cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Micromechanisms of borehole instability leading to breakouts in rocks

This paper reviews the different borehole breakout failure micromechanisms observed during a multiyear laboratory research effort at the University of Wisconsin. Vertical borehole drilling experiments were conducted in a variety of granites, limestones, and sandstones under a wide range of pre-existing stress fields. Test samples that developed breakouts during drilling were analyzed under optical and scanning electron microscopes to establish the micromechanics of failure. All rocks tested, except for the quartz-rich sandstones, develop dog-eared breakouts along the minimum horizontal far-field stress springline, even though the grain-scale mechanisms leading to the final appearance may differ considerably. The common denominator is the incipient failure in the form of dilatant microcracking in the zones of the highest compressive stress concentration around the borehole. Dependent on rock type, these microcracks could be tensile or shear openings, extending inter- or intra-granularly. A type of failure not hitherto recognized was discovered in quartz-rich sandstones, which develop tabular slot-shaped breakouts that maintain a constant very narrow width over an extensive length, resulting in a fracture-like appearance. Such breakouts are the result of a largely non-dilatant micromechanism consisting of localized grain debonding and repacking leading to the formation of an apparent reduced-porosity compaction band along the minimum horizontal far-field stress springline. Breakouts are produced by the removal, with the help of the circulating drilling fluid, of loose grains and grain fragments that were debonded in the process of compaction band forming.
Molecular basis of substrate recognition and degradation by human presequence protease.

Human presequence protease (hPreP) is an M16 metalloprotease localized in mitochondria. There, hPreP facilitates proteostasis by utilizing an ∼13,300-A(3) catalytic chamber to degrade a diverse array of potentially toxic peptides, including mitochondrial presequences and β-amyloid (Aβ), the latter of which contributes to Alzheimer disease pathogenesis. Here, we report crystal structures for hPreP alone and in complex with Aβ, which show that hPreP uses size exclusion and charge complementation for substrate recognition. These structures also reveal hPreP-specific features that permit a diverse array of peptides, with distinct distributions of charged and hydrophobic residues, to be specifically captured, cleaved, and have their amyloidogenic features destroyed. SAXS analysis demonstrates that hPreP in solution exists in dynamic equilibrium between closed and open states, with the former being preferred. Furthermore, Aβ binding induces the closed state and hPreP dimerization. Together, these data reveal the molecular basis for flexible yet specific substrate recognition and degradation by hPreP.
Bias in the last observation carried forward method under informative dropout

Subject dropout is an inevitable problem in longitudinal studies. It makes the analysis challenging when the main interest is the change in outcome from baseline to endpoint of study. The last observation carried forward (LOCF) method is a very common approach for handling this problem. It assumes that the last measured outcome is frozen in time after the point of dropout, an unrealistic assumption given any time trends. Though existence and direction of the bias can sometimes be anticipated, the more important statistical question involves the actual magnitude of the bias and this requires computation. This paper provides explicit expressions for the exact bias in the LOCF estimates of mean change and its variance when the longitudinal data follow a linear mixed-effects model with linear time trajectories. General dropout patterns are considered that may depend on treatment group, subject-specific trajectories and follow different time to dropout distributions. In our case studies, the magnitude of bias for mean change estimators linearly increases as time to dropout decreases. The bias depends heavily on the dropout interval. The variance term is always underestimated.
Using functional data analysis to identify physician decision strategies which lead to better type 2 diabetes patient outcomes

An approach was developed and tested to identify strategies used by physicians treating patients with type 2 diabetes. In a previously published study 19 physicians treated 3 simulated type 2 diabetes patients to a standard blood glucose (A1c) goal. A1c trajectories of physicians treating each patient were analyzed using functional data analysis (FDA). Two characteristic patterns were observed. One pattern was associated with rate of progress to goal as the basis for treatment decisions. The second pattern was associated with treatment decisions based on the difference between current and previous A1c values. Computational models were developed to represent and analyze individual physician treatment decisions. Two decision-making strategies were identified within a process control paradigm: feedback -- making treatment decisions based on current patient state, and feedforward -- making treatment decisions based on anticipated future patient states. Using similarity in patterns of FDA plots as a metric, each physician's treatment of a simulated patient was associated with the model that best represented their decision strategy. Physicians and their representative models achieved similar A1c outcomes when treating the same simulated patients. FDA is a promising tool for identifying strategies which lead to better outcomes in the treatment of patients with a chronic disease.
A quantitative assay for poly(ethylene glycol) without interference by proteins

Abstract A method is described for the quantitative determination of poly(ethylene glycol) having an average molecular weight of ≥400. The method is based on a measurement of the intensity of light which is seattered by the turbid suspension produced by addition of the polymer to Nessler's solution. Small amounts of plasma proteins (0.001 mg/ml) drastically diminished the turbidity. This interference can be eliminated by prior adsorption of the protein on Al(OH) 3 gel.
Enzymatic Processing of Fumiquinazoline F: A Tandem Oxidative-Acylation Strategy for the Generation of Multicyclic Scaffolds in Fungal Indole Alkaloid Biosynthesis

