cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Post-operative complications associated in patients with spina bifida: an analysis of shunted patients

Background All Spina Bifida patients with Myelomeningocele require specialty care from Orthopaedics, Neurology, Urology, GI and Plastics. A high percentage of these patients require surgery as a treatment modality. This outcome research study illustrated increased compilations post surgery in Myelomeningocele patients with VP shunts compared to the general Spina Bifida population with non-existing VP shunts. The special focus is on VP shunt placement for Hydrocephalus and/or Arnold Chiari Malformations. Although this specific patient population may require surgical intervention, it is crucial for surgeons to recognize and anticipate the potential complications involved.
Adequacy of peripheral blood stem cell mobilization in patients with relapsed B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma treated with bendamustine.

Current treatment for relapsed B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas (B-NHL) will frequently involve autologous stem cell transplantation (auto SCT). One of the pre-requisites for auto SCT is the ability to...
An electrokinetic cell model for analysis and optimization of electroosmotic microfluidic pumps

A simple bead packed electroosmotic microfluidic pump has been designed and fabricated. Such pumps can generate pressure of over 10 atm and are amenable to integration with other microfluidic components, thus making these pumps highly attractive for lab-on-a chip devices. An analytical theoretical description for such packed beads micropumps is presented. It is based on the cell models for hydrodynamic and electrokinetic transport in complex porous media. The theoretical analysis yields useful relationships between the parameters of the pump (bead size, capillary size, electrokinetic ζ-potential) and its performance (pressure and flow) rate and hence, provides guidelines for optimal design for desired properties. We found that the generated pressure strongly depends on the bead size. It also increases with the bead ζ-potential, volume fraction and capillary length. The flow rate on the other hand is not an explicit function of the bead size, but depends on the overall capillary cross-sectional area. This allows for independently varying of these two essential properties. The theory was tested against model experiments, thus proving its validity, range of applicability and limitations.
Human α- and γ-thrombin specificity with tripeptide p-nitroanalide substrates under physiologically relevant conditions

Abstract Kinetic parameters [the Michaelis-Menten (Km), catalytic (kcat), and specificity (kcat/Km) constan ts were determined for human α and γ -thrombins with the chromogenic substrate S-2238 (H-D-Phe-Pip-Arg-p-nitroanilide), Chromozym-TH (Tos-Gly-Pro-Arg-p-nitroanilide), and Spectrozyme-TH (H-D-HHT-Ala-Arg-p-nitroanilide) under physiologically relevant conditions (0.15 M NaC1 buffered with 10 mM HEPES and 10 mM Tris-HCL, pH 7.4 at 37°C). No major differences were found between α-thrombin with high fibrinogen clotting activities (> 3,500 killo clotting units/g) and γ-thrombin with essentially no clotting activities (
Analysis of in situ protease activity in chronic adult periodontitis patients: expression of activated MMP-2 and a 40 kDa serine protease.

Background: Periodontitis is characterized by extensive destruction of the gingival tissues and associated supporting structures of the teeth. Although the pathogenesis of the various forms of this disease is not completely understood, host-derived proteases are believed to have an important role. In this study, we analyzed human tissue samples from chronic adult periodontitis patients to assess the levels of specific proteases and determine the effect of pH and tetracyclines on their activity. Methods: Gingival tissue samples were obtained from patients with chronic adult periodontitis (probing depths ranged from 5 to 9 mm) and periodontally healthy controls. Tissue extracts were prepared and analyzed for protease activity by zymography and Western blotting. Results: Maximal protease activity from clinically normal and diseased tissues was observed at pH 8. Latent matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 and MMP-2 were expressed in all samples examined, while active MMP-2 was detected only in tissues obtained fr...
Injury of American Eels Captured by Electrofishing and Trap-Netting

Abstract We compared the incidence of internal injuries in adult American eels Anguilla rostrata captured by trap-netting (N = 20) and by 30-Hz, pulsed-DC electrofishing (N = 18) in the St. Lawrence River, New York. On average, the lengths and weights of fish caught by the two methods were similar. Radiographic imaging revealed that spinal damage occurred in 60% of the electroshocked American eels but only 15% of the trap-netted American eels. Bilateral filleting showed hemorrhages in 30% of the electroshocked fish but none of the trap-netted fish. Electrofishing caused significantly higher incidences of both spinal damage and hemorrhage than did trap-netting. Most electroshocked American eels had multiple spinal injuries; hemorrhages occurred only in fish with multiple sites of vertebral damage. We recommend that workers avoid the use of 30-Hz, pulsed DC to capture American eels that are intended for release; a lower frequency, such as 15 Hz, may significantly reduce injury but may also result in unaccep...
Alternative Source of Propylene

