cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the small-aperture intracorneal inlay: Three-year results from the cohort of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration clinical trial.

Purpose To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the Kamra small-aperture intracorneal inlay. Setting Centers in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Design Prospective clinical trial. Methods Patients with emmetropic presbyopia had intracorneal implantation of the inlay in the nondominant eye. Results The study comprised 507 patients with emmetropic presbyopia who were aged 45 to 60 years old. The implanted eyes exhibited 3.5 diopters of defocus range above 20/40, with 363 (87.1%) of 417 patients and 391 (93.8%) of 417 patients having 20/40 or better monocular and binocular uncorrected near visual acuity (UNVA) at 36 months, respectively. Patients implanted via a femtosecond laser pocket procedure using a spot/line setting of 6 μm × 6 μm demonstrated further improved near vision, with 131 (90.3%) of 145 patients and 137 (94.5%) of 145 of patients having 20/40 or better monocular and binocular UNVA, respectively. Uncorrected distance visual acuity 20/25 or better was maintained in 135 (93.1%) of 145 of implanted eyes and 100% (145) of 145 of implanted eyes binocularly at 36 months. Less than 1.5% of eyes had a loss of 2 or more lines of corrected distance visual acuity for 3 months or more at any time after surgery. Forty-four inlays (8.7%) were removed from the full cohort over 3 years. The removal rate was significantly less in the 6 × 6 pocket group (3.0% for visual complaints) and further reduced with deeper implantation (0%). Less than 1.0% of the patients reported severe glare or halos postoperatively. Conclusion The small-aperture corneal inlay was found to be safe and effective, improving near vision both monocularly and binocularly with minimal effect on distance visual acuity.
Who Cares About 3D Preservation

Preservation of 3D research data is a present and emerging need. An increasing number of researchers are generating, capturing and/or analyzing 3D data, but are rarely focused on preservation or reuse. This paper and presentation will describe models of 3D data creation and use, outline the specific concerns for this data type, unpack complexities and challenges of preserving it and examine existing 3D data preservation resources while working through local case studies from the field of anthropology. Directions to move digital 3D data preservation forward will be discussed.
T-PAAD: Trajectory Privacy Attack on Autonomous Driving

Despite extensive research efforts over the last decade, security and privacy concerns on self-driving cars and other autonomous vehicles are still prevalent. This paper presents a new possible attack, Trajectory Privacy Attack on Autonomous Driving (T-PAAD), which aims to deanonymize trajectories by exploiting the relation between autonomous vehicles path planning algorithms and trajectories.
3D Compton Imaging by Use of Stereophotogrammetry and Pixelated CdZnTe

The capability of three-dimensional Compton imaging allows for mapping of radiological material in 3D environments. This work presents a technique to Compton image in 3D space with the projection of radiation images onto 3D environments or by means of a moving pixelated CdZnTe radiation detector. To track the moving detector and measure its pose in 3D space, a simultaneous localization and mapping system (SLAM), which consists of a stereo optical camera system, is combined with the University of Michigan Polaris II $4 \pi$ Compton Camera. The optical camera setup has shown a maximum depth range of up to 10 meters in a lab setting and has a 10{\%} standard error in position reconstruction sensitivity. The system can then depth adjust radiation images by projecting them onto depth maps or create 3D radiation images.
Addressing Antimicrobial Resistance through New Medicinal and Synthetic Chemistry Strategies

Over the past century, a multitude of derivatives of structural scaffolds with established antimicrobial potential have been prepared and tested, and a variety of new scaffolds have emerged. The effectiveness of antibiotics, however, is in sharp decline because of the emergence of drug-resistant microorganisms. The prevalence of drug resistance, both in clinical and community settings, is a consequence of bacterial ingenuity in altering pathways and/or cell morphology, making it a persistent threat to human health. The fundamental ability of pathogens to survive in a multitude of habitats can be triggered by recognition of chemical signals that warn organisms of exposure to a potentially harmful environment. Host immune defenses, including reactive oxygen intermediates and antibacterial substances, are among the multitude of chemical signals that can subsequently trigger expression of phenotypes better adapted for survival in that hostile environment. Thus, resistance development appears to be unavoidable, which leads to the conclusion that developing an alternative perspective for treatment options is vital. This review will discuss emerging medicinal chemistry approaches for addressing the global multidrug resistance in the 21st century.
De-Centering Lamentations: A Crisis of Hope, of Memory, and of Continued Presence

Scholars have frequently looked to chapter three at the center of the book of Lamentations to provide a note of hope, faith, and comfort, so that the book as a whole is considered a chiasm with it’s resolution at the center. But this does not give adequate attention to the developing story line running through the book as a whole or the role that chapter three plays in heightening the crisis initiated by the exile and provoking a turning point in the story. The arc of the story told by a variety of characters reaches its climax in chapter three and the forward movement of the story can be seen in the move from dirge to lament and from isolation to community as Israel considers the ways in which their relationship with Yahweh has fundamentally changed. https://doi.org/10.17159/2312-3621/2018/v31n3a5
Parathyroid scintigraphy educational exhibit

