cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of 3D Printing Temperature on Bioactivity of Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 Released from Polymeric Constructs

Growth factors such as bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) are potent tools for tissue engineering. Three-dimensional (3D) printing offers a potential strategy for delivery of BMP-2 from polymeric constructs; however, these biomolecules are sensitive to inactivation by the elevated temperatures commonly employed during extrusion-based 3D printing. Therefore, we aimed to correlate printing temperature to the bioactivity of BMP-2 released from 3D printed constructs composed of a model polymer, poly(propylene fumarate). Following encapsulation of BMP-2 in poly(DL-lactic-co-glycolic acid) particles, growth factor-loaded fibers were fabricated at three different printing temperatures. Resulting constructs underwent 28 days of aqueous degradation for collection of released BMP-2. Supernatants were then assayed for the presence of bioactive BMP-2 using a cellular assay for alkaline phosphatase activity. Cumulative release profiles indicated that BMP-2 released from constructs that were 3D printed at physiologic and intermediate temperatures exhibited comparable total amounts of bioactive BMP-2 release as those encapsulated in non-printed particulate delivery vehicles. Meanwhile, the elevated printing temperature of 90 °C resulted in a decreased amount of total bioactive BMP-2 release from the fibers. These findings elucidate the effects of elevated printing temperatures on BMP-2 bioactivity during extrusion-based 3D printing, and enlighten polymeric material selection for 3D printing with growth factors.
The Presence of Nucleated Red Blood Cells as an Indicator for Increased Mortality and Morbidity in Burn Patients.

Nucleated red blood cells have been studied in critically ill and injured patients as a predictor of increased in-hospital mortality and poor clinical outcomes. While prior studies have demonstrated the prognostic power of nucleated red blood cells in the critical patient, there has been a paucity of literature available describing their value as a prognostic indicator in the severely burned patient.In this retrospective observational study conducted from 2012 to 2017. Inclusion criteria for the purpose of this study included all burn patients with total body surface area > 10% that were age ≥ 15 years. Demographic and clinical data collected from the electronic medical record. Data analysis consisted of descriptive and comparative analysis using SPSS.Two hundred and nineteen patients (17.5%) met inclusion criteria with 51 (23.3%) patients positive for nucleated red blood cells. The presence of nucleated red blood cells had an increased mortality rate with an odds ratio of 6.0 (p = 0.001; 2.5, 14.5), were more likely to appear in older patients (p<0.001), and were associated with increased hospital length of stay (p<0.001), injury severity scores (p<0.001), and complications.The presence of NRBCs even at the low concentrations reported in our study showed a 6-fold increase in the rate of mortality. With the current improvements in burn care leading to higher survival rates, the need to improve upon the numerous models that have been developed to predict mortality in severe burn patients is clear given the significantly increased risk of death the presence of NRBCs portend.
Consumers' Mental Accounting

When a consumer purchases an item, the presumption is that the benefit obtained from it exceeds the price paid—we can think of this difference as the consumer profit. How do consumers calculate this profit, especially when they do not immediately consume the purchased item? This technical note presents a model of mental accounting that gives insights into the process that consumers follow to calculate value. It compares rational logic, accounting logic, and mental accounting logic, incorporating the phenomena of loss aversion, transaction utility, and consumer anomalies. This note is used at Darden in the second-year "Behavioral Decision Making" course. It would also be suitable in courses covering rational decision making in business. Excerpt UVA-QA-0908 Rev. Oct. 25, 2019 Consumers' Mental Accounting When an individual makes a purchase, say an airline flight, the presumption is that the benefit obtained from consuming the purchase—visualized in dollars—exceeds the price paid. We can think of the difference between the consumption benefit and the price as the consumer profit, sometimes called consumer surplus. It is safe to assume that consumers try to maximize their profit by seeking items with the most benefit (e.g., the shortest flight path at the most convenient time) for the least possible cost. Often, products are not consumed at the time of purchase. Examples include a flight bought today and used a month later; a durable good, such as a car, bought at a point in time with the benefit of usage spread over time; or a gym subscription paid up front with the benefit spread over each workout. For the situations just described, how do consumers exactly calculate the profit? One possible answer is simply to sum the benefits and subtract the costs. That is, consumers count a loss every time they pay for an item and count a gain every time they use or consume a product. If consumers used benefits minus costs to guide their decisions, however, we would not observe apparent anomalies in consumer behavior, such as the sunk cost effect, the flat rate bias, or reference price effects. In this note, we will present a model of mental accounting that gives insights into the process that consumers follow to calculate consumer profit. . . .
Gigantic arteriovenous fistula between left coronary cusp and coronary sinus draining into the right atrium

Coronary arteriovenous fistulas (CAF) are infrequent anatomic anomalies that establish a direct connection between coronary arteries and cardiac chambers. The reported incidence is extremely low an...
The role of surgery in the management of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma

