cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lipoprotein Metabolism in Pregnancy, Fat Transport to the Fetus, and the Effects of Diabetes

The objective of this paper is to review the extent and mechanisms of lipoprotein alterations in pregnancy, present new data relating to placental lipid transport in normal humans and diabetic animals and consider possible effects on fetal growth and development in normal and diabetic pregnancy. The concentration of all lipoprotein fractions increases during pregnancy. VLDL cholesterol and triglyceride increase 2.5-fold over prepregnancy levels and LDL cholesterol increases 1.6-fold, all with peak levels at term. HDL cholesterol is maximally increased in midgestation by 1.45-fold and subsequently declines to 1.15-fold at term. The mechanisms of these lipoprotein changes have not been studied in humans but the hypertriglyceridemia in animal models is related to enhanced VLDL entry into the circulation. In addition, diminished adipose tissue lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity in late gestation may cause a rerouting of triglyceride fatty acids to other tissues such as muscle and uterus for oxidation, rather than storage, since triglyceride transport is not reduced in pregnancy. All of these changes appear to be sex hormone mediated. In diabetic pregnancies, the available data indicate that triglyceride concentrations are increased and HDL cholesterol concentrations are decreased with reference to lipoproteins in nondiabetic pregnant women. Previously unpublished data show that a transplacental FFA gradient exists across the umbilical circulation in the direction of the fetus and is proportional to the maternal FFA concentration. No gradient is seen for triglyceride or total plasma cholesterol. However, transport of unmeasured amounts of triglyceride fatty acids may still occur via placental LPL and be exaggerated in diabetes where LPL declines in adipose tissue but not in placenta. The mechanism of transplacental cholesterol transport remains to be defined. Preliminary studies suggest that it depends on HDL as well as LDL since both can provide cholesterol for placental progesterone synthesis. In addition, fetal weight and length are associated with maternal apoproteins A-I and A-II, both major apoproteins of HDL. By lowering HDL in pregnancy, diabetes mellitus could negatively affect these relationships. In conclusion, sex hormone mediated modifications of lipoprotein physiology are described in pregnancy which may enhance triglyceride fatty acid transport to muscle for oxidation and LDL and HDL cholesterol delivery to growing maternal and fetal tissues, a process that diabetes could globally disrupt.
Aminoguanidine reversal of the inhibitory effects of ornithine analogs on the in vitro clonogenic survival of the R3327 AT prostate-derived tumor

Abstract In in vivo studies with the Copenhagen rat prostrate-derived tumor cell lines, the activity of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) of these lines were as sensitive to inhibition by α-difluoromethylornithine (α-DFMO) as normal prostatic tissue. The in vitro growth of the tumor in calf serum was inhibited by ODC inhibitors α-methylornithine and α-difluoromethylornithine. This inhibition was partially reversed by the diamine oxidase inhibitor amino-guanidine. Further, α-DFMO was not inhibitory to the growth of these cells in sera which lacked diamine oxidase activity, but was inhibitory when diamine oxidase was added.
Force sum-rule and static electronic polarizability of atoms and microstructures

Abstract A sum rule is derived within density functional formalism for the response of an electronic system to a uniform electrostatic field. The sum rule states that the sum of the electrostatic forces on the positive charge background equals zero. The sum rule provides a useful test of electronic polarizability calculations for atoms and microstructures. It also leads to a self-consistency relationship for the induced charge density obtained in image-plane calculations.
Effects of pulses with simple phase and frequency modulations.

The effects of pulse shapes with simple phase and frequency modulation (phase proportional to amplitude or intensity, frequency proportional to intensity) are explored numerically. Many such shapes can be generated by combining self-phase-modulation with modern laser pulse-shaping capabilities (which are more flexible for amplitude modulation than for frequency modulation). Even though all of these wave forms begin and end at the same frequency (and hence violate the mathematical conditions for adiabatic inversion), we show that they can generate adiabatic population inversion or suppress intramolecular energy redistribution.
Viscoelastic effects on the stability of wall-bounded shear flows

The dissolution of high molecular weight polymers and surfactants to wall-bounded shear flows of Newtonian liquids significantly modifies their stability characteristics. The critical Reynolds number Rec first decreases with increasing flow elasticity E until a critical value E=E* is reached and increases back again for E>E*. We explore the mechanisms that cause this behavior in the viscoelastic plane Poiseuille flow of an Oldroyd-B liquid. The minimum in the Rec−E curve arises from two competing contributions to the perturbation vorticity transport: The contribution from the viscoelastic shear stress perturbations that becomes more dissipative with increasing E and that from the viscoelastic normal stress perturbations that becomes more destabilizing with increasing E. Similar behavior is also exhibited by the contributions of the normal and the shear stress perturbations to the kinetic-energy budget. When a Deborah number based on the time scale of the critical disturbance becomes O(1) (≈1.6±0.1, irresp...
Platelet monoamine oxidase B: Use and misuse

