cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inflammation and Growth Factors

ABSTRACTPurpose: Pathways of inflammation culminating in tissue repair and scarring are defined.Materials and Methods: Inflammatory responses were induced in vitro and in vivo to monitor the mechanisms of leukocyte activation, the inflammatory products generated, the resolution of the response and tissue repair.Results: Recruitment and activation of circulating leukocytes at sites of trauma and inflammation are essential to debridement, clearance of infectious organisms and repair of tissue injury. Once activated, infiltrating leukocytes generate a plethora of inflammatory mediators important in host defense. However, failure to clear the original stimulus and resolve the inflammatory response results in persistent release of these mediators, including cytokines, enzymes, eicosanoids, and reactive nitrogen and oxygen intermediates, which can cause tissue damage. Overabundant matrix generation during the chronic repair process may cause fibro-obstructive pathology.Conclusions: Disruption of these pathways,...
Response of continental magmatic arcs to regional tectonic changes recorded by synorogenic plutons in the middle crust: An example from the Coast Mountains of British Columbia

Abstract The Coast Mountains of British Columbia record an increase in magmatic activity, acceleration in exhumation rate, and a change from transpression to extension between ∼60 and 52 Ma. Structural analysis of fabrics in three mid-crustal plutons and country-rocks leads to conclusions about pluton emplacement mechanisms and strain partitioning during changing tectonic conditions. The Quottoon and Kitlope plutons (∼60 Ma) have steep foliations and lineations consistent with partitioned transpressional deformation. The Chief Matthew’s pluton (∼57–55 Ma) intruded during the formation of a sub-horizontal transposition foliation, and has radially distributed lineations consistent with sub-vertical flattening during extension. The change in orientation of the foliation represents an almost orthogonal rotation of the shortening direction from sub-horizontal to sub-vertical. The Chief Mathew’s pluton is interpreted to intrude initially into gently dipping fractures perpendicular to the steeply dipping foliation. These melt-filled fractures acted as conduits for melt, triggering horizontal flow, and eventually formed kilometer-scale sills. The steeply dipping fabrics of the Coast shear-zone provided pathways for melt to ascended from lower to middle-crustal depths. Partitioning deformation into three-dimensional domains of flattening, simple shear, and constrictional strain created the space for plutons. This pattern of deformation reflects the interaction of regional deformation with magma emplacement.
HCl uptake through films of pentanoic acid and pentanoic acid/hexanol mixtures at the surface of sulfuric acid.

Molecular beam scattering experiments are used to investigate collisions and reactions of HCl with deuterated sulfuric acid containing 0−0.2 M pentanoic acid (PA) and mixtures of PA and hexanol. Surface tension measurements at 296 K indicate that PA segregates to the surface of the acid, reaching coverages of 58% and 52% of maximum packing on 60 and 68 wt % D2SO4, respectively. We find that these films increase HCl entry into the acid at low PA surface coverage at 213 K. This enhancement is attributed to the dissociation of HCl molecules that come into contact with surface COOH groups and protonate them. At higher coverages, the PA film becomes more compact and impedes HCl uptake. Comparisons with films of pure hexanol and pentanoic acid/hexanol mixtures indicate that surface OH groups are more effective than COOH groups in catalyzing HCl entry. They also suggest that the PA films consist of patchy regions of tightly packed molecules, which are pushed away from the surface upon addition of the more surfac...
Phase 2 trial of mifepristone (RU-486) in advanced or recurrent endometrioid adenocarcinoma or low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of mifepristone (RU-486) in women with advanced or recurrent endometrioid adenocarcinoma or low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (LGESS). METHODS: Mifepristone (RU-486; 200 mg orally) was given daily to patients with progesterone receptor-positive advanced or recurrent endometrioid adenocarcinoma or LGESS. Patients were evaluated every 4 weeks for toxicity and response. Quality-of-life data were obtained using the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale and Functional Assessment for Cancer Therapy. RESULTS: Twelve of 13 enrolled patients were evaluable in the first phase of accrual. Stable disease was noted in 3 of 12 patients (at 8 weeks, 12 weeks, and ≥77 weeks, respectively), and the median time to disease progression was 48 days. Among the patients who had stable disease, 2 women had endometrioid endometrial cancer, and 1 woman had LGESS. No partial or complete responses were observed. The most frequent grade 1 and 2 toxicities were anorexia, fatigue, and mood alterations observed in 50%, 50%, and 58% of patients, respectively. The most common grade 3 toxicities were fatigue and dyspnea observed in 25% and 17% of patients, respectively. One patient experienced grade 4 dyspnea. Thirty-three percent of patients had asymptomatic elevations of corticotropin. No serious treatment-related adverse events occurred. There were no significant changes in quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: Single-agent mifepristone used in the treatment of recurrent endometrioid adenocarcinoma or LGESS resulted in a stable disease rate of 25%. One patient who had a biopsy-positive disease recurrence remained stable at 77 weeks. Although mifepristone was tolerated well, as a single agent, it provided limited response as a single agent in women with progesterone receptor-positive uterine tumors. Recently, was been recognized that biologic agents used as single agents may result only in stable disease unless they are combined with cytotoxic agents. The authors concluded that further research into the best mode of application for mifepristone in the treatment of endometrial cancer is needed. Cancer 2009. © 2009 American Cancer Society.
Original Intent, History, and Levy's Establishment Clause

