cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of an Activated Patient Diabetes Education Newsletter

This study evaluated a monthly; activated patient newsletter sent to over 7000 patients in Michigan with diabetes. The newsletter provided concise and action-oriented information about diabetes care. Patients who had signed up to receive the newsletter during the first 4 months of the project (1863) were surveyed to determine how many patients found the newsletter helpful; 80% (1498) of the patients replied. Patients who found the newsletter most helpful were older, had lower incomes, and reported more corrtplications, less understanding of diabetes, and being in poorer overall health. They also were more likely to have non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) than insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). We concluded that the activated patient newsletter is a useful public health/patient education intervention for persons with diabetes. Such a newsletter should be part of a coordinated system of ongoing patient care, education, screening, and social and psychological support.
The Plantation States as a Sub-Region of the Post-Bellum South

Recent work by Reid, Higgs, Sutch and Ransom and others is an indication that increasing scholarly attention is being addressed to the post-bellum southern economy. The object of this note is to raise a word of caution with respect to work done on the South in which the latter is taken to mean a more or less homogeneous section of the nation. In particular I would suggest that (a) substantial and important variations exist within this region, differences which may even be obscured when the South is divided along the usual Bureau of the Census sub-regional borders, and (b) a disaggregation of the South into more functional units than that of the Census Bureau may provide insights into the relative poverty experienced in the region, particularly of the black population in this area in the years before 1910.
B-type natriuretic peptide single nucleotide polymorphism rs198389 is highly prevalent and impacts test characteristics of common assays

Address: 1Cardiorenal Research Laboratory and Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, USA, 2Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, USA, 3Division of Epidemiology, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, USA, 4Division of Biostatistics, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, USA and 5Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
Experimental Characterization and Optimization of Hybrid FRP/RC Bridge Superstructure System

An experimental investigation was performed to assess the performance of a hybrid fiber-reinforced polymer/reinforced concrete bridge system. The full-scale laboratory specimen was representative of an 813 mm (32 in.) wide strip of a completed bridge in San Patricio County, Tex. The specimen was first subjected to static loading prior to casting the reinforced concrete deck. Displacement, strain, and acoustic emission were recorded. After completion of the nondestructive static loading a reinforced concrete deck was cast in the laboratory to represent one unit of the completed bridge. Load was statically applied with several increased load cycles until failure occurred at a load level exceeding 18 times the calculated design load. The results of the static testing indicated that the original design of the hybrid bridge was very conservative. An optimized design of the hybrid bridge was then derived. The static load testing program and the resulting optimized design are described.
The Na–K–Cl cotransporter in the brain edema of acute liver failure

Background & Aims Astrocyte swelling and brain edema associated with increased intracranial pressure are major complications of acute liver failure (ALF). The mechanism for such astrocyte swelling/brain edema, however, is not well understood. We recently found that ammonia, a key etiological factor in ALF, caused the activation of the Na–K–Cl cotransporter-1 (NKCC1) in cultured astrocytes, and that inhibition of such activation led to a reduction in astrocyte swelling, suggesting that NKCC1 activation may be an important factor in the mechanism of brain edema in ALF. To determine whether NKCC activation is also involved in brain edema in vivo , we examined whether NKCC activation occurs in the thioacetamide (TAA) rat model of ALF and determined whether treatment with the NKCC inhibitor bumetanide reduces the severity of brain edema in TAA-treated rats. Methods Brain water content was measured using the gravimetric method. NKCC1 phosphorylation and protein expression were measured by Western blots. NKCC activity was measured in brain cortical slices. Results NKCC activity was elevated in brain cortical slices of TAA-treated rats as compared to sham animals. Western blot analysis showed significant increases in total as well as phosphorylated (activated) NKCC1 protein expression in the cortical tissue. These findings were associated with a significant increase in brain water content which was attenuated by treatment with the NKCC inhibitor bumetanide. Conclusions Our studies suggest the involvement of NKCC in the development of brain edema in experimental ALF, and that targeting NKCC may represent a useful therapeutic strategy in humans with ALF.
Isolation of Ergosterol from Euglena gracilis; Distribution Among Mutant Strains*

SYNOPSIS. Ergosterol was isolated from the non-saponifiable lipids of Euglena. For this, after saponification of the cells, the petroleum-ether extract was chromatographed on deactivated alumina. Development was achieved by pet. ether and 10% (v/v) benzene in pet. ether, and the sterol fraction was subsequently eluted with 10% (v/v) ethyl acetate in pet. ether. This sterol was identified as ergosterol by a) precipitation with digitonin, b) The Liebermann-Burchard reaction, c) co-chromatography with known ergosterol, d) ultraviolet absorption spectrum, e) conversion to the acetate with determination of the melting and mixed melting points and !” infra-red absorption spectrum of the acetate derivative. By these techniques, ergosterol content was measured in the-following strains of Euglena gracilis under various conditions of nutrition and illumination: bacillaris and Z strains, and several albino and pigment mutants derived from them. A. functional chloroplast seems unnecessary for ergosterol synthesis; the ergosterol content of cells (dry weight basis) was constant regardless of strain and growth conditions.
Acoustic Green's function extraction from ambient noise in a coastal ocean environment