Aspergillus fumigatus Af293 is a known producer of quinazoline natural products, including the antitumor fumiquinazolines, of which the simplest member is fumiquinazoline F (FQF) with a 6-6-6 tricyclic core derived from anthranilic acid, tryptophan, and alanine. FQF is the proposed biological precursor to fumiquinazoline A (FQA) in which the pendant indole side chain has been modified via oxidative coupling of an additional molecule of alanine, yielding a fused 6-5-5 imidazoindolone. We recently identified fungal anthranilate-activating nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) domains through bioinformatics approaches. One domain previously identified is part of the trimodular NRPS Af12080, which we predict is responsible for FQF formation. We now show that two adjacent A. fumigatus ORFs, a monomodular NRPS Af12050 and a flavoprotein Af12060, are necessary and sufficient to convert FQF to FQA. Af12060 oxidizes the 2′,3′-double bond of the indole side chain of FQF, and the three-domain NRPS Af12050 activates...
Direct and indirect costs of nephrolithiasis in an employed population: opportunity for disease management?

Direct and indirect costs of nephrolithiasis in an employed population: Opportunity for disease management? Background More than 5% of the United States population has been diagnosed with nephrolithiasis and about one half of (first-time) stone formers will have a recurrence within 5 years. The prevalence of nephrolithiasis is concentrated among working age adults, yet little prior work has examined the economic burden of the disease on employers and their employees. We sought to estimate the direct and indirect costs of nephrolithiasis for working age adults (18-64) with employer-provided insurance. Methods This was an observational study using retrospective claims data. Detailed medical and pharmacy claims from 25 large employers and absentee data from a subset of firms were used to estimate the direct and indirect costs associated with nephrolithiasis in a privately insured, nonelderly population. Multivariate regression models were used to predict health care expenditures for persons with and without the condition, controlling for differences in patient (health status) and plan characteristics. Results More than 1% of working-age adults were treated for nephrolithiasis in 2000. Prevalence was considerably higher among men and employees age 55 to 64. About one third of employees treated for nephrolithiasis in 2000 missed work due to the condition, with an average work loss for the entire treated population of 19 hours per person. Conditional on receiving treatment, the incremental costs of nephrolithiasis were $3,494 per person in 2000. Conclusion The direct and indirect costs of nephrolithiaisis are substantial among working-age adults. Interventions that prevent recurrence among known stone formers may be a cost-effective component of disease management programs.
Complex Innovation Networks, Patent Citations and Power Laws

We study knowledge and innovation flows as characterized by the network of patent citations and investigate its scale free power law properties. We discuss the importance of the application of complex networks to the understanding of the underlying processes of knowledge exchange and technological innovation. We suggest that this area of research while traditionally investigated via econometric modeling and statistical data analysis may be further examined and explained via a complex network analysis approach using the tools and techniques of statistical mechanics and advanced network analysis. We demonstrate that the citation network is a scale free network. In particular, the network node degree probability distribution follows a power law. In other words, the probability that a patent is highly connected to other patents is statistically more likely than would be expected via random connections and associations. Hence, the network's properties are determined by a relatively small number of highly connected nodes or patents referred to as hubs. We also highlight several potential application areas for further investigation via a complex network analysis approach.
The effect of aging on the hydrolysis of cholesterol-7α-H3-oleate by homogenates of chicken aorta

Abstract The effect of aging on the cholesterol ester content of the artery and on the hydrolysis of cholesterol-7α-H 3 -oleate by homogenates of chicken aorta was investigated. In both male and female birds the cholesterol ester level was higher in the artery and lower in the plasma at 12 months than at 1 month. Measurement of the cholesterol ester fatty acid composition of plasma and aortic segments revealed that oleic was the predominant fatty acid in both the plasma and aorta; in all instances there was a higher level of unsaturated fatty acids than the saturated fatty acids. The aortic homogenates were capable of hydrolyzing labeled cholesterol oleate and the extent of hydrolysis increased with age.
The melting process within spherical enclosures

In this note, an analysis of the problem assuming a constant wall temperature and a higher solid density, covering the entire melting process, is presented. The method used is an extension of Bareiss and Beer's analysis of the melting process in cylindrical enclosures, but unlike their study no simplifying assumption for the film thickness has been made. In fact, an earlier analysis by this investigator using such a relation gave results which failed to agree with experimental data.
Distillation irrigation: a low-energy process for coupling water purification and drip irrigation

