cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Salt Dependence of Neurofilament Gel Phase Behavior - A Synchrotron X-ray Scattering Study

Neurofilaments (NFs) are cytoskeletal proteins expressed in neuronal cells, and are believed to play a role in the determination and maintenance of the neuronal cell shape and mechanical integrity. NFs self-assemble as flexible cylinders from 3 protein subunits: NF-Low (NF-L), NF-Medium (NF-M), and NF-High (NF-H). The three subunits are structurally conserved with the exception of their “tail” domains, composed of amino acid strands of increasing length and charge respectively. Screening of tail charges is achieved by varying the salinity of the in vitro buffer. At high concentrations, the filaments interact amongst themselves through their unstructured tails that branch out from the filament core and form a viscous gel. Polarized microscopy was used to map out phase diagrams of the resultant neurofilament hydrogels, and thus characterize salt dependent phase behavior. Reassembled separate networks of NF-L + NF-M and NF-L + NF-H show phase transitions from isotropic to nematic gel phases at distinct salt concentrations, thus reflecting the differences in the governing sidearm interactions [1].We will describe synchrotron x-ray scattering experiments that have allowed us to quantitatively study the microscopic structure of the NF gels: shifts in average interfilament spacing demonstrate the phase boundary between the isotropic and anisotropic NF-liquid crystal gel phases and how they are shifted as a result of varying the in vitro buffer salt concentrations. Funding provided by DOE DE-FG-02-06ER46314, NIH GM-59288, NSF DMR-0503347.[1] J.B. Jones, C.R. Safinya, Biophys. J. 95, 823 (2008).
Nonlinear energy level shifts in quantum electrodynamic corrections to laser-atom interactions

Abstract It has recently been demonstrated from the Klein-Gordon equation that energy shifts in atomic levels are proportional to effective mass terms resulting from laser-atom interactions. Herein, it is shown that quadratic and higher order effective mass terms occur in certain quantum electrodynamic corrections.
How shall we apply the new biology to diagnostics in surgical pathology

Molecular technology plays an ever-increasing role in academic pathology and frequent claims are made that these technical developments will revolutionize diagnostic histopathology. In reviewing the role and potential utility of molecular genetics in the clinical practice of tumour pathology, it is evident that claims have outweighed facts, at least to date, and while molecular data have helped to clarify specific small areas of tumour classification and have facilitated the diagnosis of certain relatively rare tumours (especially on limited tissue), the overall impact on cancer management has been small. In particular, molecular markers of prognosis or tumour response have yet to impact substantially on the role of conventional light microscopic examination. We believe that these shortcomings have more to do with the generally different goals of basic medical science and clinical practice. In order to optimize the benefit to patients of modern molecular pathology, these techniques need to be rigorously appraised in the clinical setting and properly analysed in terms of cost-benefit. This requires close collaboration between the basic research community and histopathologists. Suggestions that 'H&E' pathology will be superceded in the near future are both premature and unrealistic.
Generation of a novel dendritic-cell vaccine using melanoma and squamous cancer stem cells.

We identified cancer stem cell (CSC)-enriched populations from murine melanoma D5 syngeneic to C57BL/6 mice and the squamous cancer SCC7 syngeneic to C3H mice using ALDEFLUOR/ALDH as a marker, and tested their immunogenicity using the cell lysate as a source of antigens to pulse dendritic cells (DCs). DCs pulsed with ALDHhigh CSC lysates induced significantly higher protective antitumor immunity than DCs pulsed with the lysates of unsorted whole tumor cell lysates in both models and in a lung metastasis setting and a s.c. tumor growth setting, respectively. This phenomenon was due to CSC vaccine-induced humoral as well as cellular anti-CSC responses. In particular, splenocytes isolated from the host subjected to CSC-DC vaccine produced significantly higher amount of IFNγ and GM-CSF than splenocytes isolated from the host subjected to unsorted tumor cell lysate pulsed-DC vaccine. These results support the efforts to develop an autologous CSC-based therapeutic vaccine for clinical use in an adjuvant setting.
Constituent quark screening lengths in finite temperature lattice QCD

Landau gauge quark propagators are calculated in both the confined and the deconfined phases of QCD. We discuss the magnitude of the resulting screening lengths as well as aspects of chiral symmetry relevant to the quark propagator.
Constraints on the assembly of spherical virus particles

Abstract Examination of protein structure shows that it is not possible to deform protein domains to the extent required by the Caspar-Klug quasi-symmetry surface lattices for the description of viral capsids ( D. L. D. Caspar and A. Klug (1962) . Cold Spring Harbor Symp. Quant. Biol. 27 , 1–24). However, flexibility in proteins can be achieved by a number of ligand-induced events. One type of alteration is that of quaternary structural changes in oligomers. This strategy has been used by southern bean mosaic virus and tomato bushy stunt virus where dimers attain two different states in the assembled capsid. Alterations of subunit interactions can be induced by association with RNA, cations, or other oligomeric units and, hence, successful assembly results from a stepwise aggregation. The nature of the oligomers (dimers, trimers, or pentamers) must be the underlying reason for the occurrence of the Caspar-Klug lattices and the organization into icosahedra. An analysis of the surface lattices shows which types of oligomers will be necessary for assembly.
Evaluation of a proposed standard reporting system for preoperative angiograms in infrainguinal bypass procedures: Angiographic correlates of measured runoff resistance