1007 Objectives: Multiple imaging modalities are used for localization of parathyroid adenomas prior to surgery. Parathyroid scintigraphy is one of the more commonly used imaging modalities. In order to perform and to accurately interpret parathyroid scintigraphy, the nuclear medicine physician or nuclear radiologist must have a thorough understanding of the various radiotracers and techniques including the advantages and disadvantages of each and a thorough understanding of scintigraphic findings including normal, abnormal, and artifacts. The objective of this educational exhibit is to (1) represent an overview of the different scintigraphic radiotracers and techniques for parathyroid scintigraphy. (2) discuss the advantages and disadvantages of these various radiotracers and techniques. (3) present an atlas of selected images demonstrating the spectrum of normal, parathyroid disease, false positives, and artifacts, and (4) review the literature. Methods: This educational exhibit will discuss (1) 99m-Tc sestamibi dual point imaging, (3) subtraction scintigraphic techniques using 99m-Tc sestamibi, 201-thallium chloride, 99m-Tc pertechnetate, and 123-I, and (3) single photon emission computer tomography. For the above imaging techniques, the atlas will show (1) the spectrum of normal findings, (2) location, frequency, and patterns of various uptakes by parathyroid adenomas and hyperplasia, (3) examples of false positives, and (4) examples of artifacts. Results: The exhibit will conclude with a review of the literature regarding the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the various imaging techniques. Conclusions: This educational exhibit presents an overview of parathyroid scintigraphy, which the resident or fellow in nuclear medicine may find useful. The experienced nuclear medicine physician or nuclear radiologist may also find helpful educational points to aid in differentiating parathyroid disease from thyroid disease or artifact.
Strong Laws of Large Numbers for Double Sums of Banach Space Valued Random Elements

For a double array {Vm,n,m ≥ 1, n ≥ 1} of independent, mean 0 random elements in a real separable Rademacher type p (1 ≤ p ≤ 2) Banach space and an increasing double array {bm,n,m ≥ 1, n ≥ 1} of positive constants, the limit law $$max_{1\leq{k}\leq{m},1\leq{l}\leq{n}}\parallel\Sigma_{i=1}^k\Sigma_{j=1}^l{V_{i,j}}\parallel/b_{m,n}\rightarrow0$$ a.c. and in ℒp as m ∨ n → ∞ is shown to hold if $$\Sigma_{m=1}^\infty\Sigma_{n=1}^\infty{E}\parallel{V_{m,n}}\parallel^p/{b_{m,n}^p}<\infty$$ . This strong law of large numbers provides a complete characterization of Rademacher type p Banach spaces. Results of this form are also established when 0 < p ≤ 1 where no independence or mean 0 conditions are placed on the random elements and without any geometric conditions placed on the underlying Banach space.
Demonstration of SiO 2 /SiC-based protective coating for dental ceramic prostheses

SiO2/SiC coatings were deposited onto ceramics disks using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The effects of deposition pressure and gas-flow ratio on the refractive index, extinction coefficient, and SiC composition were studied. For the highest studied SiH4 to CH4 gas-flow ratio of 1.5, the refractive index increased by 17% from 2.53 (at the wavelength of 845 nm) to 2.96 (at the wavelength of 400 nm). For the lowest studied SiH4 to CH4 gas-flow ratio of 0.5, the refractive index only increased by 4% from 2.11 (at the wavelength of 845 nm) to 2.20 (at the wavelength of 400 nm). At higher deposition pressures, the variation in refractive index of the SiC coatings was significantly lower showing a slight increase from 1.93 (at a wavelength of 845 nm) to 1.96 at a wavelength of 400 nm. Except for the case of a low SiH4 to CH4 gas-flow ratio of 0.5, for light with wavelengths ≤ 650 nm, the extinction coefficient of the SiC coatings increased significantly. Light with a wavelength > 650 nm had an extinction coefficient near 0 in all cases. After annealing the sample at 400°C for 4 hours, hydrogen-related bonds broke and the stress of the film was reduced from -245 to -71 MPa. By utilizing different thicknesses of SiC, the full standard dental shade guide was matched with the ΔE of each coated disk being less than 3.3 compared to the shade guide.
Fragmentos que se originam/pertencem a arte infantil

My practice as a teacher and artist/academic in early childhood education has always attended to children and materials. Fragments I gathered from and with Child Art (Viola, 1942) have circled back (Burke, Lasczik Cutcher, Peterken & Potts, 2017) and have me contemplating the images and quilt made with young children aged one to five years in their long day care setting (Peterken, 2009, unpublished honours dissertation). Digital photographs produced by children to show ‘what is important’ are pieces of their lives and learning. These images transferred to fabric and made into a quilt, a community artwork, are becoming more than product or process. They are provocations for thinking with materials and the learning, play and worlds of young children. Fragments to consider, as suggested by Christina MacRae (2012), how the encounter was productive.
Carbapenem and colistin resistance in Enterobacteriaceae in Southeast Asia: Review and mapping of emerging and overlapping challenges