We report on the results of an underwater acoustic field experiment conducted in December 2012 on the continental shelf off the Florida Keys in water of approximately 100 m depth. Ambient noise was recorded concurrently on three moored near-bottom instruments with horizontal separations of approximately 5 km, 10 km, and 15 km. We focus in this letter on instrument pairs with 5 km and 10 km separations. Consistent with theoretical predictions, coherent sums of many realizations of cross correlations of ambient noise records at two measurement locations are shown to yield approximations to deterministic acoustic Green's functions that describe propagation between those two locations. The results presented demonstrate the feasibility of extracting information suitable for use in tomographic inversions from measurements of underwater acoustic ambient noise.
Tunable drug loading and release from polypeptide multilayer nanofilms

Polypeptide multilayer nanofi lms were prepared using electrostatic layer-by-layer self-assembly nanotechnology. Small charged drug molecules (eg, cefazolin, gentamicin, and methylene blue) were loaded in polypeptide multilayer nanofi lms. Their loading and release were found to be pH-dependent and could also be controlled by changing the number of fi lm layers and drug incubation time, and applying heat-treatment after fi lm formation. Antibiotic- loaded polypeptide multilayer nanofi lms showed controllable antibacterial properties against Staphylococcus aureus. The developed biodegradable polypeptide multilayer nanofi lms are capable of loading both positively- and negatively-charged drug molecules and promise to serve as drug delivery systems on biomedical devices for preventing biomedical device-associated infection, which is a signifi cant clinical complication for both civilian and military patients.
Application of microarray technology in primate behavioral neuroscience research

Gene expression profiling of brain tissue samples applied to DNA microarrays promises to provide novel insights into the neurobiological bases of primate behavior. The strength of the microarray technology lies in the ability to simultaneously measure the expression levels of all genes in defined brain regions that are known to mediate behavior. The application of microarrays presents, however, various limitations and challenges for primate neuroscience research. Low RNA abundance, modest changes in gene expression, heterogeneous distribution of mRNA among cell subpopulations, and individual differences in behavior all mandate great care in the collection, processing, and analysis of brain tissue. A unique problem for nonhuman primate research is the limited availability of species-specific arrays. Arrays designed for humans are often used, but expression level differences are inevitably confounded by gene sequence differences in all cross-species array applications. Tools to deal with this problem are currently being developed. Here we review these methodological issues, and provide examples from our experiences using human arrays to examine brain tissue samples from squirrel monkeys. Until species-specific microarrays become more widely available, great caution must be taken in the assessment and interpretation of microarray data from nonhuman primates. Nevertheless, the application of human microarrays in nonhuman primate neuroscience research recovers useful information from thousands of genes, and represents an important new strategy for understanding the molecular complexity of behavior and mental health.
The cycling and distribution of PER-like antigen in relation to neurons recognized by the antisera to PTTH and EH in Thermobia domestica

The cephalic nervous system of the firebrat contains antigens recognized by antisera to the clock protein period (PER), the prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH) and the eclosion hormone (EH). The content of the 115 kDa PER-like antigen visualized on the western blots fluctuates in diurnal rhythm with a maximum in the night. The oscillations entrained in a 12:12 h light/dark (LD) cycle persist in the darkness and disappear in continuous light. They are detected by immunostaining in 14 pairs of the protocerebral neurons and are extreme in four suboesophageal neurons and two cells in each corpus cardiacum that contain PER only during the night phase. No circadian fluctuations occur in three lightly stained perikarya of the optic lobe. Five cell bodies located in each brain hemisphere between the deuto-and the tritocerebrum retain weak immunoreactivity under constant illumination. In all cells, the staining is confined to the cytoplasm and never occurs in the cell nuclei. The cells containing PER-like material do not react with the anti-PTTH and anti-EH antisera, which recognize antigens of about 50 and 20 kDa, respectively. The anti-PTTH antiserum stains in each brain hemisphere seven neurons in the protocerebrum, eight in the optic lobe, and 3-5 in the posterior region of the deutocerebrum. The antiserum to EH reacts in each hemisphere with just two cells located medially to the mushroom bodies. No cycling of the PTTH-like and EH-like antigens was detected.
Domestic Unrest, Genocide and Politicide:

Why do some state leaders engage in genocide and politicide while others do not? Extant theory focuses on how large openings in the domestic political structure of a country, such as civil or interstate war, increase the likelihood that a government will respond with violence against its civilian population. This article builds from this previous theory to argue that smaller crises can provide governments with the same incentives and opportunities to engage in political mass murder. Statistical tests of all cases of genocide and politicide since 1955 support this argument. In addition to civil wars, assassinations, coups and strikes increase the likelihood of political mass murder, especially genocide. These findings are important as they caution the international community against fixating on large-scale crises as the impetus for genocide and politicide.
Web Content Delivery Using Thin-Client Computing

