cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mtochonrial Neurology: A Tale of Two Genomes

The pre-molecular era of mitochondrial diseases included evidence of muscle morphology, histochemistry and electron microscopy, multiple results of mitochondrial biochemistry, and description of two classical mitochondrial diseases, Leigh syndrome and Luft disease.
Clifford Algebras with Induced (Semi)-Riemannian Structures and Their Compactifications

Identifying the Clifford algebra Cl r,s with the semi-Riemannian manifold \(\mathbb{R}^{p,q}\), one is afforded an opportunity to examine the conformal geometry of the associated compact manifold, in a manner similar to the case of the Riemann sphere in complex analysis. In this work we consider some low-dimensional examples and provide conjectures to inspire further research.
TU-G-BRB-05: Panel Discussion: Clinical Trials in Proton and Ion Therapy - Are We Ready?

Proton therapy, in particular, and ion therapy, just beginning, are becoming an increasing focus of attention in clinical radiation oncology and medical physics. Both modalities have been criticized of lacking convincing evidence from randomized trials proving their efficacy, justifying the higher costs involved in these therapies. This session will provide an overview of the current status of clinical trials in proton therapy, including recent developments in ion therapy. As alluded to in the introductory talk by Dr. Schulte, opinions are diverging widely as to the usefulness and need for clinical trials in particle therapy and the challenge of equipoise. The lectures will highlight some of the challenges that surround clinical trials in particle therapy. One, presented by Dr. Choy from UT Southwestern, is that new technology and even different types of particles such as helium and carbon ions are introduced into this environment, increasing the phase space of clinical variables. The other is the issue of medical physics quality assurance with physical phantoms, presented by Mrs. Taylor from IROC Houston, which is more challenging because 3D and 4D image guidance and active delivery techniques are in relatively early stages of development. The role of digital phantoms in developing clinical treatment planning protocols and as a QA tool will also be highlighted by Dr. Lee from NCI. The symposium will be rounded off by a panel discussion among the Symposium speakers, arguing pro or con the need and readiness for clinical trials in proton and ion therapy. Learning Objectives: 1. To get an update on the current status of clinical trials allowing or mandating proton therapy. 2. Learn about the status of planned clinical trials in the U.S. and worldwide involving ion therapy. 3. Discuss the challenges in the design and QA of clinical trials in particle therapy. 4. Learn about existing and future physical and computational anthropomorphic phantoms for charged particle clinical trial development and support. Research reported in this presentation is supported by the National Cancer Institute of the National; Institutes of Health under Award Number P20CA183640.
Seeing Culture Everywhere: From Genocide to Consumer Habits

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Joana Breidenbach and Pal Nyiri Year: 2009 Pages: 432 Publisher: University of Washington Press ISBN: 9780295989501 (soft cover). Prices: $24.95 USD(soft cover).
Chapter 9 Calcium homeostasis and skeletal muscle alterations in aging

Publisher Summary Calcium plays a major role in the physiology of skeletal muscle function. This chapter discusses the ways in which calcium regulation in skeletal muscle changes aging and the waysthese changes lead to deficits in skeletal muscle function and strengths. Alterations in muscle fiber signaling lead to impairment in whole muscle contractile properties with aging. Therefore, the analysis of Ca2+ signaling in muscle fibers, including the key molecules involved in intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis and Ca2+ dynamics, is essential to understand the age-related decline in muscle function. The age-dependent reduction in charge movement and peak myoplasmic Ca2+ concentration recorded in fibers from the flexor digitorum brevis (FDB) muscle is associated with a decreased the dihydropyridine receptor (DHPR)α1S and ryanodine-sensitive Ca2+ release channel (RyR1) gene expression, a phenomenon that can be prevented by skeletal muscle IGF-1 overexpression. The impact of these events on single muscle fiber contractility needs to be addressed by measuring specific contraction force and peak intracellular Ca2+ simultaneously in single muscle fibers from wild type and IGF-1 transgenic mice.
WIDIT: fusion-based approach to web search optimization

To facilitate both the understanding and the discovery of information, we need to utilize multiple sources of evidence, integrate a variety of methodologies, and combine human capabilities with those of the machine. The Web Information Discovery Integrated Tool (WIDIT) Laboratory at the School of Library and Information Science, Indiana University-Bloomington, houses several projects that employ this idea of multi-level fusion in the areas of information retrieval and knowledge discovery. This paper describes a Web search optimization study by the TREC research group of WIDIT, who explores a fusion-based approach to enhancing retrieval performance on the Web. In the study, we employed both static and dynamic tuning methods to optimize the fusion formula that combines multiple sources of evidence. By static tuning, we refer to the typical stepwise tuning of system parameters based on training data. “Dynamic tuning”, the key idea of which is to combine the human intelligence, especially pattern recognition ability, with the computational power of the machine, involves an interactive system tuning process that facilitates fine-tuning of the system parameters based on the cognitive analysis of immediate system feedback. The rest of the paper is organized as follows. The next section discusses related work in Web information retrieval (IR). Section 3 details the WIDIT approach to Web IR, followed by the description of our experiment using the TREC .gov data in section 4 and the discussion of results in section 5.
A case study on modeling jamming acceptability regions for escort mission planning