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae infections have spread globally, leaving polymyxins, including colistin, as 'last-resort treatments'. Emerging colistin resistance raises the spectre of untreatable infections. Despite this threat, data remain limited for much of the world, including Southeast Asia where only 3 of 11 nations submitted data on carbapenem and colistin resistance for recent World Health Organization (WHO) reports. To improve our understanding of the challenge, we utilised broad strategies to search for and analyse data on carbapenem and colistin resistance among Escherichia coli and Klebsiella in Southeast Asia. We found 258 studies containing 526 unique reports and document carbapenem-resistant E. coli and Klebsiella in 8 and 9 of 11 nations, respectively. We estimated carbapenem resistance proportions through meta-analysis of extracted data for nations with ≥100 representative isolates. Estimated resistance among Klebsiella was high (>5%) in four nations (Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam), moderate (1-5%) in two nations (Malaysia and Singapore) and low (<1%) in two nations (Cambodia and Brunei). For E. coli, resistance was generally lower but was high in two of seven nations with ≥100 isolates (Indonesia and Myanmar). The most common carbapenemases were NDM metallo-β-lactamases and OXA β-lactamases. Despite sparse data, polymyxin resistance was documented in 8 of 11 nations, with mcr-1 being the predominant genotype. Widespread presence of carbapenem and polymyxin resistance, including their overlap in eight nations, represents a continuing risk and increases the threat of infections resistant to both classes. These findings, and remaining data gaps, highlight the urgent need for sufficiently-resourced robust antimicrobial resistance surveillance.
Rosacea: a wholistic review and update from pathogenesis to diagnosis and therapy

Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the central face with multiple overlapping presentations. Recent advancements are reshaping our understanding of rosacea from both a pathophysiologic perspective and clinical approach to therapy, introducing novel agents that have improved patient outcomes and reduced morbidity. In this article, we aim to outline the advancements in understanding, diagnosing, and managing rosacea and to familiarize physicians with the literature, thereby allowing us to better practice safe and effective medicine.
International Legal Regulation of the Employment of Artificial-Intelligence-Related Technologies in Armed Conflict

INTRO D UCTIO N. In r e cent y ea rs, incr e as e d a tten ti o n h as be en d e dic a t e d a t t he intern a ti o n a l l e v e l t o l e gal i ss u e s c o ncernin g t he p o ss i b l e empl o yment o f a rtifici a l int e ll igence-r e l a t e d t e c h n o logi e s in ho s ti l iti e s in a rm e d c on fl i ct. M o st pr omi n e ntly, di scussi on s i n t he f r ame w ork o f t he C o n v enti o n o n Cert a in C o n v enti o n a l W ea p o ns (CCW) ha v e a ddr e ss e d juridic a l asp e cts r e l a ti v e t o emer g in g t e c h n o logi e s in t he a r ea o f l e t ha l a ut o n o m o u s w eapo ns syst ems. MATERIALS AND METHODS. I analyze contemporary intergovernmental debates in the context of the CCW, international legal frameworks pertaining to armed conflict, and developments in relevant technologies. I do so to trace current trajectories and generate an analytical framework to help apply legal responsibility. RESEARCH RES ULTS. A disagreement has arisen among certain States in the context of the CCW as to whether to develop a new primary legal norm or whether existing international humanitarian law is suffi ent. Taking account of that current normative impasse, I propose an analytical framework aimed at ensuring the applicability of international legal responsibility in respect of the employment of AI-related technologies in armed conflict. D ISCUSSIO N AND CO N CLUSIONS. Given t he r a nge o f r e l e v a nt t e c h n o logi e s, t he empl o yment o f AI in a rm e d c o nflict m a y o ccur a cr o ss diver s e t h em a tic a nd functi o n a l a r e as: n o t o nly in t he c o nduct o f ho s ti l iti e s, inc l udin g w ea p o ns, b ut a ls o d e tenti o n, h um a nit a ri a n servic e s, m a ritim e sys tems, a nd m a ny o t h er a r e as. Identific a ti o n o f t he gener a l c o nc e pts a nd sp e cific a ttri b ut e s n e c e ss a ry t o a pply intern a ti o n a l l e gal r e s p o nsi b i l ity a cr o ss t he a rr a y o f imp l ic a t e d a r e as m a y he lp pr o vid e a framework through which to respect the law, guide behavior, pursue accountability, and generate areas of greater normative consensus.
Evaluation of same day pegfilgrastim (PFG) or PFG-cbqv prophylaxis of chemotherapy induced (Febrile) neutropenia (CIN/FN) in bendamustine plus rituximab (BR) and CHOP+/-R regimens in patients with lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL): Real-world, single-center experience.

e19541Background: BR and CHOP+/-R regimens are considered an intermediate FN risk (10-20%) per guidelines. Patients (pts) receiving these regimens need to be assessed for FN prophylaxis using speci...
Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills like White Elephants”

Ernest Hemingway’s short story “Hills Like White Elephants” (1927), published in the little magazine transition and in the collection Men Without Women, is one of Hemingway’s most frequently taught...
Madness, the Grotesque and Female Identity in “Exquisita ama de casa” and “El juego de la demencia” by Krisma Mancía