The human platelet in addition to having serotonin (5-HT) receptors, uptake carriers (receptor) and transmitter storage vesicles, primarily possesses mitochondrial monoamine oxidase (MAO) type B. Similar to the major form of MAO in the human brain, this enzyme actively oxidizes A-B and B substrates (tyramine, dopamine, phenylethylamine) as well as the novel secondary amine anticonvulsant, milacemide and dopaminergic neurotoxin, MPTP. 5-HT oxidation is hardly affected by the platelet enzyme and MAO inhibitors have no net effect on its accumulation. MAO-B is selectively inhibited by 1-deprenyl and thus the platelet enzyme may be useful to monitor the anti-Parkinson activity of such drugs, as related to their ability to inhibit brain MAO-B. The oxidation of the anticonvulsant, milacemide, to glycine in vitro and in vivo by MAO-B, may herald new prospects for the development of inert prodrugs capable of being metabolized to neuroactive substances by MAO-B. The plasma levels of their metabolites may be an index of MAO-B activity found in the platelet and brain.
Infected Aortic Aneurysm

: Aortic aneurysms may become infected. This unusual complication carries a highly unfavorable prognosis. In any patient with sepsis and a known aneurysm, spread of the sepsis to the aneurysm should be suspected if no other source of infection can be found. A case report is presented, together with a brief review of the literature.
Near-Fatal Pneumopericardium During Tracheal Stent Exchange.

PATIENTS WITH BRONCHIAL FISTULAS, including bronchopleural, bronchomediastinal, bronchopericardial, or bronchoesophageal, may present with significant difficulties in airway and ventilatory management. Fistulas are an infrequent, but well-described complication, of metal airway stents, and in the setting of advanced malignancy, communication with the mediastinal or pericardial space may occur. When these fistulas are present, positive-pressure ventilation has a high likelihood of developing cardiac tamponade, which may be catastrophic if diagnosis and management are delayed. The authors present a rare case of stent migration and fistula formation into the pericardial space that presented with acute intraoperative hemodynamic and respiratory decompensation, which never has been described in the literature.
Researching Internet‐Based Populations: Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Survey Research, Online Questionnaire Authoring Software Packages, and Web Survey Services

This article examines some advantages and disadvantages of conducting online survey research. It explores current features, issues, pricing, and limitations associated with products and services, such as online questionnaire features and services to facilitate the online survey process, such as those offered by web survey businesses. The review shows that current online survey products and services can vary considerably in terms of available features, consumer costs, and limitations. It is concluded that online survey researchers should conduct a careful assessment of their research goals, research timeline, and financial situation before choosing a specific product or service.
Pathogenesis of Respiratory Infections Due to Influenza Virus: Implications for Developing Countries

The influenza viruses have an important and distinctive place among respiratory viruses: they change antigenic character at irregular intervals, infect individuals of all ages, cause illnesses characterized by constitutional symptoms and tracheobronchitis, produce yearly epidemics associated frequently with excess morbidity and mortality, and predispose the host to bacterial superinfections. Much is known about influenza viruses, but their role in respiratory infections among children in developing countries is poorly understood, and the risk factors that lead to the excess morbidity and mortality have not been identified clearly. Among the many risk factors that may be important are alterations in host immunity, malnutrition, prior or coincident infections with other microorganisms, inhaled pollutants, and lack of access to medical care. There is a great need for research that can establish more precisely the role these and other unidentified factors play in the pathogenesis of influenza infections in children in the developing world.
Hydraulic conductance of lung endothelial phenotypes and Starling safety factors against edema

Recent permeability studies comparing endothelial cell phenotypes derived from alveolar and extra-alveolar vessels have significant implications for interpreting the mechanisms of fluid homeostasis...
Effect of acriflavine on ultraviolet inactivation of Acholeplasma laidlawii

An increased sensitivity to inactivation was observed when ultraviolet light-irradiated Acholeplasma laidlawii An increase sensitivity to inactivation was observed when ultraviolet light-irradiated Acholeplasma laidlawii cells were plated on medium containing either acriflavine or chloramphenicol. Chloramphenicol reduced liquid holding recovery (dark repair) to about 10 percent of that in untreated irradiated cells. In acriflavine treated cells no dark repair could be observed and there was a progressive degradation of cell DNA during holding. While the primary effect of acriflavine may be to inhibit excision repair, since ultraviolet-irradiated Mycoplasma gallisepticum (cells which lack an excision repair mechanism) show a slight increase in inactivation when plated on medium containing acriflavine, the dye must also have some other effects on ultraviolet repair processes. Acriflavine treatment of A. laidlawii cells before ultraviolet irradiation has a protective effect, as seen by an increased cell survival.
Striking aortic root dilation in a patient with the Larsen syndrome

4. phy: The shoulder girdle syndrome, Lancet 1:973, 1948. Magee KR, and DeJong RN: Paralytic brachial neuritis, JAMA 174:1258, 1960. Jacob JC, Andermann F, and Robb JP: Heredofamilial neuritis with brachial predilection, Neurology 11:1025, 1961. 5. Bardos V, and Somodska V: Epidemiologic study of a brachial plexus neuritis outbreak in northeast Czechoslovakia, World Neurol 2:973, 1961. 6. Smith HP, Smith HP Jr: Phrenic paralysis due to serum neuritis, Am J Med 19:808, 1955.
Speech versus Nonspeech: Different Tasks, Different Neural Organization