Web application access on mobile wireless PDAs is becoming increasingly popular. However, web browsing on these systems can be quite slow. An alternative approach is handheld thin-client computing, in which the web browser and associated application logic run on a server, which then sends simple screen updates to the PDA for display. To assess the viability of this thin-client approach, we compare the web browsing performance of thin clients against fat clients that run the web browser locally on a PDA. Our results show that thin clients can provide better web browsing performance compared to fat clients, both in terms of speed and ability to correctly display web content. Surprisingly, thin clients are faster even when having to send more data over the network. We characterize and analyze different design choices in various thin-client systems and explain why these approaches can yield superior web browsing performance on mobile wireless PDAs.
Mentoring Ph.D. Students into Effective Teaching and Service: Challenges and Opportunities

ABSTRACT: This article presents an overview and analysis of a set of papers that respond to a call for papers addressing the skills, other than those required for conducting research, that are critical for the professional success of doctoral students in accounting. While research proficiency is a key success factor for doctoral students at all types of institutions, long-term career success also requires proficiency in teaching and in related service areas such as performing peer-reviews of other scholars' work for journals and conferences. Three of the articles in this volume discuss programs that can be used to improve the teaching skills and effectiveness of doctoral students and fledgling faculty. Two of the articles in this volume address the skills required for improving the general body of research, and personal visibility within the profession, through discussing and reviewing papers. The final paper in the volume deals with how to manage the publication process, and contains valuable advice inte...
The early days after ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction: reconsidering the delayed invasive approach.

Physicians who care for patients with ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI) at noninvasive hospitals will debate the utility of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The primary PCI approach is generally not feasible in the recommended emergency window of time (90 ±
Effect of Amino Acids on Purified Rat Intestinal Brush-Border Membrane Aminooligopeptidase

When a hexapeptide, Leu-Trp-Met-Arg-Phe-Ala, or a pentapeptide, Leu-Trp-Met-Arg-Phe, was incubated in vitro with a purified aminooligopeptidase from rat small intestinal mucosa, the respective C-terminal dipeptides, Phe-Ala and Arg-Phe, were observed to be resistant to hydrolysis. The resistance of these C-terminal dipeptides to hydrolysis was found to be due mainly to the accumulation of inhibitory hydrophobic amino acids liberated in the incubation mixture. The hydrolysis of various peptides by the brush-border membrane peptidase is inhibited to a varying extent by the hydrophobic amino acids l-tryptophan, l-methionine, l-isoleucine, l-leucine, l-tyrosine, and l-phenylalanine, but not the D-form of these amino acids. The inhibition of the hydrolysis of three dipeptides by hydrophobic amino acids showed these amino acids to be competitive inhibitors (same V max , the maximal velocity of the enzyme reaction; different K m , the substrate concentration at which the enzyme reaction is half maximal) of one of the dipeptides while exhibiting a mode of inhibition that was not competitive (different V max , different K m ) with either of the other two dipeptides. These data indicate that the effect of amino acids on the hydrolytic rate of the brush-border membrane aminooligopeptidases must be considered in studies of intestinal hydrolysis and absorption of peptides.
Effect of methylene blue and N-ethylmaleimide on internal anal sphincter relaxation.

The present studies were performed in vitro to define the participation of regulatory cyclic nucleotides in the relaxation of internal anal sphincter (IAS) smooth muscle in response to neural stimulation by electrical field stimulation (EFS) vs. exogenous vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP). EFS and VIP both caused relaxation of the resting tone in the opossum-isolated IAS smooth muscle strips. The addition of permeant cyclic nucleotide derivatives, the guanylate cyclase stimulant sodium nitroprusside (SNP), and the adenylate cyclase stimulant forskolin caused a dose-dependent fall in the resting tension of IAS smooth muscle. The inhibitory effect of the agonists on the IAS smooth muscle was not modified by tetrodotoxin (TTX), a neurotoxin. TTX almost abolished the IAS responses to EFS. The effects of SNP and forskolin were selectively blocked by the putative inhibitors of corresponding enzyme systems, i.e., methylene blue (MB) (3 X 10(-5) M) for guanylate cyclase and N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) (10(-4) M) in the case of adenylate cyclase. NEM and not MB caused significant antagonism of the fall in IAS tension in response to both EFS and VIP during the control experiments. Such data suggest a common biochemical link (adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate as second messenger system) between the IAS smooth muscle relaxations with neural stimulation and VIP. In addition, a part of the IAS smooth muscle relaxation in response to EFS also involves the mediation of guanosine 5'-cyclic monophosphate.
Making Vapnik–Chervonenkis Bounds Accurate

This chapter shows how returning to the combinatorial nature of the Vapnik–Chervonenkis bounds provides simple ways to increase their accuracy, take into account properties of the data and of the learning algorithm, and provide empirically accurate estimates of the deviation between training error and test error.
Footprint Suppression With Basis Pursuit Denoising