Synthesis gas derived from natural gas, coal, biomass or any other hydrocarbon source can be advantageously utilized to produce propylene. The approach adopted by the current investigation carries out the conversion of syngas in two stages: single-stage dimethyl ether (DME) synthesis followed by dimethyl ether conversion. Single-stage DME synthesis is carried out in the liquid phase utilizing the synergistic effect of dual catalysts, Cu/ZnO/Al 2 O 3 and γ-alumina. Dimethyl ether produced by this process is then converted to propylene using a shape-selective H-ZSM-5 catalyst. Very high selectivity towards propylene (as high as 68 wt%, the rest being ethylene and butenes) can be achieved by using this catalyst at appropriate reaction and feed conditions. In general, higher temperatures, low partial pressures of DME in the feed, and short contact times used over a H-ZSM-5 catalyst with low acidity increase the selectivity of DME conversion to propylene by inhibiting competing as well as successive reactions ...
Environmental, health and safety issues: Incinerator filters nanoparticles

Cerium oxide nanoparticles introduced into a full-scale incinerator are properly filtered and remain in ash residues, but other risks from nanoparticles generated or altered by incinerators should not be overlooked.
Drug Insight: interferon treatment in multiple sclerosis

Interferons are naturally occurring proteins with antiviral, antiproliferative, antineoplastic and immunomodulatory actions. This article reviews the findings of a series of clinical trials conducted between 1987 and 1997, which showed that interferon-β has beneficial effects on relapses and short-term disability in patients with multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic demyelinating disease of the CNS. Between 1987 and 1997, clinical trials of three preparations of recombinant interferon-β were conducted in patients with MS, ushering in a new therapeutic era. These medications have demonstrable benefits and seem to be safe; they represent an important advance in MS treatment. All three formulations of interferon-β had modest effects on relapses and short-term progression of disability, but the effects on MRI lesion parameters were more substantial. The benefits were greater in clinically isolated syndromes and relapsing–remitting MS than in secondary progressive MS. Although these drugs have been shown to be effective, however, their long-term impact on clinically relevant disability progression is uncertain, and there are many areas of controversy in the MS field regarding the use of these products. There is still a need for more effective treatments, which might include new agents or combination therapies.
Membrane protein thermodynamic stability may serve as the energy sink for sorting in the periplasm

Thermodynamic stabilities are pivotal for understanding structure–function relationships of proteins, and yet such determinations are rare for membrane proteins. Moreover, the few measurements that are available have been conducted under very different experimental conditions, which compromises a straightforward extraction of physical principles underlying stability differences. Here, we have overcome this obstacle and provided structure–stability comparisons for multiple membrane proteins. This was enabled by measurements of the free energies of folding and the m values for the transmembrane proteins PhoP/PhoQ-activated gene product (PagP) and outer membrane protein W (OmpW) from Escherichia coli. Our data were collected in the same lipid bilayer and buffer system we previously used to determine those parameters for E. coli outer membrane phospholipase A (OmpLA). Biophysically, our results suggest that the stabilities of these proteins are strongly correlated to the water-to-bilayer transfer free energy of the lipid-facing residues in their transmembrane regions. We further discovered that the sensitivities of these membrane proteins to chemical denaturation, as judged by their m values, was consistent with that previously observed for water-soluble proteins having comparable differences in solvent exposure between their folded and unfolded states. From a biological perspective, our findings suggest that the folding free energies for these membrane proteins may be the thermodynamic sink that establishes an energy gradient across the periplasm, thus driving their sorting by chaperones to the outer membranes in living bacteria. Binding free energies of these outer membrane proteins with periplasmic chaperones support this energy sink hypothesis.
Triiodothyronine and thyroxine content of desiccated thyroid tablets

Triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) were measured by radioimmunoassay in Pronase hydrolysates of four lots each of 1- and 2-grain tablets of desiccated thyroid (Thyroid, Armour) and thyroglobulin (Proloid, Warner-Chilcott). The methodology used was verified by studies of tablets containing known quantities of T4 and T3. One grain of desiccated thyroid contained 12 +/- 1 and 64 +/- 3 microgram (mean +/- SD) of T3 and T4 per tablet, respectively (T4/T3 molar ratio, 4.3). A 1-grain tablet of thyroglobulin contained 16 +/- 2 and 55 +/- 5 microgram of T3 and T4, respectively with a T4/T3 ratio of 2.9. Two-grain tablets generally contained twice the quantity of T3 and T4 in the 1-grain preparations. The variation in T3 and T4 content between the four lots of each tablet strength for each product was 10% or less. These estimates of T3 and T4 content are 1.5- to 2-fold greater than those previously published. This difference probably results from the more sophisticated methodology now available which does not require chromatographic separation of T3 and T4 or iodometry. Using calculations based on published estimates of T4 and T3 absorption and of the T3/T4 potency ratio, it would appear that the T3 content of desiccated thyroid and thyroglobulin provide approximately 39% and 51%, respectively, of the thyromimetic activity of these two medications.
Effects of age and smartphone experience on driver behavior during address entry: a comparison between a Samsung Galaxy and Apple iPhone

A Samsung Galaxy S4 and Apple iPhone 5s were compared in a driving simulator where participants performed visual-manual and auditory-vocal address entry tasks. Auditory-vocal tasks were associated with shorter task times, fewer off-road glances, lower workload ratings, and reduced impact on vehicle performance. Primarily nominal differences were found between devices. Older participants had more difficulty performing tasks across both modalities, and difficulties were amplified for visual-manual tasks. A pattern of performance advantages were found when participants used the same operating system as the one they personally owned, including faster task completion, fewer off-road glances, and lower reported workload coupled with lower impact on lane variability. One's familiarity with a smartphone may, to some extent, impact the apparent level of demand associated with its use while driving. These findings highlight a need for a more comprehensive understanding of how technology training can aid in minimizing interface demands.
Clinical predictors of relapse following neuroleptic withdrawal