This work focuses on modeling jamming acceptability regions for mission planning scenarios that require support jamming. In such scenarios, electronic attack aircraft are used to obfuscate radar detection of an escorted vehicle, which we call the protected entity (PE), through hostile territory by the use of radar jamming. The calculation of proper jamming acceptability regions (JARs) are needed to determine the electronic attack aircraft path for the defense of the escorted vehicle. Such regions are defined by the jamming techniques available, radar parameters, and the escorted entity's proximity to a radar. Differences in jamming acceptability models can significantly affect the resulting planned path for the electronic attack aircraft. An overly conservative estimate may prevent a possible scenario where success could be realized whereas a relaxed estimate may result in a failure to prevent the detection of the PE. For our work, JAR models, based on various simplifying geometrical shapes, are derived from the radar range equation. Jamming is achieved by treating the signals emanating from electronic attack aircraft as additional noise sources to account for the jamming effectiveness. For this work, the EA jamming techniques are limited to preemptive main lobe, side lobe, and out of alignment and are individually constrained to the effectiveness of each technique. Electronic attack aircraft are also constrained to a constant altitude and thus the jamming acceptability regions are determined by the geometric intersection of the detection radar pattern with the altitude plane. The paper concludes by comparing the resulting JARs for increasingly complex geometric models.
Quality of U.S. Decision Making during the Cuban Missile Crisis: Major Errors in Welch's Reassessment

Obviously, the conclusions from any systematic investigation of historic crises may require modification when new information becomes available. In the previous article, David Welch claims that new information about the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, the most thoroughly documented of the 19 crises in our study of the relationship between decisionmaking process and outcome (Herek et al., 1987), casts doubts on our findings. Further, he questions the main conclusions of our entire study, not only on the basis of this new evidence but also because our "conception of a high-quality decision making process" (embodied in our definitions of the symptoms of defective decision making) is "seriously flawed" (p. 432). Are his claims warranted? At first glance, Welch's article might seem convincing to some readers; it seems sensible as well as sophisticated. But such favorable impressions, we believe, cannot survive detailed scrutiny of the veracity of his assertions concerning both our article and the new evidence he describes. In this rebuttal, we shall explain why Welch's claims are wrong by documenting two major types of errors that permeate his entire critique. Unfortunately, we cannot be brief. We feel it necessary to point out many misleading oversimplifications and misrepresentations in Welch's article that must be corrected both to assess the relationship between process and outcome reported in our paper and to extract
Evidence for an Adenovirus Type 2-Coded Early Glycoprotein

We have identified an adenovirus type 2 (Ad2)-induced early glycopolypeptide with an apparent molecular weight of 20,000 to 21,000 (20/21K), as estimated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The 20/21K polypeptide could be labeled in vivo with [(3)H]glucosamine. [(35)S]methionine- and [(3)H]-glucosamine-labeled 20/21K polypeptides bound to concanavalin A-Sepharose columns and were eluted with 0.2 M methyl-alpha-d-mannoside. The pulse-labeled polypeptide appeared as a sharp band with an apparent molecular weight of 21K, but after a chase it converted to multiple bands with an average molecular weight of 20K. This variability in electrophoretic mobility is consistent with glycosylation or deglycosylation of the 20/21K polypeptide. Analysis of the pulse and pulse-chase-labeled forms by using partial proteolysis indicated that the polypeptides were highly related chemically, but not identical. Most of the 20/21K polypeptide is localized in the cytoplasm fraction of infected cells lysed by Nonidet P-40. The 20/21K polypeptide and a 44K polypeptide, labeled with [(35)S]methionine or [(3)H]glucosamine in Ad2-infected human cells, were precipitated by a rat antiserum against an Ad2-transformed rat cell line (T2C4), but not by antisera against three other Ad2-transformed rat cell lines, or by serum from nonimmune rats. The partial proteolysis patterns of the 20/21K and the 44K polypeptides were indistinguishable, indicating that the two polypeptides are highly related, and suggesting that the 44K polypeptide might be a dimer of the 20/21K polypeptide. The 20/21K polypeptide was also induced in Ad2-early infected monkey and hamster cells. These results imply that the 20/21K polypeptide is synthesized in Ad2-infected human, monkey, and hamster cells, and in one but not all Ad2-transformed rat cells. Thus, the 20/21K polypeptide is probably viral coded rather than cell coded and viral induced.
Serum unconjugated estriol levels in the third trimester and their relationship to gestational age. II

