cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Substance Use, PTSD Symptoms, and Suicidal Ideation Among Veteran Psychiatry Inpatients: A Latent Class Trajectory Analysis.

Objective In this study, we aimed to inform clinical practice by identifying distinct subgroups of U.S. veteran psychiatry inpatients on their alcohol and drug use severity, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and suicidal ideation over time. Method Participants were 406 patients with co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders. A parallel latent growth trajectory model was used to characterize participants' symptom severity across 15 months posttreatment intake. Results Four distinct classes were identified: 47% "normative improvement," 32% "high PTSD," 11% "high drug use," and 9% "high alcohol use." Eighty percent of the sample had reduced their drinking and drug intake by half from baseline to 3 months, and those levels remained stable from 3 to 15 months. The High PTSD, High Drug Use, and High Alcohol Use classes all reported levels of PTSD symptomatology at baseline consistent with a clinical diagnosis, and symptom levels remained high and stable across all 15 months. The Normative Improvement class showed declining drug and alcohol intake and was the only class exhibiting reductions in PTSD symptomatology over time. High substance use classes showed initial declines in suicidal ideation, then an increase from 9 to 15 months. Conclusions The reduction in frequency of drinking and drug use for 80% of the sample was substantial and supports the potential efficacy of current treatment approaches. However, the high and stable levels of PTSD for more than 50% of the sample, as well as the reemergence of suicidal ideation in a sizable subgroup, underscore the difficulty in finding and linking patients to effective interventions to decrease symptomatology over time.
HIERARCHICAL TECHNIQUES IN TRAFFIC CONTROL

Abstract Undoubtedly, traffic control (both street and freeway) is a genuinely large Scale Systems problem. The current practice is to use a Central Computer to control traffic on both city streets and on the freeway. There is a growing body of literature on the control of large Scale systems via a hierarchical or multi-level technique. Under this scheme, the various functions that make up a computer traffic control system can be broken down into multi-levels and these functions can be assigned to satellite computers. The Central Computer then would act in a supervisory manner in addition to performing other tasks such as map display, data reduction etc. This paper applies a hierarchical control algorithm to street traffic control. One version of the algorithm has been programmed to simulate its execution on a microprocessor. Preliminary results indicate that it may be possible to implement the algorithm with microprocessors. It is felt that with increased use of computer aided traffic control system, it is appropriate to discuss the most efficient ways of using modern mini and micro computers in a hierarchical setting for traffic control.
Response to Rafael Rodríguez, ‘Jesus as his Friends Remembered Him: A Review of Dale Allison’s Constructing Jesus’

This article responds to Raphael Rodriguez's discussion of my book, Constructing Jesus.For the most part, his appreciative description of my contribution and aims is accurate. Three points, however, call for further clarification. The first has to do with the extent to which human memory is reliable—I am less sanguine than is Rodriguez—and the ways in which modern cognitive studies should affect Jesus research. The second concerns whether or not my method can be formalized—I do not think it can be—and thus commended to others. The third has to do with the larger goals of my volume, which are misunderstood if one fails to see that the book quite consciously restricts itself to a small number of topics.
Control of dimorphism in Mucor by hexoses: inhibition of hyphal morphogenesis.

Abstract In anaerobic cultures of Mucor rouxii, morphogenesis was strongly dependent on hexose concentration as well as pCO2. At low levels of hexose or CO2, or both, hyphal development occurred; at high levels, the fungus developed as yeast cells. Other dimorphic strains of Mucor responded similarly to hexose and CO2 but differred in their relative sensitivity to these agents. Glucose was the most effective hexose in eliciting yeast development of M. rouxii; fructose and mannose were next; and galactose was last. The fungus may be grown into shapes covering its entire dimorphic spectrum simply by manipulating the hexose concentration of the medium. Thus, at 0.01% glucose, hyphae were exceedingly long and narrow; at higher sugar concentrations, the hyphae became progressively shorter and wider; finally, at about 8% glucose, almost all cells and their progeny were isodiametric (spherical budding cells). Such yeast development occurred without a manifested requirement for exogenous CO2. The stimulation of yeast development by hexose is not an artifact due to increased production of metabolic CO2 (hyphae or yeast cells released metabolic CO2 at similar rates). Presumably, the effect was caused by some other hexose catabolite which interfered with hyphal morphogenesis (apical growth); deprived of its polarity, the fungus grew into spherical yeastlike shapes. Although 10% glucose inhibited the development of hyphae from germinating spores, it did not prevent the elongation of preformed hyphae. This suggests that hexose inhibits hyphal morphogenesis not by blocking the operation of the enzyme complex responsible for apical growth but by preventing its initiation; such inhibition may be regarded as a repression of hyphal morphogenesis.
Waiting to Vote in 2012

