other structurally related exocyclic adducts and modified nucleosides such as 1,N6-etheno-dA, 3,N4-etheno-dC, 1, N2-etheno-dG, 1,N2-propano-dG, 8-oxo-dG, and thymine glycol. The p-BQ-dC activity requires a double-stranded DNA substrate and is affected by the base in the opposite strand, with maximal activity for a p-BQ-dC.G pair and minimal activity for a p-BQ-dC.C pair. The p-BQ-dC activity also requires Mg2+, Mn2+, or Zn2+ with optimal concentration spectra similar to those for the AP function. The optimal pH ranges for these two functions are also similar to each other (5.5-6.5). Six mutant HAP1 proteins containing single amino acid substitutions were assayed in parallel for comparison of their activities toward p-BQ-dC and the AP site. These mutants either concomitantly lost (N212A, D210N) or had reduced (D219A, E96A, and N212Q) or unchanged (H116N) p-BQ-dC and AP activities. This parallelism strongly supports the hypothesis that cleavage of p-BQ-dC requires the same catalytic active site as that proposed for the AP function. This dual activity toward two structurally unrelated substrates, an AP site and a bulky exocyclic adduct, has implications for substrate recognition. The AP site and p-BQ-dC cause different changes in the local conformation around the lesion as it is visualized by molecular modeling.
Oil demand and technical progress

This analysis provides an empirical perspective on the role of technical progress in OECD oil demand since 1971. It differentiates the role of price-induced and exogenous technical progress from other time-related factors that may influence oil demand growth. Results confirm that both sources of technical progress operate but that price-induced improvements appear to be substantially larger.
Pascal external functions for Strawberry Tree’s “Analog Connection Workbench” on the Macintosh

Strawberry Tree Incorporated is one of several manufacturers of input-output boards for the Macintosh computer. The Analog Connection Workbench program (Strawberry Tree Inc.) provides an icon-based programming system for these input-output boards that has most of the functions that are necessary to implement behavioral experiments. However, experimental psychologists may frequently encounter needs that the Workbench program cannot easily meet. Because the Workbench is programmed in C, whereas many psychologists are more expert in programming in Pascal, we describe, in tutorial fashion, how the user may define new external functions in Pascal on the Macintosh and integrate these functions into the icon-based Workbench programming system.
Membrane-localized replication of bacteriophage PM2.

Abstract The DNA of bacteriophage PM2 was labeled in vivo to maximum specific activity with [ 3 H]thymidine. Labeled virus was purified and then used to infect the unlabeled host Pseudomonas BAL-31. As revealed by electron microscope autoradiography, the infecting DNA was not distributed evenly inside the cell but remained localized at the bacterial membrane. This finding helps to explain the low levels of recombination and complementation found between mutants of PM2.
The role of the dorsal CA1 and ventral CA1 in memory for the temporal order of a sequence of odors

Memory for the temporal order of a sequence of odors was assessed in male rats. A sequence of five odors mixed in sand was presented in digging cups one at a time to each rat in a sequence that varied on each trial. A reward was buried in each cup. Following the fifth odor, two of the previous five odors were presented simultaneously and the rat needed to choose the odor that occurred earliest in the sequence to receive a reward. Temporal separations of 1, 2, or 3 were used which represented the number of odors that occurred between the two odors in the sequence. Once pre-operative criterion was reached, rats received a control, dorsal CA1 (dCA1), or ventral CA1 (vCA1) lesion and were retested on the task. On post-operative trials, only the vCA1 group was impaired relative to both control and dCA1 groups. All groups of rats could discriminate between the odors. The data suggest that the vCA1, but not dorsal CA1, is involved in separating sensory events (odors) in time so that one odor can be remembered separate from another odor.
Closure schemes for joint density functions in diffusion-limited reactions.

We study the macroscopic particle concentrations both in a diffusion-limited coagulation (A+A\ensuremath{\rightarrow}A) and in a two-species diffusion-limited annihilation reaction (A+B\ensuremath{\rightarrow}scrI), where scrI represents an inert result, in spatial dimension d, using a general closure scheme for truncating the hierarchies of the kinetic equations of the joint density functions. In the coagulation reaction, the concentration C(t) goes to zero asymptotically as ${\mathit{t}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{d}/2}$ for d2, as lnt/t for d=2, and as ${\mathit{t}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$ for dg2, while in the annihilation reaction with equal initial density ${\mathit{C}}_{\mathit{A}}$(0)=${\mathit{C}}_{\mathit{B}}$(0), the density ${\mathit{C}}_{\mathit{A}}$(t)=${\mathit{C}}_{\mathit{B}}$(t) goes to zero as ${\mathit{t}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{d}/4}$ for d\ensuremath{\le}4 and ${\mathit{t}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$ for dg4. Our approximation reproduces correctly all these asymptotic concentrations. An alternative approximation is also applied to the two-species annihilation reaction in one dimension, and its result is the same as that obtained from the general closure scheme.
Mitral regurgitation: parameters that affect the correlation between Doppler echocardiography and contrast ventriculography