Abstract Preoperative angiography is widely used to estimate runoff before peripheral vascular bypass surgery. The Ad Hoc Committee on Reporting Standards for the Society for Vascular Surgery and the International Society for Cardiovascular Surgery recently proposed an angiographic scoring system that grades the quality of vessels distal to the proposed bypass site and calculates an overall runoff score after adjusting each vessel score by an arbitrary weighting factor. We compared this score with intraoperatively measured runoff resistance in 67 patients undergoing infrainguinal bypass. Correlation between overall runoff score and measured resistance varied with the distal bypass site and was reasonably predictive for femoropopliteal above-knee bypass (r = 0.67, p=0.004, N=17) and femoroposterior tibial bypasses (r = 0.73, p=0.03, N=9), but not for femoropopliteal below-knee (r = 0.05, p=0.76, N=34) or femoroperoneal (r = 0.57, p=0.18, N=7) bypasses. When multiple linear regression was used to calculate the weighting factors (rather than using arbitrarily assigned factors), the correlation between overall angiogram score and measured resistance improved substantially for femoropopliteal above-knee (r = 0.85, p=0.0006), femoropopliteal below-knee (r = 0.50, p=0.03) and femoroperoneal (r = 0.83, p=0.02) bypasses. Correlation for the entire group of 67 patients improved from r=0.30 (p = 0.02) to r=0.64 (p = 0.0001). We conclude that the committee's scoring system correlates with measured runoff resistance but can be improved by the use of multiple linear regression to calculate weighting factors for each vessel in the outflow tract. (J VASC SURG 1988;7:379-85.)
Work-shift period and weight change

The present study was done to determine whether weight gain was more prevalent in workers on late shifts than in those on day shifts. A questionnaire about changes in weight, food intake, exercise, and sleep since starting the job on the current shift was given to day-shift and late-shift (evening and night) hospital workers. Data were analyzed for 85 subjects, 36 of whom worked during the day shift and 49 the late shift. The late-shift group reported a mean weight gain of 4.3 kg, which was greater than the mean weight gain of 0.9 kg for the day-shift group (P = 0.02). There were, however, no significant differences in current body mass index (26.7 +/- 5.4 SD) between groups. There was a trend for late-shift workers to report eating more since beginning the later shift (P = 0.06). When combined with those reporting exercising less (P = NS), this trend became significant (P = 0.04). Late-shift workers reported eating fewer meals (1.9 +/- 0.9 SD) than the day-shift workers (2.5 +/- 0.9; P = 0.002). In addition, late-shift workers reported eating the last daily meal later (mean = 22:27, or 10:27 PM) than day-shift workers (17:52 or 5:52 PM; P < 0.00005). Late-shift workers also reported more naps (P = 0.01) and longer naps (P = 0.05) during the work week than did day-shift workers. The reported changes in eating, exercise, and sleep may contribute to the increased weight gain of late-shift workers.
An Autonomic Service Architecture for Self-Managing Grid Applications

The scale, heterogeneity and dynamism of grid applications and environments require grid applications to be self-managing or autonomic. This paper presents the Accord autonomic services architecture that addresses this requirement. Accord enables service and application behaviors and their interactions to be dynamically specified and adapted using high-level rules, based on current application requirements, state and execution context. The design, implementation and evaluation of Accord are presented. An autonomic data streaming application is used to illustrate the self-managing behaviors enabled by Accord.
The recreational drug user in the intensive care unit: a review

This paper describes the mode of action of a set of recreational drugs that may cause patients problems that are severe enough to warrant admission to an intensive care unit. The mechanism of harm will be examined as well as some of the strategies used to deal with these problems. A general view of the chosen group will be outlined, followed by a breakdown of the drugs into specific categories, with review of the harmful effects of individual drugs. It is the intention of the authors to review depressant drugs at a later stage.
1-desamino-8-arginine-vasopressin corrects the hemostatic defects in type 2B von Willebrand's disease