When one of our leading constitutional historians takes on the doctrine of "original intent," there is reason for celebration, but also for alarm. On the one hand, it is good to see some serious scholarship in an area that has been marked by rhetoric. On the other, the very act of doing historical work on the question tends to legitimate it. Worse yet, there is the risk that incorrect conclusions will be drawn from the historical record and that the nature of historical inquiry itself will be transformed by the enterprise. Leonard Levy's The Establishment Clause displays both the promise and the problems of work of this type. The book offers important historical work on the religious practices in the states at the time of the Constitution's ratification, but the record Levy presents fails to support his position in the original intent debate. This debate, which is really two debates, questions whether the establishment clause should be interpreted today as it was understood at the time of the founding; and if so, whether the founders favored general, nondiscriminatory aid to religion. Without expressly taking a stand on the first question, Levy answers the second by arguing that nondiscriminatory aid for religion was not supported at the time the Bill of Rights was enacted. Yet, by grounding his arguments for a "no-aid" or separationist reading of the establishment clause on evidence from the time of the framers, Levy by implication takes a pro-original in-
Malunion following flexible intramedullary nails for tibial and femoral fractures in adolescents.

Purpose Flexible intramedullary nails (FIN) are increasingly used in the management of paediatric tibial and femoral fractures. Concerns have recently been raised regarding the use of FIN in older children. The aim of this study was to determine how effective FIN is in treating tibial and femoral fractures in adolescents.
Regulation of presynaptic calcium in a mammalian synaptic terminal.

Ca2+ signaling in synaptic terminals plays a critical role in neurotransmitter release and short-term synaptic plasticity. In the present study, we examined the role of synaptic Ca2+ handling mecha...
The role of second law analysis in geothermal economics

Abstract Second law analysis plays an important role in the economics of geothermal energy. The second law operates mainly through the temperature of the geothermal fluid, since the sink temperature in geothermal systems, for practical purposes, is fixed by climatic conditions. The value of a geothermal fluid is largely determined by its available work, or exergy. The exergy and value of a geothermal fluid increase rapidly with temperature over the normal range of geothermal resource temperatures. Geothermal resources vary in temperature from ambient to over 300 °C. The cost of generating electricity from geothermal resources is very sensitive to the resource temperature, and to other factors in combination with temperature.
Far ultraviolet radiation in the night sky

Abstract Rocket measurements have shown that the night sky is aglow with a diffuse Lyman-α (1216 A) emission amounting to 10 −2 erg cm −2 sec −1 from the entire hemisphere. The glow was so bright that celestial sources of Lyman-α could not be detected through it. At wavelengths near 1300 A discrete celestial sources were observed, which contributed 10 −4 erg cm −2 sec −1 from the entire sky in the wavelength interval 1225–1350 A.
Humour: A signpost virtue for authentic Christian moral conversion

Conversion has been challenged as inauthentic and not easily observable by a number of modern philosophers and contemporary secular humanists. Christianity contends otherwise, discerning moral conversion as a well-turned movement towards God, neighbour, self and world by means of evolving, free personal choice that unfolds in the narrative of human existence imaginatively and with an awareness of and desire for that which is truly valuable and not merely personally satisfying. Humour or eutrapelia as virtue indispensably establishes the authenticity and attractiveness of conversion, especially when informed by the theological virtues of faith, hope and love.
Photographic Framing in the Stem Cell Debate: Integrating Eye-Tracking Data for a New Dimension of Media Effects Research

A growing body of research examines media framing of key scientific issues of our time, specifically, those issues that include political and moral components, such as global climate change and stem cell research. In regard to the mass media, framing refers to the process by which the media organize and make sense of the news, which has an effect on how audiences perceive that news. The majority of framing research examines textual news. Little examines the content and effects of photographic news. This study uses a pretest-posttest experimental design to test for effects of photographic framing in the stem cell research debate. In addition, the study combines a traditional framing effects study with eye-tracking data to provide for a new dimension of framing effects research. Results did not show significant effects between experimental condition and participant perception of the predominant issues in the stem cell research debate or participant perception of the message. However, on the basis of eye-tra...
The electronic spectra of thiobenzophenone and its derivatives

Abstract The effect of the hydroxyl, methoxy, dimethylamino groups as well as the charged O- atom at the end of the conjugated system (1) of thiobenzophenone on the positions of the corresponding K-bands and R-bands is discussed.
The Seismic Response of the San Bernardino Basin Region during the 2001 Big Bear Lake Earthquake