Though rare, anaplastic thyroid carcinoma is highly aggressive and accounts for a disproportionally large percentage of thyroid cancer mortalities. Due to its aggressive nature, there is currently no established treatment protocol that has been shown to improve overall survival, with a disease-specific mortality approaching 100 percent. However, many therapeutic options, including surgical intervention, have been explored. This review focuses on the role of surgical intervention in the management of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma, ranging from total thyroidectomy with extended neck dissections to debulking and downstaging, as well as the utility of multimodal treatment. While the diagnosis and treatment of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma should be considered medically urgent, a high priority should also be given to end-of-life planning to optimize the patient's quality of remaining life.
Taking the freeway: Inferring evacuee route selection from survey data

Abstract Effective evacuation management plans can help reduce the negative impacts of disasters. Understanding evacuee travel behavior is critical for the design of evacuation plans. In this paper, we explore which factors contribute to evacuees selecting freeway vs. non-freeway evacuation routes. Freeways are of particular interest due to their ability to evacuate large volumes of traffic. This study used survey data collected for the Hampton Roads region of Virginia. Respondents were asked to provide their preferred route types in the event of a hypothetical Category 4 hurricane evacuation. A mixed (random parameters) logit model was proposed to determine factors that influence evacuees selecting between freeway and non-freeway route. The study found that several factors contribute to evacuees choosing a freeway over other routes. In the descending order of importance (i.e., marginal effects), these factors are: willingness to use the official recommended route, living in a single-family or duplex housing, expected travel time to reach the destination, being employed, and possessing prior evacuation experience. Conversely, a few factors had a negative effect on choosing a freeway. These factors are: willingness to evacuate two days prior to landfall and evacuating to a public shelter or a second home. The findings of this study can help emergency management and transportation agencies design effective traffic control plans to safely evacuate populations during a hurricane.
Mixed Commuting Varieties over Nilpotent Matrices

We give an explicit description of all irreducible components and their dimensions of mixed commuting varieties over nilpotent 3 × 3 matrices, hence describing the varieties of 3-dimensional modules for certain quotients of polynomial algebras over an algebraically closed field. Our results also provide insights on support varieties of simple modules over Frobenius kernels of SL3.
Fragility and indestructibility II

Abstract In this paper we continue work from a previous paper on the fragility and indestructibility of the tree property. We present the following: (1) A preservation lemma implicit in Mitchell's PhD thesis, which generalizes all previous versions of Hamkins' Key lemma. (2) A new proof of the ‘superdestructibility’ theorems of Hamkins and Shelah. (3) An answer to a question from our previous paper on the apparent consistency strength of the assertion “The tree property at ℵ 2 is indestructible under ℵ 2 -directed closed forcing”. (4) Two models for successive failures of weak square on long intervals of cardinals.
Addendum to Chapter 2

New information about neutrophil stimulation has accumulated since this review was written. The Ca2+ probe Quin 2 has come into general use. There is a rapid rise in intracellular Ca2+ to at least μM within 5 sec. The elevation comes largely from intracellular sources, requires occupancy of only ∼1 percent of the formyl peptide receptors, but is transient unless new receptors are occupied.
BrowStEx: A tool to aggregate browser storage artifacts for forensic analysis

Abstract Web storage or browser storage, a new client-side data storage feature, was recommended as a part of the HTML5 specifications and now widely adopted by major web browser vendors. Web storage with native browser support has changed the paradigm of web application development unprecedentedly because persistent data storage with increased data size can be realized on the client. Web storage is poised to quickly become an area of particular interest for forensic investigators due to the potential to discover critical information from web browser artifacts at client side. However, the literature work on web browser forensics has traditionally focused on browsing history, browser cache, and cookie files (Oh et al., 2011). Therefore, we first discuss the prevalence of web storage implementation in widely used websites. Then, we compare and contrast the web storage technology currently implemented in the five major web browsers, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, and Apple's Safari. Moreover, in order to provide more insights into web storage and enable unified forensic analysis, a proof-of-concept tool, named as BrowStEx (Browser Storage Extractor), is described with implementation details. The commonalities, differences, and the proof-of-concept tool discussed in this paper can be useful in developing advanced forensic tools that can extract browser storage artifacts.
Post-convolved splatting

One of the most expensive operations in volume rendering is the interpolation of samples in volume space. The number of samples, in turn, depends on the resolution of the final image. Hence, viewing the volume at high magnification will incur heavy computation. In this paper, we explore an approach that limits the number of samples to the resolution of the volume, independent of the magnification factor, using a cheap post-convolution process on the interpolated samples to generate the missing samples. For X-ray, this post-convolution is needed only once, after the volume is fully projected, while in full volume rendering, the post-convolution must be applied before each shading and compositing step. Using this technique, we are able to achieve speedups of two and more, without compromising rendering quality. We demonstrate our approach using an image-aligned sheet-buffered splatting algorithm, but our conclusions readily generalize to any volume rendering algorithm that advances across the volume in a slice-based fashion.
An ASM Dynamic Semantics for Standard ML