This paper address a effective method to suppress the 3-D acquisition footprint. Such a 3-D footprint noise can corrupt the interpretation of seismic sections for stratigraphic variation, AVO signatures, and inversion processing. While the conventional footprint suppression methods have the difficulty of removing 3-D footprint noise without losing any geological structure. I present a 2-D image processing of Basis Pursuit Denoising (BPDN) on vertical and horizontal seismic data to remove the 2-D footprint. The BPDN aims at reconstructing the signal with a reduced number of measurements. The reconstruction procedure can keep the signal consistent at a noise level. Applied this way, the seismic volume retains the geological structure with footprint noise suppressed and without inducing any artifact.
Left ventricular noncompaction: a diagnostically challenging cardiomyopathy

Diagnosing left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC) cardiomyopathy is a challenge for the medical community because the condition shares morphologic features of hypertrophic and dilated cardiomyopathies. The uncertainty surrounding the diagnosis of LVNC is related to the lack of a "perfect diagnostic tool," such as a reproducible genetic marker. The diagnosis requires expertise in the broad spectrum of overlapping cardiomyopathies. The demarcation between LVNC and normal phenotypic variations is often indistinct. Echocardiography, used in routine clinical practice to identify the typical morphologic features of LVNC, can be overly sensitive and lack specificity with the presently defined measurements and ratios used to diagnose LVNC. The available diagnostic criteria show a propensity toward overdiagnosing LVNC. The complex clinical sequelae of atrial and ventricular arrhythmias, heart failure, thromboembolic events and sudden death associated with LVNC make a valid and reproducible diagnosis critical. The trend to using a morphologic/pathophysiologic, instead of a solely morphologic, approach holds promise in the quest for an accurate, reliable diagnosis of LVNC. We must understand the distinction between morphological findings and morphological findings with pathophysiology. Our future understanding of LVNC depends on an integration of cardiac morphology, physiology, pathophysiology and evolving genetics.
Nitrogen Fraction Changes in Turkey Roasts During Latter Stages of Cooking

Abstract CERTAIN physical and sensory changes in dark and light meat from boneless turkey roasts were reported by Wilkinson and Dawson (1967). When cooked to temperatures from 60 to 88°C, light meat was more tender but less juicy than dark meat. Shear force for light meat also appeared to be adversely affected at the two extremes in temperature. Marion and Forsythe (1962) reported no changes in amino, TCA soluble, protein and total soluble nitrogen in pectoralis superficialis and biceps femoris muscles from turkeys during rigor; however, all values were higher in pectoralis superficialis than biceps femoris. Non-protein nitrogen in beef steaks was found to decrease 4 to 30 fold during cooking to 150°F. (65°C.) by Ginger et al. (1954). Husaini et al. (1950) reported that connective tissue in beef muscle, as represented by alkali insoluble protein, was related to tenderness; however, Wierbicki et al. (1954) reported that connective tissue did not . . .
Decay of Cu 61 and Energy Levels in Ni 61

The 3.3-h positron decay of ${\mathrm{Cu}}^{61}$ has been investigated by use of Ge(Li) detectors and coincidence techniques. A total of 19 $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray transitions have been observed ranging in energy from 67 to 2120 keV, of which only eight had been reported previously. The decay scheme based on these data incorporates all of these transitions and requires only those ${\mathrm{Ni}}^{61}$ levels that have been excited in nuclear reactions. The excitation energies of the levels observed to be populated in ${\mathrm{Ni}}^{61}$ from the decay of ${\mathrm{Cu}}^{61}$ are 67.3, 282.8, 655.7, 908.8, 1100.2, 1132.4, 1185.5, 1446.9, 1611.8, 1730.2, and 2119.8 keV.
Experimental Study of Mechanical Performance in Friction Stir Welded Dissimilar Titanium Alloys

Friction Stir Welding (FSW) is a solid state joining process widely used in aerospace industry for near net shape manufacturing. In the past, FSW has been well established with similar titanium alloys. The process is mainly optimized for titanium alloy, Ti-6Al-4V, to produce defect free joints of it. The current study evaluates FSW with dissimilar titanium alloys that include, Ti-6Al-4V, Ti-6242, and Ti-54MFG to broaden the application of the process with titanium alloys. FSW of dissimilar titanium joints was studied by varying its process conditions, namely, rotation speed and feed rate during the process. The experimental study of effect of process parameters on friction stir welded dissimilar titanium joints was conducted to investigate the mechanical performance of joints. The mechanical performance of joints showed that the modulus of elasticity close to 120 GPa and average ultimate strength of 920 MPa was obtained. The optimum values of rotation speed and feed rate were identified for joining dissimilar titanium alloys.
On the Performance of the Four Musical Instruments of Er'rentai

Er'rentai music is its soul and the traditional band of Er'rentai only has four musical instruments tie in tacitly and each has its advantage in the main cantus.
Mechanism study for thermal driving process of crude oil on the basis of exergy transfer theory