This article reviews the extant studies of the relation of oromotor nonspeech activities to speech production. The relevancy of nonspeech oral motor behaviors to speech motor performance in assessment and treatment is challenged on several grounds. First, contemporary motor theory suggests that movement control is task specific. In other words, it is tied to the unique goals, sources of information, and characteristics of varying motor acts. Documented differences in movement characteristics for speech production versus nonspeech oral motor tasks support this claim. Second, advantages of training nonspeech oral motor tasks versus training speech production are not supported by current principles of motor learning and neural plasticity. Empirical data supports experience-specific training. Finally, functional imaging studies document differences in activation patterns for speech compared with nonspeech oral motor tasks in neurologically healthy individuals.
Resonance fluorescence studies of levels in 59Co

Abstract A bremsstrahlung beam produced by electrons from a Van de Graaff accelerator has been used to excite fifteen levels in 59 Co up to about 4.5 MeV. The first five of these have energies (keV), spins and parities, and ground state transition widths (meV) of (the assumed branching ratios are given in brackets) 1099, 3 2 − , (1) 0.21 ± 0.04; 1190, 9 2 − , (1) 8.2 ± 0.4; 1459, 11 2 − , (1) 0.39 ± 0.04; 1480, 5 2 +, − , (0.8) 1.68 ± 0.17; and 1475, 7 2 − , (0.59) 0.66 ± known mixing ratios, B (E2ad) values for these five levels are also given in comparison with the B (E2ad) for the 1332 keV 2 + state of 60 Ni. Since the spins are not known, only cross sections are given for the higher energy levels.
Acute profound thrombocytopenia associated with readministration of eptifibatide: case report and review of the literature.

The glycoprotein IIb-IIIa inhibitor eptifibatide has been shown to be beneficial in the treatment of acute coronary syndromes and during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Case reports of acute profound thrombocytopenia have been reported with eptifibatide, yet the true incidence of this reaction is unknown. We describe a 50-year-old woman with severe coronary artery disease who developed acute profound thrombocytopenia after readministration of eptifibatide. Eptifibatide was administered through hospital day 3, when it was discontinued in preparation for coronary angiography and PCI; the drug was restarted on day 5. On hospital day 6, she was noted to have a platelet count below 5 times 103/mm,3 indicating a profound decrease from a baseline of 456 times 103/mm3 on admission. Eptifibatide, heparin, vancomycin, and clopidogrel were potential causative agents. Anticoagulation and vancomycin were stopped, and her platelet count increased to 30 times 103/mm3 on day 7. Subsequent reexposure to heparin and vancomycin yielded no adverse effects. The patient's platelet count increased over the remainder of her hospitalization, and she was discharged home on day 19. Based on clinical presentation and negative heparin platelet factor 4 antibody test, eptifibatide was the most likely cause of thrombocytopenia. Use of the Naranjo adverse drug reaction probability scale indicated that eptifibatide was the probable cause of thrombocytopenia (score of 5); scores of 1 (possible) or 0 (doubtful) were derived with heparin, vancomycin, and clopidogrel. We conducted a literature search and compiled information from published case reports to describe the pattern of onset and recovery of eptifibatide-induced thrombocytopenia. In all patients receiving eptifibatide, routine platelet counts should be monitored at baseline and within 2–6 hours after starting the drug.
Stoichiometric Effects of Sputtered Barium Strontium Titanate Films

Barium Strontium Titanate films have been deposited by rf magnetron sputtering and have been studied with respect to Ba/Sr ratio. Physical and electrical characterization has been done as a function of temperature, thickness, and composition, and results show that dielectric constant increases with increasing temperature, thickness (up to ∼80 nm), and Ba/Sr ratio for the compositions studied. The lattice parameters for the sputtered films are larger than those expected for powder samples and also increase with increasing Ba/Sr ratio.
From Domestic to International: The Politics of Ethnic Identity in Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia

This paper examines two contrasting cases of ethnic-group political activism in China – the Uighurs in Xinjiang and the Mongols in Inner Mongolia – to explain the former's political activism and the latter's lack thereof. Given similar challenges and pressures, how can we explain the divergent patterns in these two groups' political behavior? This paper forwards the argument that domestic factors alone are not sufficient to account for differences in the groups' political behavior. Instead, international factors have to be included to offer a fuller and satisfactory explanation. The paper illustrates how three types of international factors – big power support, external cultural ties, and Uighur diaspora community activism – have provided opportunities and resources to make the Uighur political activism sustainable. In Inner Mongolia, its quest for self-determination reached the highest fervor in the early half of the twentieth century, particularly with the support of imperial Japan. However, since the e...
Liberalism and American identity