The correlation between Doppler and contrast angiographic estimation of severity of mitral regurgitation was assessed retrospectively in 60 patients with native mitral valve disease. Results showed r = 0.82. Among 15 parameters (demographic, clinical, echocardiographic and hemodynamic) 3 were found to be associated with overestimation of the severity by Doppler: low left ventricular ejection fraction, low cardiac output, and high mean pulmonary artery capillary wedge pressure. On the other hand, a large left atrium was associated with underestimation of mitral regurgitation by Doppler. Based on that data, Doppler results were adjusted in a prospective group of 30 patients with native mitral valve disease. The correlation between contrast ventriculography and uncorrected Doppler results showed r = 0.83, while the corrected Doppler results showed r = 0.91. The study implies that although a good correlation is found between the two modalities for estimation of mitral regurgitation, a better correlation can be achieved by adjusting the Doppler results according to the above-mentioned parameters.
FISHING IN DIFFERENT PONDS: UNION ORGANIZING ACROSS INDUSTRIES

A major complaint of the Change to Win Coalition (“Coalition”) is the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations’ failure to “follow the work” and allocate sufficient resources to organizing, particularly in industries experiencing job growth. Our article uses industry-level data from National Labor Relations Board-supervised elections from 1970 to 2000 to evaluate the validity of this criticism. We find support for the Coalition's claim. Most industrial groups faired better than manufacturing in election outcomes. Yet union organizing activity was lower in other industries. Moreover, declining organizing activity within manufacturing suggests that other industries, most notably services, account for an even greater share of new entrants into the labor movement.
Field Instruction in a Pediatric Tertiary Care Center

This article describes field instruction in a midwestern pediatric tertiary care hospital, whose goals are clinical and educational. The field instruction program reflects the hospital's vision standards and clinical focus.The approach includes specialization, combined educational and clinical instruction and practice that focuses on the synergistic relationship between health related issues and learning experiences.
Recent developments in the application of plant-wide computer control

Abstract Plant-wide computer control, computer integrated manufacturing ( cim ) and hierarchical computer control systems are all terms describing the expected future trend in all large scale manufacturing, i.e. the overall optimization, scheduling, coordination and dynamic control of the entire plant by means of a multi-element, distributed yet totally integrated computer system. This paper will outline the recent developments, present status and expected near-term, future developments in the design and application of such computer systems in industry throughout the world.
Box cores from the equatorial Pacific: 14C sedimentation rates and benthic mixing

Abstract Carbon-14 determinations on box cores of calcareous ooze from the western and eastern equatorial Pacific suggest that patterns of mixed-layer ages, sedimentation rates, and mixed-layer thicknesses are controlled by gradients of carbonate dissolution and fertility, and by small-scale redeposition processes. Mixed-layer ages range from 3000 to 7000 years, with a mode between 4000 and 5000 years. Sedimentation rates range from 0.8 to 2.4 cm/1000 years. Mixed-layer depths, calculated according to the box model of mixing, range from 7 cm to 16 cm. Observed thicknesses are about one-fourth smaller than calculated ones.
Adolescent physical activity and inactivity: a prospective study of risk of benign breast disease in young women

In previous investigations of adolescent activity recalled in adulthood, modest reductions in risk of benign breast disease (BBD) and premenopausal breast cancer were seen with moderate-strenuous activity during high school. We therefore investigated physical activity, walking, and recreational inactivity (watching TV-videos, playing computer-videogames) reported by adolescent girls in relation to their subsequent risk for BBD as young women. The Growing Up Today Study includes 9,039 females, 9–15 years at study initiation (1996), who completed questionnaires annually through 2001, then in 2003, 2005, 2007, 2010 and 2013. Annual surveys (1996–2001) obtained data on physical and sedentary activities during the past year. Beginning in 2005, women (≥18 years) reported whether they had ever been diagnosed with BBD confirmed by breast biopsy (n = 133 cases, to 11/01/2013). Logistic regression (adjusted for baseline adiposity and age; additional factors in multivariable-adjusted models) estimated associations between adolescent activities (moderate-vigorous, walking, METS, inactivity) and biopsy-confirmed BBD in young women. Girls who walked the most had significantly lower risk of BBD (multivariable-adjusted OR = 0.61, ≥30 vs ≤15 min/day; p = .049). We observed no evidence that inactivity (≥3 vs <2 h/day OR = 1.02, p = .92) or METS (top vs bottom tertile OR = 1.19, p = .42) were associated with BBD. Accounting for factors including family history, childhood adiposity, and other activities and inactivities, adolescent girls who walked the most were at lower risk for BBD. We found no evidence that high moderate-vigorous activity might reduce risk, nor did we observe any association with inactivity. Continued follow-up will re-evaluate these findings as more BBD cases, and ultimately breast cancer, are diagnosed.
Improvements in the disilane plasma deposition of hydrogenated amorphous silicon solar cells