The validity of previously hypothesized predictors of elapse following neuroleptic discontinuation was examined. One hundred sixty-two outpatients, with either Research Diagnostic Criteria schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, were discontinued from neuroleptic medication for a 28-day period or until judged to be relapsed. Pre-discontinuation neuroleptic dosage level, the severity of psychotic symptoms, and the presence of dyskinetic movements prior to neuroleptic discontinuation were the predictor variables. Of the 162 patients, 62.7% did not relapse during the study period. There were no differences in the survival rates between the patients withdrawn from oral versus depot neuroleptics. Neuroleptic dosage, but not severity of psychotic symptoms or dyskinetic movements, predicted relapse. These results support the hypothesis that pre-withdrawal neuroleptic dosage level predicts relapse, but fail to validate either severity of psychotic symptoms or presence of dyskinetic movements as predictors of relapse.
Integrating boinformatics, clinical informatics, and information technology in support of interdisciplinary curriculum development

Recent events in both the health care and research community have increased the opportunities available for information technology and systems integration professionals. In health care, mandatory performance specifications in electronic health care records set forth by the United States federal government have placed essentially all aspects of information technology center stage within healthcare. Similarly in scientific research, the completion of the human genome in 2001 has forced researchers to become dependent upon the capabilities of information sciences and technology to convert genomic data into new knowledge regarding human disease, diagnostics and drug discovery. This manuscript describes our next step in the development of a fully integrated Biomedical Informatics curriculum within the realm of information technology, describing three distinct courses developed for computer and information technology students.
Reversible obstruction of the ventricular outflow tract.

Abstract Obstruction of the left ventricular outflow tract with characteristics of subaortic muscular hypertrophy has been produced in a human subject and 2 of 8 dogs by infusion of isoproterenol. In 2 other dogs with outflow tract gradients in the “control” state, infusion of blood relieved the obstruction. The possible role of adrenergic stress in producing the clinical disease and the relationship of both to the hyperkinetic heart syndrome are discussed.
Modification of transconductance characteristics for ion-implanted GaAs/AlGaAs heterojunction MESFETs

Inverted GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructures grown by MOCVD have been used to fabricate conventional ion-implanted MESFETs. Two types of GaAs/AlGaAs heterojunctions are studied. One type has a compositionally graded AlGaAs layer which provides a built-in field and corresponding quantum well at the heterointerface. The other type has a constant-composition AlGaAs layer. 0.5 mu m gate devices fabricated using the ungraded AlGaAs layer show a maximum extrinsic transconductance G/sub m/ of 280 mS/mm and a small G/sub m/ variation over a gate voltage range of 1.5 V. In comparison, devices fabricated using the graded AlGaAs layer exhibit higher transconductance over all the gate voltages and an enhancement of G/sub m/ up to 420 mS/mm at low gate bias.
Update on peripheral regional analgesia

Abstract Introduction of continuous regional analgesia has resulted in improved quality of pain relief to patients and reduced the chances of unplanned admission in ambulatory surgical patients. Ambulatory patient controlled regional analgesia at home has further extended the use of regional analgesia beyond the hospital setting. The challenges posed by such ventures has resulted in development of newer techniques to reduce secondary catheter failures as well as adjuvants to local anesthesia that improve success with such novel modalities of pain relief. These include stimulating catheters, disposable infusion devices with patient controlled modalities and use of drugs such as ketamine and long acting local anesthetic formulations. There is further data available with regards to the safety of these techniques.
Regulation of Photosynthesis in Chlamydomonas reinhardi.

the other in a photophil phase, the inhibition caused by the interruption in the photophobe phase can only partially be overcome by a light interruption in a photophil phase either before or after the photophobe perturbation. Two-hour perturbations may initiate weak rhythms which interact with one another to some extent, however, they are not capable of altering the basic endogenous rhy.thm which is initiated by the 8-hour photoperiod.
Parameter Uncertainty and Policy Intensity: Some Extensions and Suggestions for Further Work

The effects of parameter uncertainty on optimal policy have been a matter of interest for academics, and even for some policymakers, for a long time. Two lines of literature have developed analytical results on this matter. The first line uses static models and the second dynamic models. In this dynamic line most of the results are confined to models with a single state and a single control variable. In this paper we want to encourage the analysis of more general dynamic cases. To do so, the results in the dynamic line are extended from one-state and one-control finite horizon models to models with a pair of control variables. We then discuss some of the hurdles which must be surmounted for the results to be made more general and suggests some lines for further research.
Anaerobic expression of the gyrA gene