Since 1968, liberalism as a viable political ideology has been under attack, with the most aggressive assault occurring in the 1988 presidential campaign. While conservatives denounced the "L-word" and proclaimed its death as a political ideology, liberals and Democrats failed to defend America's proud liberal tradition. Liberals have yet to take the ideological offensive. Indeed, without a clear ideological identity, it is not surprising that the Democratic Party appears uncertain as to its future political message. In "Liberalism and American identity", Patrick Garry presents a thesis of the meaning and importance of liberalism in American politics. His work attempts to rejuvenate political liberalism, after the devastating attack on it during the 1980s. Presenting a workable definition of liberalism, Garry demonstrates the vital role it has played, and can continue to play, in American history. His examination of the liberal ideology and tradition in American politics reveals not only the nation's liberal identity, but also the conservative tendency to label liberalism "unAmerican" as a means to circumvent discussion of social problems. Garry defines liberalism through historical examples and the beliefs and leadership of prominant Americans, namely Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman and John F. Kennedy. He then applies these principles to a discussion of current politics and the problems of crime, poverty, and national defense. Although arguing that the conservative attack during the 1980s greatly misrepresented the American liberal tradition, Garry also acknowledges that changes within accepted liberal doctrines during the 1960s and 1970s led to a deviation of contemporary liberalism from its roots. This betrayal of liberalism and its degeneration into special interest politics, he asserts, caused an identity crisis among liberals and alienated large segments of the American electorate previously supportive of the politics of Roosevelt, Truman and Kennedy.
The regulatory gene nit-2 of Neurospora crassa complements a nnu mutant of Gibberella zeae (Fusarium graminearum).

The nnu mutant of Gibberella zeae (= Fusarium graminearum) is unable to catabolize many of the nitrogen sources utilized by its wild-type parent, and may have suffered a mutation in the major nitrogen regulatory locus. Transformation of this mutant with the major nitrogen regulatory gene from Neurospora crassa, nit-2, restored the wild-type phenotype, thus confirming that the nnu mutation is in the major nitrogen regulatory locus of G. zeae. Our results are consistent with the premise of conservation of the structure of regulatory factors and suggest the possibility that functional DNA homologues of this regulatory element occur across a broad range of ascomycetous fungi.
Interaction of threat expressions and eye gaze: An event-related potential study

The current study examined the interaction of fearful, angry, happy, and neutral expressions with left, straight, and right eye gaze directions. Human participants viewed faces consisting of various expression and eye gaze combinations while event-related potential (ERP) data were collected. The results showed that angry expressions modulated the mean amplitude of the P1, whereas fearful and happy expressions modulated the mean amplitude of the N170. No influence of eye gaze on mean amplitudes for the P1 and N170 emerged. Fearful, angry, and happy expressions began to interact with eye gaze to influence mean amplitudes in the time window of 200-400 ms. The results suggest early processing of expression influence ERPs independent of eye gaze, whereas expression and gaze interact to influence later ERPs.
Evaluating CAM treatment at the end of life: a review of clinical trials for massage and meditation.

Summary Background There is a pressing need for improved end-of-life care. Use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) may improve the quality of care but few controlled trials have evaluated CAM at the end of life. Objectives To determine the strength of evidence for the benefits of touch and mind-body therapies in seriously ill patients. Methods Systematic review of randomized controlled trials of massage and mind-body therapies. A PubMed search of English language articles was used to identify the relevant studies. Results Of 27 clinical trials testing massage or mind-body interventions, 26 showed significant improvements in symptoms such as anxiety, emotional distress, comfort, nausea and pain. However, results were often inconsistent across studies and there were variations in methodology, so it was difficult to judge the clinical significance of the results. Conclusions Use of CAM at the end of life is warranted on a case-by-case basis. Limitations in study design and sample size of the trials analyzed mean that routine use of CAM cannot be supported. There are several challenges to be addressed in future research into the use of CAM in end-of-life patients.
Intermediate view synthesis considering occluded and ambiguously referenced image regions

Abstract In this paper, we present an algorithm for synthesizing intermediate views from a single stereo-pair. The key contributions of this algorithm are the incorporation of scene assumptions and a disparity estimation confidence measure that lead to the accurate synthesis of occluded and ambiguously referenced regions. The synthesized views have been displayed on a multi-view binocular imaging system, with subjectively effective motion parallax and diminished eye strain.
Processing and Mechanical Properties of SiC-Metal Interpenetrating Composites

In this paper the authors demonstrate a liquid exchange process to introduce a ductile metal reinforcement phase in the amount of 10--30 vol. % into reaction-bonded silicon carbides (RBSCs). Immersion of RBSC in pure Al or Al-Si melts enables diffusional replacement of secondary phase silicon with metal. The Al and Al-Si exchanged composites show improvement in fracture toughness (single edge precracked beam technique) to 6--7 MPa{center_dot}m{sup 1/2} as compared to 3--4 MPa{center_dot}m{sup 1/2} in otherwise similar siliconized silicon carbide. Increased fracture strength (four point flexure) was also observed after the liquid exchange process.
Pulverized-Coal Deposits Collected Under Staged and Unstaged Oxy-Fuel Conditions for Four U.S. Coals