Maternal unconjugated estriol levels were measured throughout the 28 to 41 week interval in two groups of accurately dated normal pregnancies. The first group consisted of randomly sampled pregnancies on which 285 unconjugated estriol determinations were performed. The logarithms of the mean values plotted into a positive sloping, relatively straight line which was disrupted by a plateau originating at 31 to 32 weeks and terminated at 35 weeks where there began a steep surge to a point at 36 weeks (surge point) that returned values to fit the previously established straight line. To investigate these findings in individual pregnancies, a second group of nine subjects was studied with serial unconjugated estriol determinations. In all nine of these subjects, the surge point could be identified statistically and occurred at a mean gestational age of 36.0 +/- 0.6 (1 S.D.) weeks. Data from the first group of randomly sampled pregnancies indicate that the surge point occurred around a mean gestational age of 36.0 weeks and was confirmed by data from the second group of serially sampled individual subjects showing the surge point as a statistically definable marker in normal pregnancies.
Real-time photovoltaic plant maximum power point estimation for use in grid frequency stabilization

As the amount of solar photovoltaic (PV) generation connected to electric grids grows, PV displaces conventional rotating machines whose inertia stabilizes the grid frequency on fast time scales. Therefore, especially in low-inertia grids, it may be desirable for PV inverters to control their output power to emulate the inertial response of conventional generators. This paper presents and validates through dynamic simulation a method of providing primary frequency regulation and inertia-like response from PV without energy storage by operating somewhat below maximum power. A novel method of ensuring sufficient power reserve in real time using measured irradiance and temperature is presented and validated against experimental data.
A message based operating system promoting parallel programming

A description is given of a high level of programming where a graphical representation of a program is provided which uses C macros as a lower-level implementation tool. The programmer is challenged with the task of constructing the graph and the contents of the modules. The system interprets the graph, yielding a parallel executable form of the graph targeted for a real machine. A set of commonly used modules is maintained by the system library and the programmer adds the necessary modules when solving a specific problem. To add a module the programmer specifies data ports and the module's purpose. This allows other programmers to use modules previously created, enhancing programmer efficiency. The proposed system allows the programmer to concentrate on potential parallelism at a high level using predefined user-specific modules. Natural data flow is used in program construction, which requires little programmer training. >
Low voltage current mirrors for built-in current sensors

A current mirror with low input voltage requirements is presented. Its application to implement high performance current sensors for IDDQ testing is discussed. Experimental results show that the circuit can operate with an input voltage of 0.2 V. Simulations show feasibility of the circuit to operate as a high speed built-in current sensor with minimum disturbance on the circuit under test. >
Susan Gooden, Race and Social Equity: A Nervous Area of Government

Author(s): Susan Gooden (L. Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, Virginia Commonwealth University, 923 West Franklin Street, Richmond, Virginia, 23284 (804) 828-7078. E-mail: stgooden@vc...
The Effect Of Marital Status On The Standard Of Living Of Young Men And Women

The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth data base is used to explore the effects of changes in marital status on the standard of living of a sample of young adults. OLS regression analysis indicates that changes in marital status have very different effects on young women and young men. Women receive large increases in their income-to-needs ratios when they marry, and they incur large declines in their income-to-needs ratios after experiencing a divorce or separation. Men, on the other hand, do not experience significant changes in their income-to-needs ratios when their marital status changes.
Markov Mixed Membership Models

We present a Markov mixed membership model (Markov M3) for grouped data that learns a fully connected graph structure among mixing components. A key feature of Markov M3 is that it interprets the mixed membership assignment as a Markov random walk over this graph of nodes. This is in contrast to tree-structured models in which the assignment is done according to a tree structure on the mixing components. The Markov structure results in a simple parametric model that can learn a complex dependency structure between nodes, while still maintaining full conjugacy for closed-form stochastic variational inference. Empirical results demonstrate that Markov M3 performs well compared with tree structured topic models, and can learn meaningful dependency structure between topics.
Playing to Girls in Virginia Hamilton’s Her Stories and Patricia McKissack’s Porch Lies : Frames of Selfhood, Community, and Audience

Karen Chandler’s “Playing to Girls in Virginia Hamilton’s Her Stories and Patricia McKissack’s Porch Lies : Frames of Selfhood, Community, and Audience” considers the female voice in traditional African American stories, pondering the ways in which girls’ and women’s experience is featured and valorized in traditional porch, tall, and folk tales dominated by male heroes. Chandler considers Hamilton’s collection, Her Stories , comprised of exclusively female heroes, and McKissack’s Porch Lies , which, while traditional in its male-dominance, is narrated by a young girl who actively makes each story her own. Chandler seeks out depictions of agential female heroes even in settings that might initially indicate conventions of female passivity.
Stridor in infants and children due to esophageal inflammatory disease

Esophageal inflammatory disease is an unusual cause of stridor in infants and children. Pediatric patients with upper respiratory tract obstructive symptoms secondary to foreign body esophagitis and esophageal moniliasis are presented. The importance of esophageal abnormalities as a potential cause of stridor is emphasized.
Markets versus governments