Abstract The use of disilane (Si 2 H 6 ) in the glow discharge deposition of the intrinsic layers of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) solar cells offers the advantage of high deposition rates and therefore a large throughput for a production facility. However, fabricating efficient devices at high rates (1.5 – 2.0 nm s − ) using Si 2 H 6 is considerably more difficult than making them at low rates (0.10 – 0.30 nm s −1 ) using silane (SiH 4 ). Si 2 H 6 is more prone to gas phase polymerization than is SiH 4 , tending to generate an orange powder at the cathode of the glow discharge chamber. Using a dual-chamber system, cells have been fabricated at high rates from Si 2 H 6 without powder formation, and they are compared with cells made from SiH 4 in the same system.
On the Margins: A Study of the Experiences of Transgender College Students

ABSTRACT Transgender students are becoming more visible on college campuses. This qualitative study examines the experiences of undergraduate and graduate students who self-identify as transgender. Most of the participants reported that a hostile climate for transgender students exists on their campuses and that their colleges lack resources and education on transgender issues.
RCML: An Environment for Estimation Modeling of Reconfigurable Computing Systems

Reconfigurable computing (RC) is emerging as a promising area for embedded computing, in which complex systems must balance performance, flexibility, cost, and power. The difficulty associated with RC development suggests improved strategic planning and analysis techniques can save significant development time and effort. This article presents a new abstract modeling language and environment, the RC Modeling Language (RCML), to facilitate efficient design space exploration of RC systems at the estimation modeling level, that is, before building a functional implementation. Two integrated analysis tools and case studies, one analytical and one simulative, are presented illustrating relatively accurate automated analysis of systems modeled in RCML.
CONCERNS ABOUT SAFETY, OBSERVER SEX, AND THE DECISION TO ARREST: EVIDENCE OF REACTIVITY IN A LARGE-SCALE OBSERVATIONAL STUDY OF POLICE*

Data from a large-scale observational study of police examined the impact of an observer's presence on patrol officer arrest behavior. One major theme within the descriptive data on reactivity (concerns about safety) was described as a series of anecdotes and specified in terms of its prevalence. Consistent with hypothesized effects, patrol officers who expressed concerns about safety were less likely to arrest suspects. Additional analyses also revealed that patrol officers were less likely to arrest when accompanied by female versus male observers and that there is a different pattern of acclimation that is contingent on a combination of observer sex and concerns about safety. The implications of these findings and suggestions for future research will also be considered.
An Exploration of Correct Voting in Recent U.S. Presidential Elections

Lau and Redlawsk (1997)proposed that the quality of voter decision making can be evaluated by measuring what they called correct voting—the extent to which people vote in accordance with their own values and priorities—but in so doing provided little guidance about what actually determines whether voters can make such high-quality decisions. This article develops a framework for analyzing the vote decision that views the quality of decision making as a joint function of individual characteristics and various higher-level campaign factors. We hypothesize that differences in cognitive capacity, political motivation, the availability of political heuristics, and macrolevel factors that affect the difficulty of the choice confronting citizens, including the nature of the political information environment, should all affect the probability of a correct vote. We find significant support for seven proposed hypotheses across three levels of analysis, which places responsibility for incorrect votes on both the individual and our electoral system.
AN EVALUATION OF SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING MEASURES

A number of subjective well-being scales were compared and evaluated. The Satisfaction With Life Scale emerged as a good measure of general life satisfaction and the Affective Intensity Measure appeared to adequately assess the characteristic level of emotional intensity. Most other scales seemed to reflect both life satisfaction and duration of positive versus negative affect. Of the single item measures, those created by Fordyce were the strongest, whereas for the multi-item scales, several performed at adequate levels. The widely used Bradburn scales showed several undesirable psychometric properties and alternative scales are suggested.
Chlorine-36 in the Waters of the McMurdo Dry Valley Lakes, Southern Victoria Land, Antarctica: Revisited

Abstract We have analyzed water samples from lakes Bonney, Fryxell, and Hoare in the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV) area of southern Victoria Land, Antarctica. These data, coupled with those of earlier work, provide a new view of the sources of chloride ion to these lake systems. Although these lakes lie within the same geologic domain and climatic regime, their chemistries are very different in that the hypolimnions have varying salinities and major ion ratios. The bottom waters of both lobes of Lake Bonney have low 36 Cl:Cl ratios ( −15 ) derived from a probable mixture of seawater (0 × 10 −15 ) and a nearby saline seep (9–10 × 10 −15 ). On the other hand, the 36 Cl:Cl ratio of both the bottom water and the surface water of Lake Hoare, the least saline of the lakes, is similar to ratios found in chloride salts in the local soil and meteoric sources by the earlier work (210 vs. 440 × 10 −15 ) of Carlson et al. 1990 . The water from Lake Fryxell has an intermediate ratio, perhaps indicating a mixture of both meteoric input and “older” chloride. Our recent surface-water measurements from the three lakes demonstrate a very significant decrease in the 36 Cl:Cl ratio from the meltwater that entered the lakes in 1984–1985. These data provide evidence of the dynamic geochemical/hydrological behavior of these lakes, and coupled with the earlier data, help to better define the importance of differing sources of solutes to the lakes.
A Comparison of Computational Approaches in the Molecular Identification of Pathogenic Organisms