Coal ash deposits were collected in a 160 kWth, down-fired oxy-coal reactor under staged and unstaged conditions for four different coals at two locations. The deposits were embedded in epoxy for imaging and element composition analysis using scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). Particles were found to be categorized into four groups: non-porous non-molten mineral matter, unburned coal/char, porous non-molten mineral matter, and molten mineral matter. Near burner deposits on the upstream side of tubes in cross-flow contained all four types of particles. Downstream deposits contained primarily molten mineral matter, approximately an order of magnitude smaller in size. No measureable chlorine (greater than 1%) was found in the deposits. Sulfur was observed to correlate with coal calcium content in oxidizing regions. The only major difference between the air and oxy-combustion deposits measured previously was the sulfur concentration; deposits collected with ox...
Characterization of a Specific Receptor for Somatomedin C (SM-C) on Cultured Human Lymphocytes: Evidence that SM-C Modulates Homologous Receptor Concentration

A membrane receptor for somatomedin C (SMC) on cultured IM-9 cells has recently been reported. The current studies were undertaken to further characterize this intact cellular receptor in terms of both kinetics and specificity and to investigate the ability of SM-C to induce homologous receptor loss. The binding of [125I]iodo-SM-C was rapid, achieving a steady state within 90 min and was greater than 95% reversible. Specific binding at 15 C averaged 25–30% for 20 × 106 cells/ml. Competition for binding was observed at SM concentrations as low as 2 mU/ml, with half-maximal displacement of [l25I]iodo- SM-C at SM concentrations of 33 mU/ml (3.33 × 10-9 M). Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and a purified SM-C preparation were approximately equipotent in their ability to displace [l25I]iodo-SM-C from the IM-9 receptor. The relative potencies of other growth-related peptides, in comparison with SM-C/ IGF-I, were IGF-II (1:10), multiplication stimulating activity (1: 10), insulin (1:100), and hGH (nonreactiv...
Diethyl 4,5‐bis(4‐bromo­phenyl)‐2‐oxo­cyclo­penta­diene‐1,3‐di­carboxyl­ate

The title compound, C23H18Br2O5, is one of a series of soluble precursors to electroluminescent conjugated polymers and helical structures. The geometries of the rings are within normal limits, as are those of the ethyl esters. There are few close contacts within the mol­ecule, leading one to rationalize that the overall geometry arises from pure steric interactions without any attractive forces such as hydrogen bonding.
ALTERATION OF CLINICAL OUTCOME AND HISTOPATHOLOGY OF YELLOW FEVER VIRUS INFECTION IN A HAMSTER MODEL BY PREVIOUS INFECTION WITH HETEROLOGOUS FLAVIVIRUSES

Using a recently described hamster model of severe yellow fever (YF), we examined the hypothesis that prior infection with heterologous flaviviruses protects against severe or fatal YF. Hamsters were singly or sequentially infected with Japanese encephalitis, St. Louis encephalitis, West Nile, and/or dengue-1 viruses, and then challenged with a virulent strain of yellow fever virus (YFV). In contrast to control (naive) hamsters, many of which appeared clinically ill or died after YFV infection, the flavivirus-immune animals remained asymptomatic. The flavivirus-immune hamsters also had a reduced viremia and lower serum levels of alanine aminotransferase and total bilirubin, compared with naive hamsters, following YFV infection. Histologically, livers of animals in the flavivirus-immune and control groups showed comparable levels of multifocal necrapoptosis. However, steatosis was not observed in the flavivirus-immune animals, whereas naive hamsters developed extensive microvesicular steatosis in the liver following YFV infection. These findings suggest that hepatocytic steatosis is an adverse microscopic feature associated with severe disease in YFV infection. Our experimental results support earlier anecdotal reports that prior exposure of humans to heterologous flaviviruses reduces subsequent risk of fatal YFV infection.
The Impact of Conjugate Heat Transfer on Thermally Developing Channel Flow

The staggered grid Chebyshev collocation method was extended for the computation of a compressible flow coupled to a conducting wall. This method was then used to simulate a laminar subsonic channel flow coupled to a conducting wall, subject to both a step change in the temperature and an abrupt imposition of a heat flux. A precondition method was used to allow the calculation of low subsonic flows. For the fixed temperature wall, axial conduction in the solid was found to be important near the leading edge. As the wall thickness increased, the distance over which axial conduction was important increased. For the constant heat flux case, axial conduction was important over the entire length of the wall when the thermal conductivity ratio was large (103). For the low thermal conductivity ratio virtually no axial conduction was observed.
Knowledge Management and Optimization Modeling (for Decision Making)

This paper is motivated by the need to address the innovative development of algorithms to solve combinatorial problems, generally issued from decision making. Because modeling and resolution of this kind of problems is a software engineering subject, then to find better ways of developing algorithms, solvers and metaheuristics is our interest too. Here, we fixed some concepts from knowledge management, creativity and new software engineering trends applied in our work.
Pump pulse effects in synchronously pumped mode-locked dye lasers