Krisma Mancia (1980, El Salvador) is one of the most promising members of the postwar generation of young Salvadoran poets. Like Jacinta Escudos, Claudia Hernandez and Vanessa Nunez Handal in prose, Krisma Mancia breaks free of the taboos still found within Salvadoran society that have kept women’s issues out of literary discourse longer than in other Latin American countries, and brings them to the forefront in her poetry. In this study, I focus on analyzing the poems “Exquisita ama de casa” and “El juego de la demencia,” both from the collection La era del llanto (2004) and showing how difficult it is for the female subjects to break free from patriarchal order and create an independent, strong female identity. Krisma Mancia delves deeply into the contradictions inherent in Salvadoran society to give us a harrowing look at two repressive expectations still placed upon Salvadoran women today: that of the traditional housewife and of the obedient and lady-like daughter. Through grotesque, often surrealistic images, and multiple voices within the poems, Mancia shows us how these societal expectations result in women becoming monstrous, becoming chimeras that can only find freedom in a descent into madness and rage.
An Iterative Algorithm for Wrist-Mounted Robotic Sensor Calibration with or without External Orientation Measurement

An iterative algorithm for calibration of wrist-mounted robotic sensors is presented. The sensor-wrist calibration can be performed by solving a system of homogeneous transformation equations of the form A i X = XB i , where X is the unknown sensor position relative to the robot wrist, A i is the ith robot motion, and B i is the ith sensor motion [1-4]. Unlike existing approaches, the algorithm presented here solves kinematic parameters of X in one stage, thus eliminating error propagations and improving noise sensitivities. Moreover, with the iterative algorithm, the parameters of X are observable even when the rotation part of B i is unknown. This is important in practice since position is easier to measure than orientation. Comparative simulation studies show that the accuracy performance of the iterative algorithm is, in general, better than that of noniterative two-stage algorithms, regardless whether the orientation part of B i is used. The approach presented in this paper also has wide applications for wrist-mounted tool calibration.
The Jurisprudence of Action and Inaction in the Law of Tort: Solving the Puzzle of Nonfeasance and Misfeasance from the Fifteenth Through the Twentieth Centuries

The article discusses how negligence doctrine has long distinguished misfeasance (a “misdoing”) from nonfeasance (a “not doing”), purporting to provide that the former occasions liability and the latter does not. After a brief explanation on the origins of this distinction and the chaos that has ensued because of it, the article lays the basis for subsequent discussion by (a) examining the manner in which English courts early defined and distinguished misfeasance and nonfeasance, (b) identifying the single case from which there emerged the erroneous jurisprudence that produced the law's confused perspective on the terms, and (c) probing the conceptual tensions to which the terms then gave rise from the fifteenth through the nineteenth centuries. Building on Part I, Part II describes the manner in which “nonfeasance” and its supposed contradistinction to “misfeasance” now muddles the law of negligence. Through historical inquiry it demonstrates that the confusion reflects, in truth, the law's failure ever to delimit the notion of duty as it, in turn, informs the realm of negligence. Part III sets forth a workable conceptual scheme through which courts might determine that with respect to negligence, a given defendant does or does not owe a duty to a given plaintiff. It thus unburdens the common law of the befuddlement with which it has so long lived in this regard and, indeed, frees it to delete “nonfeasance” and “misfeasance” from its lexicon.
Low power implementation of an n-tone /spl Sigma//spl Delta/ converter

The zeros of the noise transfer function (NTF) of a /spl Sigma//spl Delta/ converter can be altered by modifying the loop filter. For example, a low-pass /spl Sigma//spl Delta/ is converted into a band-pass /spl Sigma//spl Delta/ by shifting the zeros of the NTF from zero to f s/4. In a similar function, an n-tone /spl Sigma//spl Delta/ can be created by inserting multiple zeros in the NTF. If the signals are then placed only in these noise valleys, a high signal to noise ratio (SNR) can be achieved. In its most simplest form - the number of voice valleys being one - it reduces to the familiar band-pass /spl Sigma//spl Delta/ converter. In this paper, we provide a system-level understanding of an n-tone /spl Sigma//spl Delta/ converter and the resulting performance. We then provide a circuit design for a low power implementation of such a converter. We emphasize high operational speed and low power consumption as the focus of the design is for a UWB-OFDM receiver.
Interaction of polynucleotides with cultured mammalian cells: 1. Uptake of RNA by ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells

Abstract The uptake of high molecular weight, homologous RNA by Ehrlich ascites cells has been studied. RNA uptake is not greatly affected by inhibitors of cellular metabolism. However, uptake is positively correlated with cell death. Dead cells take up 5–10 times as much RNA as an equal number of living cells. The uptake of RNA is related to the presence of macromolecules which either enhance cell viability or change cell surface charge density. Anionic polymers such as albumin and polyglutamic acid reduce uptake, while polylysine, a cationic polymer greatly stimulates uptake. The present studies suggest that transfer of information between cells by soluble RNA molecules is unlikely.
Apples to Oranges: How Category Overlap Facilitates Commensuration in an Online Market Environment