Molecular based identification of pathogenic organism is becoming a routine procedure in many diagnostic laboratories. Ribosomal RNA is particularly the most popular choice for this purpose. Although, other targets such as i®cytochrome b', i®rpoB' and i®actin' are highly effective, they have not been extensively used. This could be due to the lack of effective data collection method. We used sequence based exhaustive search of public sequence database to obtain all target sequences. This approach is currently being extended to collect such molecular targets for Nocardia and other slow growing medically important organism.
The Outsourcing of Industrial Design Services by Large US Manufacturing Companies

This article examines the extent to which US producers of durable goods outsource design and development work to external organizations. Evidence from a sample of sixty-eight large manufacturing co...
Flotillin-1 stabilizes caveolin-1 in intestinal epithelial cells.

Flotillins and caveolins represent two types of resident proteins associated with lipid rafts in mammalian cells, however, their possible cross-talk in regulating lipid raft functions remains poorly understood. In this report, we observed that siRNA-mediated down-regulation of flotillin-1 expression which disrupted lipid raft-mediated endocytosis of BODIPY FL C5-lactosylceramide also substantially decreased caveolin-1 level in SK-CO15 human intestinal epithelial cells. The decrease in caveolin-1 expression appeared to be specific for flotillin-1 knock-down and was not observed after down-regulation of flotillin-2. The decrease in caveolin-1 level in flotillin-1-depleted cells was not due to suppression of its mRNA synthesis and was not mimicked by cholesterol depletion of SK-CO15 cells. Furthermore, flotillin-1 dependent down-regulation of caveolin-1 was reversed after cell exposure to lysosomal inhibitor, chloroquine but not proteosomal inhibitor, MG262. Our data suggest that flotillin-1 regulates caveolin-1 level by preventing its lysosomal degradation in intestinal epithelial cells.
Design and Construction of a Polar Remote Interactive Marine Observatory (PRIMO)

A seafloor marine observatory is under development for deployment in Antarctic coastal waters to study and monitor the physical, biological, and biogeochemical processes as a function of global climate change. This observatory will consist of an instrument package on the seafloor 3.5 km from shore in 130 m of water connected the U.S. base Palmer Station by electro-optical cable, providing the capability for internet-based teleoperation by educators, students, and scientists from anywhere in the world
Modifying YCN key assignment scheme to resist the attack from Hwang

This paper presents a modified YCN cryptographic key assignment scheme in a hierarchy with exceptions which is secure against Hwang's attack.
Computing the Singular Value Decomposition on a Distributed System of Vector Processors

Jacobi methods for computing the singular value decomposition (SVD) of a matrix are ideally suited for multiprocessor environments due to their inherent parallelism. In this paper we show how a block version of the two-sided Jacobi method can be used to compute the SVD efficiently on a distributed architecture. We compare two variants of this method that differ mainly in the degree to which they diagonalize a given subproblem. The first method is a true block generalization of the scalar scheme in that each off-diagonal block is completely annihilated. The second method is a scalar Jacobi algorithm reorganized in such a manner that it conforms to the block decomposition of the problem. We have performed experiments on the Loosely Coupled Array Processor (LCAP) system at IBM Kingston which for the purposes of this article can be viewed as a ring of up to ten FPS-164/MAX array processors. These experiments show that the block Jacobi algorithm performs well on a distributed system, especially when the processors have vector processing hardware. As an example, we were able to achieve a sustained performance of 159 MFlops on a 960-by-720 SVD problem using eight processors. A surprising outcome of these experiments is that the determining factor for the performance of the algorithm on a high-performance architecture is the subproblem solver, not the communication overhead of the algorithm.
Making Storytelling Personal: Finding Your User in Your Story

Have you ever asked yourself if we blur the lines between the Who in our user's story and the Me in our personal story? This Workshop is based on the premise that finding our personal stories enhances our capacity to step into our user's shoes for deeper insights that fuel design.Discover engaging parallel stories using a variety of validated processes. Through a thought-provoking, psychodynamic and design-thinking approach, we will detangle each other's stories to reveal tangible translations on multiple levels. The active workshop will consist of planned imaginative prompts and an assortment of expressive modes such as one-minute interviews, drawing, prototype writing, and simulations.The overall process will draw us closer to our users and to ourselves, while creating necessary distance as we discover story overlaps. Each of us will leave with fresh insight into the Why we are designing, and more clarity into the potential impact of our design initiatives.
Sociometric and autonomic responses to three levels of self‐disclosure in dyads