We consider the role of the pump pulse in the output of a synchronously pumped mode-locked dye laser. Our theoretical formalism is a nonlinear dynamical model that includes semiclassical effects, dipole orientation, and intraband relaxation. In particular, we study the shortening of the output pulse with decreasing pump pulse length and increasing pump level. Both of these predictions agree with experiments.
Flame Spread Over Combustible Surfaces for Laminar Flow Systems Part II: Flame Heights and Fire Spread Rates

Abstract In the previous paper (Part I), results were given for unburnt fuel fraction and wall heat flux for boundary layer flows with combustion. In the present paper, a highly simplified model of the combusting plume region and the previous unburnt fuel results are used to obtain analytical results for the ratio of flame to gasification heights in terms of the parameters r and B. It is found that these analytical results can be correlated by a simple formula which depends only on the ratio r/B. These results are compared with the predictions of other theoretical work and with available experimental measurements. The flame height results and the heat flux results from Part I are then combined with a simplified physical model to obtain an explicit result for laminar flame spread on thermally thick surfaces. Using this explicit result the effects of varying parameters such as ambient oxygen concentration, heat of combustion and heat of pyrolysis on the flame spread rate are described. The importance of cho...
A Multiscale Approach to RNA 3D Structure Prediction

One of the key issues in the theoretical prediction of RNA stability and structure is how to predict the loop free energy. Experimental results have shown strong sequence-dependence of the loop free energy. However, most currently available models only account for the loop length-dependence of the loop free energy. We recently developed a three-bead coarse-grained model to generate the three-dimensional conformations for RNA hairpin loops. Based on the pseudo-torsion angles for the coarse-grained structures, we can extract a set of pseudo-torsion angle-based statistical potential parameters from the known structures. The statistical potential parameters enable folding predictions of the low-energy coarse-grained 3D structures from the sequence. Further molecular dynamics computations for an ensemble of decoy conformations about the predicted coarse-grained structures lead to the final all-atom structures. A notable advantage of the approach is the use of the statistical potential for evaluating the loop free energies and guiding the search for the low-energy coarse-grained structures from the sequence.
The feasibility analysis of multiprocessor real-time systems

The multiprocessor scheduling of collections of real-time jobs is considered. Sufficient tests are derived for determining whether a given collection of jobs can be scheduled to meet all deadlines upon a specified multiprocessor platform - these tests may be applied even when the collection of jobs is incompletely specified. The applicability of these tests to the scheduling of collections of jobs that are generated by systems of recurrent real-time tasks is discussed.
Glioblastoma Stem Cells Are Regulated by Interleukin-8 Signaling in a Tumoral Perivascular Niche

Glioblastoma multiforme contains a subpopulation of cancer stem-like cells (CSC) believed to underlie tumorigenesis and therapeutic resistance. Recent studies have localized CSCs in this disease adjacent to endothelial cells (EC) in what has been termed a perivascular niche, spurring investigation into the role of EC-CSC interactions in glioblastoma multiforme pathobiology. However, these studies have been limited by a lack of in vitro models of three-dimensional disease that can recapitulate the relevant conditions of the niche. In this study, we engineered a scaffold-based culture system enabling brain endothelial cells to form vascular networks. Using this system, we showed that vascular assembly induces CSC maintenance and growth in vitro and accelerates tumor growth in vivo through paracrine interleukin (IL)-8 signaling. Relative to conventional monolayers, endothelial cells cultured in this three-dimensional system not only secreted enhanced levels of IL-8 but also induced CSCs to upregulate the IL-8 cognate receptors CXCR1 and CXCR2, which collectively enhanced CSC migration, growth, and stemness properties. CXCR2 silencing in CSCs abolished the tumor-promoting effects of endothelial cells in vivo, confirming a critical role for this signaling pathway in GMB pathogenesis. Together, our results reveal synergistic interactions between endothelial cells and CSCs that promote the malignant properties of CSCs in an IL-8-dependent manner. Furthermore, our findings underscore the relevance of tissue-engineered cell culture platforms to fully analyze signaling mechanisms in the tumor microenvironment.
The Classification Systems of Stress Fractures: A Systematic Review

AbstractBackground: Stress fractures of the upper and lower extremity are troublesome overuse injuries in athletes and nonathletes alike. These injuries have a broad spectrum of severity and prognosis. We performed a systematic search of the literature, which revealed multiple classification systems; however, we did not uncover a general system that offered both validated radiographic and clinical parameters. Methods: A literature search was conducted using Ovid/Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Library, with publication dates ranging from 1960 to December 2009. Inclusion criteria included all studies and review articles regarding stress or fatigue fractures and their classification. Results: Forty-three studies and/or articles were identified for this review. Of these articles, 27 classification systems were referenced. Sixteen of the systems were applicable to any injury location, and 1 applied to specific bones (femoral neck, tibia, tarsal navicular, pars interarticularis, and fifth metatarsal). Four c...
Fetal akinesia deformation sequence due to a congenital disorder of glycosylation