Abstract The 2001 Big Bear Lake earthquake ( M w 4.63) was recorded by over 30 strong-motion instruments in the San Bernardino basin region of southern California. At periods longer than about 1 sec, the ground motions in the central portion of the basin have significantly larger amplitudes and extended durations of strong shaking relative to sites outside the basin. In many cases, the peak motions at the basin sites occur 10 or more seconds after the direct S -wave arrival, suggesting that these arrivals are controlled by basin-generated surface waves. To model these motions, I have performed finite-difference simulations using a 3D representation of the basin velocity structure. The basin structure has a minimum shear velocity of 250 m/sec, which coupled with the model grid spacing of 50 m yields a bandwidth resolution limit of T >1 sec for the numerical simulations. The simulations do quite well at reproducing the observed waveforms, amplitudes, and durations at periods of 3 sec and longer. At shorter periods (1–2 sec), the fit to the recorded motions is less well resolved, especially in matching the waveforms of the later-arriving phases. This suggests that in regions of complex geology, deterministic waveform modeling at periods approaching 1 sec involves more than simply reducing the minimum velocity threshold and, in particular, requires knowledge of the subsurface structure and distribution of seismic velocities at relatively short length scales (on the order of 50 m).
THE MISPLACED ROLE OF RATIONAL CHOICE IN NEUTRALIZATION THEORY

This study addresses one point in neutralization theory. It is often maintained that techniques of neutralization relieve moral constraints which allow for individuals to commit delinquent behavior. Drawing on the body of knowledge concerning vocabularies of motives, it is argued here that motives in deviancy theory should not be viewed in such positivist/causal terms. Techniques of neutralization are motives which are more accurately utilized after behavior is committed and only when such behavior is called into question. It is also argued that the use of motives and the types of motives should indicate the degree of conflict involved in the question situation.
Physics and design of a SOI Field-Effect-Diode memory cell

The SOI Field-Effect-Diode (FED) resembles a p-i-n diode to which two closely spaced independent gates have been added between the anode (A) and the cathode (K) [1]. The interesting property of this diode (and the source of its varied applications) is that by suitably biasing these two gates the diode can be operated in the ON or OFF state, much like a Silicon-Controlled-Rectifier (SRC). We have previously used it to design FED-based Electrostatic-Discharge-Protection (ESD) devices [1][2][3]. In this paper, building on our previous work [4][5] we explain how it can also be used as a memory cell, and establish the design guidelines and timing diagrams for optimum cell operation in terms of area, speed and retention.
Beijing's Great Game: Understanding Chinese Strategy in Central Eurasia

A compelling case for concluding that China's interest in the Central Asia region goes back to the beginning of modern state building and represents an evolving frontier stabilization-cum-imperial project involving economic, military, and diplomatic components that continue to today.
BLOC-2, AP-3, and AP-1 proteins function in concert with Rab38 and Rab32 proteins to mediate protein trafficking to lysosome-related organelles

Lysosome-related organelles (LROs) are synthesized in specialized cell types where they largely coexist with conventional lysosomes. Most of the known cellular transport machinery involved in biogenesis are ubiquitously expressed and shared between lysosomes and LROs. Examples of common components are the adaptor protein complex-3 (AP-3) and biogenesis of lysosome-related organelle complex (BLOC)-2. These protein complexes control sorting and transport of newly synthesized integral membrane proteins from early endosomes to both lysosomes and LROs such as the melanosome. However, it is unknown what factors cooperate with the ubiquitous transport machinery to mediate transport to LROs in specialized cells. Focusing on the melanosome, we show that the ubiquitous machinery interacts with cell type-specific Rab proteins, Rab38 and Rab32, to facilitate transport to the maturing organelle. BLOC-2, AP-3, and AP-1 coimmunoprecipitated with Rab38 and Rab32 from MNT-1 melanocytic cell extracts. BLOC-2, AP-3, AP-1, and clathrin partially colocalized with Rab38 and Rab32 by confocal immunofluorescence microscopy in MNT-1 cells. Rab38- and Rab32-deficient MNT-1 cells displayed abnormal trafficking and steady state levels of known cargoes of the BLOC-2, AP-3, and AP-1 pathways, the melanin-synthesizing enzymes tyrosinase and tyrosinase-related protein-1. These observations support the idea that Rab38 and Rab32 are the specific factors that direct the ubiquitous machinery to mediate transport from early endosomes to maturing LROs. Additionally, analysis of tyrosinase-related protein-2 and total melanin production indicates that Rab32 has unique functions that cannot be carried out by Rab38 in melanosome biogenesis.
An analysis of seed development in Pisum sativum. XIII, The chemical induction of storage product mutants

