cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Performance evaluation of liner dual barrier system in CO2-rich geothermal wells

Abstract Geothermal well construction typically consists of a slotted production liner to support the wellbore and provide a conduit for produced reservoir fluids. To maintain the integrity of the well, the production liner is designed with a dual barrier system - a seal assembly at the top of the liner and a cement sheath between the formation and the liner. The integrity of barrier elements can compromise due to the degradation caused by acidic gases such as H2S and CO2 that usually exist in geothermal reservoirs. In this paper, experimental and numerical studies were conducted to evaluate dual barrier system's performance and identify its failure modes at various downhole conditions. In this study, an experimental setup was designed to replicate the production liner dual barrier system consisting of a cement sheath and elastomer O-rings. The hydraulic and mechanical integrity of the seal assembly and the cement sheath barriers were investigated by conducting pressure tests. EPDM elastomer and neat class H cement were used as the barrier materials. The performance of elastomer was investigated after aging in an autoclave at 1000 psi and 180°F under CO2 exposure. The performance of the cement was evaluated at different wait on cement (WOC) intervals. Verified finite element models (FEM) were developed to simulate the response of barrier elements under different conditions. Results indicated that exposure to CO2 compromised the hydraulic integrity of the seal element. The structural integrity of the elastomer was also jeopardized after CO2 aging, as evident by the blisters and cracks visually detected on elastomers’ surfaces. Verification by sealability test indicates that FEA modeling can be a reliable tool for estimating seal performance if elastomer material properties are known for the design conditions. Simulation results demonstrate that CO2 exposure can reduce the sealability of EPDM elastomer (measured in terms of contact stress) by up to 37%. For cement, the experimental results demonstrated insufficient interfacial bonding between cement and the inner pipe, as evidenced by the leak pathways observed during the hydraulic integrity tests. WOC time improves the hydraulic integrity of cement barrier element. Mechanical properties of cement cured at the elevated temperatures of up to 350°F were used in the FEA model to investigate the impact of temperature and wellbore pressure load on cement integrity. The results revealed that tensile hoop stress induced by the wellbore pressure loads is a likely failure mechanism that compromises the mechanical integrity of cement in geothermal wells. Results indicate that neat Class H cement may not serve as a reliable barrier in case of a defective seal assembly of a liner hanger. Overall, this paper identifies some of the barrier elements’ major limitations and provides recommendations for designing barriers and improving well integrity.
Indirect experiences with domestic violence and help-seeking preferences among south asian immigrants in the United States

The South Asian culture disempowers individuals experiencing domestic violence (DV) from reporting victimization. Past research has found that confiding in and seeking help from friends/family is preferred. Therefore, it is important to gauge the knowledge of community members who may be contacted for support by victims. The goal of the study was to examine indirect experience with DV (knowing someone who experienced DV) and help-seeking resource preference among community members. This cross-sectional study included a sample of 468 South Asian men and women. Descriptive statistics were used to establish rates of indirect experience with DV. Hierarchical logistic regression was used to examine the correlates of recommending help-seeking. The overall findings suggested that community members knew more women than men who were victims. Of nine help-seeking resources, medical professionals were preferred. Regression findings identified gender, religiosity, generational position, family type, and gender-role attitudes as the correlates of recommending help-seeking. The study findings are beneficial in developing bystander interventions for use by community members to support their friends and family members who may be victims of DV. To reduce overall victimization, it is imperative for agencies to engage with community members along with victims.
'My Face, My Choice?' — Mask Mandates, Bans, and Burqas in the Covid Age

During the 2010s mask bans were on the rise. In the United States, the bans targeted environmentalists and Antifa; in Europe, country after country, offended by the burqa, banned face veils, which supposedly violated the European project of “living together.” Then came Covid-19, and mask mandates. Yet the mask and face veil bans did not go away, something that proved troublesome for both sides of the mask mandate debate. For supporters, mask bans have the potential to impede mask wearing; yet removing them goes against the ethos of state power the mandates rely on for their legitimacy. For opponents, bans run counter to the libertarianism that animates their opposition to mask mandates, yet the cry “my face, my choice” is rarely applied to those, including many burqa wearers, who voluntarily choose to don a mask as a rational response to an age of increasing mass surveillance. This essay explores the current juxtaposition of mask mandates and mask bans, while advocating for the general idea that, most of the time, people should be free to cover (or not cover) their faces.
Thick, Multistepped Iron and Tantalum Targets for Equation-of-State Measurements at High Pressures and Low Temperatures