Abstract E. coli C600Δ lac was infected with a Mu- lac defective phage. Lysogens resistant to ampicillin (25 μg/ml) and nalidixic acid (20 μg/ml) were unable to grow anaerobically and insensitive to nalidixic acid (150 μg/ml), indicating formation of gyrA ::Mu- lac fusions. Mapping of the Mu- lac by P1 phage cotransduction with two different gyrA linked Tn 10 transposon loci suggests that the insertion is located in the gyrA gene. These fusion derivatives form small uncolored colonies on lactose MacConkey agar plates aerobically. When these plates are placed in an anaerobic jar for about 4 h, the colonies turn red indicating that the inserted lac gene is expressed only under anaerobic environment. Thus the gyrA promoter is activated under the anaerobic environment and loss of gyrA activity prevents anaerobic cell growth.
Activation of mTORC1 Signaling Pathway in AIDS-Related Lymphomas

Using immunohistochemistry with antibodies against the phosphoserine residues in both S6rp and 4E binding protein 1, we identified the activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTORC)1 pathway in 29 cases of AIDS-related lymphoma. These cases represented a diverse spectrum of histological types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (24 cases) and classic Hodgkin lymphoma (five cases). mTORC1 was also activated in the hyperplastic but not involuted follicles of HIV-associated lymphadenopathy in eight cases, supporting the notion that mTORC1 activation is a common feature of transformed lymphocytes irrespective of either their reactive or malignant phenotype. We also found that in B-cell lines that represent diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, Burkitt lymphoma, Epstein-Barr virus-infected lymphocytes, and human herpesvirus 8-positive primary effusion lymphoma, inhibitors of Syk, MEK, and, seemingly, phosphoinositide 3 kinases suppressed mTORC1 activation, in particular when these inhibitors were used in combination. These findings indicate that AIDS-related lymphoma and other histologically similar types of lymphomas that are derived from transformed B lymphocytes may display clinical responses to inhibitors that directly target mTORC1 or, possibly, upstream activators of the mTORC1 pathway.
On the nonequilibrium behavior of solids that transport heat by second sound

Abstract In earlier work Coleman, Fabrizio, and Owen observed that if a constitutive equation for the heat flux q employed in theories of second sound in dielectric solids is assumed to hold for large values of q, then thermodynamical principles require that the equation of state for the internal energy contain a term that is quadratic in q. Here the resulting field equations for unidimensional heat flow are studied. It is shown that they are compatible with the occurrence of oscillatory traveling waves containing discontinuities in temperature and heat flux. The class of waves constructed contains limiting cases in which the heat flux and temperature exhibit small amplitude, high frequency, fluctuations about their mean. Such a traveling wave would appear to an experimenter as a strong and nearly constant flow of heat in a nearly uniform temperature field.
Dose-related efficacy and bleeding complications of double-chain tissue plasminogen activator in acute myocardial infarction

Although the efficacy of recombinant tissue-type Plasminogen activator (rt-PA) in acute myocardial infarction has been demonstrated, little formal dose-ranging information is available. This study examined the use of duteplase, the double-chain rt-PA subsequently used in the Third International Study of infarct Survival, in a multicenter trial of 267 patients with evolving acute myocardial infarction assigned to receive 1 of 6 weight-adjusted doses. The primary end point was infarct vessel patency after 90 minutes of drug infusion. Patency was defined as Thrombolysis in Myocardial infarction trial grade 2 or 3 perfusion, and was determined by an independent core laboratory masked to treatment assignment. Patency was present in 48% of patients receiving the lowest dose range and 78% of those receiving the highest, with an association between thrombolytic dose and patency (p = 0.009). The frequency of serious bleeding complications also correlated with the total dose of rt-PA infused (p = 0.003). Bleeding complications were primarily related to instrumentation; blood toss requiring transfusion or otherwise deemed clinically significant occurred in 12% of patients (central nervous system hemorrhage occurred in 1.1%). Thus, higher doses of rt-PA are associated both with increased efficacy and increased risk of serious bleeding complications. Weight-adjusted dosing may provide an optimal risk-benefit ratio for thrombolysis during acute myocardial infarction.
Pulsed field gradient stimulated echo methods for improved NMR diffusion measurements in heterogeneous systems

Abstract The NMR pulsed magnetic field gradient stimulated echo technique of Tanner is especially useful for measuring the translational diffusion coefficient, D, of the resonant nucleus in materials where T1 ⪢ T2. However, in heterogeneous systems having components with dissimilar magnetic susceptibilities, a distribution of background gradients, g0, may cause excessive signal (echo) attenuation and a systematic error in the measurement of D. Three new stimulated echo sequences involving applied field gradient pulses, of amplitude ga, together with RF pulses, are described. For all of these sequences the echo attenuation and systematic error caused by g0 and g0ga terms, respectively, are greatly reduced. For one of the sequences, this reduction can be realized with gradient pulses of a single polarity. With bipolar (alternating) gradient pulses the cross term can be made to vanish, with the correct choice of conditions, for all three of the sequences. Two of the new sequences have been tested experimentally by means of D measurements involving 1H signals in bulk glycerol (homogeneous) and in granular TaH0.73 (heterogeneous) samples.
Captopril inhibits proliferation of human lung fibroblasts in culture: a potential antifibrotic mechanism.

The angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor captopril, a free-thiol compound used widely as an antihypertensive agent, also inhibits radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis in rats (Ward et a/., Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 19:1405,1990). In an attempt to clarify the antifibrotic mechanism of captopril in vivo, the present study examined the effect of the drug on proliferation of human lung fibroblasts in culture. Captopril produced a drug dosdependent reduction in fibroblast proliferation and 3H-thymidine incorporation during a 24-72-hr incubation. This cytostatic action of captopril was not the result of cytotoxicity as assessed by trypan blue exclusion, or by "Cr or lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release. Fibroblasts stimulated to proliferate by basic FGF were more sensitive to the antimitotic effect of captopril than were unstim- ulated cells. The ability of captopril to inhibit 'H-thymidine incorporation was not reversed by exogenous angiotensin 2, and was not mimicked by the nonthiol ACE inhibitor lisinopril. These data indicate that the cytostatic effect of captopril was not attributable to ACE inhibition. Penicillamine, a thiol compound with virtually no ACE inhibitory activity, also reduced fibroblast 3H-thymidine incorporation, indicating that the antimitotic action of captopril may represent a nonspecific sulfhydryl effect. This study suggests that the antifibrotic activity of captopril in irradiated lung may result in part from a direct inhibition of fibroblast proliferation, particularly in fibroblasts re- sponding to mitogenic stimuli.
Dielectronic recombination in C 3+ above and below the ionization threshold

Low-order relativistic perturbation-theory calculations are carried out for dielectronic recombination cross sections for ${\mathrm{C}}^{3+}$ above and below the ionization threshold. Cross-sectional calculations are made for the 38 levels of the $1{s}^{2}2p4l$ resonance configurations that lie within $\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}$1.0 eV of the ionization threshold. The below-threshold calculations predict an unobserved strong resonance feature and provide a guide for future experiments.
Literature Review As Creative Inquiry Reframing Scholarship As a Creative Process

In this article it is proposed that approached in the right way, literature reviews can be an opportunity for creative inquiry. The process of the literature review is framed as a participation in a community, a dialogue with those who are part of the community now and with one's “ancestors.” The literature review can also explore the deeper underlying assumptions of the larger community or communities of inquiry one is joining and one's own beliefs, assumptions, and attachments. Three levels are proposed that each provide a different perspective on the construction of knowledge. The article concludes with a brief overview of the way inquiry, specifically in the context of the literature review, can also be an opportunity for self-inquiry.
Glacial and periglacial erosion of the Appalachians

Abstract The marine 18 O record indicates that the first ice advance into the Appalachians equivalent to that of the late Wisconsin occurred in the Pliocene at about 2.4 Ma. Only periodic localized glacial and periglacial activity occurred in the northern Appalachians from 2.33 to 0.85 Ma. After 0.85 Ma (middle to late Pleistocene) eight out of ten glaciations covered the northern Appalachians and brought periglacial conditions to the southern Appalachians. During the last 850,000 years, glaciation extended to the late Wisconsin limit within the Appalachians for 15% of the time and extended to the early Wisconsin limit just north of the Appalachians for 25% of the time. Pleistocene glacial erosion of the Appalachians of 120–200 m is necessary to account for the estimated volume of Pleistocene ocean sediment derived from the Appalachians and the estimated volume of Pliocene-Pleistocene glaciogenic ocean sediment derived from the entire Laurentide ice sheet. This amount of glacial erosion, occurring over the maximum expectable duration of Pliocene-Pleistocene ice cover of 247,000 years, yields glacial erosion rates from 0.5–0.8 m ka −1 . Such depths of erosion by thick, warm-based ice streams were localized in the lowlands and estuaries of the northern Appalachians. In the Maritimes the presence of thin, cold-based ice caused minimal erosion of uplands. Periglacial landforms and tundra-boreal forest were distributed throughout the Appalachian Highlands and the northern Coastal Plain during the glacial maxima. Periglacial erosion of 0.15–0.30 m ka −1 near the ice in Pennsylvania decline to 0.1–0.2 m ka −1 in the southern Piedmont. Each cold period almost completely renewed the regolith by eroding slopes and filling valleys. The cumulative effect of the eight to ten major cold events could have produced as much as a few ten's of meters of periglacial ridge-top lowering during the Pleistocene. Both estimated glacial and periglacial erosion rates greatly exceed estimated current fluvial erosion rates. Therefore glacial and periglacial processes should be considered the dominant processes in shaping the present Appalachian landscape. The northern Appalachians may be evolving towards a form where the landscape provides just the shape necessary to permit the least work conveyance of the ice across the region during glacial maxima. The southern Appalachians may be evolving towards a form where the landscape provides just the hillslope form necessary to transport the debris provided by periglacial conditions.
Lectins as Bioactive Plant Proteins: A Potential in Cancer Treatment