The Abstract State Machines (ASM) methodology is a methodology for formally specifying computing systems. We use the ASM methodology to give the dynamic semantics of the functional programming language Standard ML. We give an operational semantics for Standard ML by means of an interpreter for (appropriately pre-processed) Standard ML programs; the effect of a Standard ML instruction can be seen in terms of the corresponding actions performed by the ASM.
Fluorine‐Containing Polymers, Tetrafluoroethylene‐Ethylene Copolymers

Perfluoroalkoxy (PFA) fluorocarbon resins are designed to meet industrial needs in chemical, electrical, and mechanical applications. These melt-processible copolymers contain a fluorocarbon backbone in the main chain and randomly distributed perfluorinated ether side chains. A combination of excellent chemical and mechanical properties at elevated temperatures results in reliable high performance to the chemical processing and related industries. Chemical inertness, heat resistance, toughness and flexibility, stress-crack resistance, excellent flex life, antistick characteristics, little moisture absorption, nonflammability, and exceptional dielectric properties are some of the key characteristics of these polymers. Tetrafluoroethylene and perfluorovinyl ether are copolymerized in aqueous and nonaqueous media. The polymer is separated and converted into various forms, such as extruded cubes, powders, beads, or dispersions. Molecular weight and molecular weight distribution are controlled by a chain-transfer agent. Sometimes a second phase is added to the polymerization reaction medium to improve the distribution of the vinyl ether in the polymer.
Utilizing Contingent Claims to Improve the Management of CAFOs

We propose a market-based approach to reducing the environmental risk posed by concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). The dual problems of hidden information and hidden action faced by policymakers are considered alongside the competing incentives faced by the CAFO manager in a multiple principal-agent setting. A new approach that uses insurance-like contracts is introduced by use of the specific example of a swine operation with a lagoon-based manure management system. Index-based contingent claims contracts in tandem with third-party auditing and waste hauling options are introduced as a complement to regulatory frameworks designed to reduce negative externalities from production.
Site-specific protein labeling with SNAP-tags.

Site-specific labeling of cellular proteins with chemical probes is a powerful tool for studying protein function in living cells. A number of small peptide and protein tags have been developed that can be labeled with synthetic probes with high efficiencies and specificities and provide flexibility not available with fluorescent proteins. The SNAP-tag is a modified form of the DNA repair enzyme human O6-alkylguanine-DNA-alkyltransferase, and undergoes a self-labeling reaction to form a covalent bond with O6-benzylguanine (BG) derivatives. BG can be modified with a wide variety of fluorophores and other reporter compounds, generally without affecting the reaction with the SNAP-tag. In this unit, basic strategies for labeling SNAP-tag fusion proteins, both for live cell imaging and for in vitro analysis, are described. This includes a description of a releasable SNAP-tag probe that allows the user to chemically cleave the fluorophore from the labeled SNAP-tag fusion. In vitro labeling of purified SNAP-tag fusions is briefly described. Curr. Protoc. Protein Sci. 73:30.1.1-30.1.16. © 2013 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Keywords: SNAP-tag; chemical labeling; cell biology; endocytosis; imaging
Pharmaceutical Bioburden Testing

Manufacturing of pharmaceutical products, whether small molecules or biotherapeutics such as oligonucleotides, monoclonal antibodies, recombinant proteins, vaccines, and blood and plasma products are under regulatory control which demands various safety, efficacy and quality measures. This overview focuses on bioburden and microbial contamination detection, which are critical to overall pharmaceutical product safety. Not only the pharmaceutical products but also the entire manufacturing process from incoming raw materials to fill/finish and final product is tested. Bioburden and microbial detection are also required for process validation, cleaning validation, aseptic operation, qualification of water systems, and personnel monitoring. Included in this overview are the considerations necessary for successful microbial detection as well as some common procedures that are currently used in industry. Since standard industry methodologies rely on microbial growth as part of bioburden testing, a huge lag time exists between sampling and reporting. Therefore, a review of newer, more rapid methodologies is presented. Although newer technologies exist, regulatory hurdles still have to be overcome. As pharmaceutical companies continue to adopt newer technologies for their regulatory filings, there is no doubt that these rapid technologies will become suitable alternatives. Keywords: bioburden; microbial testing; environmental monitoring
Use of the Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination in infants with cerebral palsy: a critical review of the literature

The Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination (HINE) has been proposed as one of the early neurological examination tools for the diagnosis of cerebral palsy (CP). The aim of the present study was to critically review the existing literature and our experience with the use of the HINE in infants at risk of CP. The published papers confirm that the HINE can play an important role in the diagnosis and prognosis of infants at risk of developing CP, and provide information on aspects of neurological findings impaired in different forms of CP and brain lesions.
A learner‐centered educational curriculum improves resident performance on the otolaryngology training examination