This article provides an empirical grounding into the patterns of long lines, focusing on the 2012 presidential election and utilizing a unique public opinion survey. I show that two-thirds of voters in 2012 waited less than 10 minutes to vote, and that only 3% of voters waited longer than an hour. I show that there was considerable variation in line length, as a function of geography and race. Consistent with news reports, Florida’s voters waited the longest to vote in 2012, nearly 40 minutes on average, while Vermont’s voters waited less than two minutes. Urban voters waited longer than rural voters, early voters waited longer than Election Day voters, and African American and Hispanic voters waited longer than whites.I also show that lines were nothing new in 2012. The states whose residents waited the longest to vote in 2012 also waited the longest in 2008. This fact cautions against blaming long wait times in the most recent presidential election primarily on factors specific to 2012.
Cyclic 3′,5′-Adenosine Monophosphate and N-Acetyl-glucosamine-6-Phosphate as Regulatory Signals in Catabolite Repression of the lac Operon in Escherichia coli

When an Escherichia coli mutant lacking the enzyme N-acetyl-glucosamine-6-phosphate (AcGN6P) deacetylase is grown in a succinate-mineral salts medium and exposed to an exogenous source of N-acetylglucosamine, approximately 20 to 30 pmoles of AcGN6P per mug of cell dry weight will accumulate in these cells. This accumulation occurs within 2 to 4 min after the addition of N-acetylglucosamine and is coincident with the production of a severe permanent catabolite repression of beta-galactosidase synthesis. This repression does not occur if adenosine 3',5'-cyclic phosphate (cyclic AMP) is added to the cells before AcGN6P accumulates. An immediate derepression occurs when cyclic AMP is added to cells that have already accumulated a large AcGN6P pool. These findings are consistent with the view that low-molecular-weight carbohydrate metabolites and cyclic AMP play key roles in the catabolite repression phenomenon, and that metabolites such as AcGN6P may participate in the represion mechanism by influencing either the formation or degradation of cyclic AMP in E. coli.
Equilibrio de poder e influencia en las relaciones internacionales del Cono Sur: Chile y Ecuador, 1880-1902

Las relaciones internacionales de las ultimas decadas del siglo XIX estuvieron marcadas por los problemas derivados de las malas delimitaciones territoriales y los deseos de consolidar los espacios que cada Estado reclamaba como propios. En efecto, los problemas de reclamaciones territoriales no fueron pocos y practicamente en todos los paises de la region se presentaron episodios de disputa en lo que fueron las antiguas fronteras establecidas por el imperio espanol. Esta situacion, al igual que el escenario europeo de la epoca, dio paso al establecimiento de una serie de transformaciones militares, como tambien negociaciones, contactos e intercambios bilaterales entre los paises considerados como “amigos”. Asi, hacia finales del siglo no era extrano leer en la documentacion diplomatica la designacion de “entente americana”, “paises aliados” o “naciones hermanas”. Asi llegamos al caso de Chile y Ecuador, dos actores relevantes en el escenario latinoamericano de finales del siglo XIX, especialmente si se considera que Chile debio enfrentar los avatares de una guerra con Peru y Bolivia. Por esos mismos anos, mantenia una fuerte pugna territorial con ese pais, lo cual influyo de forma determinante en las relaciones bilaterales chileno–ecuatorianas en este periodo y durante gran parte del siglo XX.
Division Algebras and Wireless Communication

T he aim of this note is to bring to the attentionof awidemathematicalaudience the recent application of division algebras to wireless communication. The application occurs in the context of communication involving multiple transmit and receive antennas, a context known in engineering as MIMO—short for multiple input, multiple output. While the use of multiple receive antennas goes back to the time of Marconi, the basic theoretical framework for communication using multiple transmit antennas was only published about ten years ago. The progress in the field has been quite rapid, however, and MIMO communication is widely credited with being one of the key emerging areas in telecommunication. Our focus here will be on one aspect of this subject: the formatting of transmit information for optimum reliability. Recall that a division algebra is an (associative) algebra with a multiplicative identity in which every nonzero element is invertible. The center of a division algebra is the set of elements in the algebra that commute with every other element in the algebra; the center is itself just a commutative field, and the division algebra is naturally a vector space over its center. We consider only division
Top-down versus bottom-up processing in the human brain: distinct directional influences revealed by integrating SOBI and granger causality

Top-down and bottom-up processing are two distinct yet highly interactive modes of neuronal activity underlying normal and abnormal human cognition. Here we characterize the dynamic processes that contribute to these two modes of cognitive operation. We used a blind source separation algorithm called second-order blind identification (SOBI [1]) to extract from high-density scalp EEG (128 channels) two components that index neuronal activity in two distinct local networks: one in the occipital lobe and one in the frontal lobe. We then applied Granger causality analysis to the SOBI-recovered neuronal signals from these two local networks to characterize feed-forward and feedback influences between them. With three repeated observations made at least one week apart, we show that feed-forward influence is dominated by alpha while feedback influence is dominated by theta band activity and that this direction-selective dominance pattern is jointly modulated by situational familiarity and demand for visual processing.
Automated discovery of drug treatment patterns for endocrine therapy of breast cancer within an electronic medical record