Abstract A method is proposed for combining solar distillation and drip irrigation to simultaneously desalinize water and apply this water to row crops. In this paper, the basic method is illustrated by a simple device constructed primarily of sheets of plastic, which uses solar energy to distill impaired water and apply the distillate to a widely spaced row crop. To predict the performance of the proposed device, an empirical equation for distillate production, dp , is developed from reported solar still production rates, and a modified Jensen-Haise equation is used to calculate the potential evapotranspiration, et , for a row crop. Monthly values for et and dp are calculated by using a generalized row crop at five locations in the Western United States. Calculated et values range from 1 to 22 cm month −1 and calculated dp values range from 2 to 11 cm month −1 , depending on the location, the month, and the crop average. When the sum of dp plus precipitation, dp + P , is compared to et for the case of 50% distillation irrigation system coverage, the results indicate that the crop's et is matched by dp + P , at the cooler locations only. However, when the system coverage is increased to 66%, the crop's et is matched by dp + P even at the hottest location. Potential advantages of distillation irrigation include the ability: (a) to convert impaired water resources to water containing no salts or sediments; and (b) to efficiently and automatically irrigate crops at a rate that is controlled primarily by radiation intensities. The anticipated disadvantages of distillation irrigation include: (a) the high costs of a system, due to the large amounts of sheeting required, the short lifetime of the sheeting, and the physically cumbersome nature of a system; (b) the need for a widely spaced crop to reduce shading of the system by the crop; and (c) the production of a concentrated brine or precipitate, requiring proper off-site disposal.
An Early History of the Rural Community College Initiative: Reflections on the Past and Implications for the Future

The $17.2 million Rural Community College Initiative (RCCI) demonstration grant program funded by the Ford Foundation which ran from 1994 to 2001 represents the largest philanthropic project specifically aimed at rural community colleges in United States history. While a good deal of literature has been published about this initiative, much was specifically commissioned by the foundation and can be seen as coming from a public relations perspective. This paper provides a historical perspective from an independent point of view. Its purpose is to create a documentary record for future community college leaders and potential funders interested in reaching the nation's 553 rural community colleges.
Quantitative aspects of cycloheximide inhibition of amino acid incorporation

Abstract Quantitative data have been obtained on the inhibitory effects of cycloheximide on 14 C-leucine incorporation into the proteins of a variety of rat tissues. Of fourteen organ systems examined, all were significantly affected under the test condition with 0.5 mg/kg of the drug given i.p., i.v. or intragastrically. As little as 0.05 mg/kg i.p. of cycloheximide affected certain organs; most tissues had some inhibition at 0.25 mg/kg with increasing effects up to 4 mg/kg, which was the maximum dose tested. When the labelled amino acid was injected 0.5 hr after 0.5 mg/kg of cycloheximide and the rats were sacrificed 4 hr later, maximum inhibition of leucine incorporation was noted. The inhibition began to decrease within 3 hr after cycloheximide administration and disappeared at 6–12 hr. Cycloheximide was found to be absorbed from the stomach in the pylorus-ligated rats and to exert a systemic effect on leucine incorporation. There was no consistent difference between males and females in response to cycloheximide. Acetoxycycloheximide was more potent than cycloheximide on an equal weight basis and was more active in females than in males. Cycloheximide inhibited amino acid incorporation by liver slices and intestine segments at concentrations of 1 and 10 μg/ml respectively.
Variants of κ-Casein Revealed by Improved Starch Gel Electrophoresis

Summary Addition of low concentrations of cysteine or mercaptoethanol to the concentrated urea solutions for zone electrophoresis in starch gel has markedly improved the resolution of κ-casein zones in both unfractionated acid casein and various preparations of κ-casein. This improved resolution has demonstrated variations of κ-casein in individual milks. Two zones, given the interim designations a and b , occur singly and in combination, in variable proportions. Stable differences appear to be in the protein moieties, which may represent genetically controlled variant forms of κ-casein.
Monitoring of Pull-Load and Borehole Pressure During HDD Installations

Quality control and quality assurance during horizontal directional drilling installations (HDD) is a topic that is gaining increasing interest and concern in the engineering community as HDD is becoming a mainstream construction technology. The paper describes a method for increasing the transparency of pulled-in-place trenchless installations using an array of sensors mounted within a protective casing, located ahead of the pipe product pull head. The data collected by the sensors, including pull-load and borehole pressure, is stored on a memory chip placed onboard the platform, thus creating a permanent electronic record of the installation. This data can be used by contractors, consultants and owners for quality control purposes and the improvement of design models and construction practices. In addition, real-time information can be provided to the operator, giving him/her the opportunity to detect potential problems in a timely manner so that appropriate mitigation measures can be taken.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Equity Theory, Discretionary Sentencing, and Attitudes toward the Legal System

Summary Ss read an abstract of a crime involving embezzlement, and after being informed that the defendant had been found guilty, were also informed of the sentence imposed by the trial judge on the defendant (normative in length or more severe or lenient than normative). The rehabilitative potential of the defendant was also varied (unknown, favorable, or unfavorable). Ss' impressions of the trial judge, their respect for courts of law, and their perceptions that justice had been served were then assessed. The results support an equity theory prediction and have implications for the debate on discretionary versus mandatory sentencing practices.
Heart failure survival score continues to predict clinical outcomes in patients with heart failure receiving β-blockers