In an attempt to generate more variation of the type represented by the rugosus loci, r and rb, putative seed development mutants have been isolated from peas (Pisum sativum L.) following chemical mutagenesis of a round-seeded (RRRbRb) genotype. The populations segregating for wrinkled seeds at the M3 generation were examined for their starch, lipid and protein content. The starch content of the wrinkled-type variants was between 0 and 55 % with an amylose content between 0 and 80 %, compared with 51 % and 30 %, respectively, for the round-seeded parent. When the range of compositions of the wrinkled-type seed was grouped, the values indicated that similar phenotypic groups to the wild type (RRRbRb) and the rugosus types (rrRbRb, RRrbrb and rrrbrb) existed in the population. The lipid content of the putative mutants supported this conclusion. Furthermore, some of the values for starch content and composition, and for lipid content indicated that new mutants had been induced. The material represents the first report on chemically-induced mutants of legumes with altered storage product composition.
Prediction of Vocal Severity Within and Across Voice Types

Fifty-one subjects representing diverse laryngeal etiologies recorded /a/ and /i/ to provide a study sample of 102 vowel sounds. Listeners categorized each vowel on the basis of four voice types (n...
Angiotensin-antibody interaction. I. Induction of the antibody response.

Abstract Antisera to angiotensin I and II were readily induced in rabbits by a single multiple-site immunization. For immunization, the peptides were absorbed to polyvinylpyrrolidone and emulsified with Freund's complete adjuvant. Low passive hemagglutination titers were apparent within 4 weeks of immunization, with the response peaking during the second to third month. Reimmunization at 5 months elicited an anamnestic response in some of the animals. The antibodies were active in complement fixation tests and were of the 7S type.
What Do We Owe Them: Veterans, Disability and the Privatization of American Civic Life

ABSTRACT This essay explores the privatization of American civic life and the consequences that privatization may pose for veterans of the United States Armed Forces, particularly those with disabilities, in terms of their reliance on the commitment that the American people have embraced regarding the provision of service- and disability-related benefits. The essay relies on historical, theoretical, and ethnographic perspectives. The conclusions are that, while the commitment made by the American people to veterans is a significant value, it must be considered in light of the distinctions between the ethical prescriptions and moral complexities considering policy issues in a climate of changing national priorities and the embedded nature of social and moral life.
Approximation to Probability of Detection for Log-Normal Target Fluctuation

A relatively simple expression for the approximation to the probability of detection of a log-normally fluctuating target is provided. Absolute errors normally have a magnitude less than 0.01.
Data processing by the chemotaxis machinery of Escherichia coli.

THE chemotactic behaviour of Escherichia coli provides a useful model for study of the molecular basis of a simple stimulus-response sequence1. Chemical stimuli are detected by specific receptors2 which in turn alter the rotation of the flagella3 to elicit movement towards attractants or away from repellents. About twenty types of chemoreceptors have been identified in E. coli4–6, suggesting that a communication system transmits sensory data from the receptors to the flagella, and that signals from different receptors converge either before or on reaching the flagella. I have attempted to dissect this system by isolating and examining nonchemotactic (che) mutants of the type first described in E. coli by Armstrong et al.7. In this report I summarise the properties of che mutants and derive a model of the chemotaxis machinery based on this genetic analysis.
Footprints in the cache

This paper develops an analytical model for cache-reload transients and compares the model to observations based on several address traces. The cache-reload transient is the set of cache misses that occur when a process is reinitiated after being suspended temporarily. For example, an interrupt program that runs periodically experiences a reload transient at each initiation. The reload transient depends on the cache size and on the sizes of the footprints in the cache of the competing programs, where a program footprint is defined to be the set of lines in the cache in active use by the program. The model shows that the size of the transient is related to the normal distribution function. A simulation based on program-address traces shows excellent agreement between the model and the observations.
Shallow Radar (SHARAD), pedestal craters, and the lost Martian layers: Initial assessments

[1] Since their discovery, Martian pedestal craters have been interpreted as remnants of layers that were once regionally extensive but have since been mostly removed. Pedestals span from subkilometer to hundreds of kilometers, but their thickness is less than ∼500 m. Except for a small equatorial concentration in the Medusae Fossae Formation, the nearly exclusive occurrence of pedestal craters in the middle and high latitudes of Mars has led to the suspicion that the lost units bore a significant fraction of volatiles, such as water ice. Recent morphological characterizations of pedestal deposits have further supported this view. Here we employ radar soundings obtained by the Shallow Radar (SHARAD) to investigate the volumes of a subset of the pedestal population, in concert with high-resolution imagery to assist our interpretations. From the analysis of 97 pedestal craters we find that large pedestals (diameter >30 km) are relatively transparent to radar in their majority, with SHARAD being able to detect the base of the pedestal deposits, and possess an average dielectric permittivity of 4 ± 0.5. In one of the cases of large pedestals in Malea Planum, layering is detected both in SHARAD data and in high-resolution imagery of the pedestal margins. We find that clutter is a major issue in the analysis of radar soundings for smaller pedestals, and tentative detection of the basal reflection occurs in only a few of the cases examined. These detections yield a higher average permittivity of ∼6. The permittivity value derived for the larger pedestals, for which a basal reflection is unambiguous, is higher than that of pure water ice but lower than that of most silicate materials. A mixture of ice and silicates or an ice-free porous silicate matrix can explain a permittivity of ∼4, and radar alone cannot resolve this nonuniqueness. Data from the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer (CRISM) tentatively confirms a mafic component in at least one pedestal in Malea Planum. Interpretation of SHARAD results can support either a mixture of ice and silicates or a porous silicate. The former is compatible with a model where nonpolar ice is periodically deposited in the midlatitudes as a result of obliquity variations. The latter is compatible with ash deposits, at least in where pedestals appear in volcanic centers such as Malea Planum.
Social and behavioral characteristics of young adult drink/drivers adjusted for level of alcohol use.