Objective To develop an algorithm for the discovery of drug treatment patterns for endocrine breast cancer therapy within an electronic medical record and to test the hypothesis that information extracted using it is comparable to the information found by traditional methods. Materials The electronic medical charts of 1507 patients diagnosed with histologically confirmed primary invasive breast cancer. Methods The automatic drug treatment classification tool consisted of components for: (1) extraction of drug treatment-relevant information from clinical narratives using natural language processing (clinical Text Analysis and Knowledge Extraction System); (2) extraction of drug treatment data from an electronic prescribing system; (3) merging information to create a patient treatment timeline; and (4) final classification logic. Results Agreement between results from the algorithm and from a nurse abstractor is measured for categories: (0) no tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitor (AI) treatment; (1) tamoxifen only; (2) AI only; (3) tamoxifen before AI; (4) AI before tamoxifen; (5) multiple AIs and tamoxifen cycles in no specific order; and (6) no specific treatment dates. Specificity (all categories): 96.14%–100%; sensitivity (categories (0)–(4)): 90.27%–99.83%; sensitivity (categories (5)–(6)): 0–23.53%; positive predictive values: 80%–97.38%; negative predictive values: 96.91%–99.93%. Discussion Our approach illustrates a secondary use of the electronic medical record. The main challenge is event temporality. Conclusion We present an algorithm for automated treatment classification within an electronic medical record to combine information extracted through natural language processing with that extracted from structured databases. The algorithm has high specificity for all categories, high sensitivity for five categories, and low sensitivity for two categories.
Imaginary social relationships with celebrities appearing in television commercials

A variety and range of imaginary social relationships with celebrities appearing in television commercials were explored using ethnographic interviews and self‐reflective reports of 60 informants. Interpretation of the descriptions suggests that viewers’ responses to celebrity appearances in television commercials go beyond emulation toward pseudo‐social interactions. These interactions can provide great meaning to a viewer involved in an imaginary social relationship with a celebrity appearing in a commercial. This research demonstrates that even when viewers are skeptical of the advertisement, they may reach beyond the intended message where the confluence of information, gossip, and prior exposure to the celebrity converge. This activity becomes part of the individual's social construction of reality.
Alterations within the rat thyroid gland during vitamin A deficiency.

Thyroid glands from female rats kept vitamin A deficient for one, two, and three months were examined by electron microscopy. After one month on the diet, no consistent alterations were noted. After two months, the colloid in some follicles displayed a peripheral zone of decreased density. In addition, ultimobranchial follicles within the gland had become keratinized. After two to three months on the diet, cells were seen entering the colloid. Many of these cells were identified as follicular cells. Quantitative and autoradiographic studies indicated that thyroids of vitamin A deficient rats took up less radioiodide than thyroids of control rats. It's possible that the presence of follicular cells in the colloid reflects an accelerated turnover of these cells and could indicate an early pathological sign.
P -T paths from anatectic pelites

A relatively simple petrogenetic grid for partial melting of pelitic rocks in the NCKFMASH system is presented based on the assumption that the only H2O available for melting is through dehydration reactions. The grid includes both discontinuous and continuous Fe-Mg reactions; contours of Fe/(Fe+Mg) for continuous reactions define P-T vectors along which continuous melting will occur. For biotite-bearing assemblages (garnet+biotite + sillimanite + K-feldspar + liquid and garnet + biotite + cordierite + K-feldspar + liquid), Fe/(Fe+Mg) contours have negative slopes and melting will occur with increasing temperature or pressure. For biotite-absent assemblages (garnet + cordierite + sillimanite + K-feldspar + liquid or garnet + cordierite + orthopyroxene + K-feldspar + liquid) Fe/(Fe + Mg) contours have flat slopes and melting will occur only with increasing pressure. The grid predicts that abundant matrix K-feldspar should only be observed if rocks are heated at P 3.8 kbar, and that generation of late biotite + sillimanite replacing garnet, cordierite, or as selvages around leu- cosomes should be common in rocks in which melt is not removed. There is also a predicted field for dehydration melting of staurolite between 5 and 12 kbar. Textures in migmatites from New Hampshire, USA, suggest that prograde dehydration melting reactions are very nearly completely reversible during cooling and crystallization in rocks in which melt is not removed. Therefore, many reaction textures in “low grade” migmatites may represent retrograde rather than prograde reactions.
Romiplostim: Therapeutic Value in Chronic Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura

Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is an autoimmune disease characterized by the production of antibodies to circulating platelets. Traditionally it has been regarded as a disorder of increased platelet destruction, so therapies have targeted this mechanism, including corticosteroids, IVIG, splenectomy and rituximab. More recently, it has become clear that decreased platelet production importantly contributes to the thrombocytopenia. The isolation of thrombopoietin (TPO), the ligand for the mpl receptor and the major hormone regulating platelet production, has shed new light on platelet homeostasis and facilitated the development of new therapeutic approaches. First generation TPO-mimetics were removed from clinical trials when some healthy volunteers and patients with cancer developed antibodies against these drugs that cross-reacted with native TPO, causing paradoxical thrombocytopenia. Two second generation TPO-mimetics, romiplostim and eltrombopag, share no structural homology with endogenous TPO and are being studied in a variety of thrombocytopenic states. Romiplostim was approved by the US FDA in August 2008 for the treatment of patients with ITP who had failed at least one prior therapy. This was based on randomized, placebo-controlled phase III studies that showed increased platelet counts in more than 80% of treated patients, with a durable platelet response by stringent criteria in 38% of splenectomized and 61% of non-splenectomized patients compared to 0%–5% in patients receiving placebo. Being non-immunosuppressive, the toxicity profile is favorable, although there are concerns with this class of drugs with thrombotic risks, “rebound thrombocytopenia,” marrow reticulin fibrosis, or even hematopoietic clonal proliferation. Romiplostim may gain an increasing niche in the treatment of ITP.
Mouse Pachytene Checkpoint 2 (Trip13) Is Required for Completing Meiotic Recombination but Not Synapsis