Abstract Background The Heart Failure Survival Score (HFSS) has been previously shown to effectively risk-stratify patients under evaluation for heart transplantation. However, this model was developed before broad use of beta blockade. We hypothesized that the prognostic tool would retain its ability to risk stratify patients treated with β-blockers. Methods We collected clinical data on 524 consecutive patients referred for heart transplantation from 1994 to 2001. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and multivariable Cox regression analysis were performed with events defined as death, left ventricular assist device placement, or United Network of Organ Sharing 1 heart transplantation. Results Kaplan-Meier analysis of the patient population revealed effective discrimination by the survival score both for β-blocker treated and untreated patients (both p p p p Conclusions The HFSS provides effective risk stratification with or without β-blocker therapy. Consideration of β-blocker therapy with survival score strata improves outcome prediction in patients evaluated for heart transplantation.
Tripodal Ionophore with Sulfate Recognition Properties for Anion-Selective Electrodes

Ionophore topology has a profound effect on the behavior of ion-selective electrodes. This is demonstrated with a new class of ionophores that incorporates aminochromenone moieties linked through urea spacers to different scaffolds that preorganize the ionophore binding cleft into tripodal topologies. Tris(2-aminoethylamine) and cis-1,3,5-tris(aminomethyl)cyclohexane were employed as the scaffolds. The two differ in their rigidity and in the size of ionophore cavity that they create. The electrodes based on the ionophore that incorporates the tris(2-aminoethylamine) scaffold show anti-Hofmeister behavior with an improved selectivity for sulfate. In contrast, the ionophore with the cis-1,3,5-tris(aminomethyl)cyclohexane scaffold exhibits a more Hofmeister-like response.
Metagenomic analysis of methanogen populations in three full-scale mesophilic anaerobic manure digesters operated on dairy farms in Vermont, USA

The microbial communities that produce biogas as a result of anaerobic digestion of manure remain poorly understood. Using next-generation sequencing, methanogen populations were investigated in three full scale mesophilic anaerobic digesters operated on dairy farms. A combined 50 246 non-chimeric sequence reads covering the V1–V3 hypervariable regions of the methanogen 16S rRNA gene were assigned to 307 species-level operational taxonomic units (OTUs). The Blue Spruce Farms (BSF) and Green Mountain Dairy (GMD) anaerobic digesters were found to have nearly identical methanogen profiles, with the overwhelming predominance of OTU 1 (98.5% and 99.7%, respectively), which showed 99.2% sequence identity to Methanosarcina thermophila. In contrast, methanogens from the Chaput Family Farms (CFF) anaerobic digester were more diverse, with five major OTUs belonging to four distinct phylogenetic groups (Methanomicrobiales, Methanosarcinales, Methanoplasmatales, and Methanobacteriales). Differences in management practices and years of operation were hypothesized as potential factors responsible for differences in the methanogen profiles.
Distant supervision for relation extraction without labeled data

Modern models of relation extraction for tasks like ACE are based on supervised learning of relations from small hand-labeled corpora. We investigate an alternative paradigm that does not require labeled corpora, avoiding the domain dependence of ACE-style algorithms, and allowing the use of corpora of any size. Our experiments use Freebase, a large semantic database of several thousand relations, to provide distant supervision. For each pair of entities that appears in some Freebase relation, we find all sentences containing those entities in a large unlabeled corpus and extract textual features to train a relation classifier. Our algorithm combines the advantages of supervised IE (combining 400,000 noisy pattern features in a probabilistic classifier) and unsupervised IE (extracting large numbers of relations from large corpora of any domain). Our model is able to extract 10,000 instances of 102 relations at a precision of 67.6%. We also analyze feature performance, showing that syntactic parse features are particularly helpful for relations that are ambiguous or lexically distant in their expression.
Effect of testosterone propionate on the incorporation of glycine-2-C14 in guinea pig tissues.

Male guinea pigs were castrated at 490-540 g body weight. Three weeks later 4 of the guinea pigs were injected subcutaneously for 3 weeks with 10 mg/day of testosterone propionate in 0.2 ml sesame oil. Four control castrated and 4 normal guinea pigs were injected with 0.2 ml sesame oil. The food was removed from the animals on the 21st day of injections. After 12 hours of fasting, each guinea pig was injected intraperitoneally with 50 μc of glycine-2-C14 in 1 ml saline and autopsied 12 hours later. The internal organs and 48 muscles were removed as rapidly as possible. These tissues were separated into protein and nonprotein fractions by the trichloracetic acid procedure. The radioactivity in the 2 fractions was determined. Then the protein of several of the muscles and the organs were hydrolyzed and the individual amino acids and their respective radioactivities were determined. All of the tissues contained radioactively labelled serine, as well as glycine, and small amounts of aspartic and glutamic acid...
Flight experiment of thermal energy storage