Objectives/Hypothesis To examine the effects of a learner-centered educational curriculum for Johns Hopkins otolaryngology–head and neck surgery residents in improving their otolaryngology training examination (OTE) scores. We hypothesized that trainees who attend a learner-centered program demonstrate improved performance on OTEs. Study Design Prospective longitudinal study. Methods In September 2008, a resident-designed educational curriculum was implemented to better prepare residents for their OTE. These mandatory sessions, led by faculty members, were held for an hour every week, during in which residents were tested on their knowledge of high-yield topics. Residents were expected to be prepared on pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of the selected diseases. In 2011, residents were given responsibility to lead these sessions. OTE scores from 2002 to 2012 were analyzed to see whether there was any improvement after the implementation of this curriculum. Results Clustered linear regression analysis revealed significant improvement of OTE scores with subsequent interventions. During a 3-year period (2009–2011) after the first intervention, there was a significant increase (P = .01) of 0.69 in mean national and 0.78 in mean group stanine scoring. Similarly, after the second intervention in 2011, a further increment of 1.36 in mean national and 1.58 in mean group stanine scoring was seen (P = .001). Conclusions Residents OTE stanines improved significantly after the implementation of a learner-centered educational curriculum. This finding suggests that trainees are able to perform better when involved in planning and implementing the educational curriculum. Level of Evidence NA Laryngoscope 124:2262–2267, 2014
Energy barrier to self-exchange between PEO adsorbed on silica and in solution

This investigation sought to reveal the dynamic mechanism for self-exchange between an adsorbed homopolymer layer and chains in free solution, employing poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) adsorbed on silica from aqueous solution as a model system. Fluorescence tracer studies of individual populations within a saturated adsorbed layer revealed no dynamic distinctions between those chains which reached the interface early or late during the initial layer preparation. This observation ruled out the explanation of trapped and mobile subpopulations for bimodally shaped self-exchange kinetic traces. Studies focusing on chains aged in unsaturated or starved layers revealed faster self-exchange rates compared with chains aged in saturated layers. Surface coverage was found to be more important than molecular weight in controlling the exchange rate. Taken together, these results ruled out the number and strength of segment−surface contacts per chains as the determining kinetic factor in exchange dynamics. Interactions bet...
Positive regulation of endochondral cartilage growth by perichondrial and periosteal calcitonin.

Our previous studies showed that during the embryonic development of avian long bones, growth of the cartilaginous component is regulated by multiple factors secreted by the surrounding perichondrium (PC) and periosteum (PO). The activities of these factors—which include both positive and negative regulators—can be detected in conditioned media from PC and PO cell cultures. In the present study, we have obtained evidence suggesting that a positive regulator is the peptide hormone calcitonin (CT). By mass spectrometry of conditioned media, one of the components has a molecular mass of 3.4 kDa, the size of chicken CT. By RT-PCR the tissue and cell cultures contain mRNA for CT, and by immunohistochemistry the cells contain the protein. That the protein is normally secreted is suggested by further immunohistochemical analyses, which show that cells treated with monensin, a compound that blocks exocytosis, contain elevated intracellular CT. Functionally, the addition of CT to organ cultures of long bone rudime...
Incentives, income sharing, and institutional innovation in the yugoslav self-managed firm

Abstract The incentive properties of income-sharing arrangements are analyzed for situations in which workers are allowed to form group or coalition decisions on effort. Both the feasibility and enforceability of such decisions are shown to depend on a variety of organizational characteristics, including the degree of worker participation and the size and divisionalization of the firm. Finally, the recent decentralization of Yugoslav firms is shown to enhance the incentive effects of income sharing.
Effects of phenytoin on schedule-controlled performance of rats.

The present study examined the effects of acute administrations of phenytoin on the lever pressing of rats maintained under fixed-ratio, fixed-interval, and interresponse-time-greater-than-T schedules of food delivery. The drug typically produced dose-dependent decreases in response rates under fixed-ratio and fixed-interval schedules, while response rates under the interresponse-time-greater-than-T schedule were affected little by the drug. These findings indicate that phenytoin effects on schedulecontrolled responding differ from those of other anticonvulsants.
Properties of the crumpling transition

Finite size scaling methods are used to calculate properties of the D = 3 crumpling transition such as the critical exponents (both in the presence and in the absence of quantum gravity) and the central charge. The D = 2 theory in the absence of quantum gravity also has a crumpling transition, but it appears to be first order.
STUDIES ON THE BIOASSAY OF HORMONES SKEWED RESPONSE OF THE CHICK OVIDUCT TO METHOXY BISDEHYDRO DOISYNOLIC ACID (MDDA)1

In the course of our investigations on the role of vitamins in the action of estrogens on the chick oviduct it was observed that the responses of the synthetic estrogen methoxy bisdehydro doisynolic acid (MDDA) were unique since the intragroup variation in White Leghorn chicks was extraordinarily great. This communication presents the comparative oviduct responses to MDDA, estrone, estradiol benzoate, estradiol and stilbestrol in the White Leghorn chick and the oviduct responses to MDDA and stilbestrol on the Sex-linked chicks. It is the purpose of this paper to show that the skewed response of the oviduct occurs only for MDDA. animals, methods, material The White Leghorn and Sex-linked pullets were obtained from Kerr Chickeries in Frenchtown, New Jersey. Treatment was begun on the fourth day of life and continued through the eighth day of life. The estrogens were dissolved in corn oil so that the total dose was contained in 0.5 c.c. of oil.
Predominance of sterile immunoglobulin transcripts in a female phenotypically resembling Bruton's agammaglobulinemia