Background: Alcohol consumption and drink/driving are positively correlated and many predictors of alcohol use also predict drink/driving. Past research has not fully distinguished the contributions of personal risk factors from the level of alcohol use in the prediction of drink/driving. As a result, the extent to which predictors are specific to drink/driving, versus due to a mutual association to alcohol use, is unclear. Methods: This study examined the unique and shared risk factors for drink/driving and alcohol use, and examined the attributable risk (AR) associated with predictors of drink/driving while adjusting for alcohol use. Study data were from a telephone survey of 3,480 Michigan-licensed young adults who were drinkers. Four groups of drink/drivers were formed based on the prior 12-month maximum severity of drink/driving: (1) never drink/driving; (2) driving at least once within an hour of 1 or 2 drinks; (3) driving within an hour of 3 or more drinks or while feeling the effects of alcohol; and (4) drinking while driving. Results: Lower perceived risk of drink/driving, greater social support for drinking and drink/ driving, greater aggression and delinquency, more cigarette smoking, and more risky driving behaviors uniquely predicted drink/driving severity in models adjusted for alcohol use. The largest ARs were associated with social support for drinking and drink/driving and perceived risk of drink/driving. Conclusions: These results confirm that alcohol use and drink/driving share risk factors, but also indicate that part of the variation in these factors is specific to drink/driving. Implications for interventions to reduce drink/driving are discussed.
Enantiomere Naturstoffe: Vorkommen und Biogenese

In der Natur werden chirale Substanzen meist in enantiomerenreiner Form synthetisiert – manchmal entstehen aber auch beide Enantiomere. Solche enantiomeren Naturstoffe konnen von einer Art oder von verschiedenen Gattungen und/oder Arten gebildet werden. Intensive Forschungen wurden uber viele Jahre durchgefuhrt, um die Biogenese naturlich vorkommender Enantiomere zu verstehen, doch viele faszinierende Ratsel und stereochemische Anomalien sind nach wie vor ungelost.
Role of nucleosomal occupancy in the epigenetic silencing of the MLH1 CpG island.

Epigenetic silencing of tumor suppressor genes is generally thought to involve DNA cytosine methylation, covalent modifications of histones, and chromatin compaction. Here, we show that silencing of the three transcription start sites in the bidirectional MLH1 promoter CpG island in cancer cells involves distinct changes in nucleosomal occupancy. Three nucleosomes, almost completely absent from the start sites in normal cells, are present on the methylated and silenced promoter, suggesting that epigenetic silencing may be accomplished by the stable placement of nucleosomes into previously vacant positions. Activation of the promoter by demethylation with 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine involves nucleosome eviction. Epigenetic silencing of tumor suppressor genes may involve heritable changes in nucleosome occupancy enabled by cytosine methylation.
Motoneuron Programmed Cell Death in Response to proBDNF

Motoneurons (MN) as well as most neuronal populations undergo a temporally and spatially specific period of programmed cell death (PCD). Several factors have been considered to regulate the survival of MNs during this period, including availability of muscle-derived trophic support and activity. The possibility that target-derived factors may also negatively regulate MN survival has been considered, but not pursued. Neurotrophin precursors, through their interaction with p75NTR and sortilin receptors have been shown to induce cell death during development and following injury in the CNS. In this study, we find that muscle cells produce and secrete proBDNF. ProBDNF through its interaction with p75NTR and sortilin, promotes a caspase-dependent death of MNs in culture. We also provide data to suggest that proBDNF regulates MN PCD during development in vivo. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 72: 699–712, 2012
Beverage patterns and trends among school-aged children in the US, 1989-2008