In mammalian meiosis, homologous chromosome synapsis is coupled with recombination. As in most eukaryotes, mammalian meiocytes have checkpoints that monitor the fidelity of these processes. We report that the mouse ortholog (Trip13) of pachytene checkpoint 2 (PCH2), an essential component of the synapsis checkpoint in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Caenorhabditis elegans, is required for completion of meiosis in both sexes. TRIP13-deficient mice exhibit spermatocyte death in pachynema and loss of oocytes around birth. The chromosomes of mutant spermatocytes synapse fully, yet retain several markers of recombination intermediates, including RAD51, BLM, and RPA. These chromosomes also exhibited the chiasmata markers MLH1 and MLH3, and okadaic acid treatment of mutant spermatocytes caused progression to metaphase I with bivalent chromosomes. Double mutant analysis demonstrated that the recombination and synapsis genes Spo11, Mei1, Rec8, and Dmc1 are all epistatic to Trip13, suggesting that TRIP13 does not have meiotic checkpoint function in mice. Our data indicate that TRIP13 is required after strand invasion for completing a subset of recombination events, but possibly not those destined to be crossovers. To our knowledge, this is the first model to separate recombination defects from asynapsis in mammalian meiosis, and provides the first evidence that unrepaired DNA damage alone can trigger the pachytene checkpoint response in mice.
The use of cerebrospinal fluid and neuropathologic studies in neuropsychiatry practice and research

The gold standard for diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases (ie, Alzheimer disease, frontotemporal dementia, Parkinson disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) is neuropathologic examination at autopsy. As such, laboratory studies play a central role in antemortem diagnosis of these conditions and their differentiation from the neuroinflammatory, infectious, toxic, and other nondegenerative etiologies (eg, rapidly progressive dementias) that are encountered in neuropsychiatric practice. This article summarizes the use of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) laboratory studies in the diagnostic evaluation of dementia syndromes and emerging CSF biomarkers specific for underlying neuropathology in neurodegenerative disease research.
Alcohol, expectancy and stress: Methodological concerns with the expectancy design

Abstract Recent research has indicated that many of the behavioral effects of alcohol consumption are largely due to covert expectancy effects. The purpose of this investigation was to assess the impact of alcohol and the expectancy of alcohol on physiological, subjective, and behavioral responses in a public speaking situation. Each of 28 male social drinkers was randomly assigned to one of four expectancy groups which controlled for the expectancies associated with the consumption of either an alcoholic or nonalcoholic beverage. After administration of the beverage, the subjects were informed that they would be asked to make a speech which would be videotaped for future evaluation. Following these instructions subjects listened to audiotaped materials designed to be stress enhancing, after which they made the videotape. No expectancy effect was found. Confidence in the beverage deception was discussed, as were the implications of the data in regard to excessive alcohol consumption in a stressful situation.
The biosynthesis of polyamines in the brain of audiogenic seizure-susceptible and -resistant deermice.

~~ ~ Abstract: The biosynthesis of polyamines was investigated in the brains of the audiogenic seizure-susceptible (SS) mutant and the wild-type, seizure-resistant (SR) deermouse Perornystus maniculatus bairdii. For this purpose a new, rapid, and economical high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) procedure for the quantitation of putrescine, spermidine, and spermine was developed. Benzoyl derivatives of the polyamines, prepared from a crude brain superna- tant, were ether extracted and, following removal of the ether, were separated and quantitated by HPLC. The high sensitivity of the method allows quantita- tion of putrescine in 50 mg and of spermidine and spermine, in as little as 2-2.5 mg, of brain tissue. No differences were found in endogenous levels of the 3 polyamines in brains of SS vs SR deermice. Using (14C)putrescine as a polyamine precursor, we found the specific radioactivity of spermidine to be lower in the SS than in the SR brains following a 1 h intraventricular (i.vt.) pulse. No such differences were noted if (3,4-'*C)methionine was used as the polyamine precursor. To test whether the flux of methionine through the transmethylation pathway was also different in SS and SR deermouse brain, we administered (I-"C)methionine (i.vt.) (1 h pulse). Even though the brains of SS animals contained higher methionine and lower S-adenosyl-L-methionine (AdoMet) levels than the SR brains, the specific radioactivities of methionine and AdoMet were, respectively, lower and higher in SS compared to SR brains. The latter results are in agreement with our previous findings of an accelerated utilization of AdoMet in brains of Swiss-Webster mice following administration of the chemical convulsant r-methionine-d.I-sulfoximine (MSO). Taken together, the data suggest that the SS condition, whether geneti- cally determined (as in the SS deermouse) or chemically elicited (as after MSO), correlates positively with higher than normal rates of conversion of methionine to brain AdoMet and leads to an enhanced rate of utilization of AdoMet via the transmethylation pathway. Key Words: Seizure-sensitive- Seizure-resistant-deermice-Brain polyamines-Transmethy1ation-S- adenosyl-L-methionine-HPLC. Porta R. et al. The biosynthesis of poly- amines in the brain of audiogenic seizure-susceptible and -resistant deer- mice. J. Neurochrm. 37, 7'23-729 (1981). ~ ~~~~~~~~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Howe Correspondence for Real Unitary Groups