This paper theorizes on how categorical distinctions affect market closure. Contrary to expectations that greater variation in choices allows a buyer to optimize their transactions, I find evidence in a labor market for freelancing services which suggests otherwise. In particular, the less categorical overlap of past experiences of freelancers bidding on a job, the less likely a buyer will choose any of them and the longer it takes the buyer to do so if they eventually do make a decision. Because categories serve to demarcate like-experiences, greater categorical overlap of the past experiences of freelancers makes them easier to compare, thereby facilitating a decision. However, more experienced buyers of services should be more attuned to what skills are valuable for their task. Therefore, I predict that this effect is moderated by increased experience. These hypotheses are tested with data from www.elance.com. Support is found for the two main effects and partial support is demonstrated for the moderation effect.
The Large‐Area Time‐Of‐Flight (TOF) Upgrade for the STAR Detector

The STAR experiment at RHIC concentrates on the tracking of charged hadrons via ionization in gas‐ and silicon‐based detectors, and the detection of electrons and photons via calorimetry, in a wide and azimuthally complete acceptance that’s unique at RHIC. STAR’s ability to directly identify the tracked charged hadrons is however limited to low momenta. Approximately half of the charged particles in the event at higher momenta cannot be directly identified, which hampers the physics reach of STAR in a number of key areas. To address this blind spot, STAR is presently constructing a large‐area (∼50 m2) Time‐Of‐Flight (TOF) system. This system is based on Multi‐gap Resistive Plate Chambers (MRPCs). Prototype TOF systems based on this technology were operated in STAR during RHIC Runs 3 through 6, and the first 5 final‐system trays were operated in the recent RHIC Run 8. A new “start detector” for this system has also been constructed and operated in STAR. The performance of these detectors in STAR, and an up...
Self‐Purification Capacity of Natural Waters

A majority of the world's population is constantly challenged by a lack of proper sanitary conditions. In developing countries, poor sewage disposal infrastructure, displacement of populations by wars and famine, a lack of the knowledge about the hidden dangers posed by excreted wastes to human health, or a blatant adherence to cultural practices that de-emphasize the proper disposal of human excreta still prevail. On the other hand, it is common to find homesteads, villages, and small towns that are dependent on wells that are within the same vicinity of on-site pit latrines or their modification for their water supply. The resultant contamination to both groundwater and surface water in such settings directly affects many people worldwide. Groundwater contamination is also of interest for the developed and the newly industrialized countries as a sizeable proportion of the population in those countries use on-site septic tanks, some of which leak fecal material into the groundwater. To that effect, approximately 40% of the U.S. population uses groundwater for their domestic needs, whereas approximately 98% of the drinking water in Denmark is obtained from groundwater. Groundwater is not typically treated prior to domestic use; the consumers rely almost entirely on the water's ability to purify itself prior to reaching the point of consumption. Likewise, the fecal material can, if deposited on the surface, or in instances of flooding, become part of the runoff into waterways. Furthermore, in a number of places on the globe, rivers are the principle disposal pathways for waste materials making the interest in the processes that facilitate the self-purification process of natural water applicable to both groundwater and surface water. Keywords: self-purification; groundwater; contamination; organic; inorganic; surface water
KLF4-SQSTM1/p62-associated prosurvival autophagy contributes to carfilzomib resistance in multiple myeloma models

Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable clonal plasma cell malignancy. Because of a high rate of immunoglobulin synthesis, the endoplasmic reticulum of MM cells is subjected to elevated basal levels of stress. Consequently, proteasome inhibitors, which exacerbate this stress by inhibiting ubiquitin-proteasome-mediated protein degradation, are an important new class of chemotherapeutic agents being used to combat this disease. However, MM cells still develop resistance to proteasome inhibitors such as carfilzomib. Toward this end, we have established carfilzomib-resistant derivatives of MM cell lines. We found that resistance to carfilzomib was associated with elevated levels of prosurvival autophagy, and Kruppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) was identified as a contributing factor. Expression levels as well as nuclear localization of KLF4 protein were elevated in MM cells with acquired carfilzomib resistance. Chromatin immunoprecipitations indicated that endogenous KLF4 bound to the promoter regions of the SQSTM1 gene encoding the ubiquitin-binding adaptor protein sequestosome/p62 that links the proteasomal and autophagic protein degradation pathways. Ectopic expression of KLF4 induced upregulation of SQSTM1. On the other hand, inhibitors of autophagy sensitized MM cells to carfilzomib, even in carfilzomib-resistant derivatives having increased expression of the multidrug resistance protein P-glycoprotein. Thus, we report here a novel function for KLF4, one of the Yamanaka reprogramming factors, as being a contributor to autophagy gene expression which moderates preclinical proteasome inhibitor efficacy in MM.
Chronic food restriction and acute food deprivation decrease mRNA levels of opioid peptides in arcuate nucleus