The potential field in thermal driving region was chosen as study carrier to search the uniform valuing criterion and analyze the dynamic feature of the process in this paper. The exergy transfer theory was used to affirm the driving (work) exergy as the uniform criterion of evaluating the potential field on the basis of constructing the thermal driving model including driving and baffling potential fields. The exergy transfer analysis was used to reveal the drive and resistance features of the related potential field and study their cooperation mechanism. The field influence factor of exergy transfer resistance was defined to evaluate the influence of field in the driving process.
The analysis on epidemiological characteristics of foodborne disease outbreaks in Shandong Province in 2013

Objective To study the epidemiological characteristics of foodbome disease outbreaks in Shandong Province in 2013,and to provide basis for effective control and prevention of foodbome diseases.Methods Totally 30 foodborne disease outbreaks were analyzed which were reported through the National Foodbome Disease Outbreaks System in 2013.Results A total of 30 outbreaks of foodborne diseases,which caused 654 ill and 2 death cases,were reported in Shandong.The major season for the incidence of foodborne disease outbreaks was the third-quarter of a year,the foodbome disease outbreaks occurred mainly from April to October,August was the peak period;16~60 year-old population was the main population of outbreaks;Food service units were the main places for the occurrence of foodborne disease outbreaks,followed by Canteens.Improper processing and cross-contamination were the main reasons for the occurrence of foodborne disease outbreaks,while the main pathogenic factors were microorganisms,different pathogenic factors lead to different attack rates(P0.05).The major cause of foodborne disease outbreaks was the mixed food.Conclusion To strengthen the monitoring of high-risk season,high-risk factors,high pollution links,to strengthen on the effective implementation capacity and law enforcement of foodborne disease outbreaks,to strengthen the propaganda of prevention and control of foodborne disease outbreaks,ere,are effective measures to prevent and control foodborne disease outbreaks.
Drilling Fluid's Damage Depth Prediction Method Based on the Grey System Theory

Because drilling fluid's damage is influenced by various factors,it's difficult to forecast the damage depth just by a simple functional relationship.The grey theory holds that all random processes are grey processes of change in certain space and time,and the potential law can be explored through many discrete messages.The results of study show that the depth of drilling fluid damage is closely related to porosity,permeability,gas saturation,formation electrical property,shaft differential pressure,drilling fluid density and so on.By taking various parameters influencing drilling fluid damage depth as observed values,we establish the static and dynamic grey forecast model based on the theory of grey theory,and write a forecast software of drilling fluid damage depth.Besides,we present the judgments standard of credibility of damage depth prediction through quantitative forecasting the drilling fluid damage depth of a well in Tazhong area.The above results provide a good theoretical basis for timely,rapid and intelligent while-drilling prediction of damage depth.
The Basics of Electronic Engine Control

Engine control in the vast majority of engines means regulating fuel and air intake and spark timing to achieve desired performance in the form of power output. Until the 1960s, control of the engine output torque and RPM was accomplished through some combination of mechanical, pneumatic, or hydraulic systems. Then, in the 1970s, electronic control systems were introduced.
Local shading coherence extraction for SIMD-efficient path tracing on CPUs

Accelerating ray traversal on data-parallel hardware architectures has received widespread attention over the last few years, but much less research has focused on efficient shading for ray tracing. This is unfortunate since shading for many applications is the single most time consuming operation. To maximize rendering performance, it is therefore crucial to effectively use the processor's wide vector units not only for the ray traversal step itself, but also during shading. This is non-trivial as incoherent ray distributions cause control flow divergence, making high SIMD utilization difficult to maintain. In this paper, we propose a local shading coherence extraction algorithm for CPU-based path tracing that enables efficient SIMD shading. Each core independently traces and sorts small streams of rays that fit into the on-chip cache hierarchy, allowing to extract coherent ray batches requiring similar shading operations, with a very low overhead. We show that operating on small independent ray streams instead of a large global stream is sufficient to achieve high SIMD utilization in shading (90% on average) for complex scenes, while avoiding unnecessary memory traffic and synchronization. For a set of scenes with many different materials, our approach reduces the shading time with 1.9-3.4x compared to simple structure-of-arrays (SoA) based packet shading. The total rendering speedup varies between 1.2-3×, which is also determined by the ratio of the traversal and shading times.
Sexy males and sexless females: the origin of triploid apomicts