Abstract We provide a simple framework for comparing market allocations with government-regulated allocations. Governments can collect information about individuals’ types and enforce transfers across individuals. Markets (without significant government intervention) have to rely on transactions that are ex post beneficial for individuals. Consequently, governments achieve better risk sharing and consumption smoothing than markets. However, politicians in charge of collective decisions can use the centralized information and the enforcement power of government for their own benefits. This leads to political economy distortions and rents for politicians, making government-operated allocation mechanisms potentially worse than markets. We provide conditions under which it is ex ante beneficial for the society to tolerate the political economy distortions in exchange for the improvement in risk sharing. For example, more effective controls on politicians or higher discount factors of politicians make governments more attractive relative to markets. Moreover, when markets cannot engage in self-enforcing risk-sharing arrangements and income effects are limited, greater risk aversion and greater uncertainty make governments more attractive relative to markets. Nevertheless, we also show theoretically and numerically that the effect of risk aversion on the desirability of markets may be non-monotonic. In particular, when markets can support self-enforcing risk-sharing arrangements, a high degree of risk aversion improves the extent of risk sharing in markets and makes governments less necessary. The same pattern may also arise because of “income effects” on labor supply. Consequently, the welfare gains of governments relative to markets may have an inverse U-shape as a function of the degree of risk aversion of individuals.
Evidence for projections from the rostral medullary raphe onto medullary catecholamine neurons in the rat.

Abstract Following the iontophoretic deposition of Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin (PHA-L) into the rostral medullary raphe, which included portions of the caudal nucleus raphe magnus, rostral nucleus raphe pallidus, rostral nucleus raphe obscurus and rostral nucleus reticularius paragigantocellularis, two-color immunoperoxidase staining was employed to demonstrate continguity between PHA-L-immunoreactive (PHA-LI) varicose fibers and boutons and medullary catecholamine (CA) cells. Raphe projections were contiguous with phenylethanolamine N -methyltransferase-immunoreactive (PNMTI) neurons in the C1, C2 and C3 cell groups and with tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive (THI) neurons in the A1 and A2 cell groups. Contiguity between PHA-LI processes and medullary CA cells was observed most frequently in the C1 cell group. Preliminary findings of this study have been presented previously.
Response of the renal vascular bed to acute experimental coronary arterial occlusion.

The response of the renal vascular bed to acute experimental coronary arterial occlusion in dogs was studied utilizing an innervated constant blood flow-perfused kidney preparation. Despite systemic arterial hypotension, the initial reflex response to coronary arterial occlusion was significant renal vasodilatation. In contrast, the same degree of systemic hypotension produced by acute hemorrhage and ventricular fibrillation, a maximal stimulus, produced significant reflex vasoconstriction. When more prolonged (12-minute) periods of coronary arterial occlusion were employed, significant vasodilatation persisted in the renal vascular bed. Coronary arterial occlusion after beta adrenergic blockade also produced significant reflex vasodilatation initially, but significant vasoconstriction followed. Some possible mechanisms by which this reflex and persistent renal vasodilatation may be mediated are discussed, as well as their potential clinical implications.
Restrictive left ventricular filling pattern does not result from increased left atrial pressure alone.

Background— The restrictive filling pattern seen with severe heart failure (HF) may be due to diastolic dysfunction with elevated left ventricular (LV) diastolic pressure or may be merely a manifes...
Linear Diffusion of T7 DNA Polymerase: Thioredoxin is Required to Maintain Close Contact with DNA

The bacteriophage T7 DNA polymerase consists of a tight, 1:1 complex of T7 gp5, encoded by the phage, and thioredoxin, produced by the E. coli host. In the absence of thioredoxin, gp5 is capable of adding only a few nucleotides to the 3′ end of a primer before dissociating from the primer-template. But when complexed with thioredoxin, gp5 becomes highly processive, capable of polymerizing thousands of nucleotides complementary to the template strand. The mechanism by which thioredoxin acts as a processivity factor to gp5 is not fully understood. To understand the role of the thioredoxin in stabilizing polymerase-DNA interactions, we use a single-molecule imaging approach to observe individual, fluorescently labeled T7 DNA polymerase complexes diffusing along double-stranded DNA. Our results show that the average diffusion coefficient of T7 DNA polymerase complexes is insensitive to ionic strength and does not exceed the theoretical diffusion limit for a protein that tracks the helical pitch and rotates as it diffuses along the DNA helix. These results suggest that the T7 DNA polymerase slides along the DNA, remaining tightly bound to the DNA and tracking the helical pitch. However, the mean diffusion coefficients for fluorescently labeled T7 gp5 in the absence of thioredoxin increase with salt concentration, and exceed the theoretical limit for a protein tracking the DNA helix. Upon addition of unlabeled thioredoxin, the mean diffusion coefficient is restored to the value observed for the labeled T7 DNA polymerase, and becomes salt independent. These observations indicate that, in the absence of thioredoxin, T7 gp5 intermittently dissociates from the DNA as it diffuses, and that thioredoxin binding suppresses microscopic hopping on and off the DNA.
Immunomodulation by nematodes: A review