Thermal energy storage (TES), which enables a solar dynamic system to deliver constant electric power through periods of sun and shade, is discussed. Brayton and Stirling power systems under current considerations for missions in the near future require working fluid temperatures in the range from 1100 to above 1300 K range. Tests of the fluoride family of salts which meet these requirements are described. The principal feature of fluorides that must be taken into account is the change in volume that occurs with melting and freezing. Analysis of the transient, two-phase phenomenon, which is being incorporated into a three-dimensional computer code, is discussed. The objective of a planned flight program is to verify the predictions of the code, particularly the void location and its effect on containment temperature. The four experimental packages comprising the program represent the first tests of melting and freezing conducted under microgravity. >
No Evidence-based Medicine

To the Editor. I noticed that I was quoted under the heading of “No-Evidence-based Medicine” in the July 1997 issue page A58. The quote was taken from an article in the New York Times on the effectiveness of immunotherapy for asthma in children. In the study by Adkinson et al, the improvement from immunotherapy did not achieve statistical significance in a group of asthmatic children who were followed very closely.1 There were several problems with the study. For example, important …
System architecture of a wireless body area sensor network for ubiquitous health monitoring

Recent technological advances in sensors, low-power microelectronics and miniaturization, and wireless networking enabled the design and proliferation of wireless sensor networks capable of autonomously monitoring and controlling environments. One of the most promising applications of sensor networks is for human health monitoring. A number of tiny wireless sensors, strategically placed on the human body, create a wireless body area network that can monitor various vital signs, providing real-time feedback to the user and medical personnel. The wireless body area networks promise to revolutionize health monitoring. However, designers of such systems face a number of challenging tasks, as they need to address often quite conflicting requirements for size, operating time, precision, and reliability. In this paper we present hardware and software architecture of a working wireless sensor network system for ambulatory health status monitoring. The system consists of multiple sensor nodes that monitor body motion and heart activity, a network coordinator, and a personal server running on a personal digital assistant or a personal computer.
AN ALTERNATIVE BIOGEOGRAPHY

A complex set of forces, both external and internal, governs the movements of nutrients through the environment. The circulation of mineral elements can be modeled as a system of compartments and transfer pathways. A simple version of this model has two valuable pedagogical uses. First, the idea of an equilibrium mineral cycle illustrates the connectedness of the environment and the difficulty of altering only one part of an ecosystem. Second, the idea of a zonal ecosystem synthesizes a variety of environmental characteristics on a global scale; the unique combination of nutrient “traffic laws'’in a particular place imposes a powerful constraint upon human activity. A more complex version of the compartment and-transfer model emphasizes the significance of living organisms as independent variables in processes such as mineral transfer, ecosystem organization, and biotic succession.
Influence of a single InGaAs quantum well on current transport and deep levels in GaAs

Abstract An comprehensive study of the effects of tunneling on the I-V characteristics and the deep level trap spectroscopy was conducted on GaAs/InxGa1−xAs/GaAs single quantum wells (SQWs) with different indium composition (x = 0.15, 0.24) and well width ( t w = 80, 200 A ) by temperature-varying current-voltage characteristics (I-V-T), deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) and photoreflectance (PR) spectroscopy. By the correlated analyses, we found that the tunneling emissions have obvious effects on the I-V characteristics and the DLTS spectra. The I-V-T measurements revealed clear effects of SQWs on the overall current flow. Thermionic field emission (TFE) was observed at low temperature and low voltage bias regions. The magnitude of the current of the samples with thinner quantum well width was found to be higher than that with thicker well width because of the higher tunneling probability of electrons from the SQWs. The DLTS spectra showed a typical plateau-like feature which was attributed to the tunneling emission from the InGaAs quantum well. A hole trap, H1, with activation energy ΔEa = 0.52–0.56 eV was also observed for all samples. We relate this hole trap to the gallium vacancies in the GaAs bulk. The photoreflectance spectra showed an obvious absorption feature which corresponds to the transitions in the InxGa1−xAs SQWs.
SScore: an R package for detecting differential gene expression without gene expression summaries

Summary:SScore is an R package that facilitates the comparison of gene expression between Affymetrix GeneChips using the S-score algorithm. The S-score algorithm uses probe level data directly to assess differences in gene expression, without requiring a preliminary separate step of probe set expression summary estimation. Therefore, the algorithm avoids introduction of error associated with the expression summary estimation process and has been demonstrated to improve the accuracy of identifying differentially expressed genes. The S-score produces accurate results even when few or no replicates are available. Availability: The R package SScore is available from Bioconductor at http://www.bioconductor.org Contact: rkennedy@vcu.edu
Small group teaching: clinical correlation with a human patient simulator.