The transcription pattern of the heavy chain immunoglobulin gene locus was analyzed in a 6-month-old female with agammaglobulinemia characterized by the absence of mature B cells in peripheral blood, arrested B cell development in the bone marrow and lack of germinal center development. DNA sequencing provided no evidence of mutations within the coding region of the Bruton's tyrosine kinase gene. Polymerase chain reaction-generated cDNA libraries from blood and bone marrow were screened initially using JH and CH oligodeoxynucleotide probes and VH family-specific probes. Only 10% of the transcripts constituted mature VDJC mu recombinations. Ninety percent of the cDNA were sterile immunoglobulin transcripts comprised of: DJC mu (DH-JHC mu), JC mu (JH-C mu), EC mu (enhancer spliced to C mu), SC mu and IC mu [corresponding to switch (S) and intron (I) regions spliced to C mu]. In the mature immunoglobulin transcripts, VH use indicated germline expression with little evidence of somatic mutation. All cDNA were of the C mu type. Different D segments, D-D joining events and unknown D-like elements were noted in the DJC mu and VDJC mu transcripts. This pattern of immunoglobulin rearrangements, along with the phenotypic cell surface antigen characteristics (CD19-), suggest that an earlier arrest in B cell development than is characteristic of Bruton's X-linked agammaglobulinemia has occurred in this patient.
Electron-microscopic investigation of the reaction of water vapor with single crystals of graphite—II. Inhibition by hydrogen

Abstract The earlier study of the graphite-water vapor reaction has been extended to the inhibition of the reaction by hydrogen. The apparatus and technique were essentially those used in the earlier study. It was found that very low concentrations of hydrogen, less than 1 vpm, inhibit the reaction to an appreciable extent. The order of the reaction with respect to hydrogen was found to be near − 1 2 , indicating that the effect is produced by a dissociative adsorption. The apparent activation energy for the reaction increases with increasing hydrogen concentration, as does the pre-exponential factor in the Arrhenius equation; thus, the inhibition exhibits the “compensation” effect. The effective concentration of the hydrogen produced in the reaction when no hydrogen is added deliberately can be calculated from the data and is found to be equivalent to about 0·1 vpm of hydrogen.
Phase I/II trial of single-fraction high-dose-rate brachytherapy–boosted hypofractionated intensity-modulated radiation therapy for localized adenocarcinoma of the prostate

Abstract Purpose A Phase I/II protocol was conducted to examine the toxicity and efficacy of the combination of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) with a single-fraction high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy implant. Methods and Materials From 2001 through 2006, 26 consecutive patients were treated on the trial. The primary objective was to demonstrate a high rate of completion without experiencing a treatment-limiting toxicity. Eligibility was limited to patients with T stage ≤2b, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) ≤20, and Gleason score ≤7. Treatment began with a single HDR fraction of 6 Gy to the entire prostate and 9 Gy to the peripheral zone, followed by IMRT optimized to deliver in 28 fractions with a normalized total dose of 70 Gy. Patients received 50.4 Gy to the pelvic lymph node. The prostate dose (IMRT and HDR) resulted in an average biologic equivalent dose >128 Gy (α/β = 3). Patients whose pretreatment PSA was ≥10 ng/mL, Gleason score 7, or stage ≥T2b received short-term androgen ablation. Results Median followup was 53 months (9–68 months). There were no biochemical failures by either the American Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology or the Phoenix definitions. The median nadir PSA was 0.32 ng/mL. All the 26 patients completed the treatment as prescribed. The rate of Grade 3 late genitourinary toxicity was 3.8% consisting of a urethral stricture. There was no other Grade 3 or 4 genitourinary or gastrointestinal toxicities. Conclusions Single-fraction HDR-boosted IMRT is a safe effective method of dose escalation for localized prostate cancer.
Evidence for the fusion of myoblasts in amphibian embryos. II. Xenoplastic transplantations of somitic cells from anuran to urodele embryos.