Plant lectins, a unique group of proteins and glycoproteins with potent biological activity, occur in foods like wheat, corn, tomato, peanut, kidney bean, banana, pea, lentil, soybean, mushroom, rice, and potato. Thus, dietary intakes by humans can be significant. Many lectins resist digestion, survive gut passage, and bind to gastrointestinal cells and/or enter the circulation intact, maintaining full biological activity. Several lectins have been found to possess anticancer properties in vitro, in vivo, and in human case studies; they are used as therapeutic agents, preferentially binding to cancer cell membranes or their receptors, causing cytotoxicity, apoptosis, and inhibition of tumor growth. These compounds can become internalized into cells, causing cancer cell agglutination and/or aggregation. Ingestion of lectins also sequesters the available body pool of polyamines, thereby thwarting cancer cell growth. They also affect the immune system by altering the production of various interleukins, or by...
Evolution of Fibrous Structures Within Unstable Polymeric Fluids

Fibril formation within polymeric fluids is viewed from two complementary models. One is based on the lattice theory for solutions of semiflexible polymer molecules presented by Flory in 1956. This viewpoint is modified along lines suggested by Frenkel to incorporate effects that may be present in the thermokinetic environment of a polymeric system undergoing fibril formation. In the other viewpoint, fibril formation is recognized as an irreversible process. and the ther modynamics of irreversible processes, pioneered by Prigogine, is applied. This viewpoint considers the expansion and collection of polymer molecules in a nonequilibrium thermodynamic stationary state as developed by Lavenda. A merging of these two viewpoints is suggested as a viable stratagem for erecting a proper theory of fibril formation within the fluid jet inherent in contemporary synthetic filament forming processes.
Detection of diffuse seafloor venting using structured light imaging

[1] Currently, we lack a systematic and remote method for locating and quantifying diffuse seafloor venting using underwater robotic vehicles. Diffuse flow is characterized by both low temperature and low flux rates, which cannot readily be distinguished using current remote visual, acoustic, or vehicle-mounted environmental sensors. The result is a poor understanding of the distribution, contribution, and context of diffuse flow sources. An underwater structured light imaging system, also used for high-resolution seafloor bathymetric mapping, has however shown promise in detecting diffuse flows while completing seafloor imaging surveys at a typical altitude of 3 m. The system creates sequential bathymetric profiles by imaging a laser line projected on the seafloor. In the presence of venting fluids, the laser line exhibits a detectable level of distortion due to variations in the refractive index along the optical path. By characterizing the degree of distortion, it is possible to create maps indicating areas of potential venting with sub-meter spatial resolution. Results from three distinct vent fields are presented and discussed. Analysis of these data sets indicates this system is capable of detecting both small point source vents and near bottom diffuse flow.
Aneurysm and stenosis of the celiomesenteric trunk: A rare anomaly****

A celiomesenteric trunk (CMT) anomaly is extremely rare, occurring in less than 0.5% of people. We describe two cases of CMT anomaly treated surgically for median arcuate ligament compression with stenosis causing intestinal angina and an asymptomatic aneurysm. Disease involving a CMT is extremely uncommon. This comprises the first report of symptomatic median arcuate ligament compression of a CMT. Only four cases of aneurysmal disease are reported so far. Indications and technique of surgical repair of CMT aneurysms are similar to those used for splanchnic artery aneurysms.
“Soul Is But Harmony”: David Josef Bach and the Workers' Symphony Concert Association, 1905–1918

Ifhigh culture, asTheodorAdornoonce proposed, promises a reality that does not exist, why, at the fin de siecle, did it hold such great attraction for Central Europe's populist politicians who were most attuned to the realities of everyday life? The answer, at least for imperial Austria, is that those politicians believed high culture to possess an integrative social function, which forced them to reconcile notions of “high” culture with “mass” culture. This was particularly true in Vienna, where the city's public performance venues for art, music, stage theater, and visual art stood as monuments to the values that the liberal middle classes had enshrined in the 1867 Constitution. A literate knowledge of this cultural system—its canon of symphonic music; the literature of tragedy, drama, and farce; and classical and contemporary genres of painting—was essential for civic participation in an era of liberal political and cultural hegemony. This article examines one cultural association that attempted to exploit the interaction between German high culture and two spheres, which are commonly thought to stand at odds with elite, high culture: popular culture and mass politics. Rather than a simple, cultural divide, this relationship created a contested “terrain of political and social conflict” in the decades preceding World War I. This terrain was of enormous consequence for Viennese of every social class.
Topological Analysis of Plasmid Chromatin from Yeast and Mammalian Cells

Yeast has proven to be a powerful system for investigation of chromatin structure. However, the extent to which yeast chromatin can serve as a model for mammalian chromatin is limited by the significant number of differences that have been reported. To further investigate the structural relationship between the two chromatins, we have performed a DNA topological analysis of pRSSVO, a 5889 base-pair plasmid that can replicate in either yeast or mammalian cells. When grown in mammalian cells, pRSSVO contains an average of 33 negative supercoils, consistent with one nucleosome per 181 bp. This is close to the measured nucleosome repeat length of 190 bp. However, when grown in yeast cells, pRSSVO contains an average of only 23 negative supercoils, which is indicative of only one nucleosome per 256 bp. This is dramatically different from the measured nucleosome repeat length of 165 bp. To account for these observations, we suggest that yeast chromatin is composed of relatively short ordered arrays of nucleosomes with a repeat of 165 bp, separated by substantial gaps, possibly corresponding to regulatory regions.
Streptococcus pneumoniae serogroups 15 and 33: an increasing cause of pneumococcal infections in children in the United States after the introduction of the pneumococcal 7-valent conjugate vaccine.