The popularity of the problem-based learning paradigm has stimulated new interest in small group, interactive teaching techniques. Medical educators of physiology have long recognized the value of such methods, using animal-based laboratories to demonstrate difficult physiological principles. Due to ethical and other concerns, a replacement of this teaching tool has been sought. Here, the author describes the use of a full-scale human patient simulator for such a workshop. The simulator is a life-size mannequin with physical findings (palpable pulses, breath/heart sounds, blinking eyes, etc.) and sophisticated mechanical and software models of the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems. It can be connected to standard physiological monitors to reproduce a realistic clinical environment. In groups of 10, first-year medical students explore Starling's law of the heart, the physiology of the Valsalva maneuver, and the function of the baroreceptor in a clinically realistic context using the simulator. With the use of a novel pre-/postworkshop assessment instrument that included student confidence in their answers, student confidence improved for all questions and survey items following the simulator session (P 85% of the students rating the workshop "very good" or "excellent".
Leadership Can Be Taught: A Bold Approach for a Complex World

The article reviews the book “Leadership Can Be Taught: A Bold Approach for a Complex World,” by Sharon Daloz Parks.
Therapeutic aspects of endoscopic ultrasound

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is a technology that had been used primarily as a passive imaging modality. Recent advances have enabled us to move beyond the use of EUS solely as a staging tool to an interventional device. Current studies suggest that interventional applications of EUS will allow for minimally invasive assessment and therapies in a cost-effective manner. Endoscopic ultrasound with fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) has been demonstrated to be a technically feasible, relatively safe method of obtaining cytologic specimens. The clinical utility of EUS- FNA appears to be greatest in the diagnosis and staging of pancreatic cancer and in the nodal staging of gastrointestinal and pulmonary malignancies. In addition, EUS-FNA has demonstrated utility in the sampling pleural and ascitic fluid not generally appreciated or assessable to standard interventions. Interventional applications of EUS include EUS-guided pseudocyst drainage, EUS-guided injection of botulinum toxin in the treatment of achalasia, and EUS- guided celiac plexus neurolysis in the treatment of pancreatic cancer pain. Finally, EUS-guided fine-needle installation is being evaluated, in conjunction with recent bimolecular treatment modalities, as a delivery system in the treatment of certain gastrointestinal tumors.
Specification issues of secure systems

This paper discusses the development of an accredited multilevel secure (MLS) system. The author reviews the methods and some problems in producing the Descriptive Top Level Specification (DTLS) and the attendant correspondences to the Formal Security Policy Model. Some of the problems encountered stem from the selection of a traditional but insufficient policy model. This paper identifies specific shortcomings of the policy model and recommends a different perspective to help alleviate such problems in the future. >
IDENTIFICATION OF ALGAE WHICH INTERFERE WITH THE DETECTION OF GIARDIA CYSTS AND CRYPTOSPORIDIUM OOCYSTS AND A METHOD FOR ALLEVIATING THIS INTERFERENCE

Fifty-four algal species were tested for cross-reaction in the American Society for Testing and Materials Giardia/Cryptosporidium indirect immunofluorescence assay, and 24 showed some degree of fluorescence. Two species, Navicula minima and Synechococcus elongatus, exhibited a bright apple green fluorescence. The addition of goat serum to the assay mixture blocked the fluorescence of most nontarget organisms tested and also decreased the background fluorescence. Goat serum did not interfere with the fluorescence of Giardia cysts or Cryptosporidium oocysts or the identification of cyst and oocyst internal structures.
The Circadian Gene Per1 Plays an Important Role in Cell Growth and DNA Damage Control in Human Cancer Cells

The Per1 gene is a core clock factor that plays an essential role in generating circadian rhythms. Recent data reveal that major biological pathways, including those critical to cell division, are under circadian control. We report here that Per1 provides an important link between the circadian system and the cell cycle system. Overexpression of Per1 sensitized human cancer cells to DNA damage-induced apoptosis; in contrast, inhibition of Per1 in similarly treated cells blunted apoptosis. The apoptotic phenotype was associated with altered expression of key cell cycle regulators. In addition, Per1 interacted with the checkpoint proteins ATM and Chk2. Ectopic expression of Per1 in human cancer cell lines led to significant growth reduction. Finally, Per1 levels were reduced in human cancer patient samples. Our results highlight the importance of circadian regulation to fundamental cellular functions and support the hypothesis that disruption of core clock genes may lead to cancer development.
Discovery of the photosynthetic relatives of the "Maltese mushroom" Cynomorium