This investigation tested two hypotheses: (1) the relationship between autonomic responses (measured using the electromyograph, EMG, and galvanic skin response, GSR) and the reception of increasingly intimate self‐disclosure from opposite‐sexed strangers is linear; and (2) the relationship between the reception of increasingly intimate self‐disclosures and partner preference is curvilinear. Confederates disclosed at three levels of intimacy to dyad partners in a sex x topic x disclosure‐level repeated measures analysis of variance design. Both research hypotheses were supported with effects of sex and topic negligible.
Generalized unitarity and the worldsheet S matrix in AdSn×Sn×M10−2n

The integrability-based solution of string theories related to AdS n /CFT n−1 dualities relies on the worldsheet S matrix. Using generalized unitarity we construct the terms with logarithmic dependence on external momenta at one- and two-loop order in the world-sheet S matrix for strings in a general integrable worldsheet theory. We also discuss aspects of calculations at higher orders. The S-matrix elements are expressed as sums of integrals with coefficients given in terms of tree-level worldsheet four-point scattering amplitudes. Off-diagonal one-loop rational functions, not determined by two-dimensional unitarity cuts, are fixed by symmetry considerations. They play an important role in the determination of the two-loop logarithmic contributions. We illustrate the general analysis by computing the logarithmic terms in the one- and two-loop four-particle S-matrix elements in the massive worldsheet sectors of string theory in AdS5×S5, AdS4×CP3, AdS3×S3×S3×S1 and AdS3×S3×T4. We explore the structure of the S matrices and provide explicit evidence for the absence of higher-order logarithms and for the exponentiation of the one-loop dressing phase.
The Political Ideas of Christian Democracy

The American conception of party affiliation is one of a partial and provisional commitment based on specific and concrete interests. The historic continental European conception of partisanship has tended to be one of a commitment to a complete value system with a correspondingly exclusive network of social institutions, encapsulating the individual in all his ramifications from birth to death. European political movements have tended to be "closed universes" based on exclusive and logically complete philosophical systems-the Weltanschauungsparteien of Max Weber., During the course of the nineteenth and present centuries the four most significant ideological communities in Western Europe have been Catholicism, Protestantism, Liberalism, and Socialism. The exclusiveness and irreconcilability of these communities-partly based on genuine conflicts of economic and social interest, but more fundamentally on differences in interpretation of man's nature and destiny-have been responsible for much of the tragic record of civil unrest and instability which has been the history of Western Europe in the last hundred years. In some countries, and during certain periods, there have been relatively stable alliances between these movements, but they have always been troubled, even in the areas of greatest stability, by the "integralists" whether of the Jacobin, Catholic, or Marxist variety. They have been most ready to make domestic peace in the interest of waging external war. During the last fifty years or so conciliatory tendencies
A Comparison of Three-Flat Tests

Three-flat tests are measurement procedures to separate errors in the interferometer reference wave-front from errors due to the test part surface. We present a comparison of several three-flat test algorithms.
Gastrointestinal arrhythmias are associated with statistically significant fluctuations in systemic information dimension

Although cardiac arrhythmias have been studied extensively, little is known about arrhythmic phenomena in the gastrointestinal (GI) system. In this study, we demonstrate for the first time that the onset of GI arrhythmias is associated with statistically significant fluctuations in the information dimension of the associated systems. We induced gastric and intestinal arrhythmias in pigs using surgical stomach division and mesenteric artery ligation, respectively. Both conditions lead to a decreased supply of blood to the GI tract, which is associated in humans with various potentially lethal conditions including chronic mesenteric ischemia, whose mortality rate is over 60%. During our experiments, we recorded simultaneous magnetocardiographic, magnetogastrographic and magnetoenterographic signals and concluded that, when GI circulation is compromised, the information dimensionality of the system fluctuates significantly. In conclusion, dimensionality may be an important diagnostic factor for the characterization of arrhythmias in the context of GI pathophysiology.
Black-hole thermodynamics and singular solutions of the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff equation

Thermodynamic equilibrium of a self-gravitating perfect fluid for a spherically symmetric system containing a black hole of mass M is investigated by means of the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff (TOV) equation. A singular family of solutions of the TOV equation is described. At r≫2M these solutions can be used to represent a perfect fluid (i.e., photon gas) of temperature T_(BH) =(8πM)^(−1) in equilibrium with a Schwarzschild black hole. The energy density is positive at all r>0. A singular negative point mass resides at r=0.
Brittle-ductile transition in intrinsic fracture behavior of crystals.