DDAVP is effective treatment in most types of von Willebrand's disease; however, in type 2B von Willebrand's disease the use of DDAVP has been contraindicated due to DDAVP-induced thrombocytopenia. Several reports have confirmed the thrombocytopenic effects of DDAVP and the presence of circulating platelet aggregates in type 2B von Willebrand's disease. We have infused three type 2B patients with DDAVP. The three patients had different mutations of their vWf. All three patients had a missense mutation which resulted in a single amino acid substitution in the disulfide loop of the A1 domain. Administration of 20 μg of DDAVP resulted in significant elevations of factor VIII, vWf antigen, and ristocetin cofactor levels. In contrast to other studies, DDAVP did not induce or enhance thrombocytopenia in these three patients. When blood was obtained by fingerstick and diluted into sodium oxalate (Unopette®) or EDTA (Microvette®), the platelet counts did not change over 4 hr. In contrast, blood collected directly into evacuated tubes containing sodium citrate, lithium heparin, or EDTA consistently demonstrated varying degrees of thrombocytopenia and platelet clumping. We also observed a shortening of the preinfusion bleeding time over the 4 hr period. All three patients have been studied twice and each has shown consistent results. DDAVP appears to be a useful form of treatment in type 2B vWd. (This article is a US Government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.) © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A prototype mesh generation tool for CFD simulations in architecture domain

Abstract Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) has been introduced to the architectural engineering and HVAC (Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning) industry for decades. However, the mesh generation process is complicated and time consuming, especially for free form geometric artifacts, e.g., human bodies in the room or buildings in complex terrains. This paper presents an effort to apply quality mesh generation for CFD simulations in the architectural context. A prototype meshing tool is developed to construct adaptive quadrilateral meshes from two-dimensional image data, e.g., architecture drawings. First the quadtree based isocontouring method is utilized to generate initial uniform quadrilateral meshes in the immediate region of the objects. Meshes are further decomposed into finer quads adaptively near the surface of the object without introducing any hanging nodes. Boundary layers are then generated using the pillowing technique and the thickness of the boundary layer is controlled to achieve the desired y+ values for different near wall turbulence models. Finally, meshes are extended to the ambient domain with desired sizes, where flow fields are assumed to be relatively steady. The developed tool has been employed to generate meshes for CFD simulations of scenarios commonly existing in the indoor and outdoor environment.
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Local-Magnetic-Field Shift in Solid Xenon

The shift in the value of the magnetic field at a xenon atom relative to the external field is calculated for solid xenon. The theory used here is a simple extension of the results obtained by Adrian for this local-magnetic-field shift in the gas. We use the quasiharmonic approximation and nearest-neighbor force models to compute the effect of lattice vibrations on the shift. The effect of thermal expansion on the shift is computed from the experimental data. We show that our results are insensitive to changes in the model used for the interatomic potential and relatively insensitive to changes in several parameters in the expression for $\ensuremath{\Delta}H$, the local-magnetic-field shift. There is a large and unexplained discrepancy between the experimental data for the shift in the solid obtained at Rutgers University and at Washington University. For a wide range of parameters, our results follow the Rutgers data quite closely. The usefulness of additional experimental data, taken on both xenon and the other magnetic rare-gas isotopes, is stressed.
Increased DT-diaphorase activity in transformed and tumorigenic pancreatic acinar cells

Abstract Pancreatic acinar cells from rats treated in vitro with 5-azacytidine and/or transfected with an activated c-H-ras demonstrated transformation and tumorigenic phenotypes. DT-diaphorase (NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase) activity was determined in these non-tumorigenic (3AP) and tumorigenic cells (T3AP and T5AM). T5AM cells were those treated with 5-azacytidine and further treated with N′ -methyl- N′ -nitro-nitrosoguanidine. Higher levels of enzyme activity were found in transformed cells when compared to that in control cells (> 15-fold, 3AP cells; >40-fold, T3AP cells; >20-fold T5AM cells). In contrast, NADPH-cytochrome c reductase activity was decreased in transformed cells (>10-fold, 3AP cells; >20-fold, T3AP cells; >10-fold, T5AM cells). These studies demonstrated that pancreatic acinar cells are capable of undergoing alterations in enzyme activity patterns when transformed and that DT-diaphorase may be a good marker for malignant transformation.
A TIME‐DOMAIN APPROACH TO THE NORMAL‐INCIDENCE INVERSE PROBLEM*

This tutorial paper presents a time-domain derivation of the Normal equations which are associated with the normal-incidence inverse problem. Connections are made between our time-domain derivation and the more familiar z-transform transfer function derivation.
Plasma norepinephrine levels in infants and children with congestive heart failure

To characterize the sympathetic nervous system response to congestive heart failure (CHF) in infants and children, plasma catecholamine levels were measured in 102 subjects undergoing routine cardiac catheterization (mean age 3.3 years, range 0.1 to 14.7), including 61 with left-to-right shunts. Plasma norepinephrine levels were significantly higher (p less than 0.0001) in children with CHF than in those without CHF. A highly significant association (p less than 0.0001) was found between the level of plasma norepinephrine and severity of CHF symptoms. This relation was found for CHF secondary to lesions producing a left-to-right shunt and CHF resulting from primary myocardial dysfunction. In congenital lesions with a left-to-right shunt, plasma norepinephrine levels correlated well with size of the shunt (Qp/Qs) (r = 0.75, p less than 0.001) and degree of pulmonary arterial hypertension (r = 0.70, p less than 0.001). Elevation of plasma norepinephrine concentrations in infants and children are seen with severe CHF regardless of its origin.
Modeling of Solidification and Microstructure Evolution in the Scanning Laser Epitaxy (SLE) Process for Additive Manufacturing With Nickel-Base Superalloy Powders