Although recent molecular phylogenetic studies have identified the photosynthetic relatives of several enigmatic holoparasitic angiosperms, uncertainty remains for the last parasitic plant order, Balanophorales, often considered to include two families, Balanophoraceae and Cynomoriaceae. The nonphotosynthetic (holoparasitic) flowering plant Cynomorium coccineum has long been known to the Muslim world as "tarthuth" and to Europeans as the "Maltese mushroom"; C. songaricum is known in Chinese medicine as "suo yang." Interest in these plants is increasing and they are being extensively collected from wild populations for use in herbal medicines. Here we report molecular phylogenetic analyses of nuclear ribosomal DNA and mitochondrial matR sequence data that strongly support the independent origin of Balanophoraceae and Cynomoriaceae. Analyses of single gene and combined gene data sets place Cynomorium in Saxifragales, possibly near Crassulaceae (stonecrop family). Balanophoraceae appear related to Santalales (sandalwood order), a position previously suggested from morphological characters that are often assumed to be convergent. Our work shows that Cynomorium and Balanophoraceae are not closely related as indicated in all past and present classifications. Thus, morphological features, such as inflorescences bearing numerous highly reduced flowers, are convergent and were attained independently by these two holoparasite lineages. Given the widespread harvest of wild Cynomorium species for herbal medicines, we here raise conservation concerns and suggest that further molecular phylogenetic work is needed to identify its photosynthetic relatives. These relatives, which will be easier to cultivate, should then be examined for phytochemical activity purported to be present in the more sensitive Cynomorium.
The performance of NLPNET, a large-scale nonlinear network optimizer

The performance of NLPNET, a state-of-the-art nonlinear network optimizer based on the Primal Truncated Newton algorithm in Dembo [1], is described and contrasted with other codes for the same problem class.
Influence of Chemical Treatments on Glutathione S-Transferases of Maize with Activity Towards Metolachlor and Cinnamic Acid

The subcellular distribution of glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity extracted from shoots of 3-day-old etiolated seedlings of maize (Zea mays L., Northrup-King 9283 hybrid) and the induction of soluble and membrane-bound GST activity by the safener benoxacor, the herbicide metolachlor and their combination (CGA-180937) were investigated. GST activity extracted from maize shoots was detected in both cytosolic and microsomal fractions and utilized 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB), metolachlor, and trans-cinnamic acid (CA) as substrates. Soluble GST activity extracted from maize shoots was greater than microsomal with CDNB or metolachlor as substrate. Membrane-bound GST activity was greater than soluble with cinnamic acid as substrate. Washing the microsomal preparations from maize shoots with Triton X-100 increased GST(CA) activity. Pretreatment with the safener benoxacor or a formulated combination of the herbicide metolachlor with benoxacor induced soluble GST(CDNB), GST(metolachlor) and GST(CA) activities in maize shoots. Benoxacor and CGA-180937 induced also membrane-bound GST(CDNB) and GST(CA) activities in maize shoots, but did not affect membrane-bound GST(metolachlor) activity. These results confirm that maize contains multiple GST isozymes that differ in their substrate specificity and inducibility by safeners or other chemicals.
Handling and Emplacement Options for Deep Borehole Disposal Conceptual Design.

This report presents conceptual design information for a system to handle and emplace packages containing radioactive waste, in boreholes 16,400 ft deep or possibly deeper. Its intended use is for a design selection study that compares the costs and risks associated with two emplacement methods: drill-string and wireline emplacement. The deep borehole disposal (DBD) concept calls for siting a borehole (or array of boreholes) that penetrate crystalline basement rock to a depth below surface of about 16,400 ft (5 km). Waste packages would be emplaced in the lower 6,560 ft (2 km) of the borehole, with sealing of appropriate portions of the upper 9,840 ft (3 km). A deep borehole field test (DBFT) is planned to test and refine the DBD concept. The DBFT is a scientific and engineering experiment, conducted at full-scale, in-situ, without radioactive waste. Waste handling operations are conceptualized to begin with the onsite receipt of a purpose-built Type B shipping cask, that contains a waste package. Emplacement operations begin when the cask is upended over the borehole, locked to a receiving flange or collar. The scope of emplacement includes activities to lower waste packages to total depth, and to retrieve them back to the surface when more » necessary for any reason. This report describes three concepts for the handling and emplacement of the waste packages: 1) a concept proposed by Woodward-Clyde Consultants in 1983; 2) an updated version of the 1983 concept developed for the DBFT; and 3) a new concept in which individual waste packages would be lowered to depth using a wireline. The systems described here could be adapted to different waste forms, but for design of waste packaging, handling, and emplacement systems the reference waste forms are DOE-owned high- level waste including Cs/Sr capsules and bulk granular HLW from fuel processing. Handling and Emplacement Options for Deep Borehole Disposal Conceptual Design July 23, 2015 iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This report has benefited greatly from review principally by Steve Pye, and also by Paul Eslinger, Dave Sevougian and Jiann Su. « less
Quasi-Classical Theory of Electronic Flux Density in Electronically Adiabatic Molecular Processes

The standard Born–Oppenheimer (BO) description of electronically adiabatic molecular processes predicts a vanishing electronic flux density (EFD). A previously proposed “coupled-channels” theory pe...
The roles of health professionals in the development and dissemination of women's sanitary products, 1880-1940.