A transition of brittle to ductile propagation of a sharp crack in a crystal is observed by molecular-dynamics simulation and the transition mechanism shown to be the emission of dislocations at the crack tip and activation of specific slip systems appropriate to the crystal structure. Implications for extension of current theories are discussed.
Occult primary breast cancer at a comprehensive cancer center

Abstract Background Management of occult primary breast cancer (OPBC), that is, breast cancer that first presents through regional nodal or distant disease without clinical or mammographic evidence of disease in the breast, has been controversial and inconsistent. Here, we review OPBC patients treated at our institution. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of women diagnosed with a first primary breast cancer between March 1999 and September 2010 to identify patients who presented with isolated axillary lymphadenopathy proven to be histologically consistent with primary breast malignancy but had no evidence of a breast mass on physical examination, mammography, or ultrasound. Descriptions of treatments received, recurrence, morbidity, and mortality as of October 2012 are reported. Results Of 5533 patients reviewed, seven (0.1%) patients were identified. The median age was 65 y old (range, 40–72), and the median length of follow-up was 86 mo (range, 42–124). Four patients underwent modified radical mastectomy, one patient had a lumpectomy and axillary lymph node dissection, and two patients had axillary lymph node dissection without breast surgery. Four patients received adjuvant radiation therapy. All seven patients received chemotherapy. Three patients received endocrine therapy, and two patients received anti-HER2 therapy. At the last follow-up, all seven patients were alive with no evidence of disease. Conclusions Although there was some variation in the management of OPBC at our institution, our patients had excellent outcomes after multimodal treatment. Our results support a curative intent approach to the treatment of OPBC and illustrate the need for individualized treatment algorithms based on tumor biology and extent of the disease at diagnosis.
Dynamics of irreversible island growth during submonolayer epitaxy.

The nucleation and growth of two-dimensional islands during the submonolayer stage of epitaxial growth is studied with kinetic Monte Carlo simulations and mean-field rate equations. Previous work on irreversible growth is extended to include relaxation of island shapes by edge diffusion. Island morphologies range from ramified structures at low temperatures to compact, polygonal shapes at higher temperatures. Using a self-consistent calculation of the rate coefficients, [ital quantitative] agreement is obtained between the solution to coupled, mean-field rate equations and the simulation results for average quantities. The island size distribution function is described by a single universal scaling function.'' The average island size is the only important scale for determining island densities. It is shown that the general form of the scaling [ital ansatz] applies to wider range of coverages than anticipated previously. This scaling form is combined with the solution to the rate equations to explore explicitly the [ital D]/[ital F] dependence of the number density of islands ([ital D] is the surface diffusion coefficient and [ital F] is the deposition flux).
Process induces fiber orientation: Numerical simulation with experimental verification

The performance of short fiber molded composite structures is determined uniquely by the properties of the molding material and the process induced fiber orientation. Consequently, the capability to accurately predict the fiber orientation distribution is of fundamental importance in computer-aided mold design. Methodology for the numerical prediction of fiber orientation during the mold-fill process is presented for a short glass fiber thermoset (57 percent phenolic resin, 10 percent calcium carbonate filler, and 33 percent glass fiber by volume). On the basis of a finite element flow characterization, Jeffery's orientation equation is numerically integrated along streamlines to calculate fiber orientation. Correlation of experimental and numerical results for an end-gated bar with a molded-in hole is reasonably good.
Political parties, electoral competition, government expenditures and economic reform in India

Political analysis of economic policy‐making in India has tended to downplay the role of political parties while stressing the influence of classes and the state. This article reports the results of an attempt to understand policy‐making in India in terms of political parties and their electoral concerns. The analysis will illustrate the extent to which changing patterns of government expenditures can be understood as a result of the emergence of electoral competition to the Congress party. This focus on political parties will also offer an additional perspective on the ability of the ruling party in India to undertake the economic reform necessary for sustained economic growth.
Modeling of ultralyophobicity: suspension of liquid drops by a single asperity.

With the aim of understanding the underlying physical phenomenon associated with utlralyophobic (or super repellent) surfaces, model studies have been performed on single asperities of different size and shape. A small liquid drop was deposited on top of each model asperity, and liquid was sequentially added. If the advancing contact angle was sufficiently large, it was possible to suspend large drops atop asperities with an apparent contact angle approaching 180°. If more and more liquid was added, eventually the suspended drops collapsed. Roughening the surface of the asperities further bolstered suspension. Using an analysis that accounts for both capillary forces and the influence of gravity, the critical suspension volume was correctly predicted for each liquid/asperity combination.
The Federal Government Viewpoint