AbstractThere is significant interest in the measurement of the equation of state and other parameters at high pressures and low temperatures. An example is iron, which plays a critical role in planetary interiors. Targets are needed to perform these important measurements on experimental platforms such as Omega and the National Ignition Facility. We have developed a process to successfully deposit thick (several tens of microns), stepped iron and tantalum films on thin diamond substrates, to fabricate these targets. We will discuss the technical challenges that were encountered and overcome in their fabrication, such as stress/delamination in the iron system, and in achieving the desired phase in the tantalum system. We will also present characterization results on these targets.
Combined Mode/Departure Time/Route Choice Models

We consider the efficient operation of an integrated transportation system within an ITS environment. A dynamic route guidance system would improve utilization of the overall capacity of the transportation system so as to reduce travel times, congestion and incidents. By providing early detection of incidents and congestion in the transportation network, the route guidance system would redistribute traffic among the available modes and routes when there is excess capacity in some parts of the road network or shift the departure times of travelers to avoid peak-hour congestion when no additional road capacity is available. Furthermore, the route guidance system would provide travelers with accurate, current information on both transit and road networks so that some motorists could make their own time-cost tradeoffs and shift to transit, if appropriate.
Aufholjagd in der genetischen Virologie

Der Mikrobiologe PETER PALESE forscht in New York an vorderster Front. In Osterreich ortet er Fortschritte seit seiner Wiener Studienzeit. Doch zu tun, sagt er, gebe es noch viel. Denn die anderen, das weis er, schlafen auch nicht.
Sustained Fasting Achlorhydria: A Comparison of Medical Regimens

Abstract The effects on fasting gastric pH of eight medical regimens were evaluated during a 10-h period in 8 duodenal ulcer patients. Our goal was to find a regimen that would produce sustained, fasting achlorhydria (pH > 7.0) in every patient. The effects of commonly prescribed bolus doses of cimetidine, antacid, or their combination were studied first. Mean gastric pH with cimetidine (300 mg/6 h intravenously), antacid (30 ml/h intragastrically), and their combination was 3.5, 4.6, and 6.8, respectively. Although mean pH with the combination was significantly higher than with either drug alone (p
Effects of Colicin K on a Mutant of Escherichia coli Deficient in Ca2+, Mg2+-activated Adenosine Triphosphatase

Abstract The effects of the bactericidal protein colicin K have been compared on a normal strain of Escherichia coli and a derivative, uncA, that is defective in Ca2+, Mg2+-activated ATPase activity. The syntheses of DNA, RNA, and proteins, which are completely arrested by colicin K in the normal E. coli cells, are only reduced by 30 to 50% in the ATPase-deficient cells. Intracellular ATP levels, which are reduced in the normal cells, are substantially increased by colicin K in the uncA mutant. The active transport of glutamine, which is coupled to phosphate bond energy, is drastically inhibited in both strains as is the transport of proline, a transport system that is coupled to an energized membrane state. These results provide the basis for the proposal that the primary action of colicin K is to de-energize the cytoplasmic membrane systems that are essential for a variety of active transport processes in E. coli. In cells having ATPase activity, ATP levels are diminished by the action of ATPase attempting to re-energize the membrane. This reduction in ATP levels in turn leads to an arrest of macromolecular biosyntheses. These secondary effects of colicin K on ATP levels and on synthetic processes are not present in uncA cells because they lack ATPase activity.
Three Hydrolysis Methods for 17-Ketosteroid Sulfates Compared by Colorimetric and Gas—Liquid Chromatographic Analyses

Three methods for cleavage of 17-ketosteroid sulfates were evaluated for their acceptability in the preparation of urine extracts for gas chromatography. Recovery after hydrolysis with hot hydrochloric acid was unacceptably low, but solvolysis with ethyl acetate—sulfuric acid or tetrahydrofuran—perchloric acid was equally efficient and satisfactory. The results obtained by four techniques were intercompared: radioactivity measurement, Zimmermann- or Allen-chromogen development, and gas chromatography.
Learning facts from fiction.

Abstract People’s knowledge about the world comes from many sources, including fictional ones such as movies and novels. In three experiments, we investigated how people learn and integrate information from fictional sources with their general world knowledge. Subjects read a series of short stories that contained information about the real world. After a short delay, all participants took a general knowledge test. Subjects did indeed use information from the stories to answer general knowledge questions. Prior reading of facts boosted participants’ abilities to produce both obscure and better-known facts, and the effect held for both correct and incorrect facts (misinformation). Repeated reading of the stories increased the effect. After a delay of one week, effects of story exposure were strongest for items that also had been tested in the first session. Subjects were aware of using story information, but interestingly, story exposure also increased belief that the facts had been known prior to the experiment, even for misinformation answers that were rarely produced without story reading.
Top-down or bottom-up: rural settlement and raised field agriculture in the Lake Titicaca Basin, Bolivia