High intake of sugar-sweetened beverages in childhood is linked to increased risk of obesity and type II diabetes later in life. Using three nationally representative surveys of dietary intake, we investigated beverage patterns and trends among US school-aged children from 1989/91 to 2007/08. 3, 583 participants ages 6-11 y old were included. We reported per capita trends in beverage consumption, percent consuming, and amount per consumer for the following categories of beverages: sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB), caloric nutritional beverages (CNB) and low calorie beverages (LCB). Statistically significant differences were tested using the Student's t test in Stata 11. While per capita kcal contribution from total beverages remained constant over the study period, per capita consumption of SSBs increased and CNBs decreased in similar magnitude. The substantial increase in consumption of certain SSBs, such as fruit drinks and soda, high fat high sugar milk, and sports drinks, coupled with the decrease in consumption of high fat low sugar milk was responsible for this shift. The percent consuming SSBs as well as the amount per consumer increased significantly over time. Per capita intake of total milk declined, but the caloric contribution from high fat high sugar milk increased substantially. Among ethnicities, important differences in consumption trends of certain SSBs and 100% juice indicate the complexity in determining strategies for children's beverage calorie reduction. As upward trends of SSB consumption parallel increases in childhood obesity, educational and policy interventions should be considered.
Unconscious Pregnancy Fantasies as an Underlying Dynamism in Panic Disorder

Unconscious pregnancy fantasies are outlined as an underlying dynamic organizer to the panic experience in some patients with panic disorder. Detailed case material from the treatment of two childless panic patients, one male and one female (nonpregnant) is presented to illustrate this. A literature review found reports of nine nonpregnant patients, none exposed to a pregnant analyst, in whom these fantasies are described as central. Four of these patients had a psychiatric syndrome consistent with panic and agoraphobia. Some mechanisms that may underlie these connections are explored.
Cell Size and Rate of Protein Synthesis in Ventral Horn Neurones

Autoradiographic studies show that small ventral horn neurones synthesize protein at a greater rate per unit area of cytoplasm than do large ones. It is suggested that this is related to the faster rate of firing of the smaller neurones.
Mercury Emissions From High-Temperature Sources in the NY/NJ Hudson-Raritan Basin

This report presents some of the results of a study conducted for the New York Academy of Sciences on the sources of past and current emissions of mercury in the Hudson-Raritan basin (HRB), an area of 42,000 square kilometers with a population of fifteen million. Mercury emissions to the atmosphere are reported from all high temperature processes, such as utility, commercial and residential boilers, secondary iron and steel smelters, Waste-to-Energy (WTE) plants, and sewage sludge incinerators. At present, the primary sources of atmospheric emissions in HRB are utility and industrial boilers (873 kilograms of mercury/year), secondary iron and steel plants (595 kg), Waste-to-Energy plants (147 kg), and sewage sludge incinerators (90 kg). The total deposition of mercury from the atmosphere on the surface of HRB was estimated at about 1,100 kilograms per year. The study examined in detail the decrease in mercury emissions from WTE plants. A metric was developed that expresses emissions from WTE plants as kilograms of mercury per million tons of MSW combusted. It was shown that reported annual emissions of mercury from the U.S. WTE plants have decreased from a high of 81,800 kilograms in 1989 to an estimated 2,200 kilograms at the present time.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
VLSI architecture of NEO spike detection with noise shaping filter and feature extraction using informative samples

An emerging class of multi-channel neural recording systems aims to simultaneously monitor the activity of many neurons by miniaturizing and increasing the number of recording channels. Vast volume of data from the recording systems, however, presents a challenge for processing and transmitting wirelessly. An on-chip neural signal processor is needed for filtering uninterested recording samples and performing spike sorting. This paper presents a VLSI architecture of a neural signal processor that can reliably detect spike via a nonlinear energy operator, enhance spike signal over noise ratio by a noise shaping filter, and select meaningful recording samples for clustering by using informative samples. The architecture is implemented in 90-nm CMOS process, occupies 0.2 mm2, and consumes 0.5 mW of power.
Pediatric upper extremity injuries

The pediatric musculoskeletal system differs greatly from that of an adult. Although these differences diminish with age, they present unique injury patterns and challenges in the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric orthopedic problems.
DHT Selectively Reverses Smad3-Mediated/TGF-β-Induced Responses through Transcriptional Down-Regulation of Smad3 in Prostate Epithelial Cells