This paper investigates effects of natural and Marangoni convection on the resultant solidification microstructure in the scanning laser epitaxy (SLE) process. SLE is a laser-based additive manufacturing process that is being developed at the Georgia Institute of Technology for the additive manufacturing of nickel-base superalloys components with equiaxed, directionally-solidified or single-crystal microstructures through the laser melting of alloy powders onto superalloy substrates. A combined thermal and fluid flow model of the system simulates a heat source moving over a powder bed and dynamically adjusts the thermophysical property values. The geometrical and thermal parameters of the simulated laser melt pool are used to predict the solidification behavior of the alloy. The effects of natural and Marangoni convection on the resultant microstructure are evaluated through comparison with a pure conduction model. Inclusion of Marangoni effect produces shallower melt pools compared to a pure conduction model. A detailed flow analysis provides insights into the flow characteristics of the powder, the structure of rotational vortices created in the melt pool, and the solidification phenomena in the melt pool. The modeling results are compared with measurements and observation through real-time thermal imaging and video microscopy to understand the flow phenomenon.In contrast to the single weld-bead approach, the raster scan in SLE allows every position in melt pool to be visited twice by the solid-liquid interface as the scan source progresses. To properly address this situation, time tracking is incorporated into the model to correctly couple the microstructure prediction model. An optimization study is carried out to evaluate the critical values of the transition parameters that govern the columnar-to-equiaxed transition (CET) and the oriented-to-misoriented (OMT) transition. This work is sponsored by the Office of Naval Research through grant N00014-11-1-0670.© 2013 ASME
Navigating the Turbulent Waters Connecting the World Trade Organization and Corporate Social Responsibility

This paper uses the metaphor of a fisherman’s journey into the World Trade Orga nization (WTO) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) “seas” to explore the relationship between them. It is intended to provide the reader with a basic understanding of this relationship. An argument can be made that the WTO and CSR waters are not connected at all: the WTO is an intergovernmental organization regulating rights and duties of its members (mainly states), while CSR concerns primarily non-governmental initiatives dealing with corporate behavior, such as voluntary codes of conduct and certification processes involving social and environmental standards. However, this paper explores the straits potentially connecting the seas and the sea creatures that represent the relevant jurisprudence informing the debate.
The translation initiation site of recombinant Trypanosoma brucei ornithine decarboxylase varies with different promoters

Abstract Expression of the Trypanosoma brucei ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) gene in Escherichia coli behind the λ phage P R promoter led to the production of a recombinant enzyme having the same subunit molecular weight as the native enzyme [4]. However, when the same gene is expressed behind the tac promoter or the phoA promoter, the ODCs produced by the transformed E. coli have subunit molecular weights approximately 2 kDa higher than that of the native enzyme. Amino terminal sequencing of the recombinant proteins indicates that the ODC synthesized under control of the λ P R promoter actually starts at the second methionine (Met23) of the open reading frame, whereas those produced in the latter two cases begin at the first methionine (Met1). Analysis of the 5′-end of T. brucei ODC mRNA supports the conclusion that translation initiates at Met23. We postulate that, for the λ P R promoter, translation initiates at Met23 instead of Met1 because of the formation of a stable secondary structure in the region of the Met1 and the presence of a good E. coli consensus translation initiation site upstream of Met23. We have constructed a new plasmid using the phoA promoter to express recombinant T. brucei ODC starting at Met23 in large quantities.
A Multifaceted Approach to the Assessment and Evaluation of Learning Commons Services and Resources

The purpose of this article is to illustrate the benefits of implementing embedded evaluative methods and ongoing data analysis in the assessment of a learning commons and its services. At the University of Houston, the results of various forms of feedback have aided in the refinement of day-to-day procedures as well as in the planning of an expansion of the facility after approximately one year of operations. This article will discuss the outcomes of the different forms of assessment used at the commons and provide suggestions for the establishment of assessment measures for learning commons at other universities.
Vitamin E and changes in serum alanine aminotransferase levels in patients with non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis

Background Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a common cause of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) elevations and chronic liver disease, but it is unclear how well ALT elevations reflect the liver injury.
Accurate calibration for 3D shape measurement system using a binary defocusing technique

Abstract This paper introduces a novel method to calibrate 3D shape measurement systems that use the binary defocusing technique. Specifically, this method calibrates the pixelwise z as low-order polynomial functions of absolute phase; (x, y) coordinates are calculated from camera calibration with known z value; and the camera is calibrated using the standard flat checkerboard method. Because this method does not require estimation of the projector's parameters, it can be adopted for any phase measurement system including those employing out-of-focus projectors. Our experiment found that the root-mean-squared (rms) error for the depth measurement is less than 70 μ m when the measurement depth range is about 100 mm, which is at the same level of the calibration stage ± 50 μ m .
Immunofluorescence: A sensitive and rapid method for the detection of purine nucleoside phosphorylase in single cells