Abstract Differing interpretations regarding the organization of past intensive farming are often distinguished as “top-down” or “bottom-up” perspectives. The development of intensive farming and its social organization are attributed to either nascent states and centralized governments or the incremental work of local communities or kin-based groups. We address the social organization of raised field farming in one region of the Lake Titicaca Basin of the Andean altiplano, Bolivia. We evaluate past research in the Katari Valley, including our own, based on recent settlement survey, excavation, and a variety of analyses. Taking a long-term perspective covering 2500 years, we find that relations of production and rural organization changed greatly over time in relation to changing sociopolitical conditions. Local communities played dynamic roles in the development and organization of raised field farming, yet its intensification and ultimate recession were keyed to the consolidation and decline of the Tiwanaku state. We conclude that the top-down/bottom-up dichotomy is overdrawn. Local communities and their productive practices never operated in a political or economic vacuum but both shaped and were transfigured by regional processes of state formation, consolidation, and fragmentation.
Responses of Bouteloua eriopoda to irrigation and nitrogen fertilization in a Chihuahuan Desert grassland

Abstract The response of Bouteloua eriopoda , black grama, to irrigation and nitrogen fertilization was examined to test the hypothesis that, in desert grasslands, nitrogen availability is greater than in adjacent shrublands. Tiller growth was greater in irrigated plots ( P P > 0·05). Nitrogen induced early flowering but water had a greater effect during the various phenological stages. Water affected flowering, mortality, insect damage, and biomass production. Nitrogen and nitrogen plus water reduced root length of the experimental plants ( P 300 mm year -1 ) and marginal nitrogen effects, we conclude that productivity in Chihuahuan Desert Bouteloua eriopoda grasslands is less nitrogen limited than that of the Larrea shrublands. Further, productivity in this perennial desert grassland appears to be closely linked to rainfall with no temporal lags due to nitrogen immobilization.
Single and double pion production from 800 MeV proton-proton collisions

The three-body final-state reaction of charged single-pion production, $pp\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}\mathrm{pn}$, and that for charged double-pion production, $pp\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}pp$, have been studied at ${T}_{P}=800$ MeV by measuring the momentum spectra for ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}$ and ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ emitted from proton-proton collisions. The momentum spectra for single-pion production are fit with the peripheral model calculations of VerWest, and a similar model by one of us is discussed. The spectra for double-pion production follow an extrapolation of the Lindenbaum and Sternheimer model from higher energies toward threshold. This result is in disagreement with the results of Cochran et al.
Microelectronics and microdosimetry

The dimensions of electronic components have been steadily decreasing until radiation-sensitive sites are now at the micrometer level. Reduced size generally has corresponded to improved performance and increased computing speed; however, it also resulted in an unanticipated increase in vulnerability to radiation. In 1962, it was discovered that background radiation was the cause of errors in spacecraft computations. Such effects were not considered to be serious until about 1978 when it was determined that similar errors were being produced at sea level. Logic errors and failures were being produced by the alphas emitted by radioactive isotopes naturally present in the materials used in fabrication and by cosmic rays. This anomalous behavior became worse as cell densities increased. The launching of at least one major research project into space has been postponed for at least two years because of the susceptibility of some components to error induction from background radiation. It was generally assumed that errors at sea level would be produced by neutron and muon interactions. Pions were disregarded because they represented only a small fraction of cosmic rays, although one study indicated that pions could be a primary source of errors at higher elevations. Our initial estimations, however, extrapolated from microdosimetric spectra for muons and pions in hydrocarbons, indicated that pions should be more effective in producing errors than muons, even when weighted by their lower relative abundance, and may be as effective as neutrons. A series of calculations and accelerator-based experiments are in progress and indicate that indeed pions are more effective than muons. A review of error-production in microelectronics is presented along with the recent data for mesons. These latter results include measured error rates in memory chips and experimental microdosimetric spectra obtained with a silicon proportional counter.
THE EFFECT OF SENIOR AUDITORS ON COLLEGE CLASSES: AN ASSESSMENT BY FACULTY MEMBERS

College and university programs that permit older persons to audit regularly scheduled classes free of charge through tuition waiver programs are open to those aged 60 and over or 65 and over in at least 44 states. A study of such a program at a medium‐sized state university included a survey of 135 faculty members teaching classes audited by elder students. Seventy‐four percent of faculty members surveyed returned a one‐page survey questionnaire that asked them to describe the behavior of older auditors and compare them to younger students. Findings indicate that senior auditors are conscientious, most attending classes regularly and some completing written assignments and taking tests. Faculty members indicated that older auditors make a positive difference in class, learn as quickly as younger students, and are more motivated than younger students. Ninety percent of faculty respondents felt that the free audit program offers older students something of value. No significant differences in responses wer...
Heterogeneous etiology of squamous carcinoma of the vulva