In order to further support the thesis that myoblast fusions lead to the formation of multinucleate myotubes during early amphibian development, prospective myoblasts from frog embryos (Rana pipiens; Xenopus laevis) were orthotopically and heterotopically transplanted into embryonic salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum; A. tigrinum). The stages employed ranged from gastrula to early tail bud. After the hosts had developed to more advanced stages, they were fixed, sectioned in the frontal plane, and prepared for histological observation. Of special interest in these xenoplastic combinations are the nuclear and cytoplasmic differences between anuran and urodele embryonic cells. In most cases, transplanted cells tended to form a tissue complex distinct from the host tissues. This naturally decreased the opportunity for cell intermingling and consequently reduced the chances for fusions between graft and host myoblasts. Thus, there was a correlation between the extent of dispersion of the transplanted cells and the frequency of chimeric myotubes. Nevertheless, in each experimental series, a number of multinucleate myotubes emerged consisting of nuclear and cytoplasmic components of both graft and host cells. These chimeric myotubes, which must have originated by multiple cell fusions of anuran and urodele cells, (1) retained their distinct nuclear differences, (2) displayed resorption of both anuran and urodele yolk platelets, and (3) contained cross-striated myofibrils. The function of these chimeric cells, their synthesis of myofibrils, and the apparent lack of free intermingling at the cellular level, are discussed.
Conductive conformal thin film coatings for textured PV: ALD versus sputtering

Next-generation photovoltaic structures require well-established deposition routes to conformal and conducting materials with defined chemical, physical and electronic composition. This work reports on the preliminary findings associated with conformal metal oxides on structured substrates including: 1) Discovery of sputtering process conditions that can be made semi-conformal when combined with in-situ techniques such as ion-beam milling for honing surface structures; 2) Development of relevant ALD chemistries that are materials-properties competitive with sputtered materials; 3) Evaluation of chemically-functionalized surface structures that maximize surface area but are structurally tailored for efficient gas flow and to minimize line-of-sight shadowing. The initial experiments have centered on combinations of amorphous and crystalline indium oxide, zinc oxide, aluminum zinc oxide, indium tin oxide, fluorinated tin oxide and indium zinc oxide. This presentation will describe these initial experiments and elucidate key physiochemical nature of the deposited thin films.
Murchisite, Cr5S6, a new mineral from the Murchison meteorite

Murchisite (IMA 2010-003), Cr_5S_6, is a new chromium sulfide mineral, discovered in the Murchison CM2 meteorite. The type material occurs as one subhedral crystal (1.3 × 4 μm in size) in contact with low-Ni iron (“kamacite”), martensitic iron, schreibersite, and a Ca-,Al-rich glass, all of which are included in an isolated forsteritic olivine grain in the meteorite’s matrix. The mean chemical composition determined by electron microprobe analysis of the type material is (wt%) Cr 53.32, S 42.87, V 1.44, Fe 1.14, P 0.10, Ni 0.10, sum 98.97. The empirical formula calculated on the basis of 6 S atoms is (Cr_(4.60)V_(0.13)Fe_(0.09)Ni_(0.01))_(∑4.83)(S_(6.00)P_(0.01))_(∑6.01). Murchisite was also identified in another isolated olivine grain from the same meteorite. These crystals are subhedral to round in shape, 300 nm to 1 μm in size, and occur in association with tochilinite and serpentine, within which it is included, chromite, and eskolaite. Its electron backscatter diffraction patterns are an excellent match to that of synthetic Cr_5S_6 with the P31c structure, showing a = 5.982, c = 11.509 A, V = 356.67 A^3, and Z = 2, based on previously published data from synthetic material. Murchisite is named for the locality (the Murchison meteorite). It is a low-temperature phase (~327 °C in the Cr-S system), probably formed from higher temperature Cr_(1−x)S exsolved or expelled from a Cr-,S-bearing, metal-rich spherule included in forsteritic olivine grains that were probably derived from chondrule fragments. The formation of this phase reflects sulfur fugacities intermediate between those that would have led to troilite and those that would have led to no sulfide at all. The high-temperature Cr_(1−x)S phase equilibrated with coexisting alloys to ~600 °C. Murchisite formed from this precursor at low temperatures (<~300 °C) through ordering of S vacancies.
Identification ofheterozygous genotype for cystinosis in utero by a new pulse-labeling technique: Preliminary report

U s l x o a new method developed for the study of small numbers of cystinotic cells in vitro, we have made a probable identification in utero of the heterozygous state of nephropathic cystinosis. The data imply that diagnosis of the homozygous state may also be possible early in gestation. Schneider and associates ~ demonstrated a 100-fold increase in content of free cystine in fibroMasts cultured from the skin of cystinotic children when compared to normal children (Table I ) , and a lesser increase of about sixfold in the fibroblasts of most individuals heterozygous for cystinosis. 1 In other heritable disorders, the expression of the biochemical abnormality in cultured fibroblasts has been accompanied by a similar expression in cells cultured from the amniotic fluid of an affected fetus, 2-* although one apparent exception to this rule has recently been found. ~ However, the large number of cells required for the usual chemical determination of cystine content
TU‐C‐210A‐03: Molecular Imaging of the Breast