Although opioid administration induces food intake, the relationship between endogenous opioid synthesis and food consumption is unclear. Two studies examined the effects of food restriction and deprivation on opioid mRNA levels in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) of the rat. Body weight significantly decreased following food restriction and deprivation (P < 0.0001). In experiment 1, food restriction of 10,20,30, and 40% (g) of ad libitum intake for 14 days decreased proDynorphin (proDyn), proEnkephalin (proEnk), and proOpiomelanocortin (POMC) mRNA levels in a linear fashion relative to changes in body weight (r = 0.398, P = 0.0011; r = 0.455, P = 0.0028; r = 0.292, P = 0.0642, respectively). In experiment 2, 48 h deprivation significantly decreased mRNA levels of proDyn and POMC by 23.7% (P < 0.05) and 45.6% (P < 0.01), respectively, whereas 24 h food deprivation decreased POMC mRNA by 43.% (P < 0.01). proEnk mRNA was not affected by 24- or 48-h food deprivation. Restricting food intake suppressed mRNA levels of proDyn, proEnk, and POMC by 29.7, 22.3, and 44.4%, respectively, in 20% restricted rats and by 35.5, 26.8, and 45.6%, respectively, in 40%restricted rats (P < 0.01). It appears that ARC mRNA levels of proDyn, proEnk, and POMC are directly related to the amount of food consumed and/or changes in body weight in food-restricted and food-deprived rats.
An improved automatic lipid extraction and thin-layer spot application system.

Abstract The principle of operation was described in detail in a previous publication. The main features of the improved system are much greater speed of application, a simpler and more flexible programming system and simpler operation.
Importance of the conserved CA dinucleotide at Mu termini.

The dinucleotide CA found at the termini of transposable phage Mu also occurs at the termini of a large class of transposable elements, including HIV, all retroviruses and many retrotransposons. In order to understand the importance of this sequence conservation, the activity of all 16 dinucleotide permutations of the termini was first examined using a sensitive plasmid-based in vivo transposition assay. The reactivity of these substrates varied over several orders of magnitude in vivo, with substitutions at the A position being more severely impaired than those at the C position. The same general hierarchy of reactivity was observed in vitro using mutant oligonucleotide substrates. These experiments revealed that CA was not important for the chemistry of strand transfer, and that the block in the activity of the mutant substrates was at the stage of assembly of a stable transpososome. Given that DNA at the Mu-host junctions is melted/distorted concomitantly with transpososome assembly, we consider the hypothesis that the CA dinucleotide has been selected at transposon termini primarily for its significant conformational mobility.
Considerations for external targets in an intense intermediate energy proton beam

Abstract Problems of shielding requirements and of minimisation of induced activity are considered for external Be targets in a proton beam of intensity 50 uA and energy about 600 MeV.
Sulfur nutrition effects on dinitrogen fixation of seedling alfalfa

Abstract Greenhouse experiments with alfalfa (Medicago sativa L. cv. ‘Apollo') were performed to evaluate the effect of varied nutrient solution concentrations of S on the yield, nodulation, dinitrogen fixation, N and S concentration, and the partitioning of N and S into shoots and roots. Sulfur treatments consisted of four levels (0, 1, 2.5, and 25 mg S/L) of added S. The experimental design was a randomized complete block, with three replications. Seeds were inoculated with commercial inoculum, planted in plastic containers of acid‐washed sand, and irrigated with nutrient solution for one minute, at 2 h intervals. Sulfur application increased the yield of all treatments. The results demonstrated that the addition of 2.5 mg S/L to the nutrient solution, besides providing the highest total dry matter yield (12 g/72 plants), showed the highest percent yield increase (19%), acetylene reduction rate (0.426 umole ethylene/mg nodule dry wt/h), total N content (306 mg/72 plants), percent recovery of S (3.8%), a...
Micrometastasis of endometrial cancer to sentinel lymph nodes: Is it an artifact of uterine manipulation?

Abstract Objective To determine if micrometastasis (MM) and isolated tumor cells (ITCs) in sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) of endometrial cancer patients are artifactual and related to uterine manipulation at the time of diagnosis and surgery. Methods We reviewed a prospectively maintained database of all patients with endometrial cancer undergoing SLN mapping between 2005 and 2009. MM was defined as a focus of metastatic cancer ranging from 0.2 to 2mm. ITCs were defined as metastasis measuring ≤0.2mm, including the presence of single, non-cohesive cytokeratin-positive tumor cells. We reviewed the effect of diagnostic procedure such as dilatation and curettage (D&C) versus biopsy and type of hysterectomy performed on the presence of MM and ITCs in SLNs. Results In all, 175 patients had successful SLN mapping. Of these, 145 (83%) had negative nodes, 11 (6%) had positive nodes, and 19 (11%) met the criteria for MM and ITC. The uterine procedure used to diagnose endometrial cancer, type of hysterectomy, tumor grade, histology, positive pelvic washings, and type of uterine manipulator utilized, did not appear to be associated with MM/ITC. However, the presence of lymphovascular invasion ( P P =0.01) were significantly higher in the MM/ITC group. Conclusions These data demonstrate that the presence of MM and ITCs in SLNs of endometrial cancer patients is not an artifact of uterine manipulation or instrumentation. Rather, it is a real pathologic finding likely associated with lymphovascular invasion and depth of myoinvasion.
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