Objective To correlate various previously identified risk factors, different histologic types, and the presence of human papillomaviruses (HPV) in squamous vulvar carcinomas and intraepithelial precursor lesions. Methods Cases of squamous vulvar carcinomas and intraepithelial precursor lesions from a case-control study were analyzed by histologic type, the presence of HPV, and HPV type. These findings were correlated with demographic and interview data. Results Significant differences ( P Conclusion The results of this study further support the view that vulvar carcinoma has two different etiologies, one related to HPV infection and one that is not. (Obstet Gynecol 1996;87:59-64)
The Determination of In-Situ Film Hole Flow Rates Using a Transient Thermal Inertia Method

Film hole flow rates are conventionally characterized by a discharge coefficient relating the actual mass flow rate to the theoretical ideal flow rate based upon some measured effective hole diameter or flow area. These discharge coefficients are typically measured on controlled test plates that contain the particular size, shape, and fabrication method for an individual film hole type. Such discharge coefficients are then assumed to apply to all of the in-situ film holes of that type which are machined or formed in the as-fabricated cooled turbine component. The thermal-mechanical analysis of the component is then performed using these assumed values to calculate film hole flow rates. In practice however, every film hole in a cooled airfoil is different due to machine tool wear, surface curvatures, laser drift, coating variations, and local flow supply behavior. A new method has been developed and demonstrated which allows determination of the individual film hole flow rates in-situ for an as-fabricated component, thus avoiding the need for assumed discharge coefficients or highly detailed flow checks. This method uses the thermal transient characteristics of external surface points near an active film hole to determine the flow rate through the hole. An imaging Infrared system is used to record the component response to an induced thermal cooling transient in which the film hole internal heat transfer dominates the local thermal transient behavior. The characteristic of the non-dimensionalized thermal decay is related to the flow rate within each individual film hole using a limited calibration function. This method allows the rapid inspection and quantification of detailed film hole flows for actual parts, which data may then be used in the analysis and health monitoring of parts in operation.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Working Feminism and Gender and Landscape: Renegotiating Morality and Space

Geraldine Pratt, Lorraine Dowler, Josephine Carubia, and Bonj Szczygiel eds. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2004. xi and 218 pp., refs. and index. $21.95 paper (ISBN 1-59213-246-2). London ...
Options for management of municipal solid waste in New York City: A preliminary comparison of health risks and policy implications

Landfill disposal and waste-to-energy (WTE) incineration remain the two principal options for managing municipal solid waste (MSW). One critical determinant of the acceptability of these options is the different health risks associated with each. In this analysis relying on published data and exposure modeling, we have performed health risk assessments for landfill disposal versus WTE treatment options for the management of New York City's MSW. These are based on the realistic scenario of using a waste transfer station (WTS) in Brooklyn and then transporting the untreated MSW by truck to a landfill in Pennsylvania or using a WTE facility in Brooklyn and then transporting the resultant ash by truck to a landfill in Pennsylvania. The overall results indicate that the individual cancer risks for both options would be considered generally acceptable, although the risk from landfilling is approximately 5 times greater than from WTE treatment; the individual non-cancer health risks for both options would be considered generally unacceptable, although once again the risk from landfilling is approximately 5 times greater than from WTE treatment. If one considers only the population in Brooklyn that would be directly affected by the siting of either a WTS or a WTE facility in their immediate neighborhood, individual cancer and non-cancer health risks for both options would be considered generally acceptable, but risks for the former remain considerably higher than for the latter. These results should be considered preliminary due to several limitations of this study such as: consideration of risks only from inhalation exposures; assumption that only volume and not composition of the waste stream is altered by WTE treatment; reliance on data from the literature rather than actual measurements of the sites considered, assuming comparability of the sites. However, the results of studies such as this, in conjunction with ecological, socioeconomic and equity considerations, should prove useful to environmental managers, regulators, policy makers, community representatives and other stakeholders in making sound and acceptable decisions regarding the optimal handling of MSW.
Surgical Repair of the Partial Form of Persistent Common Atrioventricular Canal, with Special Reference to the Problem of Mitral Valve Incompetence

A total of 131 patients with the partial form of common atrioventricular canal were operated on between March, 1955 and January, 1964. The over-all hospital mortality rate was 3.8%; no deaths occurred in patients who had no or only mild incompetence of the mitral valve. Permanent heart block has not occurred in the last 93 cases. Results have been good in general, although there is evidence of residual mitral valve incompetence in many patients. In the few who had severe incompetence at the mitral valve before repair, the results have been considerably less satisfactory than in the group as a whole; therefore, further work is needed on this aspect of the problem.
Large-Amplitude Solitary Water Waves with Vorticity

We provide the first construction of exact solitary waves of large amplitude with an arbitrary distribution of vorticity. We use continuation to construct a global connected set of symmetric solitary waves of elevation, whose profiles decrease monotonically on either side of a central crest. This generalizes the classical result of Amick and Toland.
Trans effects in nitric oxide binding to myoglobin cavity mutant H93G.