Recent controversy over the efficacy of screening mammography highlights the need for more effective breast imaging techniques. While the sensitivity of mass breast cancer screening with mammography is in the range 60% – 90%, numerous studies have demonstrated that this sensitivity is reduced to less than 50% in radiographically dense breasts. Hence there is need for an alternative screening technique, particularly in women with radiographically dense breasts. A recent ACRIN trial shows that whole breast ultrasound had comparable performance to mammography. Breast MRI performs very well in this population, but high cost and variable specificity limit its application. Conventional scintimammography has a high overall sensitivity and specificity for the detection of breast cancer. However sensitivity drops to ∼50% for the detection of breast lesions less than 15 mm in diameter, making it unsuitable as a diagnostic or screening tool. Molecular Breast Imaging (MBI) refers to a new technique that employs small field of view gamma cameras specifically designed for breast imaging. These cameras utilize either multi‐crystal arrays of Sodium Iodide (NaI) or more recently, use semiconductor materials such as Cadmium‐Zinc‐Telluride (CZT). Using Tc‐99m sestamibi as the primary radiopharmaceutical, MBI has been shown to have a high sensitivity (∼90%) for the detection of breast lesions < 10 mm in diameter. Hence, MBI may be a valuable screening tool, particularly for women in whom the sensitivity of conventional mammography is reduced by the density of the breast parenchyma. This presentation will review the basic principles of molecular breast imaging, and present current clinical results. It will also present details of prototype systems currently under development and future plans for this technology. Learning Objectives: 1. Understand the limitations of current imaging techniques of the breast, including mammography,ultrasound,MRI and scintimammography. 2. Understand the basic concept of multi‐crystal and semiconductor‐based gamma cameras. 3. Describe the relative advantages and disadvantages of scintimammography and molecular breast imaging. 4. Understand the potential advantages/disadvantages and future applications for this technology in the detection and understanding of breast cancer.
More on complementarity and substitutability in the transshipment problem

Abstract This paper studies complementarity in the transshipment problem. In contrast to the typical distinction between complements and substitutes in the operations literature, the distinction here involves the impact of a change in the unit shipping cost for one route on the amount of product shipped via another route. Among other results, I show that each route must have at least one and in some cases two substitutes. Furthermore, for each factory which operates at capacity and each customer who receives exactly his given demand for the product, there is at least one route which has at least one complement.
Unit root testing for bubbles: A resurrection? ☆

Abstract Evans [Evans, G., Pitfalls in testing for explosive bubbles in asset prices. The American Economic Review 1991;81;922–930] and Charemza and Deadman [Charemza, W., Deadman, D., Speculative bubbles with stochastic explosive roots: The failure of unit root testing. Journal of Empirical Finance 1991;2;153–163] present models of bubbles that are not detectable by unit root tests. This paper shows that for a more natural log specification of the tests, bubbles generated by the latter model are detectable.
Central and regional hemodynamic effects of flosequinan for congestive heart failure

The central and regional hemodynamic effects of flosequinan, a new orally administered vasodilator, were examined in 10 patients with moderate to severe congestive heart failure. A single-blind design was used to compare a standard dose of flosequinan (100 mg) with placebo. Flosequinan produced a statistically significant increase in cardiac output, primarily through its augmentation of stroke volume. This response was accompanied by significant reductions in systemic vascular resistances and right and left ventricular filling pressures. A reduction in pulmonary artery pressure and total pulmonary vascular resistance also was observed. The vasodilatory actions of flosequinan improved overall left ventricular performance; the inotropic indexes measured were not altered. There were no significant changes in upper limb, renal or hepatic-splanchnic blood flow or in the vascular resistances of these regions after flosequinan administration. The upper limb venous capacitance increased significantly. First-dose flosequinan evokes favorable central hemodynamic changes and improves overall left ventricular performance in patients with congestive heart failure. The acute augmentation in cardiac output, however, is not accompanied by a preferential alteration of flow to any of the major vascular regions studied.
Novel doubly self-aligned AlGaAs/GaAs HBT

A novel, doubly self-aligned process technology for AlGaAs/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBT) has been developed. This doubly self-aligned process enables self-alignment for all emitter, base, and collector contacts and the fabricated device occupies an area approaching the intrinsic device area. The resulting base-collector capacitance of a fabricated device is reduced below half of the base-collector capacitance of conventional devices. The reductions in the capacitance are reflected in the superior cutoff frequency and maximum oscillation frequency of the doubly self-aligned devices as compared with conventional devices
Rescue of cystathionine beta-synthase (CBS) mutants with chemical chaperones: purification and characterization of eight CBS mutant enzymes.