There is current evidence that infections with Trichinella spiralis, Ascaris suum, Nippostrongylus brasiliensis, Nematospiroides dubius (syn. Heligmosomoides polygyrus) and diverse filariae affect the immune responsiveness of their hosts. T. spiralis, or its extracts, can depress or enhance the heterologous humoral or cell-mediated immunities, and affect macrophage activity or the response to other invaders. These effects are induced by products of the migratory and early muscle larvae and appear to obey more than one single-mechanism. A suum acute infections or extracts depress responses involving T cell activity, but stimulate polygonal expansion of B-cells. Nippostrongylus brasiliensis causes polyclonal stimulation of IgE-producing cells, enhances immune responses during the first week of infection and inhibits them later on. Nematospiroides dubius depresses homologous and heterologous immunity and facilitates the permanence of other intestinal nematodes. Filarial worms appear to depress the homologous cell-mediated immunity and the heterologous humoral response by induction of suppressor cells and humoral factors. These phenomena are probably the result of evolutionary pressures on the parasites that facilitate their survival. In the host, they are likely to aggravate the homologous infection, facilitate intercurrent conditions and interfere with immunoprophylaxis procedures.
British and American approaches to strategic bombing: Their origins and implementation in the World War II combined bomber offensive

(1995). British and American approaches to strategic bombing: Their origins and implementation in the World War II combined bomber offensive. Journal of Strategic Studies: Vol. 18, Air Power Theory and Practice, pp. 91-144.
Iterative finite element model updating in the time domain

Abstract An iterative time domain formulation for finite element model updating in structural dynamics is presented. The approach is supported on a derivation showing that the discrepancy between observations and model predictions can be expressed as a convolution between the state of the system and a sequence of pseudo-Markov parameters which are linear in the change of the free parameters. The approach is illustrated by updating all the stiffness and damping parameters of a twenty degree of freedom shear beam using four noise contaminated measurements.
Dual-core optofluidic chip for independent particle detection and tunable spectral filtering

We present the first integration of fluidically tunable filters with a separate particle detection channel on a single planar, optofluidic chip. Two optically connected, but fluidically isolated liquid-core antiresonant reflecting optical waveguide (ARROW) segments serve as analyte and spectral filter sections, respectively. Ultrasensitive detection of fluorescent nanobeads with high signal-to-noise ratio provided by a fluidically tuned excitation notch filter is demonstrated. In addition, reconfigurable filter response is demonstrated using both core index tuning and bulk liquid tuning. Notch filters with 43 dB rejection ratio and a record 90 nm tuning range are implemented by using different mixtures of ethylene glycol and water in the filter section. Moreover, absorber dyes and liquids with pH-dependent transmission in the filter channel provide additional spectral control independent of the waveguide response. Using both core index and pH control, independent filter tuning at multiple wavelengths is demonstrated for the first time. This extensive on-chip control over spectral filtering as one of the fundamental components of optical particle detection techniques offers significant advantages in terms of compactness, cost, and simplicity, and opens new opportunities for waveguide-based optofluidic analysis systems.
The remarkable indifference of alkali metal cation binding constants to sidearm thioether and sulfoxide donors in azalariat ethers

The first example of a lariat ether containing a sulfur sidearm donor is reported here along with a comparison of cation binding strengths to Na+ and K+. The binding strength differs remarkably little from analogs completely lacking a sidearm donor group and similar results are observed for the novel sulfoxide analog.
Adenocarcinoma in a sigmoid conduit: Case report

The increased risk of developing adenocarcinoma in the sigmoid colon after ureterosigmoidostomy has been acknowledged for some time. Development of adenocarcinoma in colonic conduits isolated from the fecal stream is rare. We report a case of adenocarcinoma arising in a sigmoid conduit that probably represents a metachronous adenocarcinoma of the colon.
GLUCOCORTICOID-INDUCED DISAPPEARANCE OF LONG-ACTING THYROID STIMULATOR IN THE OPHTHALMOPATHY OF GRAVES' DISEASE.

The effect of glucocorticoid therapy on serum long-acting thyroid stimulator (LATS) was studied in 3 subjects. In a patient with severe ophthalmopathy and pretibial myxedema, prednisone treatment induced a clinical remission and disappearance of an initially high LATS titer. Ten days after discontinuance of prednisone, LATS was again detectable and the ophthalmopathy worsened. Reinstitution of prednisone again resulted in clinical improvement and in disappearance of LATS during the fourth week of therapy. In a second patient with ophthalmopathy, a similar response of LATS to steroid therapy was observed, though only transient improvement in ophthalmopathy occurred. In a third patient with similarly high titers of LATS, steroid therapy was without effect on the serum LATS or exophthalmos. The observation of a fall in LATS in the first 2 patients suggests that the response of Graves' ophthalmopathy to glucocorticoid therapy is not limited to an anti-inflammatory effect. The circumstances in these patients a...
Distribution of rSlo Ca2+-activated K+ channels in rat astrocyte perivascular endfeet.