When nitric oxide (NO) binds to heme proteins, it exerts a repulsive trans effect on the proximal ligand, resulting in weakening or rupture of the proximal ligand-iron bond. The general question of whether NO binding generates a five-coordinate complex with proximal ligand release is important for the function of enzymes such as guanylate cyclase. This question can be addressed by studying NO binding to the myoglobin cavity mutant H93G, where the proximal histidine has been replaced by glycine. When this protein is expressed in the presence of imidazole (Im), an imidazole molecule occupies the proximal cavity and serves as a ligand to the iron [Barrick, D. (1994) Biochemistry 33, 6546-6554]. This proximal imidazole can be exchanged for a variety of exogenous ligands [DePillis, G.D., Decatur, S. M., Barrick, D., & Boxer, S.G. (1994) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 116, 6981-6982]. While CO binds to H93G(Im) to form a stable six-coordinate complex similar to that of the wild type and NO binds to wild-type myoglobin to form a six-coordinate complex, we find that the binding of NO to H93G(Im) under similar conditions results in the cleavage of the exogenous imidazole-iron bond at neutral pH, leaving a five-coordinate heme-NO complex, H93G-NO, inside the protein. When a large excess of imidazole is added to this five-coordinate NO complex, a six-coordinate complex can be formed; thus, the binding constant of a sixth ligand to the five-coordinate H93G-NO complex can be measured. This is found to be several orders of magnitude smaller than the binding constant of Im to the carbonmonoxy, deoxy, or the metcyano forms of protein. By replacement of Im with methyl-substituted imidazoles which have hindered or strained binding conformations, this binding constant can be reduced further and some of the factors responsible for favoring the five-coordinate form can be elucidated. Thus, the cavity mutant H93G provides a novel model system for studying the factors that control the coordination state of NO complexes of heme proteins and serves as a bridge between synthetic heme model complexes in simple solvents and site-directed mutants in the structured environment found in proteins.
Relative adrenal insufficiency in post-cardiac arrest shock is under-recognized

Summary Introduction Suppression of the adrenal axis may occur frequently in post-cardiac arrest patients. Physiological doses of corticosteroids have been shown to reverse hypotension and decrease mortality in other forms of shock. We sought to investigate current clinical practice pertaining to the evaluation for relative adrenal insufficiency in post-cardiac arrest shock. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of post-cardiac arrest patients in an urban emergency department. Inclusion criteria included pre-hospital cardiac arrest patients over the age of 18 with a sustained return of spontaneous circulation that required vasopressor support. Exclusion criteria were traumatic arrest and cardiac arrest in the presence of healthcare personnel. The primary endpoint was the percent of patients in refractory shock that either had their adrenal axis tested or were treated for presumed relative adrenal insufficiency. Data analysis was descriptive in nature. Results A total of 79 post-cardiac arrest patients were analyzed. Of the 79 patients, 69 were vasopressor-dependent. Of this group, 13% (9/69) had a cortisol level checked (with or without cosyntropin stimulation). Of those who had a cosyntropin stimulation test performed, 86% met biochemical criteria for relative adrenal insufficiency. Seventeen percent of vasopressor-dependent patients received corticosteroids explicitly for their shock state. Overall, only 32% of patients in refractory shock had testing for relative adrenal insufficiency or received corticosteroids for shock. Conclusions Though vasopressor-dependent shock is common in post-cardiac arrest patients, adrenal insufficiency was not considered in the majority of cases.
Transition to unsteady flow and intensity of velocity fluctuations in a porous medium

Direct measurements of local velocity and the intensity of velocity fluctuations in a pore of a number three rhombohedral array of spheres indicate a region of increasing intensity beginning at Reynolds number of about 80 and reaching a maximum intensity of approximately 0.6 at a Reynolds number of about 200. At higher Reynolds numbers the intensity falls to a constant value between 0.4 and 0.5. Des mesures directes de velocite locale et de l'intensite des fluctuations de velocite, dans une pore d'un arrangement rhomboedrique (no 3) de spheres, ont indique qu'il y avait une region d'intensite croissante qui commencait avec un nombre de Reynolds d'environ 80 et atteignant un sommet approximatif de 0.6 lorsque le nombre de Reynolds etait a peu pres 200. Lorsque les nombres de Reynolds excedaient 200, l'intensite diminuait pour atteindre une valeur constante entre 0.4 et 0.5.
Thermal characterization of thin films by photothermally induced laser beam deflection