Indirect immunofluorescence was used as a rapid, sensitive and specific method for the visualization of the enzyme purine nucleoside phosphorylase in single cells. The enzyme was localized throughout cytoplasm of human lymphoblasts and fibroblasts but not in cell nuclei. This method is valuable for the detection of mutant enzyme protein in cell-mediated immunodeficiencies caused by purine nucleoside phosphorylase deficiency since it does not rely on enzyme activity. It requires only a limited number of cells and can therefore be used for the rapid screening for the presence of cross-reactive protein in immunodeficiency diseases.
Near-infrared spectroscopy in post-cardiac arrest patients undergoing therapeutic hypothermia

Abstract Aims To investigate the relationship between tissue oxygen saturation during a vascular occlusion test with systemic hemodynamics, central and peripheral skin temperature in patients resuscitated from cardiac arrest. Methods This prospective, observational study included a convenience sample of 30 patients hospitalized in a multidisciplinary intensive care unit in a university hospital and treated with therapeutic hypothermia. Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) was used to measure thenar tissue oxygen saturation, desaturation rate and saturation recovery rate after the vascular occlusion test, conducted within 24h of hospital admission and within 12h of initiating re-warming. Measurements included heart rate (HR), mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), oxygen saturation, use of vasopressors and sedatives, core body (esophageal) and peripheral skin temperature and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score. Results Peripheral skin temperature was found to have a significant effect on StO 2 deoxygenation and recovery slopes, resulting in lower rates at colder temperatures. This effect was independent of MAP, HR, and core temperature. NIRS-derived variables were not associated with SOFA score or use of vasopressors and did not predict mortality. Discussion Colder peripheral skin temperatures resulting in lower StO 2 desaturation rates may be explained by slower aerobic metabolism, thus lower extraction rate of oxygen, in the tissue beds. Lower recovery slopes at colder local temperatures may result from peripheral vasoconstriction during reactive hyperemia. Conclusion We found that peripheral skin temperature in post-arrest critically ill patients undergoing TH strongly influences tissue oxygen desaturation and reoxygenation rates. In additional, changes in NIRS derived variables were independent of measures of shock, vasopressor use or illness severity.
Telephone-based environmental control interventions in asthmatic patients: what are patients willing to do?

Background Environmental control education is recommended for allergic patients with persistent asthma, but patients may not be willing to comply with recommendations. In a prior study from our group, only 24% of patients reported making any recommended environmental changes. Objective To determine what environmental changes allergic asthmatic patients say they would be willing to make and what changes they actually make. Methods Asthmatic patients with known perennial aeroallergen sensitization were asked by telephone to rate on a 1- to 5-point Likert scale their willingness to make specific environmental changes. Items with mean scores of 3 or higher were used to formulate a practical set of recommendations to be given to patients in stage 2 of the study. Stage 2 patients were given the advice formulated in stage 1 and then telephoned 2 months later to see what changes they actually made. Results Stage 1 patients (n = 60) were willing to institute 14 of the 18 proposed allergen-specific recommendations. Of 36 stage 2 patients who were allergic to mite, mold, and/or dander, 29 (80.6%) reported that they complied with at least 1 of the recommendations made in this study. Patients who owned their own home were significantly ( P Conclusion Pending additional information, we suggest that environmental control recommendations for mite, mold, and dander emphasize those used in this study because they appear to be practical for a substantial proportion of patients, especially if they own their home.
Influence of prepartum dietary crude protein on growth hormone, insulin, reproduction, and lactation of dairy cows.

Abstract Effects of prepartum dietary crude protein on growth hormone, insulin in blood plasma, and subsequent reproduction and lactation were investigated in 30 Holsteins. Cows were fed either 80 or 100% of the crude protein recommended by National Research Council starting about 60 days precalving. Postcalving all animals were fed according to recommendations. Blood was sampled on days 220 (start of experiment), 250, 270, and 280 of gestation and on days 10 and 30 postpartum. Cows fed 80% crude protein prepartum showed decreased intake of dry matter and urea nitrogen in blood plasma prepartum, and yields of milk and total solids decreased by about 15%. Body weight changes through 30 days postpartum were not significantly different between treatments. There were no significant differences for growth hormone and insulin except growth hormone tended to be higher on day 270 of gestation for cows fed 80% crude protein. Insulin was negatively correlated with lactation number −.51 to −.56. Reproductive efficiency was similar between treatment groups. Lower crude protein intake during the dry period decreased dry matter intake and yields of milk and total solids.
A second site for herbicide action in Photosystem II