Evidence that Ca2+-activated K+ (KCa) channels play a role in cell volume changes and K+ homeostasis led to a prediction that astrocytes would have KCa channels near blood vessels in order to maintain K+ homeostasis. Consistent with this thinking the present study demonstrates that rSlo KCa channels are in glial cells of the adult rat central nervous system (CNS) and highly localized to specializations of astrocytes associated with the brain vasculature. Using confocal and thin-section electron microscopic immunolabeling methods the distribution of rSlo was examined in adult rat brain. Strong rSlo immunolabeling was present around the vasculature of most brain regions. Examination of dye-filled hippocampal astrocytes revealed rSlo immunolabeling polarized in astrocytic endfeet. Ultrastructural analysis confirmed that the rSlo staining was concentrated in astrocytic endfeet ensheathing capillaries as well as abutting the pia mater. Immunostaining within the endfeet was predominantly distributed at the plasma membrane directly adjacent to either the vascular basal lamina or the pial surface. The distribution of the aquaporin-4 (AQP-4) water channel was also examined using dye-filled hippocampal astrocytes. In confirmation of earlier reports, intense AQP-4 immunolabeling was generally observed at the perimeter of blood vessels, and coincided with perivascular endfeet and rSlo labeling. We propose that rSlo KCa channels, with their sensitivity to membrane depolarization and intracellular calcium, play a role in the K+ modulation of cerebral blood flow. Additional knowledge of the molecular and cellular machinery present at perivascular endfeet may provide insight into the structural and functional molecular elements responsible for the neuronal activity-dependent regulation of cerebral blood flow.
Abstract 4894: Sorafenib enriches for sarcoma cancer stem cellsin vitro.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Background: Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a putative source of relapse in many cancers following anti-proliferative therapies. We hypothesized that tyrosine kinase inhibition (TKI) and radiotherapy (RT) would enrich for CSCs in sarcoma cell lines. Methods: A673 Ewing's sarcoma and SW982 synovial sarcoma cells were exposed to sorafenib and RT in a dose- and time-dependent fashion. Cultured cells were harvested and stained with fluorochrome-conjugated antibodies against human CSC markers including CD133, CD24, CD44, and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH). Cell viability was analyzed using 7-Aminoactinomycin (7-AAD). Data were acquired using a BD Fortessa cell sorter (BD Biosciences) and analyzed with FlowJo software version 7.2. Parametric and non-parametric statistical tests were performed as appropriate. Results: Short-term exposure (≤1 day) to sorafenib demonstrated a linear dose-dependent cytotoxicity for A673 cells at doses ≥ 4 μM, while SW982 cells required doses ≥ 16 μM. At 24 hours, A673 cell viability decreased from 100% at 1 μM sorafenib to 0% at 32 μM (P 32 μM remained non-viable. Baseline CSC phenotyping of A673 cells demonstrated 55±5% CD133+, 12±7% ALDH+, 14% CD44+, and 0% CD24+ sub-populations. Baseline CSC phenotyping of SW982 cells demonstrated 0.2±0.9% CD133+, 42±8% ALDH+, 95±5% CD44+, and 40±7% CD24+. A673 cells exposed to 24h sorafenib increased the ALDH+ fraction to 40±3% (> 3-fold increase) at sorafenib 16 μM (P<0.05). SW982 cells showed a non-significant increase in the ALDH+ fraction at doses ≤ 16 μM. Although single fractions of RT were anti-proliferative to A673 cells starting at doses ≥5 Gy, there was not an additive effect of 2.5 Gy RT with sorafenib on cell viability or CSC marker expression. Conclusion: Sorafenib exerts an anti-proliferative effect on sarcoma cells but enriches for sarcoma CSC. The magnitude of these effects appears to be inversely correlated to baseline ALDH+ levels. Sustained anti-sarcoma therapeutic effects may require targeting of the CSC population following anti-proliferative therapy. Citation Format: Robert J. Canter, Erik Ames, Joseph Tellez, Rachel C. Smith, William J. Murphy. Sorafenib enriches for sarcoma cancer stem cells in vitro . [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4894. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-4894 Note: This abstract was not presented at the AACR Annual Meeting 2013 because the presenter was unable to attend.
Effects of Heavy Metals on Prey Abundance, Feeding Habits, and Metal Uptake of Brown Trout in the Arkansas River, Colorado

Abstract We examined the effects of heavy metals on prey abundance, feeding habits, and metal bioaccumulation of brown trout (Salmo trutta) at two sites in the Arkansas River, a Colorado stream polluted by mining discharges. We hypothesized that altered prey communities and exposure to metals would affect brown trout feeding habits, bioaccumulation, and condition. Prey communities at the upstream reference station (AR1) were dominated by metal-sensitive mayflies (Ephemeroptera) and black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae), whereas those at the downstream polluted station (AR5) were dominated by metal-tolerant chironomids (Diptera: Chironomidae) and caddisfiies (Trichoptera). Differences in prey community composition were reflected in the feeding habits of brown trout, which consumed greater numbers of chironomids and caddisflies at station AR5. Concentrations of heavy metals (Cd, Cu, and Zn) in water, dominant prey taxa, and brown trout stomach contents were greater at station AR5. Metal levels were also signifi...
Specificity and sensitivity of fluorescence labeling of surface species.