Abstract The photothermal deflection technique, also known as the “mirage effect”, is a powerful non-destructive means of evaluating the thermal properties of both bulk materials and thin films. In this experiment, the sample is heated by a modulated laser beam, and the deflection of a second laser beam passing through the heated region above the sample (parallel to the surface of the sample) is measured as a function of distance between the probe and heating beams. The temperature profile above the sample and hence the beam deflections, are determined by the sample properties. These measurements can be analyzed to determine the thermal diffusivity of the sample. For multilayered samples it is often possible to find the thermal constants for a single layer if the properties of the other materials in the sample are previously measured or otherwise known. We have non-linear regression software for the analysis for samples that may have any number of layers, based on a Green's function formalism with no approximations, for the calculation of beam deflections. We have applied this technique to a number of bulk and thin film systems, from which representative results are presented.
Abstract 3904: uPAR-regulated nuclear translocation of hand-1 mediates vascular radiosensitivity in medulloblastoma tumors.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPAR) is overexpressed in the tumor-stromal invasive microenvironment in many human cancers including medulloblastoma. The role of uPAR in tumor progression and angiogenesis has been well characterized. Most recently, in medulloblastoma cells, we showed that ionizing radiation (IR)-induced uPAR is a potent activator of cancer stem cell (CSC)-like properties and is associated with various transcription factors that are involved during embryonic development and cancer. In this study, we show that the uPAR protein is a cytoplasmic sequestration factor for a novel basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor, Hand-1. The Hand-1 protein plays an essential role in differentiation of trophoblast giant cells and cardiac morphogenesis, and yet its precise cellular function and its contributions to cancer remain mostly unknown. In the present study, we observed that Hand-1 protein is upregulated in uPAR shRNA-treated medulloblastoma cells and accompanies sustained cell growth and angiogenesis. Furthermore, IR-induced uPAR overexpression negatively regulates Hand-1 activity and results in the stabilization of angiogenesis promoting molecules, such as HIF-1 alpha. Finally, uPAR overexpression and its association with Hand-1 after IR treatment indicate that uPAR is capable of regulating Hand-1 and that uPAR has a role in the process of IR-induced tumor angiogenesis. Citation Format: Swapna Asuthkar, Kiran Kumar Velpula, Arun Kumar Nalla, Venkateswara Rao Gogineni, Venkata Ramesh Dasari, Bharathi Gorantla, Jasti S. Rao. uPAR-regulated nuclear translocation of hand-1 mediates vascular radiosensitivity in medulloblastoma tumors. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3904. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-3904
Event-related potentials, lexical decision and semantic priming

ERPs were recorded during a lexical decision task in order to investigate electrophysiological concomitants of semantic priming. The stimuli were 240 words and 240 nonwords presented one per trial at a fixed intertrial interval. Subjects were required to classify each stimulus as a word or nonword by pressing one of two response buttons. ERPs were recorded from 14 scalp locations, the right suborbital ridge, and the left earlobe, all referred to a balanced non-cephalic reference. RT and error data confirmed that semantic priming occurred under the conditions employed: primed words (those preceded by a semantically related word) were identified as words faster and more accurately than were unprimed words (those preceded by semantically unrelated words or nonwords). ERPs for all stimulus types were characterized by a large positivity peaking between 550 and 650 msec, preceded by a negative-going deflection peaking at approximately 400 msec. ERPs for primed and unprimed words were shown to differ significantly, diverging 200-250 msec following stimulus onset, reaching a maximum near the peak of the negative-going deflection at 400 msec. These differences were observed at locations over both hemispheres and were maximal in the centroparietal region. Although P300 latency differences between primed and unprimed words were also obtained, the priming effect on ERPs at shorter latencies could not be explained solely by P300 latency effects. Possible relationships between these ERP concomitants of semantic priming and P300, N200, and N400 were discussed.
TU-D-224A-02: Intro: Particles and Intensity Modulation