Apomixis and polyploidy are closely associated in angiosperms, but the evolutionary reason for this association is unknown. Taraxacum officinale, the common dandelion, exists both as diploid sexuals and triploid apomicts. Here, in the context of T. officinale, we provide a model of the evolution of triploid apomicts from diploid sexuals. We posit an apomictic allele that arrests female meiosis in diploids, so that the plant produces diploid egg cells that can develop without fertilization, but haploid pollen. We propose occasional fertilization of diploid egg cells by haploid pollen, resulting in triploid apomicts that produce triploid egg cells but largely nonfunctional pollen. The irreversibility of this process renders diploid partial apomicts evolutionarily short-lived, and results in fixation of triploid apomicts except when they suffer extreme selective disadvantages. Our model can account for the high genetic diversity found in T. officinale triploid populations, because recombinant haploid pollen produced by diploids allows the apomictic allele to spread onto many genetic backgrounds. This leads to multiple clonal lineages in the newly apomictic population, and thereby alleviates some of the usual pitfalls of asexual reproduction.
Abstract 48: Clonal Analysis of Cardiac Cell Generation During Cardiac Development and Injury

Accumulating evidence supports limited regenerative potential of the mammalian heart. However, this endogenous regenerative capacity significantly decreases with age and it is not sufficient to replenish the lost myocardium following injury in the adult. Both resident cardiac stem/progenitor cells and mature cardiomyocytes have been proposed to contribute to cardiac tissue generation. Understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms governing cardiac cell formation is imperative towards the development of novel therapeutic strategies for cardiac regeneration. Hypothesis: Cardiac growth occurs primarily through progenitor cells and to a lesser extent through cardiomyocyte proliferation. Nkx2.5+ cells are the predominant population driving cardiac growth during development and may represent candidate progenitors for cardiac regeneration. Moreover, a subset of “proliferating” αMHC+ cardiomyocytes may also contribute to cardiac growth during early embryonic development and the first week of life. Materials and methods: We performed clonal analysis using a multicolor reporter system (Rainbow) that allows labeling of single cells with one of three fluorescent proteins and retrospective analysis of their progeny. Rainbow mice were crossed to βactinCreER, αMHCCreER, Nkx2.5CreER and Rosa26CreER mice. Tamoxifen was administered at E9.5 or E12.5 and analysis was performed at P1, P7, P15 and P30. Results: We observed significant clonal expansion in βactinCreER;Rainbow and Nkx2.5CreER;Rainbow hearts while αMHCCreER;Rainbow hearts exhibited clones comprising of smaller cell number. We also found that αMHC positive cells lose their proliferative capacity from E9.5 to E12.5, whereas cells expressing Nkx2.5 continue to clonally expand during that same time period. Finally, we demonstrated that αMHC+ cardiomyocyte proliferation is reactivated following myocardial injury soon after birth. Conclusion: Our data support that clonal dominance of progenitor cells promotes cardiac development, while cardiomyocyte proliferation contributes to a lesser extent early in development and postnatally.
Environmental Policy Design and the Distribution of Pollution Control Techniques in a Regulated Industry

This paper analyzes the choice of pollution control techniques by regulated firms, under three policy instruments: emissions standards, emissions taxes, and tradeable permit systems. In this model, heterogeneous firms choose from a menu of abatement techniques, which may include some that have higher marginal costs (but lower capital costs) than a widely available benchmark technique. I show that the cost savings from any technique relative to the benchmark is larger under an emissions tax than under an emissions standard. An analogous result holds for tradeable permits. As a result, the distribution of techniques chosen by firms is more dispersed under market-based instruments than under an emissions standard. This offers a novel twist on the relationship between abatement cost heterogeneity and market-based instruments. I also compare a tax with tradeable permits, and show that the aggregate marginal abatement cost curve lies further from its benchmark value under a tax than under a tradeable permits. Thus the marginal cost curve is endogenous to the choice of policy instrument.
Synthesis of New Cyclophane Host Molecules and Crystal Structures of Their Compounds with Hydrocarbon Guests

Three new cyclophane host molecules 2, 4, and 6 are prepared by connecting the oxygen atoms of twoα ,α'–di(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1,4-diisopropylbenzene units with two di-, tetra-, and hexamethylene spacers, respectively. Solid-state structures are determined for host 2 with a hexane guest, host 4 with a toluene guest and a solvating toluene molecule, host 4 with a p-xylene guest,and host 6 with two p-xylene guests.
Should we use small cell lung cancer (SCLC) or non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)-based therapy for the treatment of large cell neuroendocrine cancer (LCNEC) of the lung?

e18502 Background: LCNEC of the lung exhibits morphological and immunohistochemical characteristics of both neuroendocrine and large cell carcinoma. Optimal treatment for LCNEC remains unclear. Pat...
A fault monitoring system for a reciprocating pump driven by a linear motor for oil pumping systems

Linear Electric Submersible Pump is a new industrial solution in artificial lift applications. Linear motors are placed downhole to drive the reciprocating pump directly. This system is intended to overcome some of the sucker rod pump limitations. The new configuration will allow implementation in deviated and off-shore oil wells. Integrated Drive-Motor technology shows many promising advantages. In this paper, a modified configuration for Linear Electric Submersible Pumps used in an Integrated Drive-Motor system is presented. In this system, the rectifier is placed on the surface while the inverter is integrated with the motor downhole. The reciprocating pump is required to run reliably at optimal conditions since any fault may result in several days of shut down time and a huge loss in production. This paper proposes a new fault monitoring system for the Linear Electric Submersible Pumps. The proposed system is constructed using a model based load force observer. Experimental results verified the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Actual 10-year survival after hepatic resection of colorectal liver metastases: what factors preclude cure?