FLOSS (fluorescence labeling of surface species) enables one to identify and quantify very low concentrations of surface functional groups. Unlike most surface analytical techniques, FLOSS can provide absolute, as well as relative, surface coverage determination. However, as with any other surface derivatization technique, FLOSS provides a lower limit to surface coverage. The specificity of FLOSS for a particular functional group is the key to this application. In one FLOSS protocol, amine-modified dyes are used to label surface aldehyde groups. However, amine-modified dyes, in principle, can bind to both aldehyde and carboxyl groups, limiting specificity. In this paper, we report that the FLOSS protocol devised results in less than 0.5 % of the carboxyl-modified dyes binding to the surface amine groups. Therefore, the presence of carboxyl groups on the surface should have a limited effect on the detection of aldehyde groups by amine-modified dye. Quenching of fluorescence can potentially affect quantitat...
Denaturation of proteins by fatty acids.

Abstract Fatty acids are denaturants of egg albumin, and their effectiveness increases with the length of the carbon chain. The extent of denaturation is measured by the solubility of the protein at or near the isoelectric point in the presence of Na2SO4. The degree of denaturation depends, among other factors, on pH as well as the acid concentration. The rate of denaturation follows first-order kinetics in respect to the protein, but the order in respect to the fatty acid is much higher. The energy of activation in the presence of acetic acid is about 33,000 calories per mole. It is necessary to bind about 10 moles of the fatty acid per mole of protein before denaturation begins. Denaturation is accompanied by a significant increase in the viscosity of the protein solution, and in the appearance of opalescence and gelation, the tendency to gel formation is greatly increased by 0.05 m KCl.
Sarcomas and Multiple Polyposis in a Kindred A Genetic Variety of Hereditary Polyposis

A family is presented in which the father and one of his children died, respectively, of pulmonary osteosarcoma and retroperitoneal liposarcoma; another child died of carcinoma of the colon with multiple polyposis; and a third has both a reticulum cell sarcoma and colonic polyps. The familial association of polyposis coli with extra-alimentary sarcomas has not previously been reported, and may be a variant of Gardner's syndrome (multiple polyposis with benign mesenchymal tumors). As in Gardner's syndrome, the familial pattern was consistent with autosomal dominant inheritance of a single mutant, highly penetrant, pleiotrophic gene. Phenotypic differences from Gardner's syndrome and familial polyposis suggest either that there was a separate gene or that the gene for one of these syndromes was expressed differently by modifiers segregating in this family. The development of fatal metastatic carcinoma of the colon in an 11-year-old boy appears to be the earliest recorded instance of this lesion
Anomalous Kapitza Resistance to Solid Helium

The Kapitza thermal boundary resistance at temperatures near 1 K is anomalously small to solid $^{3}\mathrm{He}$ or solid $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ just as it is to liquid $^{3}\mathrm{He}$ or liquid $^{4}\mathrm{He}$.
Grooveless Kiil boards with disposable membrane envelopes

Abstract A partially disposable artificial kidney has been developed following the basic Kiil principles. It consists of two parts, the reusable boards and disposable membrane envelopes. The latter, first briefly described a year ago (M. Bier, ASAIO, 14:97, 1968), consists of two cuprophane membranes stretched within a polystyrene foam frame. The frame carries also the blood ports and a polyethylene webbing as membrane support. It is this plastic webbing which permits the use of completely grooveless boards, as it offers sufficient pathway for dialyzate flow. The disposable membrane envelopes are individually pressure tested against leakage during their assembly, and are gas sterilized. They are usable with existing, grooved Kiil boards, or with the new flat boards. The latter could result in significant lowering of initial cost and easier maintenance of the Kiil system. Detailed laboratory tests and preliminary clinical data show that the use of the inserts, whether with flat or grooved boards, results in significantly increased clearance values as a result of improved membrane support.
Persistent LCMV Infection Is Controlled by Blockade of Type I Interferon Signaling

During persistent viral infections, chronic immune activation, negative immune regulator expression, an elevated interferon signature, and lymphoid tissue destruction correlate with disease progression. We demonstrated that blockade of type I interferon (IFN-I) signaling using an IFN-I receptor neutralizing antibody reduced immune system activation, decreased expression of negative immune regulatory molecules, and restored lymphoid architecture in mice persistently infected with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus. IFN-I blockade before and after establishment of persistent virus infection resulted in enhanced virus clearance and was CD4 T cell–dependent. Hence, we demonstrate a direct causal link between IFN-I signaling, immune activation, negative immune regulator expression, lymphoid tissue disorganization, and virus persistence. Our results suggest that therapies targeting IFN-I may help control persistent virus infections.
Emerging intelligence challenges

(1997). Emerging intelligence challenges. International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence: Vol. 10, No. 3, pp. 317-331.
The relationship between crystallization and deformation processes in crystalline high polymers

The relationship between crystallization and deformation is two-fold: (1) deformation or flow in polymers prior to crystallization has an important influence on the resultant crystalline morphology and (2) the morphology in turn largely determines the response of the structure to further deformation after crystallization. Thus, an understanding of deformation processes in crystalline polymers is intimately related to the crystallization processes and vice versa. The crystallization process may be approached by considering the observed morphological structures as being analogous to the usual crystal habits with the addition of various crystal-defects which add bending and twisting to the more common crystallographic variations. The crystal habit or morphology may be characterized by its surface to volume ratio. Crystallization of polymers may be considered as three steps (1) the formation of primary nuclei (2) crystallographic growth (also a nucleation controlled process) and (3) the introduction of crystal-defects which cause bending and twisting.
Laparoscopic radical nephrectomy during pregnancy: case report and review of the literature