Androgens suppress TGF-β responses in the prostate through mechanisms that are not fully explored. We have recently reported that 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) suppresses the ability of TGF-β to inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis of prostatic epithelial cells and provided evidence that such suppression was fueled by transcriptional down-regulation of TGF-β receptor II (ΤβRII). We now show that androgen receptor (AR) activated by DHT suppresses the TGF-β-induced phosphorylation of Sma- and Mad-related protein (Smad)3 in LNCaP cells overexpressing TβRII under the control of a cytomegalovirus promoter, which is not regulated by DHT, suggesting that transcriptional repression of TβRII alone does not fully account for the impact of DHT on TGF-β responses. Instead, we demonstrate that such suppression occurs through loss of total Smad3, resulting from transcriptional suppression of Smad3. We provide evidence that DHT down-regulates the promoter activity of Smad3 in various prostate cancer cell lines, including NRP-154+AR, DU145+AR, LNCaP, and VCaP, at least partly through androgen-dependent inactivation of Sp1. Moreover, we show that overexpression of Smad3 reverses the ability of DHT to protect against TGF-β-induced apoptosis in NRP-154+AR, supporting our model that loss of Smad3 by DHT is involved in the protection against TGF-β-induced apoptosis. Together, these findings suggest that deregulated/enhanced expression and activation of AR in prostate carcinomas may intercept the tumor suppressor function of TGF-β through transcriptional suppression of Smad3, thereby providing new mechanistic insight into the development of castration-resistant prostate cancer.
Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Adolescent Depression: Efficacy of Acute Group Treatment and Booster Sessions

ABSTRACT Objective This trial examined the effects of both acute and maintenance cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for depressed adolescents. Method Adolescents with major depression or dysthymia ( N = 123) were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 eight-week acute conditions: adolescent group CBT (16 two-hour sessions); adolescent group CBT with a separate parent group; or waitlist control. Subsequently, participants completing the acute CBT groups were randomly reassigned to 1 of 3 conditions for the 24-month follow-up period: assessments every 4 months with booster sessions; assessments only every 4 months; or assessments only every 12 months. Results Acute CBT groups yielded higher depression recovery rates (66.7%) than the waitlist (48.1%), and greater reduction in self-reported depression. Outcomes for the adolescent-only and adolescent + parent conditions were not significantly different. Rates of recurrence during the 2-year follow-up were lower than found with treated adult depression. The booster sessions did not reduce the rate of recurrence in the follow-up period but appeared to accelerate recovery among participants who were still depressed at the end of the acute phase. Conclusions The findings, which replicate and expand upon a previous study, support the growing evidence that CBT is an effective intervention for adolescent depression.
Mathematical modeling of tumor therapy with oncolytic viruses: Regimes with complete tumor elimination within the framework of deterministic models

Oncolytic viruses that specifically target tumor cells are promising anti-cancer therapeutic agents. The interaction between an oncolytic virus and tumor cells is amenable to mathematical modeling using adaptations of techniques employed previously for modeling other types of virus-cell interaction. A complete parametric analysis of dynamic regimes of a conceptual model of anti-tumor virus therapy is presented. The role and limitations of mass-action kinetics are discussed. A functional response, which is a function of the ratio of uninfected to infected tumor cells, is proposed to describe the spread of the virus infection in the tumor. One of the main mathematical features of ratio-dependent models is that the origin is a complicated equilibrium point whose characteristics determine the main properties of the model. It is shown that, in a certain area of parameter values, the trajectories of the model form a family of homoclinics to the origin (so-called elliptic sector). Biologically, this means that both infected and uninfected tumor cells can be eliminated with time, and complete recovery is possible as a result of the virus therapy within the framework of deterministic models. Our model, in contrast to the previously published models of oncolytic virus-tumor interaction, exhibits all possible outcomes of oncolytic virus infection, i.e., no effect on the tumor, stabilization or reduction of the tumor load, and complete elimination of the tumor. The parameter values that result in tumor elimination, which is, obviously, the desired outcome, are compatible with some of the available experimental data. This article was reviewed by Mikhail Blagosklonny, David Krakauer, Erik Van Nimwegen, and Ned Wingreen.
Investigation of plasmon resonance tunneling through subwavelength hole arrays in highly doped conductive ZnO films

Experimental results pertaining to plasmon resonance tunneling through a highly conductive zinc oxide (ZnO) layer with subwavelength hole-arrays is investigated in the mid-infrared regime. Gallium-doped ZnO layers are pulsed-laser deposited on a silicon wafer. The ZnO has metallic optical properties with a bulk plasma frequency of 214 THz, which is equivalent to a free space wavelength of 1.4 μm. Hole arrays with different periods and hole shapes are fabricated via a standard photolithography process. Resonant mode tunneling characteristics are experimentally studied for different incident angles and compared with surface plasmon theoretical calculations and finite-difference time-domain simulations. Transmission peaks, higher than the baseline predicted by diffraction theory, are observed in each of the samples at wavelengths that correspond to the excitation of surface plasmon modes.
Regional Drainage Flows in the Pacific Northwest

Abstract An analysis of regional drainage flows in the Pacific Northwest is presented using results from a network of surface observations and a series of simulations carried out with a nested mesoscale model. The flows, which occur regularly in southeastern Washington during the late spring and summer months, are marked by an increase in wind speed and a shift to northwesterly wind directions early in the evening. The phenomenon occurs when a deep mixed layer forms cast of the Cascade Range, drawing cooler air from the west over the mountain crest. Anabatic and katabatic forcing, terrain channeling, and turning by the Coriolis force combine to produce the characteristic flow patterns.
Lessons Learned from a Supercritical Pressure BLEVE in Nihon Dempa Kogyo Crystal Inc.