Abstract Background Hepatic resection of colorectal liver metastases is associated with long-term survival. This study analyzes actual 10-year survivors after resection of colorectal liver metastases, reports the observed rate of cure, and identifies factors that preclude cure. Methods A single-institution, prospectively maintained database was queried for all initial resections for colorectal liver metastases for the years 1992–2004. Observed cure was defined as actual 10-year survival with either no recurrence or resected recurrence with at least 3 years of disease-free follow-up. Clinical risk score was dichotomized into low (0–2) and high (3–5). Semiparametric proportional hazards mixture cure model was utilized to estimate probability of cure. Results We included 1,211 patients with a median follow-up for survivors of 11 years. Median disease-specific survival was 4.9 years (95% CI: 4.4–5.3). 295 patients (24.4%) were actual 10-year survivors. The observed cure rate was 20.6% (n = 250). Among 250 cured patients, 192 (76.8%) had no recurrence and 58 (23.2%) had a resected recurrence with at least 3 years of disease-free follow-up. Extrahepatic disease (n = 88), carcinoembryonic antigen >200 ng/mL (n = 119), positive margin (n = 109), and >10 tumors (n = 31) had observed cure rates less than 10%. In cure model analysis, patients with both extrahepatic disease and high clinical risk score (n = 31) had an estimated probability of cure of 3.5%. Conclusion Actual 10-year survival after resection of colorectal liver metastases is 24% with an observed 20% cure rate. Patients with both high clinical risk score and extrahepatic disease have an estimated probability of cure less than 5%. When such factors are identified, strong consideration may be given to preoperative strategies, such as neoadjuvant chemotherapy, to help select patients for surgical therapy.
Switched tank converter based partial power architecture for voltage regulation applications

Switched capacitor converters and their resonant alternatives (e.g., switched-tank converters) have been shown to provide high efficiency and high power density. One major problem of these converters is poor voltage regulation capability. This paper proposes a partial power architecture based on the switched-tank converters to realize the voltage regulation. This topology can provide high efficiency, high power density, and can be potentially used in applications with wide voltage and power ranges. A prototype of a 48-to-12 V 500 W converter was designed and built to demonstrate the advantages of this topology, achieving a peak efficiency of 98.4% and a power density of ∼800 W/in3.
Improving the quality of outpatient care for older patients with diabetes: lessons from a comparison of rural and urban communities.

OBJECTIVE Our goal was to compare the quality of diabetic care received by patients in rural and urban communities. STUDY DESIGN We performed a retrospective analysis of claims data captured by the Medicare program. POPULATION We included all fee-for-service Medicare patients 65 years and older living in the state of Washington who had 2 or more physician encounters for diabetes care during 1994. OUTCOME MEASURES The outcomes were the extent to which patients received 3 specific recommended services: glycated hemoglobin determination, cholesterol measurement, and eye examination. RESULTS A total of 30,589 Medicare patients (8.4%) were considered to have diabetes; 29.1% lived in rural communities. Generalists provided most diabetic care in all locations. Patients living in small rural towns received almost half their outpatient care in larger communities. Patients living in large rural towns remote from metropolitan areas were more likely to have received the recommended tests than patients in all other groups. Patients who saw an endocrinologist at least once during the year were more likely to have received the recommended tests. CONCLUSIONS Large rural towns may provide the best conditions for high-quality care: They are vibrant, rapidly growing communities that serve as regional referral centers and have an adequate-but not excessive-supply of both generalist and specialist physicians. Generalists provide most diabetic care in all settings, and consultation with an endocrinologist may improve adherence to guidelines.
A distributed virtual reality simulation system for situational training

This paper presents a laboratory review of current research being undertaken at Sandia National Laboratories in the development of a distributed virtual reality simulation system for situational training applications. An overview of the project is presented, followed by a discussion of the various components, both hardware and software. Finally, a training application being developed utilizing the system is presented.
Automated synthesis of 18F labeled 5-fluoropentyl-2-methyl-malonic acid (18F-ML-10)