Roger Howe proved that for any reductive dual pair (G, G′) in the symplectic groupSp(2n, R), there is a one-to-one correspondence of irreducible admissible representations of some two-fold covers ofGandG′. We determine this correspondence explicitly for dual pairs of the form (U(p, q),U(r, s)) withr+s=p+q, and describe it in terms of Langlands parameters. In this case, the correspondence may be understood in a natural way as a correspondence of representations of the linear groups, rather than the appropriate covers. We show that every irreducible admissible representation ofU(p, q) occurs in the correspondence with precisely one unitary group of equal rank. This result verifies a conjecture of Harris, Kudla, and Sweet, who investigated the correspondence for unitary groups of equal size overp-adic fields. The correspondence of discrete series representations was determined by J.-S. Li. For induced representations, the correspondence is obtained in a natural way from the corresponding discrete series on the respective Levi factors of the parabolic subgroups ofU(p, q) andU(r, s). Generalizing a result of Li, we show that under the correspondence representations with nonzero cohomology are matched in an interesting way, with unitarity not necessarily preserved. The proof uses the induction principle which is due to Kudla, and an argument involvingK-types and the space of joint harmonics (Howe).
The Causes and Outcome of Acute Pancreatitis Associated with Serum Lipase >10,000 U/L

Our objective was to investigate the use of serum lipase levels >10,000 U/L as a tool for predicting the etiology of acute pancreatitis (AP) and to further address the relationship between lipase elevation and disease severity. We compared patients with AP and serum lipase >10,000 U/L (HL) with patients with AP and lower serum lipase levels (855–10,000 U/L). The etiology and severity of AP were recorded. Differences between groups were calculated. Of the 114 patients in the HL group, the common etiologies of AP were biliary (68%), iatrogenic trauma (14%), and idiopathic (10%). Only one patient had alcoholic AP. Conversely, the common etiologies of AP in the 146-patient comparison group (lipase 855–10,000 U/L) were broader: biliary (34%), idiopathic (23%), alcohol (14%), and iatrogenic trauma (10%). Biliary AP was twice as common in the HL group (P 10,000 U/L was 80% whereas the negative predictive (NPV) for alcoholic AP was 99%. No difference between groups was observed in the severity markers including ICU admission, length of hospital stay, complications, or mortality. In AP a serum lipase of >10,000 U/L at presentation is a useful marker and portends a biliary etiology while virtually excluding alcoholic AP. Therefore, if ultrasonography is negative for stones in this population, these data suggest workup with MRCP or EUS is warranted to evaluate for microlithiasis or sludge given the high likelihood of occult stone disease in these individuals.
Photodynamic Therapy Using Topically Applied Dihematoporphyrin Ether in the Treatment of Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia

Abstract Objective: To perform a phase I study of topically applied dihematoporphyrin ether (DHE) in the photodynamic treatment (PDT) of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) using fixed DHE doses and application schedules, and a variable dose of 630 nm red light delivered by an argon-pumped dye laser. Methods: Between February 1993 and April 1994, 24 nonpregnant women with a histologic diagnosis of CIN were enrolled. All patients had lesions involving at least 25% of the cervix that were colposcopically visible. Using a cervical cap, 2 ml of a 1% solution of DHE (Photofrin) in a 4% Azone and isopropyl alcohol vehicle were applied to the cervix 24 hr prior to PDT. An argon-pumped dye laser providing light at 630 nm was then used to perform PDT. Light was coupled into a 400-μm silica fiber optic terminating in a microlens which focused the laser radiation onto a circular field of uniform light intensity perpendicular to the tissue. The entire ectocervix was treated in a single field including a margin of 3–5 mm of normal cervix. Using a constant power density (150 mW/cm 2 ) to avoid thermal injury, the PDT energy was increased every 4 patients in a phase I fashion (40, 60, 80, 100, 120, and 140 J/cm 2 ). Results: Thirteen patients with CIN I, 7 patients with CIN II, and 4 patients with CIN III were treated. The maximal energy density was well tolerated. Toxicity was minimal with no patients experiencing local necrosis, sloughing, or scarring; however, a mild vaginal discharge was noted in several patients. Systemic effects were absent. After 12 months of follow-up at 3-month intervals, 22 patients are evaluable of whom 15 (68%) are disease free. One patient was lost to follow-up and in another the cervical cap was dislodged. Four of the 7 failures or recurrences occurred at energy densities of 80 J/cm 2 or less, while 8 of 11 (73%) patients were treated successfully with PDT at an energy density of 100 to 140 J/cm 2 . Conclusions: PDT with DHE and an argon-pumped dye laser at 630-nm wavelength delivering an energy density of 140 J/cm 2 is safe and effective in treating CIN. Phase II studies using PDT at the prescribed application schedule and dose are indicated.
Layer-by-Layer Pt Growth on Polycrystalline Au: Surface-Limited Redox Replacement of Overpotentially Deposited Ni Monolayers