Missense mutations represent the most common cause of many genetic diseases including cystathionine β-synthase (CBS) deficiency. Many of these mutations result in misfolded proteins, which lack biological function. The presence of chemical chaperones can sometimes alleviate or even restore protein folding and activity of mutant proteins. We present the purification and characterization of eight CBS mutants expressed in the presence of chemical chaperones such as ethanol, dimethyl sulfoxide, or trimethylamine-N-oxide. Preliminary screening in Escherichia coli crude extracts showed that their presence during protein expression had a significant impact on the amount of recovered CBS protein, formation of tetramers, and catalytic activity. Subsequently, we purified eight CBS mutants to homogeneity (P49L, P78R, A114V, R125Q, E176K, P422L, I435T, and S466L). The tetrameric mutant enzymes fully saturated with heme had the same or higher specific activities than wild type CBS. Thermal stability measurements demonstrated that the purified mutants are equally or more thermostable than wild type CBS. The response to S-adenosyl-l-methionine stimulation or thermal activation varied. The lack of response of R125Q and E176K to both stimuli indicated that their specific conformations were unable to reach the activated state. Increased levels of molecular chaperones in crude extracts, particularly DnaJ, indicated a rather indirect effect of the chemical chaperones on folding of CBS mutants. In conclusion, the chemical chaperones present in the expression medium were able to fully restore the activity of eight CBS mutants by improving their protein folding. This finding could have direct implications for the development of a therapeutical approach to pyridoxine unresponsive homocystinuria.
Conceptual Sucker-Rod Design: An Unsolved Problem

La conception des tiges de pompe est actuellement realisee par des outils qui ne combinent pas simultanement la rapidite et la precision. Un nouveau simulateur a ete developpe pour l'etude conceptuelle de ces tiges, en etant assez rapide pour evaluer plusieurs centaines d'options en un temps tres court, et assez precis pour fournir des donnees realistes. La vitesse de calcul est atteinte en modelisant une tige conique par une tige a diametre constant equivalent
New information on the cranial anatomy of Acrocanthosaurus atokensis and its implications for the phylogeny of Allosauroidea (Dinosauria: Theropoda).

Background Allosauroidea has a contentious taxonomic and systematic history. Within this group of theropod dinosaurs, considerable debate has surrounded the phylogenetic position of the large-bodied allosauroid Acrocanthosaurus atokensis from the Lower Cretaceous Antlers Formation of North America. Several prior analyses recover Acrocanthosaurus atokensis as sister taxon to the smaller-bodied Allosaurus fragilis known from North America and Europe, and others nest Acrocanthosaurus atokensis within Carcharodontosauridae, a large-bodied group of allosauroids that attained a cosmopolitan distribution during the Early Cretaceous. Methodology/Principal Findings Re-evaluation of a well-preserved skull of Acrocanthosaurus atokensis (NCSM 14345) provides new information regarding the palatal complex and inner surfaces of the skull and mandible. Previously inaccessible internal views and articular surfaces of nearly every element of the skull are described. Twenty-four new morphological characters are identified as variable in Allosauroidea, combined with 153 previously published characters, and evaluated for eighteen terminal taxa. Systematic analysis of this dataset recovers a single most parsimonious topology placing Acrocanthosaurus atokensis as a member of Allosauroidea, in agreement with several recent analyses that nest the taxon well within Carcharodontosauridae. Conclusions/Significance A revised diagnosis of Acrocanthosaurus atokensis finds that the species is distinguished by four primary characters, including: presence of a knob on the lateral surangular shelf; enlarged posterior surangular foramen; supraoccipital protruding as a double-boss posterior to the nuchal crest; and pneumatic recess within the medial surface of the quadrate. Furthermore, the recovered phylogeny more closely agrees with the stratigraphic record than hypotheses that place Acrocanthosaurus atokensis as more closely related to Allosaurus fragilis. Fitch optimization of body size is also more consistent with the placement of Acrocanthosaurus atokensis within a clade of larger carcharodontosaurid taxa than with smaller-bodied taxa near the base of Allosauroidea. This placement of Acrocanthosaurus atokensis supports previous hypotheses of a global carcharodontosaurid radiation during the Early Cretaceous.
Trends in Mortality From All Causes and Cardiovascular Disease Among Hypertensive and Nonhypertensive Adults in the United States

Background—Little is known about trends in the mortality rate among people with hypertension in the United States. The objective of the present study was to examine the change in the all-cause mortality rate among people with and without hypertension in the United States and whether any such changes differed by sex or race. Methods and Results—Data from 10 852 participants aged 25 to 74 years of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) I Epidemiological Follow-Up Study (1971 to 1975) and of 12 420 participants of the NHANES III Linked Mortality Study (1988 to 1994) were used. The mean follow-up times were 17.5 and 14.2 years, respectively. In each cohort, the mortality rate was higher among hypertensive adults than nonhypertensive adults, among hypertensive men than hypertensive women, and among hypertensive blacks than hypertensive whites. Among all hypertensive participants, the age-adjusted mortality rate was 18.8 per 1000 person-years for NHANES I and 14.3 for NHANES III (13.3 and...
Large-scale purification of single-wall carbon nanotubes: process, product, and characterization

We describe, in detail, a readily scalable purification process capable of handling single-wall carbon nanotube (SWNT) material in large batches. Characterization of the resulting material by SEM, TEM, XRD, Raman scattering, and TGA shows it to be highly pure. Resistivity measurements on freestanding mats of the purified tubes are also reported. We also report progress in scaling up SWNT production by the dual pulsed laser vaporization process. These successes enable the production of gram per day quantities of highly pure SWNT, which should greatly facilitate investigation of material properties intrinsic to the nanotubes.