Abstract The poultry industry will remain an important segment of US agriculture well into the 21st century. The consumer demand for poultry products, especially poultry meat, can be expected to remain strong. Today's key issues for poultry producers, processors, and retailers will likely remain significant through the 1990s: bacterial infections and contamination, other diseases, drug residues, cholesterol and other nutritional concerns, and animal welfare. In all of these areas, government involvement will continue through research and extension. However, future levels of federal involvement are inextricably tied to future levels of appropriated funding for research and extension, an uncertain proposition at best. Although the federal establishment is preparing for a future that may be seriously constrained by reduced budgets, mere are several trends expected to continue until the year 2000 and beyond: 1) Environmental issues will continue to be a major driving force, if not the single most important factor, affecting federal agricultural programs. 2) Research on poultry will focus on improving animal nutrition, preventing disease, breeding for desirable nutritional characteristics such as leanness, and reducing the incidence of bacterial contamination during processing and handling. 3) Without compromising the traditional separation of public and private responsibilities, government and academia and industry will work more closely in identifying problems and developing practical solutions.
Raman spectroscopic studies of Li2SO4

Abstract The normal mode frequency distribution in Li2SO4 is compared with those of LiNaSO4 and LiKSO4. The temperature dependent bandwidth of a low frequency mode attributed to librational motion of the sulfate ion is measured from room temperature to the phase transition temperature at 573°C. The band broadening appears to result from anharmonic contributions up to about 450°C. Above that temperature orientational broadening seems to be the dominant mechanism. The bandwidth of another low frequency mode is observed to diverge as the transition temperature is approached.
Ventricular responses to hypoxemia following chemoreceptor denervation and adrenalectomy

Abstract The sensory system responsible for increased ventricular contractility (VC) during hypoxemia is not fully established. Previous studies have demonstrated that isolated carotid body hypoxia is not associated with an increase of VC.8 However, reflexly increased VC may result from pharmacologic stimulation of the aortic chemoreceptors.9 In order to evaluate their contribution during hypoxia, VC was studied in atropinized cats before and following denervation by bilateral vagotomy. VC was measured under conditions of constant aortic pressure, cardiac output, and heart rate. Arterial blood gases and pH were continuously monitored. With hypoxemia (P o 2 27 to 46 mm. Hg), all cats showed an increase of VC, manifested by an increase of dP dt for a given end-diastolic pressure. The responses were unaltered by bilateral vagotomy. Similar findings were obtained in animals with bilateral carotid body denervation. The increase of VC during hypoxia was not significantly less following adrenalectomy. Beta-adrenergic blockade completely abolished these responses. It is concluded that the increase in VC associated with systemic hypoxia cannot be entirely attributed to aortic or carotid chemoreceptor reflex activity. The influence of stimulation of structures within the central nervous system must also be considered.
Protein phosphorylation and dephosphorylation.

The involvement of protein phosphorylation in cellular regulation has advanced far beyond its origins in the study of metabolic enzymes. Indeed, the current literature abounds with studies demonstrating the importance of phosphorylation events in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic species and in virtually every aspect of cellular function. This makes life diihcult for the reviewer in such an expanding field. Thus, I have selected topics which I believe demonstrate amply the wide swath of protein phosphorylation and which have provided researchers in this field with particular excitement within the last year. I apologize in advance to scientists in those fields not included. The topics chosen emphasize two very active areas of investigation: the role of phosphorylation in nuclear events (cell cycle, gene transcription) and the coupling of ceU surface receptors to IntraceUular regulation through phosphoiylation-dependent mechanisms. Hopefully, reference to the expanded bibliography will fill in some of the gaps for the reader that I have left.
Behavioral consequences of early visual exposure to contours of a single orientation

Kittens were reared with goggles which presented horizontal stripes to both eyes, vertical stripes to both eyes, or horizontal stripes to one eye (HE) and vertical to the other (VE). Acuity was lower than in normally-reared cats, and the axis of best acuity did not correspond to the orientation experienced during rearing. In contrast, there were consistent differences in discrimination between two lines differing in orientation which did reflect visual experience. VE was more accurate in detecting differences in the orientation of near-vertical contours and HE was more accurate in detecting differences of near-horizontal contours.
The use of scripture in Christian ethics

Quelle doit etre l'autorite de l'Ecriture dans le domaine de l'ethique chretienne? L'A. affirme que cette derniere pose de nombreuses questions et que la Bible possede plusieurs niveaux de signification suivant le niveau de discussion de ces questions. La Bible peut contribuer a une interpretation theologique de ce qui se passe. Elle contient des normes selon lesquelles on peut vivre. Les textes bibliques contribuent egalement a la question de nos choix moraux. Savoir si les chretiens doivent justifier des choix moraux en utilisant la Bible reste une question ouverte
Soliton dynamics in the collisions of Bose - Einstein condensates: an analogue of the Josephson effect