Abstract The results in this report confirm the existence of a second site of herbicide inhibition on the oxidizing side of Photosystem II (PS II). The inhibitors which were examined in this study were initially found to inhibit the photoreduction of silicomolybdate with chloroplast thylakoids utilizing water as the electron donor. This indicated a site other than the well-characterized inhibition site on the reducing side of PS II at the 32 kDa polypeptide, Q b apoprotein. Further studies were conducted utilizing Triton X-100 extracted PS II oxygen-evolving particles from spinach and atrazine-resistant and susceptible Amaranthus hybridis . Fluorescence data and the ability to overcome the inhibition of DCIP reduction by diphenylcarbazide both indicated that the oxidizing side of PS II was affected. 14 C-atrazine binding studies are also presented.
Nonideal Multicomponent Distillation: Use of Bifurcation Theory for Design

A method for the design of distillation systems for nonideal multicomponent mixtures is described, offering an alternative to extensive performance simulations. The basis is an analysis of the pinches or “fixed points” in the model equations and the results are widely applicable because approximations such as constant volatilities and ideal solutions are unnecessary. Tangent pinches are represented naturally as turning points in the diagram of pinch composition vs. reflux ratio, giving a basis for designs that alleviate the effects of tangent pinches in certain nonideal mixtures. An efficient computational approach for design is demonstrated in examples for homogeneous liquid mixtures, containing as many as four components, with and without azeotropic behavior. The results are in excellent agreement with detailed performance simulations.
Activation of Pak by membrane localization mediated by an SH3 domain from the adaptor protein Nck

Abstract Background: The adaptor protein Nck consists of three Src homology 3 (SH3) domains followed by one SH2 domain. Like the Grb2 adaptor protein, which is known to couple receptor tyrosine kinases to the activation of the small GTPase Ras, Nck is presumed to bind to tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins using its SH2 domain and to downstream effector proteins using its SH3 domain. Little is known however about the specific biological function of Nck. The Pak family of serine/threonine kinases are known to be activated by binding to the GTP-bound form of Cdc42 or Rac1, which are small GTPases of the Rho family that are involved in regulating the organization of the actin cytoskeleton. Results: We present evidence that Nck can mediate the relocalization and subsequent activation of the Pak1 kinase. We show that Nck associates in vivo with Pak using the second of its three SH3 domains, and that localization of this individual Nck SH3 domain, or of Pak kinase itself, to the membrane results in activation of Pak and stimulation of downstream mitogen activated protein kinase cascades. Activation of downstream signaling by the membrane-localized Nck SH3 domain is blocked by a kinase-inactive mutant form of Pak1. Conclusion: These results demonstrate that localization of Pak1 to the membrane in the absence of other signals is sufficient for its activation, and imply that the Nck adaptor protein could function to link changes in tyrosine phosphorylation of cellular proteins to the Cdc42/Pak signaling pathway.
Be Careful What You Wish For: The Effects of Issue Interpretation on Social Choices in Professional Networks

This research examines the role of agency and choice in how individuals use social networks. Prior research has addressed how individual characteristics such as status and the ability to accurately perceive network ties influence individuals' social choices in a given situation. In contrast, we examine how individuals' interpretation of the issues in a situation affects their social choices and access to social capital. How individuals interpret issues influences which contacts they consider most valuable in that situation. This assessment in turn influences social choices, such as from whom to seek advice. In a study of school managers or principals, respondents solicited 362 contacts for advice in a simulated problem-solving exercise. The findings revealed that managers solicit advice from different kinds of contacts depending on whether the managers frame the issues strategically or politically. When they frame the issues strategically, their egocentric advice network consists of contacts they perceive to have more expertise and material resources. When they frame the issues politically, their egocentric advice network comprises contacts they perceive to have more influence and to be more trustworthy. When managers have indefinite issue frames, they seek advice by relying more on general criteria, such as expertise, trust, and their typical frequency of interaction with contacts.
MO-A-217BCD-02: Yttrium-90 Microsphere Therapy Planning and Dose Calculations.

Yttrium‐90 microsphere therapy, a form of radiation therapy, is an increasingly popular option for care of patients with liver metastases or unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma. The therapy directly delivers Yttrium‐90 microspheres via the hepatic artery to specifically targeted disease sites. Following Yttrium‐90 microsphere therapy, a vast majority of Yttrium‐90 microspheres preferentially lodge in neoplastic tissue due to their embolic size (mean diameter 32 &#956;m) and targeted trans‐arterial delivery. Once embolized the microspheres do not migrate but deposits up to 90% of its energy in the first 5 mm of tissue. Prior to Yttrium‐90 microsphere therapy, a 99mTc‐MAA examination is conducted to evaluate catheter placement and lung‐shunt fraction. The lung shunt fraction and absorbed dose estimates for lung and liver that guide Yttrium‐90 administered activity are based on nuclear medicine imaging. A review of the pre‐ and post‐therapy imaging procedures underlying Yttrium‐90 microsphere therapy will be presented. Calculation of the lung shunt fraction and dosimetry models to estimate radiation absorbed doses will be discussed. Radiation safety issues will be also be reviewed. Learning Objectives: 1. To understand the imaging sequence for Yttrium‐90 microsphere therapy planning and dose calculations 2. To understand calculation of lung shunt fraction and estimation of absorbed dose for lung and liver 3. To become familiar with radiation safety and regulations surrounding Yttrium‐90 microsphere therapy
Hare's Reductive Justification of Preference Utilitarianism