The catalyst system Pt/Au has been the subject of many studies recently, ranging from formic acid oxidation to oxidative studies for direct alcohol fuel cells. This paper outlines the use of overpotential Ni deposition as an intermediary for the creation of model overlayer/substrate Pt/Au catalysts with atomic monolayer (ML)-level thickness control. Deposition of Pt on polycrystalline Au was conducted via Ni surface-limited redox replacement. By electrodepositing a controlled layer of Ni on Au and exposing the resultant surface to Pt in solution, then repeating this technique for multiple iterations, Pt atomic MLs were electrolessly deposited on top of one another. The growth of Pt overlayers was demonstrated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The use of Ni as the replacement layer, as opposed to the commonly used Cu, opens up a range of metals for layer-by-layer deposition.
Air-water exchange of polychlorinated biphenyls in the Delaware River.

The air−water exchange of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) often results in net volatilization, which is thought to be the most important loss process for PCBs in many systems. Previous investigations of the air−water exchange of PCBs have been hampered by difficulties in treatment of the uncertainty in the calculation of air/water fugacity ratios. This work presents a new framework for the treatment of uncertainty, where uncertainty in physical constants is handled differently from random measurement uncertainty associated with random samples, and it further investigates the sorption of PCBs to colloids (dissolved organic carbon). Simultaneous measurements of PCBs in the air and water of five water quality management zones of the Delaware River were taken in 2002 in support of the total maximum daily load (TMDL) process. Gas-phase concentrations of ΣPCBs ranged from 110 to 1350 pg m-3, while dissolved water concentrations were between 420 and 1650 pg L-1. Shallow slopes of log KOC vs log KOW plots indica...
Pre-transplant donor-specific transfusions induce allograft rejection and IL-2 gene expression in the WKY-->F344 functional tolerance model of rat lung transplantation.

Abstract Our previous studies have shown that a spontaneous functional tolerance develops in a rat model of lung transplantation (WKY→F344). The tolerance observed in this model may be due to the minor histocompatible differences in this combination, however, the possibility of a tolerogenic effect related specifically to the lung allograft must be considered. To further examine this model, the effect of pre-transplant donor-specific spleen cell transfusions (DSTs) was examined on the functional tolerance state seen in this model. F344 rats received WKY spleen cells on days −45 and −30 before lung transplantations. Control F344 rats received lung transplants without DSTs. Recipients in both groups were killed on day 7, 14, 21 and 49 post-transplant, and allograft rejection (AR) was graded histologically (stage 0–IV). Intragraft cytokine gene transcripts were examined on day 7 and 14 post-transplant using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) techniques to investigate the underlying immunological events occurring in each group. In addition, allogeneic (WKY) and third party (BN) skin grafts were placed on lung recipients at day 35 post-transplant to evaluate the development of systemic tolerance. It was seen that control animals showed moderate to severe lymphocytic infiltrations (stage II–III AR) in the first 3 weeks followed by spontaneous recovery with stage I–II AR on day 49. In marked contrast, DST-treated animals showed more aggressive AR with severe lymphocytic infiltration and haemorrhagic infarction (stage III–IV AR) by day 14–21, without any evidence of recovery on day 49. WKY skin grafts showed prolonged survival in control animals, but were promptly rejected in DST-treated animals. Intragraft cytokine gene expression in control animals was characterized by no or weak expression of IL-2 and high IL-10, while DST-treated animals showed high levels of IL-2 transcripts. IL-2:IL-10 and IL-2:IL-4 ratios were significantly increased in DST-treated animals compared with controls on day 7 post-transplant.
Deterrence and social control: Rethinking the relationship

Until recent years, the operationalization of the deterrence concept has been largely legal in nature. That is, deterrence was defined in terms of certainty and celerity of arrest and severity of sanction. Contemporary research has called this narrow viewpoint into question, pointing out that legal factors are only part of the range of social-control mechanisms. One of the more important of these reformulations was found to have an analytical flaw which could have easily affected the results (Meier and Johnson, 1977). The present study corrects the analysis problems of this previous study and upholds the findings that, for a sample of adult Texas residents, extralegal factors are of more import for determining marijuana use than traditional legal deterrence. Since both legal and extralegal factors are products of the social context, deterrence may be appropriately incorporated into contemporary social- control theories.
A Phase II, Safety and Efficacy Study of Fixed Dose Radioimmunotherapy (Zevalin, yttrium-90 ibritumomab tiuxetan) for Patients with Incomplete Response to Chemotherapy Prior to Autologous Stem Cell Transplant (ASCT) for Multiple Myeloma

s / Biol Blood Marrow Transplant 21 (2015) S185eS205 S199 or 4-hour pre-exposure to SAHA followed by washing then addition of [Clad+Gem+Bu] resulted in 40%, and 46% inhibition, respectively (P 1⁄4 0.005). These results underscore the importance of optimizing the sequence of drug exposure. Our results provide a basis for using [Clad+Gem+Bu] as a pre-transplant conditioning regimen for lymphoma patients undergoing HSCT, and further addition of an epigenetic modifier, such as SAHA, may play a role as a sensitizer to optimize the efficacy of the chemotherapy regimen.
The Functional Diffusion Map: An Imaging Biomarker for the Early Prediction of Cancer Treatment Outcome