Background:After the widespread use of the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, replacement serotypes have emerged. Serogroups 15 and 33 have emerged as nonvaccine serotypes causing invasive disease. We describe the clinical characteristics of children with infections caused by these serogroups
Effects of residential wood combustion on indoor air quality: a case study in Waterbury, Vermont

Abstract An indoor/outdoor monitoring study was conducted during January–March 1982 in Waterbury, Vermont. Respirable particle measurements were made inside and outside 24 homes (all occupants were nonsmokers), 19 with wood-burning appliances and 5 without. Data were also obtained on seasonal air-exchange rate, heating fuel consumption, and relevant home characteristics. Findings indicate that indoor particle levels are consistently higher than outdoor values regardless of heating-fuel type. No statistical difference was observed between 24-h average respirable particle levels in wood- and nonwood-burning homes. A linear regression model, incorporating information on air-exchange rate, house volume, fuel use, and outdoor levels, accounted for about 20% of the variance in indoor particle concentrations.
Tunable Patch Antenna with BST Capacitors

Recently there is increasing interest in developing tunable circuits to implement multiband communication systems. These include tunable filters, tunable amplifiers and antennas. Tunable ferroelectric capacitor fabricated with thin film barium strontium titanate (BST) gives the opportunity to fabricate these tunable circuit modules. In this paper, we present the results of tunable patch antenna with tunable ferroelectric capacitors. The patch antenna in the frequency range of 2–3 GHz was fabricated on FR-4 substrate. The parallel plate ferroelectric capacitors were fabricated on sapphire substrates. The performance of the patch antenna was studied with ferroelectric capacitors attached to the coplanar wave guide as well as radiating edge. The performance of the antenna was simulated using ADS and compared with experimental results the radiation pattern of the antennas is studied in an anechoic chamber.
ETCHED APERTURE GaN CAVET THROUGH PHOTOELECTROCHEMICAL WET ETCHING

We describe the fabrication of the CAVET (Current Aperture Vertical Electron Transistor) by Photoelectrochemical (PEC) formation of a current aperture. Etch process is quite naturally critical to the achievement of the etched aperture in CAVET. We provide some background on that etch process, and the subsequent modification and optimization of the process for CAVET fabrication.
Performance Evaluation of PV-Powered Pump and Treat Systems Using Typical Meteorological Year Three Data

AbstractPump and treat (P&T) is a technology that has been extensively used to remove and/or contain contaminated groundwater. P&T systems conventionally operate continuously, which requires significant amounts of energy. The use of renewable energies to meet power demands of remedial systems may reduce a project’s carbon dioxide emissions. This paper analyzes the performance of a hypothetical photovoltaic (PV)–powered P&T system that operates both intermittently by assuming that the system does not include an energy storage component and continuously by assuming that the system includes a relatively small capacity energy storage component using widely available Typical Meteorological Year 3 (TMY3) data. The results are compared against a baseline case of continuous pumping at a constant rate using volume of groundwater removed and capture zone width. The comparison shows that the cost-benefit of increasing the capture zone widths and volume of extracted groundwater by increasing the rated flow rate is gr...
The time and financial impact of training fellows in endoscopy

Abstract OBJECTIVE: To use a national endoscopy database (Clinical Outcomes Research Initiative, CORI) to determine 1) if fellow involvement increases procedure time; and 2) the financial impact of fellow participation for academic centers compared to private practice. METHODS: CORI database from 4/1/97 to 4/1/99 was used to compare endoscopists from private practices, academic medical centers, and Veterans Administration hospitals, with or without fellows-in-training. Data were captured in a computer-generated endoscopy report and transmitted to a central database for analysis. Duration of procedure (minutes) was recorded for diagnostic esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), EGD with biopsy, diagnostic colonoscopy, and colonoscopy with biopsy, in ASA 1 patients. Financial outcomes used 1999 Medicare reimbursement rates for respective procedures and were calculated as procedures per hour on a theoretical practice of 4000 procedures. RESULTS: Teaching fellows endoscopy added 2–5 min for EGD, with or without biopsy, and 3–16 min for colonoscopy, with or without biopsy. Calculating the number of procedures/h of endoscopy, the reimbursement loss resulting from using fellows-in-training in a university setting would be half a procedure/h. In Veterans Administration hospitals, training of fellows would lose a full procedure/h. In a model of 1000 procedures each of EGD, EGD with biopsy, colonoscopy, and colonoscopy with biopsy, the reimbursement difference between private practice physicians or academic attending physicians and procedures involving fellows-in-training would be $500,000 to $1,000,000/yr. CONCLUSIONS: Fellow involvement prolonged procedure time by 10–37%. Thus, per-hour reimbursement is reduced at teaching institutions, causing financial strain related to these time commitments.
Flow cytometric comparison of the effects of trialkyltins on the murine erythroleukemic cell.