In the past 15–20 years substantial research and development effort has been put into the optimization of photonbeamradiation therapy, primarily into the development of intensity‐modulation techniques (IMRT). As far as the development of photonIMRT delivery technology is concerned, we may have almost reached a point of diminishing returns. In recent years novel treatment modalities (other than photons) are gaining more attention, which goes hand in hand with the construction of a number of new proton therapy facilities in this country. The physical advantage of proton therapy is indisputable, even though it is not always used to its full extent in clinical treatments: The blessing of the finite range of protons goes along with some uncertainty in the position of the steep distal dose gradient region in the patient. This is because the position of the distal gradient is affected by setup errors, internal organ motion, metallic implants, and biological effects, among others. Due to these reasons, the distal gradient is not currently used for dose shaping. The full clinical utilization of the physical advantage of proton therapy also requires beam scanning and intensity‐modulated particle therapy (IMPT), which is in clinical use at only two centers. The clinical benefit of proton therapy has been demonstrated for a relatively limited number of cases, and will be further studied as more proton centers are being brought on line. Of course, the benefit comes at a price. Several investigators now look into novel and potentially cheaper proton acceleration techniques, including laser acceleration, which will be discussed by Dr. Ma, and dielectric wall acceleration. Outside of the USA the treatment with heavier charged particles, such as carbon ions, has become a topic of great interest, which will be reviewed by Dr. Jakel. Both the treatment with protons and carbon ions open new avenues for image‐guided radiation therapy: Those particle beams activate positron emitters in the patient, which can be visualized with PET scanners and serve as an in‐vivo dosimeter, as explained by Dr. Parodi. Last but not least, there has been renewed interest in lighter charged particles, namely electrons. The talks by Drs. Li and Papiez will show that electrons are a particularly attractive treatment option in combination with IMRT. Educational Objectives: 1. To give a brief update of the state of the art of protonradiation therapy. 2. To link the various presentations of this symposium.
Effects of age and calorie restriction on tryptophan nitration, protein content and activity of succinyl-CoA:3-ketoacid CoA transferase in rat kidney mitochondria

This study examined the protein targets of nitration and the consequent impact on protein function in rat kidney mitochondria at 4, 13, 19, and 24 months of age. Succinyl-CoA transferase (SCOT), a rate-limiting enzyme in the degradation of ketone bodies, was the most intensely reactive protein against anti-3-nitrotyrosine antibody in rat kidney mitochondria. However, subsequent mass spectrometric and amino acid analyses of purified SCOT indicated that tryptophan 372, rather than a tyrosine residue, was the actual site of simultaneous additions of nitro and hydroxy groups. This finding suggests that identification of nitrated tyrosine residues based solely on reactivity with anti-3-nitrotyrosine antibody can be potentially misleading. Between 4 and 24 months of age, the amounts of SCOT protein and catalytic activity, expressed per milligram of mitochondrial proteins, decreased by 55 and 45%, respectively. SCOT, and particularly its nitrated carboxy-terminal region, was relatively more susceptible to in vitro proteolysis than other randomly selected kidney mitochondrial proteins. The age-related decreases in SCOT protein amount and catalytic activity were prevented by a relatively long-term 40% reduction in the amount of food intake. Loss of SCOT protein in the aged rats may attenuate the capacity of kidney mitochondria to utilize ketone bodies for energy production.
Comparative scaling of unidimensional discrimination and similarity data

Scales constructed from paired-comparison designs under Thurstone's Case V model are discussed in relation to those derived from similarity data by means of the Unilateral Law of Comparative Judgment [3]. Factors inherent in the triadic similarity task are then considered with respect to scale invariance across experimental designs. Illustrative data, although revealing the influence of these factors upon similarity response consistency, indicate the similarity scale to be somewhat robust to their biasing effects.
Enhancing Mitochondrial Calcium Buffering Capacity Reduces Aggregation of Misfolded SOD1 and Motor Neuron Cell Death without Extending Survival in Mouse Models of Inherited Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Mitochondria have been proposed as targets for toxicity in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive, fatal adult-onset neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the selective loss of motor neurons. A decrease in the capacity of spinal cord mitochondria to buffer calcium (Ca(2+)) has been observed in mice expressing ALS-linked mutants of SOD1 that develop motor neuron disease with many of the key pathological hallmarks seen in ALS patients. In mice expressing three different ALS-causing SOD1 mutants, we now test the contribution of the loss of mitochondrial Ca(2+)-buffering capacity to disease mechanism(s) by eliminating ubiquitous expression of cyclophilin D, a critical regulator of Ca(2+)-mediated opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore that determines mitochondrial Ca(2+) content. A chronic increase in mitochondrial buffering of Ca(2+) in the absence of cyclophilin D was maintained throughout disease course and was associated with improved mitochondrial ATP synthesis, reduced mitochondrial swelling, and retention of normal morphology. This was accompanied by an attenuation of glial activation, reduction in levels of misfolded SOD1 aggregates in the spinal cord, and a significant suppression of motor neuron death throughout disease. Despite this, muscle denervation, motor axon degeneration, and disease progression and survival were unaffected, thereby eliminating mutant SOD1-mediated loss of mitochondrial Ca(2+) buffering capacity, altered mitochondrial morphology, motor neuron death, and misfolded SOD1 aggregates, as primary contributors to disease mechanism for fatal paralysis in these models of familial ALS.
Use of Cross-Links To Study the Conformational Dynamics of Triplex DNA†