In this issue of Blood , Connolly and colleagues describe an elegant approach to studying the significance of specific molecular interactions in vivo. The authors have “knocked-in” a mutant form of the protease, urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA), into the murine uPA locus, to create a mouse strain ( Plau GFDhu/GFDhu ) where the interaction between endogenous uPA and its receptor (uPAR) is selectively disrupted, while leaving other functions of both uPA and uPAR intact. Their findings suggest that the primary role of uPAR in vivo is to promote fibrinolysis within tissues through localization of uPA, and that many of the previously described activities of uPAR may be secondary to this process. 1
Learning to rank query reformulations

Query reformulation techniques based on query logs have recently proven to be effective for web queries. However, when initial queries have reasonably good quality, these techniques are often not reliable enough to identify the helpful reformulations among the suggested queries. In this paper, we show that we can use as few as two features to rerank a list of reformulated queries, or expanded queries to be specific, generated by a log-based query reformulation technique. Our results across five TREC collections suggest that there are consistently more useful reformulations in the first two positions in the new ranked list than there were initially, which leads to statistically significant improvements in retrieval effectiveness.
Phase 2 trial of rituximab and bortezomib in patients with relapsed or refractory mantle cell and follicular lymphoma.

Background In vitro studies in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) cell lines and patient-derived cells have demonstrated synergistic apoptosis with combined rituximab and bortezomib (R-bortezomib), compared to single agent bortezomib. Therefore, we evaluated R-bortezomib in a preclinical model and in a phase II clinical trial.
Small business and the economics of flexible manufacturing

The impact that flexible manufacturing has had on the structure of international trade is examined. By introducing an analysis of the economics of flexible manufacturing, it is concluded that flexible technology is more conducive to small rather than large firms. This shift in the size distribution of firms is the result of a new emerging techno-economic paradigm.
Initial validation and clinical experience with 3D optical-surface-guided whole breast irradiation of breast cancer.

We had introduced 3D optical surface-guided radiotherapy (SGRT) of the breast cancer (BC). We then initiated the feasibility, accuracy, and precision studies of stereovision in detection of any breast displacement through the course of treatment for total thirty breasts undertaken whole breast irradiation (WBI). In the SGRT, CT-based plan data were parsed into an in-house computer program through which the reference surfaces were generated in 3D video format. When patients were positioned on treatment Tables, real-time stereovisions were rapidly acquired while the live surface tracking shown steady thorax motion. The real-time surface images were automatically aligned with the reference surface and detected shape and location changes of the breast were online corrected through the Table and beam adjustments. Accumulated dose to each patient was computed according to the frequency distribution of the measured breast locations during beam on time. Application of SGRT had diminished large skin-marking errors of >5-mm and daily breast-setup errors of >10-mm that occurred on half of cases. Accuracy (mean) and precision (two standard deviations) of the breast displacements across the tangential field edges in the (U, V) directions were improved from (−0.5 ± 8.8, 2.2 ± 10.8) mm in conventional setup to (0.4 ± 4.6, 0.7 ± 4.4) mm in the final position while intra-fractional motion contributed only (0.1 ± 2.8, 0.0 ± 2.2) mm in free breathing. Dose uniformity and coverage to targets had both been increased by up to 10% and the lung or heart intersections have been decreased by half of those volumes if they were irradiated at the initial positions. SGRT of BC appears to be feasible regardless of skin tones, as fast as a snapshot for 3D imaging, and very accurate and precise for daily setup of flexible breast targets. Importantly, the technique allows us to verify the breast shape and position during beam-on time.
The role of radionuclide-labeled cells in the diagnosis of abdominal disease in children

The use of radionuclide-labeled blood cells can provide diagnostic information concerning abdominal disease in children that may not be available by any other imaging method. The use of technetium-labeled red blood cells to identify bleeding sites in the gastrointestinal tract, to define mass lesions, or to localize the spleen offers a relatively quick and inexpensive method of evaluation. In the evaluation of Crohn's disease of the small bowel or involvement of the colon in inflammatory bowel disease, white blood cells labeled with either indium-111 or technetium-99m provide meaningful diagnostic information. There also may be a role for the use of labeled white cells in the evaluation of appendicitis. The individualized use of labeled blood cells provides the nuclear physician with a unique opportunity to contribute in a meaningful manner to the care of children using information that is critical in patient care.
Beyond the practicum experience

The practicum is an important part of most TESL programmes; however, many novice teachers seek practical experiences beyond the practicum as part of their preparation for entering the profession. Collaborative projects between language learners and pre-service language teachers can offer such valuable practical experiences for both groups. The service encounter collaborative project is an example of an activity that provides an important link between the academic and experiential aspects of a teacher preparation programme. It is also a simple and practical way for new teachers to investigate authentic language use. In this project, pre-service teachers develop materials based on language samples they gather in collaboration with language learner partners. For the language learners, the programme provides access to authentic input, an opportunity for interaction with native speakers, as well as valuable cultural and sociolinguistic information.
Population growth, environmental awareness, and policy direction

Many policy analysts, commentators, and researchers claim that the issue of human population growth no longer receives the attention and concern it once enjoyed in both the popular and specialized media. Other commentators state that scientists and decision-makers are held captive by media-savvy environmentalists who seek to fulfill a political agenda by limiting population expansion. I investigated the change in media coverage of population issues by tallying the number of population-related articles listed during 1967–1989 in 3 periodical index services. Media coverage has declined sharply since the early 1970's. Possible causes of the decline are discussed in the context of the larger debate between population “pessimists” and population “optimists.”
Coalition formation in the triad when two are weak and one is strong