Routine ultrasonography revealed a large, complex renal mass in a 39-year-old pregnant woman. An MRI confirmed a 14.5 x 12 x 17 cm complex renal mass, and laparoscopic nephrectomy was chosen as the management option. During the mid-second trimester, a right laparoscopic nephrectomy was performed. The pathology report noted clear-cell carcinoma with negative margins. The child, delivered without incident, is now more than 2 years old and is developmentally normal. A review of laparoscopy in pregnancy is also presented.
Detection of a novel FH whole gene deletion in the propositus leading to subsequent prenatal diagnosis in a sibship with fumarase deficiency.

Fumarase deficiency is a rare autosomal recessive metabolic condition. We report on a sibship with molecularly confirmed fumarase deficiency. Prenatal findings included agenesis of the corpus callosum, ventriculomegaly, and ventriculoseptal defect. The postnatal course was significant for metabolic acidosis ultimately leading to death around 3 weeks of age. Postmortem findings were noted including swollen mitochondria with abnormal cristae on electron microscopy within the liver. Molecular testing revealed a novel whole gene deletion in conjunction with a point mutation. While the point mutation has been previously reported, the detection of a whole gene deletion has not been described to date in an individual with fumarase deficiency. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Fibroblasts cultured from distal lower extremities in patients with venous reflux display cellular characteristics of senescence.

Abstract Purpose: Venous reflux precedes the development of venous ulcers. Our earlier work showed that the fibroblasts that are cultured from these wounds display more characteristics of senescence. We evaluated fibroblast senescence in patients with venous reflux but without ulcers to further investigate the role of venous reflux in the predisposition to venous ulcers. Methods: Fibroblasts that were isolated from skin biopsy specimens of the "gaiter" area (distal) and of the ipsilateral thigh of the same patient (proximal) were compared. Twelve patients with venous reflux (9 patients in clinical, etiologic, anatomic, and pathologic classification 4; 3 patients in classification 5) with an average venous filling index of 5.45 mL/s and 4 patients without venous reflux were enrolled in the study. The growth rates, the response to basic fibroblast growth factor (b-FGF), and the senescence markers (β-galactosidase activity at a pH level of 6, unstimulated fibroblasts fibronectin protein, and messenger RNA levels) were determined for each cell population. Results: The number of senescence-associated β-galactosidase positive cells (8.3% ± 1.9% vs 2.2% ± 0.8%; P = .008) and the level of cellular fibronectin protein (455.7 ± 80 vs 210 ± 51; P = .04) and messenger RNA (16.8 ± 6.8 vs 13.5 ± 5.7; P = .042) were significantly higher in the distal fibroblasts as compared with the proximal fibroblast cultures. The growth rates of the distal fibroblasts were lower when compared with the proximal fibroblasts (15,746 ± 4287 cells/day vs 29,550 ± 5035 cells/day; P P = .53). In the patients without venous reflux, no site differences were noted in the growth rates or the senescence markers between the proximal and distal fibroblasts. Conclusion: Distal fibroblasts that are isolated from patients with venous reflux display more senescence characteristics than do proximal fibroblasts and have significantly lower growth rates. Despite senescence, b-FGF restored the distal-fibroblasts growth rate to that of the stimulated proximal fibroblasts, which proposes a therapeutic role for b-FGF. These changes precede ulcer formation and suggest a mechanism that is focal and intrinsically related to venous reflux. (J Vasc Surg 1998;28:1040-50.)
IADL functions, cognitive deficits, and severity of depression: a preliminary study.

Objective Despite the documented association of cognitive dysfunction with impairment in instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) in geriatric depression, the relationship among deficits in distinct IADLs with severity of depression and specific cognitive impairments remains to be clarified. The authors examined the relationship of depression severity and the cognitive domains of attention, initiation/perseveration, construction, conceptualization, and memory to nine distinct IADLs. Methods The subjects were 105 nondemented elderly patients but with impairment in at least one IADL and a history or presence of major depression. Impairment in IADLs and severity of depression were assessed with the Philadelphia Multilevel Assessment Instrument (MAI) and the 24-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (Ham-D), respectively. Cognitive dysfunction was assessed with the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) and the Mattis Dementia Rating Scale (DRS). Results Six IADLs were influenced by impairment in at least one of the cognitive domains. Abnormal scores in initiation/perseveration, an aspect of executive dysfunction, was the cognitive impairment affecting most IADLs; it interfered with the ability to shop for groceries, prepare meals, take medicine, and manage money. Impairment in initiation/perseveration had a most prominent effect in the presence of depressive symptoms and affected shopping for groceries and preparing meals. Lack of interest and motivation, part of the depressive syndrome, compounded by behavioral abnormalities resulting from executive dysfunction, may account for this interaction. Conclusions These relationships may provide the background for developing interventions targeting functional deficits associated with specific cognitive dysfunctions and depression.