Abstract On December 7, 2009, a 50-foot-tall high-pressure vessel ruptured in the Nihon Dempa Kogyo Crystal, Inc. facility in Belvidere, Illinois. Several projectiles rapidly traveled outward from the facility, killing a truck driver 650 feet away and injuring an employee in another building 435 feet away. This paper summarizes the lessons learned from this incident both on causal and consequential aspects. Stress corrosion cracking was identified as the failure mechanism by the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board. After analyzing the operating conditions and the aftermath, this incident has been identified as a Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion (BLEVE) under a supercritical pressure. A consequence analysis of the incident is performed where overpressure and fragment distance are calculated, together with safety distance estimation. Additionally, other safety-related problems, such as safety culture, management inside the corporation, and communication between this facility and the government are discussed.
Boundary Element Simulation Of Electromigration

A primary cause of failure in microelectronic devices is void growth and movement in aluminum wire interconnects. In addition to thermal and mechanical stress, void evolution is driven by the electric field in the wire. Two new boundary element techniques, approximate Green's functions and Galerkin surface derivative evaluation, have been developed to assist in modeling the electromigration problem. These methods improve the efficiency of the simulations, and comparison with finite element calculations shows that they are highly accurate.
Immobilization of Carboxymethylated Polyethylenimine–Metal-Ion Complexes in Porous Membranes to Selectively Capture His-Tagged Protein

Membrane adsorbers rapidly capture tagged proteins because flow through membrane pores efficiently conveys proteins to binding sites. Effective adsorbers, however, require membrane pores coated with thin films that bind multilayers of proteins. This work employs adsorption of polyelectrolytes that chelate metal ions to create functionalized membranes that selectively capture polyhistidine-tagged (His-tagged) proteins with binding capacities equal to those of high-binding commercial beads. Adsorption of functional polyelectrolytes is simpler than previous membrane-modification strategies such as growth of polymer brushes or derivatization of adsorbed layers with chelating moieties. Sequential adsorption of protonated poly(allylamine) (PAH) and carboxymethylated branched polyethylenimine (CMPEI) leads to membranes that bind Ni(2+) and capture ∼60 mg of His-tagged ubiquitin per mL of membrane. Moreover, these membranes enable isolation of His-tagged protein from cell lysates in <15 min. The backbone amine groups in CMPEI likely increase swelling in water to double protein binding compared to films composed of PAH and the chelating polymer poly[(N,N-dicarboxymethyl)allylamine] (PDCMAA), which has a hydrocarbon backbone. Metal leaching from PAH/CMPEI- and PAH/PDCMAA-modified membranes is similar to that from GE Hitrap FF columns. Eluates with 0.5 M imidazole contain <10 ppm of Ni(2+).
High-Quality InSb Growth on GaAs and Si by Low-Pressure Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition

We report the first InSb film growth on Si by low-pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. High-quality layers of InSb have been grown on Si and GaAs substrates. InSb films displayed mirror-like morphology on both substrates. X-ray full width at half maximum of 171 arcsec on GaAs and 361 arcsec on Si for a InSb layer thickness of 3.1 μm were measured. Room-temperature Hall mobilities of 67,000 and 48,000 cm2/V.s with carrier concentration of 1.5×1016 and 2.3×1016 cm−3 have been achieved for InSb films grown on GaAs and Si substrates, respectively. A 4.8 μ-thick InSb film on GaAs exhibited mobility of 76,200 cm2/Vs at 240 K.
Using a Natural Experiment to Estimate Price Elasticity: The 1974 Sugar Shortage and the Ready-to-Eat Cereal Market:

Following the 1974 sugar shortage prices of presweetened cereal rose by 24% in nine months. This natural price experiment is analyzed to illustrate how events of this type can be used to estimate p...
Use of Palliative Care Consultation for Patients with End-Stage Liver Disease: Survey of Liver Transplant Service Providers.

Abstract Background/Aim: Palliative care services (PCS) are recommended to enhance quality of care for hospitalized patients. Methods: We evaluated the attitudes of liver transplant (LT) providers and perceived barriers to PCS for their patients by conducting a web-based survey of intensive care unit nurses, postgraduate year 1 (PGY1) physician trainees, nurse practitioners, fellows, and attending physicians on the LT service at an academic medical center. Results: The response rate was 44% (88/200). Providers agreed that LT and PCS are not mutually exclusive (86%, n = 76). Respondents reported confusion regarding criteria and timing for referral to PCS. Most suggested that referral is appropriate when death is imminent (78%, n = 69). Many providers felt that patients' depression (66%, n = 58) was poorly managed, although few identified that PCS were consulted for depression (28%, n = 25). Overall, 84% (n = 74) identified attending physicians as the main barrier to involving PCS, and attendings (93%, n = ...