The conformational dynamics of a 34-base-long pyrimidine purine-pyrimidine motif intramolecular DNA triple helix possessing three cytosine residues in the Hoogsteen strand (1) and a disulfide cross-linked analog (2) were studied by two-dimensional exchange and NOE spectroscopy and by measuring base-catalyzed imino proton exchange rates. Under acidic conditions that stabilize triplexes containing Hoogsteen strand cytosines (pH 6.0 and 1 degree C), sequences 1 and 2 exhibit a small and identical degree of conformational heterogeneity. However, at a higher temperature (pH 6.0 and 37 degrees C), 1 exhibits much more extensive conformational heterogeneity than 2. The exchange times for Watson-Crick imino protons are approximately 1 h for both triplexes. However, the Hoogsteen base-pair lifetimes of 1 could not be measured because this sequence is conformationally labile under the alkaline conditions necessary to conduct these experiments. Because of the extraordinary pH stability conferred by the cross-link, it is possible to estimate the base-pair lifetimes for 2. The lifetimes of the Hoogsteen base pairs range from about 3 to 370 ms, and in all cases are shorter than that of the Watson-Crick base pair contained in the same triplet. These experiments represent the first measurement of base-pair lifetimes within Hoogsteen triplets. The ability to measure individual base-pair lifetimes may prove useful in studies that attempt to modulate triplex properties through rational design.
Age-related changes in brain and pituitary 5α-reductase with finasteride (Proscar) treatment

Finasteride (Proscar), a 5 alpha-reductase inhibitor, was administered with or without 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in juvenile (28), peripubertal (48), or young adult (68-day-old) male rats. Luteinizing hormone (LH) levels and ventral prostate (VP) weights monitored the efficacy of the treatments. For each postnatal day tested, LH hormone levels were not significantly altered by finasteride, suggesting that 5 alpha-reductase inhibition does not modulate LH in male rats using this protocol. Finasteride plus DHT treatment significantly decreased LH levels. Conversely, VP weights were significantly decreased in finasteride-treated animals while finasteride plus DHT treatment significantly increased VP values. Finasteride plus DHT treatment significantly decreased pituitary, but not brain, 5 alpha-reductase for each postnatal day tested. In finasteride-treated animals, hypothalamic and pituitary 5 alpha-reductase were significantly inhibited in young adult animals, whereas the activities were not altered in juvenile or peripubertal male rats. These data suggest that a different mechanism may regulate 5 alpha-reductase with the aging of the central nervous system and pituitary.
Opportunistic uses of the traditional school day through student examination of Fitbit activity tracker data

In large part due to the highly prescribed nature of the typical school day for children, efforts to design new interactions with technology have often focused on less-structured after-school clubs and other out-of-school environments. We argue that while the school day imposes serious restrictions, school routines can and should be opportunistically leveraged by designers and by youth. Specifically, wearable activity tracking devices open some new avenues for opportunistic collection of and reflection on data from the school day. To demonstrate this, we present two cases from an elementary statistics classroom unit we designed that intentionally integrated wearable activity trackers and child-created data visualizations. The first case involves a group of students comparing favored recess activities to determine which was more physically demanding. The second case is of a student who took advantage of her knowledge of teachers' school day routines to test the reliability of a Fitbit activity tracker against a commercial mobile app.
Selection factors involved in the choice of childbirth method.

Childbirth preparation classes, such as those based on the Lamaze and Bradley approaches, and childbirths outside of the traditional hospital setting have increased in popularity in this country over the past several years. Although there has been considerable theorizing in both the lay and professional press as to why this is so, actual research into how and why a couple decides to attend childbirth classes or to have their baby at home has been limited. The following review critically summarizes the research that has been done, notes the implications, and suggests what else is needed.
p-Nitrostyrene: New alkylating agent for sulfhydryl groups in reduced soluble proteins and keratins

Abstract p -Nitrostyrene was used to modify sulfhydryl groups in reduced bovine serum albumin (BSA), lysozyme, horse IgG, and wool to S-β-( p -nitrophenethyl) derivatives. The corresponding cysteine and glutathione analogues were also synthesized and characterized to show that the modified residues in proteins can be quantitatively determined. Irradiation of S-β-( p -nitrophenethyl) proteins as solids with a mercury lamp filtered to remove radiation below 2850A produced a new, longlived free radical.
Direct measurements of the ion acoustic decay instability in a laser-produced, large-scale, hot plasma.

The ion acoustic decay instability has been investigated using UV collective Thomson scattering in a large scale (\ensuremath{\sim}1 mm) and hot (\ensuremath{\sim}1 keV) plasma relevant to laser fusion. The instability was found to be easily excited. The spectrum of the electron plasma wave is consistent with simple theory. Collective Thomson scattering is shown to be a good tool for diagnosing the local electron temperature.