Congenital disorders of Glycosylation (CDG) are increasingly emerging as a major underlying etiology for patients with complex neurogenetic malformations and dysmorphic features. We describe a newborn female with arthrogryposis multiplex due to fetal akinesia secondary to CDG-DPAGT1. Pregnancy was complicated by reduced fetal movements. At birth, the patient was evaluated for intrauterine growth restriction, bilateral cataracts, and multiple joint contractures. She had markedly reduced spontaneous movements, hypotonia, weak cry, and poor suck. She had ventilator-dependent central respiratory depression. Brain MRI showed delayed myelination and an incomplete cerebellar vermis. Transferrin isoelectric focusing was suggestive of a type I congenital disorder of glycosylation. Sequencing revealed a homozygous missense mutation in dolichyl-phosphate N-acetylglucosaminephosphotransferase (DPAGT1), exon 3, p.Leu118Val, consistent with DPAGT1-CDG. There have been seventeen previously reported cases of DPAGT1-CDG, including two similar cases with multiple contractures. This case highlights the importance of considering congenital disorders of glycosylation in the differential diagnosis for arthrogryposis. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Infrared spectroscopic study of NO reduction by H2 on supported gold catalysts

Abstract In situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy is used to study the reduction of NO by H 2 on Au SiO 2 and Au MgO catalysts. On these catalysts, large differences in selectivity toward N 2 formation had been found depending on the nature of the support. These differences are correlated with transient infrared spectral features which appear during reaction. NO by itself does not give rise to a band attributable to NO adsorbed on Au, however, exposure of supported Au to NO renders the catalyst unable to adsorb CO. Preadsorbed CO, on the other hand, is displaced from the Au Catalysts by NO.
Back-propagation training using a least mean power error function

Summary form only given, as follows. Like many gradient descent algorithms, back-propagation can become trapped in a local minimum which corresponds to a non-optimal network configuration. At a typical local minimum, most outputs are essentially correct with only a few outputs exhibiting gross errors. The authors propose a modified error function in which the output errors are raised to a power larger than the nominal two. This is intended to alleviate the local minimum problem by focusing the training process on the large output errors. Simulation results were obtained for simple computational networks which are prone to local minima. >
Existence Theorems with Convexity Assumptions

In this chapter we develop the basic existence theorems for problems in which a certain convexity condition is present. The key theorem on which the entire development is based is Theorem 4.1, which guarantees compactness of certain sets of trajectories together with a property related to lower-semicontinuity. Theorem 4.1 will also be used in Chapters 4 and 6.
Feasibility of using energy-resolving detectors in differential phase-contrast imaging

In a common clinical setting, conventional absorption-based imaging provides relatively good contrast between bonelike and soft-tissue materials. The reliability of material differentiation, however, is hampered when materials with similar absorption properties are scanned. This problem can be addressed by utilizing a spectral imaging technique whereby multiple X-ray measurements are taken at different beam conditions. In this work, we discuss the possibility of using a spectral imaging approach in a grating-based, differential-phase contrast-imaging (DPCI) modality. Two approaches, dual exposure with a conventional flat-panel detector (FPD) and a single exposure with a photon-counting energy-resolving detector (PCD), were reviewed. The feasibility of a single-exposure DPCI and a two-bin PCD setup was assessed quantitatively by a least-squares minimization algorithm applied to an X-ray diffraction pattern. It was shown that a two-peak-shaped X-ray spectrum can allow PCDs to be placed unambiguously at single Talbot distances making it possible to simultaneously detect photons in each energy bin with comparable efficiencies. The results of this work can help build a bridge between two rapidly developing imaging modalities, X-ray spectral imaging and X-ray DPCI.
A Mechanism to Aid Sorting of Male and Female Cabbage Looper Pupae

A mechanism was developed to eliminate manual handling of Trichoplusia ni (Hubner) pupae during sorting by sex. The machine picks pupae from a hopper and deposits them under a microscope with their heads pointing in one direction. The pupa continuously rotates while the operator identifies the sex. As the operator ejects the pupa into the proper container the next pupa slides under the microscope.
Thermal Diffusivity of Pure Cement Paste During Curing: Thermal Diffusivity Algorithm Development

We describe a methodology for determining thermal diffusivities of samples, such as cement paste, which produce (additional) heat during the measurement process. The results thermal diffusivities are measured by using temperature measurements at only two locations in a cylindrical sample. The technique is based on an analytical solution of heat transfer in a circular cylinder. This methodology does not require knowing the initial temperature increase, the amount of heat generated, or any timing between the applied and measured response. Starting with a cylinder heated on the outer surface and unique temperature measurement locations, the analytical solution for temperature at two specific radii can be approximated, after an initial transient, by a constant plus a single term that decreases exponentially with time. There are two special radii that fulfill the required condition. The data are analyzed by taking logarithms of the differences of the temperature versus time at these two radii, resulting in lines having slopes that are proportional to the thermal diffusivity. Experimental results for type I, II and, III cement paste at room temperature agree with our numerical simulations and are similar to published data.
The role of cisplatin-based chemotherapy in advanced urothelial tract cancer.