Eighteen groups of subjects each participated in five different computer-controlled superadditive 3-person characteristic function games with sidepayments, that modeled negotiable conflicts in which two of the players are weak and one is considerably stronger. Both the degree to which the strong player was powerful and the type of communication were experimentally manipulated. The 90 game outcomes rejected any solution concept that predicts a single payoff vector for a given coalition structure, but supported the recently developed single-parameter a-power model that allows range predictions. Both the degree of power and type of communication were found to affect game outcomes and to determine the predictive power of models that make point predictions in 3-person games.
Charting of Type II glucocorticoid receptor-like immunoreactivity in the rat central nervous system

The rat brain and spinal cord have been mapped for Type II glucocorticoid receptor-like immunoreactivity in neurons and glia, using a monoclonal antibody, BUGR2, which recognizes an epitope close to the DNA-binding domain of the rat Type II receptor. The study revealed a widespread distribution of Type II-like immunoreactive neurons and glia, and a heterogeneity of densities and intensities of immunoreactive elements. Our results corresponded to a large extent with previous immunocytochemical mapping using Ig2a, a monoclonal antibody against a different epitope in the variable domain, with some notable differences in the hippocampus, hypothalamus and cerebellum. There was also a good correlation between immunocytochemical mapping and binding studies, [3H]steroid autoradiography and mRNA localization of the Type II receptor.
Analytical Solution for Power-Limited Optimal Rendezvous near an Elliptic Orbit

This paper presents an analytical solution to the problem of the optimal rendezvous using power-limited propulsion for a spacecraft in an elliptic orbit in a gravitational field. The derivation of the result assumes small relative distances, but does not make any assumption on the eccentricity of the orbit and does not require numerical integration. The results are generalized to include the possibility of different weights on the control effort for each axis (radial, along-track, and out-of-plane). When the weights on the control efforts are unequal, several integrals are used whose solutions may be represented by infinite series in a small parameter dependent on the eccentricity. A methodology is introduced where the series can be extended trivially to as many terms as desired. Furthermore, for a given numerical tolerance, an upper bound on the number of terms required to represent the series is also obtained. When the weights are equal for all the three axes, the series representations are no longer necessary. The results can be used easily to design optimal feedback controls for rendezvous maneuvers, or for generating initial guesses for two-point boundary-value problems for numerical solutions to the nonlinear rendezvous problem.
A Flow Cytometric Assay for Screening Improved Heterologous Protein Secretion in Yeast

Selection of highly productive hosts for protein expression is a significant component of bioprocess design. As an alternative to traditional plate, halo, and suppression-based screens, we describe a high-throughput, flow cytometric assay, the Cell Surface Secretion Assay (CeSSA), that can be used to select for improved heterologous protein secretion from a population of S. cerevisiae mutants. A ligand is covalently attached to the cell surface via a PEG linker, and as cells secrete a protein that binds the tethered ligand, the protein is captured on the surface where it can be labeled and the cells sorted using flow cytometry. This report describes three different protein/ligand interactions that have been demonstrated with this system. Single-pass sorting enrichments from 23- to 54-fold have been validated in the separation of a 3-fold higher secretor from a background population of wild-type secretors making this system applicable to large library screening (10 8 clones). A mathematical model was developed to improve the parameters of the assay further. The model was validated with time course data and predicts an optimal screening window. The model also predicts a 60-fold enrichment rate for the validation experiment described above. With the development of this selection system, limitations presented by traditional, particularly plate-based, secretion assays can be overcome so that a larger search space can be examined under conditions closer to the growth physiology experienced by cells in fermentors.
On the (uninteresting) dependence of the absorption and emission transition moments of coumarin 153 on solvent

Abstract The absorption and emission transition moments of coumarin 153 as well as fluorescence lifetimes and quantum yields were measured over a broad range of solvents in which the absorption and emission frequencies varied substantially. The same value was found for both the absorption and emission transition moments, and both also were found to be independent of solvent. These results suggest that a simple two electronic state model for the S 0 ↔S 1 transition in coumarin 153 is entirely appropriate.
Use of Alternative Temperature Expressions with Blaney-Criddle

The widely used Penman-Monteith equation to estimate crop evapotranspiration (ET) has limited utility in many areas of the world because of its requirement for full meteorological data. Legal and engineering water agencies commonly use the original Blaney-Criddle method in their efforts to manage competing water demands in mountain basins, both for its longtime familiarity and minimal data requirements. The original Blaney-Criddle equation predicts crop ET based solely on readily available mean monthly air temperature, t, and percentage of daylight hours. However, in semiarid, high-elevation environments, Blaney-Criddle underestimates crop ET. Subsequent modifications have not fully corrected this underestimation. Low nighttime temperatures at high elevations incorrectly weight the estimate, resulting in significant variation between computed crop ET and lysimeter measurements. Our objective was to evaluate three modifications of the Blaney-Criddle temperature expression against the original equation with...