Les medecins, les pharmaciens et les infirmieres ont joue un role important dans le developpement et l'utilisation des serviettes et des tampons hygieniques aux XIX e et XX e siecles, permettant ainsi aux femmes de preserver leur hygiene durant leur cycle menstruel
Synergism between Epstein-Barr Virus and B Cell Growth Factor

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) initiates infection by attaching to a specific cell receptor, CR2. This protein binds both the C3dg fragment of complement, which is presumably the physiologic ligand, and EBV (1). The importance of CR2 to normal B cell function is not clear, but several groups have implicated it in control of B cell activation. Antibodies to CR2, in concert with T cells (2) or T cell derived B cell growth factor (BCGF;3), induce proliferation and differentiation of the B cell. Cross linked human C3d, which binds to the equivalent receptor on the murine B cell, has been described as controlling the entry of B cells from G1 into S phase (4). We, therefore, thought it of interest to determine whether, by virtue of its adaptation to bind to CR2, EBV has acquired the ability to mimic some of these effects.
Cover Crops, Fertilizer Nitrogen Rates, and Economic Return of Grain Sorghum

Leguminous cover crop systems have been envisaged as a critical component of sustainable agriculture because of their potential to increase soil productivity by cycling C and N in agricultural systems. Our objectives were to: (i) determine the effects of including summer cover crops and N rates in the cropping system on the growth and yield of the succeeding grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] crop, (ii) calculate the N fertilizer replacement value (NFRV) and evaluate economic returns, and (iii) determine the most cost-effective cropping system. Field experiments were conducted for two seasons in Kansas. Leguminous summer cover crops and double-cropped soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] residues improved soil N availability; N was subsequently used by the succeeding crop. Across years and cropping systems, the mean increases in grain yield as a result of including cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.], pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.], sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea L.), double-cropped soybean, and double-cropped grain sorghum in the rotation compared with a fallow system with 0 kg N ha–1 were 56, 62, 43, 32, and 3%, respectively, and NFRVs across the years were 53, 64, 36, 27, and –3 kg N ha–1, respectively. Across years, grain sorghum in a double-cropped soybean system and a fallow system with 90 kg N ha–1 gave profitable economic net returns. We conclude that including leguminous cover crops in a cropping system has the potential to reduce N requirements and improve the N availability and grain yield of the succeeding grain sorghum crop.
A New Open-Access HUC-8 Based Downscaled CMIP-5 Climate Model Forecast Dataset for the Conterminous United States

Watershed-scale hydrologic simulation models generally require climate data inputs including precipitation and temperature. These climate inputs can be derived from downscaled global climate simulations which have the potential to drive runoff forecasts at the scale of local watersheds. While a simulation designed to drive a local watershed model would ideally be constructed at an appropriate scale, global climate simulations are, by definition, arbitrarily determined large rectangular spatial grids. This paper addresses the technical challenge of making climate simulation model results readily available in the form of downscaled datasets that can be used for watershed scale models. Specifically, we present the development and deployment of a new Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5) based database which has been prepared through a scaling and weighted averaging process for use at the level of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC)-8 watersheds. The resulting dataset includes 2,106 virtual observation sites (watershed centroids) each with 698 associated time series datasets representing average monthly temperature and precipitation between 1950 and 2099 based on 234 unique climate model simulations. The new dataset is deployed on a HydroServer and distributed using WaterOneFlow web services in the WaterML format. These methods can be adapted for downscaled General Circulation Model (GCM) results for specific drainage areas smaller than HUC-8. Two example use cases for the dataset also are presented.
The Role of Bottom Current and Estuarine Geomorphology on the Sedimentation Processes and Productivity of Wreck Shoal, an Oyster Reef of the James River, Virginia

Wreck Shoal is a subtidal oyster reef in the James River, Virginia, Two significantly different types of oyster reefs are found in adjacent areas on Wreck Shoal. The ‘hard-rock’ reefs are characterized by a relatively thick shell layer, higher densities of live oysters, a coarser interstitial sediment, and a negligible sediment cover. In contrast, the ‘mud shell’ reefs are characterized by a very thin oyster shell layer, considerably lower densities of live oysters, a finer interstitial sediment, and a 1–2 cm layer of very fine sediments covering the reef. The ‘hard rock’ oyster reefs are flourishing with respect to oyster productivity and shell deposition, and are non-accretional with respect to fine sediments. In contrast, the ‘mud-shell’ oyster reefs are marginal in oyster productivity and shell deposition, and are accretional with respect to fine sediments.
Evaluation of fully-integrated switching regulators for CMOS process technologies

In this paper, we examine the feasibility of fully integrated voltage regulator for the power-optimized system-on-chip (SoC). The challenges and tradeoffs in designing fully-integrated buck switching regulators in CMOS process are described and a compact macro-power-model of a regulator is created. Optimization using geometric programming finds the optimal active and passive device sizes of on-chip regulator for highest efficiency in current and future process technologies. A fully-integrated switching regulator is designed and fabricated in a 0.35-mum CMOS process to validate our modeling. The model is extrapolated to emerging CMOS technologies to show that >70% efficiency is possible.