L'A. defend la these selon laquelle la justification reductionniste de l'utilitarisme de la preference, developpee par R. M. Hare dans le sens d'une maximisation de la satisfaction des interets de l'individu, repose sur une fausse conception de la deliberation rationnelle inter- et intrapersonnelle (ou du choix public et du choix prive)
Response of “Naive” Cutaneous and Muscle Afferents to Potential Targetsin Vitro☆

Abstract It is now well documented that motoneurons are specified to innervate particular target muscles prior to axon outgrowth. Here we investigate whether sensory neurons are similarly specified to innervate target skin or muscle, taking advantage of the avian trigeminal system where cutaneous and muscle afferents are anatomically separate. Using this system, we have previously shown that by embryonic day 10 (E10) (approximately 4–5 days after target innervation), regenerating cutaneous and muscle afferents differ in their response to various potential targets in vitro, in manners consistent with their normal innervation patterns in vivo. Thus, by E10 these two populations of sensory neurons have distinct identities as skin and muscle afferents. In contrast, we report here that the responses of younger, naive cutaneous and muscle afferents that have not yet, or only recently, innervated peripheral targets are indistinguishable, regardless of the target tissue tested. These findings suggest that at stages when innervation is being established, cutaneous and muscle afferents, unlike motoneurons, may not yet have acquired rigidly specified identities and/or the ability to recognize and respond selectively to their appropriate peripheral targets.
Waitressing, Vulnerability, and Job Autonomy The Case of the Risky Tip

The question for research is: what effect does job autonomy have on the sense of vulnerability expressed by those working for tips rather than for contracted wages? Vulnerability, the dependent variable, is a measure of the worker's perception of risk attached to working under such an arrangement. Autonomy, the independent variable, evaluates organizational conditions which permit or limit control over one's work. It is measured by restaurant procedures of surveillance and discipline. Sixty-one waitresses employed as the dining room staff of a stratified sample of 8 restaurants provided the data to test the relationship between autonomy and occupational vulnerability. A positive association was found between procedures of autonomy and the restaurant worker's expression of vulnerability. Study findings suggest that the less control restaurant management allows the waitress over the execution of her work, the more vulnerable and less satisfied she is with the tipping/wage arrangement. In addition, study fin...
Effect of hypothyroidism and thyroxine replacement on growth hormone in the rat.

Thyroidectomy is known to decrease the amount of GH in the pituitary and serum of rats. The present experiments were undertaken to assess GH levels in the serum of thyroidectomized (Tx) rats using RIA and biological criteria simultaneously. In addition to its ability to sustain growth, the biological activity of circulating GH was assessed by measuring its ability to induce refractoriness to the early insulin-like response of epididymal fat to a test dose of GH added in vitro. This paradoxical desensitization of tissue to some of its own actions constitutes a highly specific and sensitive biological index of GH action. Serum concentrations of T4 declined rapidly after Tx and reached barely detactable levels by the 4th postoperative day. Pituitary concentrations of GH remained unchanged through the 4th postoperative day. Pituitary concentrations of GH remained unchanged through the 4th postoperative day and thereafter declined slowly, reaching 50% of control values by the 7th day and 15% by the 10th day an...
Multicasting in the hypercube, chord and binomial graphs

We discuss multicasting for the n-cube network and its close variants, the Chord and the Binomial Graph (BNG) Network. We present simple transformations and proofs that establish that the sp-multicast (shortest path) and Steiner tree problems for the n-cube, Chord and the BNG network are NP-Complete, even when every destination vertex is at a distance two from the source vertex.
Probing the Mechanisms of Intradialytic Hypertension: A Pilot Study Targeting Endothelial Cell Dysfunction

Summary Background and objectives Intradialytic hypertension may be caused by an impaired endothelial cell response to hemodialysis. Carvedilol has been shown to improve endothelial cell function in vivo and to block endothelin-1 release in vitro. This study hypothesized that carvedilol would improve endothelial cell function and reduce the occurrence of intradialytic hypertension. Design, setting, participants, & measurements A prospective 12-week pilot study of carvedilol titrated to 50 mg twice daily was performed among 25 hemodialysis participants with intradialytic hypertension. Each patient served as his or her own control. Paired tests were used to analyze changes in BP and endothelial cell function—assessed by flow-mediated vasodilation, endothelial progenitor cells (aldehyde dehydrogenase bright activity and CD34+CD133+), asymmetric dimethylarginine, and endothelin-1—from baseline to study end. Results Flow-mediated vasodilation was significantly improved with carvedilol (from 1.03% to 1.40%, P=0.02). There was no significant change in endothelial progenitor cells, endothelin-1, or asymmetric dimethylarginine. Although prehemodialysis systolic BP was unchanged (144–146 mmHg, P=0.5), posthemodialysis systolic BP, 44-hour ambulatory systolic BP, and the frequency of intradialytic hypertension decreased with carvedilol (159–142 mmHg, P Conclusions Among hemodialysis participants with intradialytic hypertension, targeting endothelial cell dysfunction with carvedilol was associated with modest improvements in endothelial function, improved intradialytic and interdialytic BP, and reduced frequency of intradialytic hypertension. Randomized controlled trials are required to confirm these findings.
Experimental Study of Adaptive- $Q$ Control for Disk Drive Track-Following Servo Problem