Abstract Cisplatin and methotrexate used singly are the most active agents against transitional cell carcinoma of the urothelium, inducing remission in approximately 30% of cases. Other agents demonstrating some activity include vinblastine, vincristine, and, to a lesser extent, fluorouracil, mitomycin C, and amsacrine. Most multidrug combinations have not proven to be more effective than single-drug therapy; however, there is some indication that response and percent of complete remission (CR) is increased with cisplatin plus doxorubicin, and with CMV (cisplatin, methotrexate, vinblastine) and M-VAC (methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, cisplatin) regimens. With the latter two regimens, approximately 20% to 35% of cases achieve CR that persists in selected cases for 2 to 4 years. Such results against advanced transitional cell carcinoma with CMV and M-VAC have led to their use in neoadjuvant trials for this chemotherapeutically responsive tumor.
Changes of myeloid derived suppressor cells and expression of CD73 on cells in peripheral blood of cervical cancer patients

Aim: To analyze the percentages of granulocytic myeloid derived suppressor cells( G-MDSCs),monocytic myeloid derived suppressor cells( M-MDSCs) and the expression of CD73 on the two subsets cells in peripheral blood of cervical cancer patients. Methods: 37 patients with cervical cancer and 21 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. The pattern of CD14+CD11b-as G-MDSCs,CD11b+CD14+was made M-MDSCs. Flow cytometry was used to detect the percentage of the two subsets of MDSCs and the expression of CD73 on the two subsets in peripheral blood of cervical cancer patients. Results: The percentages of G-MDSCs and M-MDSCs in peripheral blood of cervical cancer patients were higher[( 52.5 ±2.9) %,( 27.7 ±15.2) %]than those in healthy controls[( 20. 1 ±9. 2) %,( 22. 0 ±6. 3) % ]( t =7. 584,2. 021,P 0. 05); Compared with healthy controls,the expression of CD73 on M-MDSCs in cervical cancer patients was higher[( 21. 4 ± 17. 1) % ]than that of healthy controls[( 5. 9 ± 5. 0) % ]( t = 5. 128,P 0. 001). The percentages of GMDSCs and the expression of CD73 on G-MDSCs didn't correlate to pathologic types,differentiation,clinical stages and lymph node metastasis( P 0. 05); The percentages of M-MDSCs in peripheral blood of cervical cancer patients had the relationship with clinical stages( F = 9. 566,P = 0. 001). The expression of CD73 on M-MDSCs in cervical cancer patients had the relationship with lymph node metastasis and clinical stages( t /F = 7. 664,2. 419,P 0. 05). Conclusion: Higher percentages of MDSCs may contribute to the occurrence of cervical cancer,the higher expression of M-MDSCs may be related to the disease progression. CD73 may be an important molecules for the immunosuppression of MDSCs.
Dynamic colloidal assembly pathways via low dimensional models

Here we construct a low-dimensional Smoluchowski model for electric field mediated colloidal crystallization using Brownian dynamic simulations, which were previously matched to experiments. Diffusion mapping is used to infer dimensionality and confirm the use of two order parameters, one for degree of condensation and one for global crystallinity. Free energy and diffusivity landscapes are obtained as the coefficients of a low-dimensional Smoluchowski equation to capture the thermodynamics and kinetics of microstructure evolution. The resulting low-dimensional model quantitatively captures the dynamics of different assembly pathways between fluid, polycrystal, and single crystals states, in agreement with the full N-dimensional data as characterized by first passage time distributions. Numerical solution of the low-dimensional Smoluchowski equation reveals statistical properties of the dynamic evolution of states vs. applied field amplitude and system size. The low-dimensional Smoluchowski equation and associated landscapes calculated here can serve as models for predictive control of electric field mediated assembly of colloidal ensembles into two-dimensional crystalline objects.
Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia due to a germline CBL Y371C mutation: 35-year follow-up of a large family

Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) is a pediatric myeloproliferative neoplasm that arises from malignant transformation of the stem cell compartment and results in increased production of myeloid cells. Somatic and germline variants in CBL (Casitas B-lineage lymphoma proto-oncogene) have been associated with JMML. We report an incompletely penetrant CBL Y371C mutation discovered by whole-exome sequencing in three individuals with JMML in a large pedigree with 35 years of follow-up. The Y371 residue is highly evolutionarily conserved among CBL orthologs and paralogs. In silico bioinformatics prediction programs suggested that the Y371C mutation is highly deleterious. Protein structural modeling revealed that the Y371C mutation abrogated the ability of the CBL protein to adopt a conformation that is required for ubiquitination. Clinically, the three mutation-positive JMML individuals exhibited variable clinical courses; in two out of three, primary hematologic abnormalities persisted into adulthood with minimal clinical symptoms. The penetrance of the CBL Y371C mutation was 30 % for JMML and 40 % for all leukemia. Of the 8 mutation carriers in the family with available photographs, only one had significant dysmorphic features; we found no evidence of a clinical phenotype consistent with a “CBL syndrome”. Although CBL Y371C has been previously reported in familial JMML, we are the first group to follow a complete pedigree harboring this mutation for an extended period, revealing additional information about this variant’s penetrance, function and natural history.