1478 Objectives 18F-ML-10 is a member of the recently described ApoSense® family of compounds under development for the clinical radioimaging of apoptosis. Recent study reveals that 18F-ML-10 can be used as a PET imaging radiotracer for monitoring of treatment efficacy in a range of important human diseases where apoptosis is an important mechanism including myocardial infarction, cerebral stroke, and cancer. The use of automation should minimize the variance in the chemical reaction when compared with manual synthesis. Methods In order to perform preclinical and clinical studies evaluating 18F-ML-10, a simplified one-pot automated radiolabeling procedure was developed using an ML-10-mesylate precursor. The precursor was itself synthesized via t-butyl protection of 2-methylmalonic acid with isobutene, followed by introduction of the 5-hydroxypentyl group and subsequent mesylation of the alcohol. The radiolabeling procedure was performed in a remote controlled automated radiosynthesis module allowing production of 18F-ML-10 in high activities. In acetonitrile/DMSO (90/10, v/v) the radiolabeling yield was > 80% at 110 °C after 12 minutes. Hydrolysis of the t-butyl ester groups was efficiently performed with 2N HCl at 100 °C in 8 minutes. The radiotracer was purified by semi-preparative HPLC (attached directly to the radiosynthesis module) using water-acetonitrile-TFA (75:25:0.1, v/v) mixture as isocratic mobile phase and a flow-rate of 8 ml/min. Retention time of the desired product was 20 minutes. Final product was eluted from a Waters C-18 Sep-Pak® cartridge in ethanol using the trap and release technique. Results The overall uncorrected radiochemical yield was 50 ± 7 % with radiochemical purity > 98 %. Total synthesis time was 70 minutes. Conclusions This new, automated radiolabeling procedure allows 18F-ML-10 synthesis with the high reproducibility that is mandatory for future clinical application. Details of the automated synthesis techniques along with quality control testing results of the final product will be presented. Research Support Funded by NCI/NIH, Contract No. HHSN261200800001E. This work is also partially funded through the IPDC of the intramural program of the NIH
Frequency-Domain Lifetime Measurements

In the preceding chapter we described the theory and instrumentation for measuring fluorescence intensity decays using time-domain measurements. In the present chapter we continue this discussion, but we now consider the alternative method called frequency-domain (FD) fluorometry. In this method the sample is excited with light which is intensity-modulated at a high frequency comparable to the reciprocal of the lifetime. When this is done, the emission is also intensity-modulated at the same frequency. However, the emission does not precisely follow the excitation but rather shows time delays and amplitude changes which are determined by the intensity decay law of the sample. To be more precise, the time delay is measured as a phase-angle shift between the excitation and emission, as was shown in Figure 4.2. The peak-to-peak height of the modulated emission is decreased relative to that of the modulated excitation and provides another independent measure of the lifetime.
Rule as Sovereignty: The Universal and Homogeneous State

Alexandre Kojeve introduced the term universal and homogeneous state.4 I appropriate Kojeve’s term, but understand it somewhat differently. The appropriation acknowledges the felicity of the term as a name for the political phenomenon characteristic of modernity, a form of political mobilization which, progressively, is to be found everywhere and is the same everywhere it is found. This political phenomenon is rooted in the concept of sovereignty, the creation of modern political philosophy. By universal and homogeneous state I mean rule emptied of any specifically human identity, therefore, among other things, indifferent to natural and concrete forms of human community as well as to virtue and vice, the extremes of the spectrum within which human life takes place.
Alveolar epithelial barrier. Role in lung fluid balance in clinical lung injury.

Several studies have established that transport of sodium from the air spaces to the lung interstitium is a primary mechanism driving alveolar fluid clearance, although further work is needed to determine the role of chloride in vectorial fluid transport across the alveolar epithelium. Although there are significant differences among species in the basal rates of sodium and fluid transport, the basic mechanism seems to depend on sodium uptake by channels on the apical membrane of alveolar type II cells, followed by extrusion of sodium on the basolateral surface by Na,K-ATPase. This process can be upregulated by several catecholamine-dependent and independent mechanisms. The identification of water channels expressed in lung, together with the high water permeabilities, suggest a potential role for channel-mediated water movement between the air space and capillary compartments, although definitive evidence will depend on the results of transgenic mouse knock-out studies. The application of this new knowledge regarding salt and water transport in alveolar epithelium in relation to pathologic conditions has been successful in clinically relevant experimental studies, as well as in a few clinical studies. The studies of exogenous and endogenous catecholamine regulation of alveolar fluid clearance are a good example of how new insights into the basic mechanisms of alveolar sodium and fluid transport can be translated to clinically relevant experimental studies. Exogenous catecholamines can increase the rate of alveolar fluid clearance in several species, including the human lung, and it is also apparent that release of endogenous catecholamines can upregulate alveolar fluid clearance in animals with septic or hypovolemic shock. It is possible that therapy with beta-adrenergic agonists might be useful to accelerate the resolution of alveolar edema in some patients. In some patients, the extent of injury to the alveolar epithelial barrier may be too severe for beta-adrenergic agonists to enhance the resolution of alveolar edema, although some experimental studies indicate that alveolar fluid clearance can be augmented in the presence of moderately severe lung injury. A longer-term upregulation of alveolar epithelial fluid transport might be achieved by strategies that accelerate the proliferation of alveolar type II cells repopulating the injured epithelium in clinical lung injury. More clinical research is needed to evaluate the strategies that can upregulate alveolar epithelial fluid transport with both short-term therapy (i.e., beta-agonists) and more sustained, longer-term effects of epithelial mitogens such as keratinocyte growth factor. These approaches may be useful in reducing mortality in the acute respiratory distress syndrome.