The usual mean-field description of trapped atomic Bose - Einstein condensates predicts the existence of solitons in one-dimensional and quasi-one-dimensional confinement. If the net atomic pair interaction is attractive, these solitons appear as coherently propagating matter wavepackets; if it is repulsive, soliton behaviour is seen in the motion of `holes' in the condensate density, the velocity of which is determined by the phase difference between adjoining pieces of condensate, in analogy to the familiar Josephson effect. We explore the properties of these solitons via elementary analytic models and computer simulation, and make specific suggestions for their experimental observation.
Absence of viruses in amniotic fluid of women with PPROM: a case series

Preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) and preterm birth are strongly linked to intrauterine inflammation. Bacterial infection is often not identified as the cause. The objective was to examine the amniotic fluid of women with PPROM for viral genomic content, and to correlate with the presence of bacterial infection and markers of intrauterine inflammation. A case series of 13 women with PPROM is presented. Amniocentesis was performed in each of these women. DNA/RNA isolated from amniotic fluid was tested using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the presence of herpes simplex virus (HSV)-1 and -2, adenovirus, adeno-associated virus-2 (AAV-2), cytomegalovirus (CMV), parvovirus B19, human papilloma viruses (HPV), and enteroviruses. Maternal and neonatal hospital course and laboratory information, including results of amniotic fluid inflammatory marker testing and bacterial culture, were determined from the medical record. All amniotic fluid samples were negative for HSV-1 and HSV-2, adenovirus, AAV-2, CMV, parvovirus B19, HPV, and enteroviruses. Six of the 13 fluid samples (46%) had positive bacterial cultures, including culture for atypical organisms. In a small series of women, viral infection as assessed by the presence of viral genomic content in the amniotic fluid was not associated with PPROM.
Laparoscopically guided bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy

Pelvic node dissection has gained widespread acceptance as the final staging procedure in patients with normal acid phospatase and bone scan free of metastatic disease prior to definitive therapy for cure. However, the procedure has had a high morbidity (20-34%) and a major economic impact on the patient due to lengthy hospitalization and recuperative time. The development of laparoscopic biopsy techniques suggests that the need for open surgical lymphadenectomy may be reduced by a laparoscopically performed lymphadenectomy. The goal of this report is to investigate the possibility of laparoscopic pelvic lymphadenectomy in an animal model. Our interest in laparoscopy is based on the ability of this technique to permit tissue removal without the need for major incisions. In laparoscopic cholecystectomy and laparoscopic appendectomy, the surgical procedure is essentially unaltered. The diseased organ is removed and there is no need for a large abdominal incision.
Slow Kinetics of Brownian Maxima

We study extreme-value statistics of Brownian trajectories in one dimension. We define the maximum as the largest position to date and compare maxima of two particles undergoing independent Brownian motion. We focus on the probability P(t) that the two maxima remain ordered up to time t and find the algebraic decay P ∼ t(-β) with exponent β = 1/4. When the two particles have diffusion constants D(1) and D(2), the exponent depends on the mobilities, β = (1/π) arctan sqrt[D(2)/D(1)]. We also use numerical simulations to investigate maxima of multiple particles in one dimension and the largest extension of particles in higher dimensions.
FCC policy on CB radio: Impact on consumer decision making

Abstract A consumer decision making model was created and tested in research sponsored by the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC was considering a series of policy changes with regard to equipment and rules of operation. Discriminant and regression statistical results were combined into a simulation model which projected the impact of the proposed policy changes.
Analysis of regenerating hepatic cell replication in vivo by differential chromatid staining

. The cell cycle of mouse hepatic cells was examined in vivo following partial hepatectomy, by differential chromatid staining in the presence of non-inhibitory concentrations of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU). Using this technique, distribution curves were obtained for the appearance of metaphase cells in successive generations, and mean cell cycle time (11 hr) was determined. Cell cycle times derived with this technique are several-fold faster than previous reports of regenerating liver which used radionucleotide labelling.
HIV Transmission in Sexual Networks: An Empirical Analysis

Risk behaviour and egocentric sexual network data collected from a large random sample of young gay men in San Francisco were analysed to assess the importance of sexual mixing (i. e. sexual networks) in the acquisition of HIV. These data were collected in 1993, during wave one of a longitudinal cohort study of HIV transmission in gay men; the seroprevalence level in the sample was 18%. We identify recent sexual mixing patterns and we demonstrate that seropositives and seronegatives have very different age stratified sexual mixing patterns. We show that sexual mixing can explain the current seroprevalence patterns in the young gay community; seroprevalence levels in risk groups reflect the degree of sexual mixing with the older (and more heavily infected) age group. Our results suggest that seropositives became infected with HIV not simply owing to an increased rate of acquisition of sex partners, but also as a result of their sexual mixing pattern. We develop and apply a simple methodology that uses the sexual network data in combination with risk behaviour data to estimate the future number of seroconverters. Our methodology is validated by testing our predictions against the observed seroconversion data collected during wave two of the cohort study in 1994. Our analyses empirically demonstrate (for the first time) the significance of sexual mixing as a risk factor for HIV transmission.