Abstract Cellular effects of exposure to tributyltin (TBT), triethyltin (TET), or trimethyltin (TMT) were investigated by flow cytometry employing the murine erythroleukemic cell (MELC) as a model cellular system. Cell viability was investigated by the carboxyfluorescein diacetate (CFDA) uptake/propidium iodide (PI) exclusion method: above a critical concentration (exposure for 4 h), which was specific for each of the trialkyltin compounds, the cell becomes permeable to PI, indicating loss of viability. Cellular CF fluorescence (derived from intracellular hydrolysis of CFDA) increased as a function of alkyltin concentration below the critical concentration and decreased as viability decreased above the critical concentration. Relative membrane potential, monitored with a cyanine dye (DiOC6), correlated with viability (PI exclusion), remaining essentially unaltered below the critical concentration and decreasing above it. At/above 1 μM TBT, 5 μM TET, or 100 μM TMT, the cell cycle was blocked in the G2/M phase. The 90° light scatter (a measure of refractive index), axial light loss (a measure of volume), and fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) fluorescence (a measure of protein content) of nuclei isolated from trialkyltin-treated MELC by detergent treatment, increased as a function of organotin dose. Fluorescence and interference microscopy revealed increased quantities of residual cytoplasmic tags adherent to the nuclei as a function or organotin dose, apparently resulting from increased cytoplasmic resistance to detergent-mediated solubilization. The effects of the trialkyltins correlated with their lipophilicity (octanol/water coefficient). These data support the hypothesis that fixation (protein denaturation, cross-linking, etc.) is an important mode of organotin cytotoxicity.
The Use of Proxy Respondents in Studies of Older Adults: Lessons, Challenges, and Opportunities

OBJECTIVE: Proxies play a critical role as sources of health information for older persons with cognitive impairment and other chronic debilitating conditions. This paper reviews the validity of proxy responses for people older than age 60 in the following areas: functioning, physical and mental health, cognition, medical care utilization, and preferences for types of care and health states. DESIGN: A Medline review identified 24 clinical studies from 1990 to 1999 that use proxy data as a source of information about older adults. RESULTS: In general, studies report fairly good agreement between subjects and proxies in assessments of functioning, physical health, and cognitive status, and fair-to-poor agreement in assessments of psychological well-being. Proxies tend to describe more impairment in functioning and emotional well-being, relative to subjects, a pattern that is particularly marked among persons with cognitive impairment. In addition, proxies who report more caregiver responsibilities and subjective stress from caregiver duties provide more negative assessments of subjects' health and well-being. CONCLUSIONS: Findings tend to support the use of proxy ratings among older adults in many areas but not all when self-reports are not feasible. There is a need for more evaluation of proxy data in relation to other measures, such as performance assessments, medical records, and claims data, which may be less subject to respondent biases.
The prognostic impact of the ratio of positive lymph nodes on survival of epithelial ovarian cancer patients.

Background and Objectives To study the prognostic significance of ratio of positive to examined lymph nodes (LNR) on survival of patients with node positive epithelial ovarian cancer (NPEOC). Methods Data were obtained from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) from 1988 to 2006, and analyzed using Kaplan–Meier survival and Cox regression proportional hazard methods. Patients were divided into: stage IIIC group 1 (no macroscopic peritoneal disease), stage IIIC group 2 (macroscopic peritoneal disease), and stage IV. Results A total of 6,310 women were included. The 5-year survival for stage IIIC groups 1, 2, and stage IV was 55.4%, 35.5%, and 20.3%, respectively (P 50%) was associated with decreased survival from 51.5% to 38.1% to 27.0%, respectively, (P < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, LNR was an independent prognostic factor for survival after adjusting for extent of peritoneal disease, stage, grade, race, age, extent of lymphadenectomy and absolute number of positive nodes. Conclusions The impact of increasing LNR was strongly related to survival, especially in patients with no macroscopic peritoneal disease. Stratification of this subpopulation of node positive EOC based on nodal burden provides a significant prognostic value that may be considered in future staging and aid in management decisions. J. Surg. Oncol. 2011;103:724–729. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Extraction of electronic excited states from the ground-state two-particle reduced density matrix

Electronic excited states are computed through a technique for extracting them from a knowledge of the ground-state two-particle reduced density matrix (2-RDM). Diagonalization of the Hamiltonian in the basis set of one-particle excitations, deexcitations, and projections from the ground-state wave function yields those excited states dominated by one-particle excitations; however, explicit evaluation of the Hamiltonian requires a knowledge of the ground-state 4-RDM. Two techniques are developed for evaluating the Hamiltonian elements with only a knowledge of the 2-RDM: (i) the cumulant method in which the higher RDMs are reconstructed from the 2-RDM via cumulant theory and (ii) the Hermitian or anti-Hermitian operator method in which the higher RDMs are eliminated by selecting the basis functions to be Hermitian or anti-Hermitian. These techniques are extendable to the diagonalization of the Hamiltonian in basis sets of m-excitations where $mg1.$ Excited-state energies with an accuracy between 0.1% and 0.001% of their absolute values are determined in illustrative calculations on Be, LiH, ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}\mathrm{O},$ and BH.