Functional diffusion map (fDM) has been recently reported as an early and quantitative biomarker of clinical brain tumor treatment outcome. This MRI approach spatially maps and quantifies treatment-induced changes in tumor water diffusion values resulting from alterations in cell density/cell membrane function and microenvironment. This current study was designed to evaluate the capability of fDM for preclinical evaluation of dose escalation studies and to determine if these changes were correlated with outcome measures (cell kill and overall survival). Serial T2-weighted and diffusion MRI were carried out on rodents with orthotopically implanted 9L brain tumors receiving three doses of 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (6.65, 13.3, and 26.6 mg/kg, i.p.). All images were coregistered to baseline T2-weighted images for fDM analysis. Analysis of tumor fDM data on day 4 posttreatment detected dosedependent changes in tumor diffusion values, which were also found to be spatially dependent. Histologic analysis of treated tumors confirmed spatial changes in cellularity as observed by fDM. Early changes in tumor diffusion values were found to be highly correlative with drug dose and independent biologic outcome measures (cell kill and survival). Therefore, the fDM imaging biomarker for early prediction of treatment efficacy can be used in the drug development process.
Morphogenesis of the assembly and release of bovine enterovirus.

Summary Fluorescent antibody (FA) studies of cells infected with bovine enterovirus showed cytoplasmic blebs with specific fluorescence to the virus. These structures were also found extracellularly in the debris of lysed cells and were RNA-positive by acridine orange (AO) staining. The morphology of virus-infected cells was further studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with immunoferritin tagging showed the development of long sacs with bilaminated and multilaminated membranes. These sacs had multiple twists at different intervals along their length forming a chain of vesicles. The development and maturation of the virus were observed in these vesicles. A number of virus-containing vesicles were also present extracellularly in the debris of lysed cells. In addition, virus was observed in layers of membranous cisternae closely associated with vacuoles and plasma membrane. Some of the cisternae opened to the extracellular space and appeared to allow the release of the virus. Virus particles were also found in patches and in crystals within the cytoplasmic matrix. Many lysed cells contained fibrils often associated with patches of ferritin-tagged virus. This study presents morphological evidence for the release of the virus in vesicles after cell lysis, via cisternae with openings to the extracellular space, and in cytoplasmic blebs.
Transformation and mineralization of benzo[a]pyrene by microbial cultures enriched on mixtures of three- and four-ring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Microorganisms originating from a soil contaminated by low levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were enriched with three- and four-ring PAHs as primary substrates in the presence of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP). Most enrichment cultures, isolated in the presence or absence of a sorptive matrix, significantly transformed BaP. Evidence of BaP mineralization was obtained with cultures enriched on phenanthrene and anthracene. Our findings supplement literature data suggesting the wide occurrence of microbial activity against BaP. Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology (2002) 28, 70–73 DOI: 10.1038/sj/jim/7000211
Breast cancer in young patients

Background: Breast cancer in a young person is considered by many to be a rare and very aggressive disease. Theories regarding the aggressiveness of the disease are varied. This study was undertaken in an attempt to help formulate guidelines regarding screening for and treatment of breast cancer in the young patient. Patients and Methods: A retrospective review was undertaken of 81 breast cancer patients aged ≤35 years who underwent definitive surgical treatment. All patients were treated at a single institution. Results: Overall 5- and 10-year survival rates were 65% and 49%, respectively. In patients with disease localized to the breast, 5- and 10-year rates were 89% and 78%, respectively. There was no significant difference in survival with respect to age or date of diagnosis, nor was there a difference in cancer stage distribution. The only major determinant of survival was stage at the time of diagnosis. Conclusions: We conclude that young age does not seem to be directly related to the “aggressiveness” or “virulence” of breast cancer, especially among patients with localized disease. These results underscore the need for aggressive and early treatment of these patients. The improved survival with early detection is a valid argument for careful screening, even among very young patients.
Active CMOS-MEMS dual probe array for STM based parallel imaging and nanopatterning

This paper reports on development of a dual-probe scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) system suitable for scaling to 1D array parallel imaging and batch nanofabrication. The 1-D probe array is fabricated using thin-film post CMOS micromachining. Each probe is individually addressable, with its own respective microactuator and on-chip tunneling current sensing electronics. A corresponding external servo-loop array is built for separate control of probe scanning. A macro-goniometer is introduced for probe chip-sample alignment. Using the dual-probe array system, two STM images on a gold calibration sample are obtained simultaneously, and TiO2 nanowires are written on a Ti surface.
Evolution of C-type viral genes: inheritance of exogenously acquired viral genes

Genes related to the nucleic acid of an endogenous domestic cat C-type virus (RD114) are found in the cellular DNA of anthropoid primates while many members of the cat family Felidae lack these sequences. Endogenous viruses from primates are thus concluded to have infected and become part of the germ line of an evolutionary distant group, the ancestors of the domestic cat.
Evaluation research in state‐level decision making

The Illinois State director of research and evaluation discusses issues related to commissioning and using evaluation.
Catalytic Reduction of Hexavalent Chromium Using Palladium Nanoparticles: An Undergraduate Nanotechnology Laboratory