This paper presents the design of an adaptive-Q control algorithm for minimizing the position error signal (PES) in a hard-disk-drive track-following servo. Also, we discuss the results obtained from experiments done on a commercial disk drive using the said scheme. The adaptive- Q control algorithm approach uses the well-known result that all stabilizing controllers for a plant can be synthesized by conveniently parametrized augmentation to a nominal controller. The augmentation to a linear quadratic Gaussian (LQG) optimal control is parametrized by a stable filter Q. The Q filter is restricted to a finite-impulse response filter, which minimizes the rms value of the track following error. Experiments done with a fifth-order adaptive filter that uses PES signal as feedback show a 15% improvement in the achievable track misregistration over a model-based LQG controller. The adaptive-Q algorithm implemented via a recursive least squares numerically stable adaptive algorithm shows fast convergence rate and a consistent performance improvement over a fixed controller for various track locations. Also, the tracking performance improves with increase in the adaptive filter order.
Polymorphism in chromosome 4.

Chromosomal analyses were performed on 302 individuals, using QFQ banding techniques to determine the occurrence of heteromorphism of chromosome 4. Two types of hetero-morphism were observed, one showing an intensely fluorescent band in the centromere region and the other an intensely fluorescent band in the proximal area of the short arm. No one individual possessed both types of heteromorphism. A higher frequency of chromosome 4 heteromorphism was found in patients with schizophrenia, mental retardation, hyperactivity, developmental delay and speech impediments than in normal individuals.
Impact of Garden-Based Learning on Academic Outcomes in Schools: Synthesis of Research Between 1990 and 2010

What is the impact of garden-based learning on academic outcomes in schools? To address this question, findings across 152 articles (1990–2010) were analyzed resulting in 48 studies that met the inclusion criteria for this synthesis. A review template with operational coding framework was developed. The synthesis results showed a preponderance of positive impacts on direct academic outcomes with the highest positive impact for science followed by math and language arts. Indirect academic outcomes were also measured with social development surfacing most frequently and positively. These results were consistent across programs, student samples, and school types and within the disparate research methodologies used. However, a common issue was lack of research rigor as there were troubling issues with incomplete descriptions of methodological procedures in general and sampling techniques and validity in particular. Recommendations for more systematic and rigorous research are provided to parallel the growing ...
Design an interactive visualization system for core drilling expeditions using immersive empathic method

In this paper, we propose an immersive empathic design method and used it to create an interactive high-resolution core visualization system for real-world geological core drilling expeditions. A high domain knowledge barrier makes it difficult for a person from outside this field to imagine the user experience simply through observation. The globally distributed nature of the core drilling community imposes further design constraints. We used this approach to embed a computer scientist trained as a junior core technician. This process allowed the developer to experience authentic user activities and enabled the design of an innovative system for solving real-world problems. This approach made the best use of precious co-located opportunities, overcame the initial domain knowledge barrier, and established a trust relationship between the developer and the domain scientists. The system designed through this approach formed a sustainable and adaptive foundation that the domain scientists can build on. Through in-situ deployment, observation and interview evaluations from on-going expeditions, we present the advantages of this process.
Predictable programming on a precision timed architecture

In a hard real-time embedded system, the time at which a result is computed is as important as the result itself. Modern processors go to extreme lengths to ensure their function is predictable, but have abandoned predictable timing in favor of average-case performance. Real-time operating systems provide timing-aware scheduling policies, but without precise worst-case execution time bounds they cannot provide guarantees.We describe an alternative in this paper: a SPARC-based processor with predictable timing and instruction-set extensions that provide precise timing control. Its pipeline executes multiple, independent hardware threads to avoid costly, unpredictable bypassing, and its exposed memory hierarchy provides predictable latency. We demonstrate the effectiveness of this precision-timed (PRET) architecture through example applications running in simulation.
Metabolic Sequelae of Respiratory Q Fever in the Guinea Pig

SummaryGuinea pigs infected with Coxiella burnetii administered in small particle aerosols provides a model for naturally acquired respiratory Q fever. Increases in plasma copper and seromucoid concentrations and in lysozyme activity along with a decrease in plasma zinc paralleled increases in body temperature, spleen and lung weights, and the development of lesions. Circumstantial evidence indicates that these metabolic alterations may be related to the interaction between pulmonary macrophages and the parasite. These metabolic sequelae thus may have prognostic value in that they appear related to the disease process and are less likely to be obscured than fever or rickettsemia.