Nanotechnology, the science and art of manipulating matter at the atomic and molecular level, is increasingly playing an important role in the undergraduate curriculum, but there are few laboratory exercises that emphasize the connection between fundamental nanoscience and larger societal issues with practical applications. A laboratory experiment is described in which students synthesized palladium nanoparticles (PdNPs) and utilized the particles for catalytic reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) in the presence of formic acid. This experiment requires two 3-h laboratory periods and can be adapted for upper-division undergraduate students in instrumental analysis, materials science, or physical chemistry laboratories. During the first laboratory period, students synthesized and characterized PdNPs using TEM and UV–vis spectroscopy. During the second lab period, they utilized the nanoparticles for the catalytic reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) using environmental NIST standard reference soil matrices. Students (9...
Sciatic nerve response to injury in hibernating and non-hibernating ground squirrels

Abstract At 21 and 36 postcrush days, regenerating axonal sprouts were observed and counted in the distal stumps of sciatic nerves from non-hibernating ground squirrels (T b = 37 °C). More importantly, regenerating axonal sprouts were present in the distal segments of sciatic nerves from hibernating ground squirrels (T b = 4–10 °C), but the total number was significantly less than the number noted in non-hibernating animals.
A semi-synchronous SAR ADC

A semi-synchronous clocking scheme is proposed for successive approximation register (SAR) analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). The conversion time is dynamically allocated to the comparator decision and to the DAC settling in every bit cycle. This significantly improves the conversion speed.
Two Types of Actin Nucleators, Three Ways to Make Actin Filaments?

Spire (Spir) and Cappuccino (Capu) are both actin nucleators, which are essential for Drosophila oogenesis. Despite similar biochemical activities, Spir and Capu are not redundant: mutations in either gene cause the same phenotypes, including loss of an actin mesh throughout the oocyte, mislocalization of polarity determinants and female sterility. Why are two actin nucleators required? To address this question we study how Spir and Capu nucleate independently and together.Capu is a formin. Like other formins, it uses conserved FH1 and FH2 domains for nucleation and processive elongation. Capu does not have a DAD domain. It nevertheless uses its similarly-positioned tail in nucleation and autoinhibition, like other formins. Further, the Capu-tail enhances processivity. Our work indicates that this is a conserved function of formin tails.Spir is a WH2-nucleator. The last two WH2 domains (of four) and their linker are sufficient to nucleate (C3D). Interestingly, when these WH2 domains are reversed (D3C) nucleation activity is lost. C3D binds two actin monomers with positive cooperativity. In contrast, D3C binds actin with negative cooperativity - it binds only one actin monomer. A similar construct with Linker 3 mutated (C(gs)5D) also binds only one actin monomer. Thus domain order and Linker 3 are necessary for cooperative binding.Direct interaction between Spire and Capu is essential for actin mesh formation, subsequent oogenesis and fertility. New data indicate that actin binding but not necessarily nucleation by Spir is necessary during oogenesis. Combined, these point to a role for Spire as a Capu activator. Indeed, in bulk in vitro assays, Spir stimulates Capu's actin assembly activity in the presence of capping protein and profilin, conditions under which Spir alone does not promote filament formation. We continue to study this interaction in vivo and in vitro.
10-Vertex Manganese−Dicarbollide Complexes from a Monocarbon Precursor. Synthesis and Cluster Vertex Functionalization of [1-OH-2,2,2-(CO)3-closo-2,1,10-MnC2B7H8]−

Reaction between [NBun4][closo-1-CB7H8] and [Mn2(CO)10] in THF (THF = tetrahydrofuran) at reflux temperatures, or at room temperature with ultraviolet irradiation, followed by addition of [N(PPh3)2]Cl, affords the manganese−dicarbollide salt [N(PPh3)2][1-OH-2,2,2-(CO)3-closo-2,1,10-MnC2B7H8] (1). Addition of NOBF4 to 1 gives the neutral species [1-OH-2,2-(CO)2-2-NO-closo-2,1,10-MnC2B7H8] (2), which readily undergoes CO substitution with PEt3 in the presence of Me3NO to yield [1-OH-2-CO-2-NO-2-PEt3-closo-2,1,10-MnC2B7H8] (3). Protonation of 1 in the presence of dialkyl sulfides SR2 affords the neutral complexes [1-SR2-2,2,2-(CO)3-closo-2,1,10-MnC2B7H8] [R = Me (4); SR2 = S(CH2)4 (5); R = {CH2CH═CH2} (6)]; the synthesis of 5 is accompanied by formation of a boron-substituted relative, [1-OH-6-{S(CH2)4}-2,2,2-(CO)3-closo-2,1,10-MnC2B7H7] (7). Addition of Me3NO to 6 in CH2Cl2 produces the anions [1-(SCH2CH═CH2)-2,2,2-(CO)3-closo-2,1,10-MnC2B7H8]− and [1,2-σ:η2-(SCH2CH═CH2)-2,2-(CO)2-closo-2,1,10-MnC2B7H8]−, i...
Detection of human DNA-carcinogen adducts.

The role of specific chemicals in the aetiology of human cancer can now be assessed using 32P-postlabelling in combination with corroborative biomonitoring techniques.