cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spontaneous cancer-stromal cell fusion as a mechanism of prostate cancer androgen-independent progression

We have previously shown that human prostate cancer cells are capable of acquiring malignant attributes through interaction with stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment, while the interacting stromal cells can also become affected with both phenotypic and genotypic alterations. This study used a co-culture model to investigate the mechanism underlying the co-evolution of cancer and stromal cells. Red fluorescent androgen-dependent LNCaP prostate cancer cells were cultured with a matched pair of normal and cancer-associated prostate myofibroblast cells to simulate cancer-stromal interaction, and cellular changes in the co-culture were documented by tracking the red fluorescence. We found frequent spontaneous fusions between cancer and stromal cells throughout the co-culture. In colony formation assays assessing the fate of the hybrid cells, most of the cancer-stromal fusion hybrids remained growth-arrested and eventually perished. However, some of the hybrids survived to form colonies from the co-culture with cancer-associated stromal cells. These derivative clones showed genomic alterations together with androgen-independent phenotype. The results from this study reveal that prostate cancer cells are fusogenic, and cancer-stromal interaction can lead to spontaneous fusion between the two cell types. While a cancer-stromal fusion strategy may allow the stromal compartment to annihilate invading cancer cells, certain cancer-stromal hybrids with increased survival capability may escape annihilation to form a derivative cancer cell population with an altered genotype and increased malignancy. Cancer-stromal fusion thus lays a foundation for an incessant co-evolution between cancer and the cancer-associated stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment.
The use and abuse of developmental data

Structural similarity is helpful in recognizing homologous structures, but it does not define them. Such structures must also have phylogenetic continuity, a criterion that is ignored by Aboitiz et al. and by proponents of “field homology.” “Similar” structures, as well as “field homologues” from “the same” embryonic field, are not necessarily homologous, and an outgroup analysis of developmental stages should be performed to establish homologies.
Elevated frequencies of micronucleated erythrocytes in infants exposed to zidovudine in utero and postpartum to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV

Zidovudine-based antiretroviral therapies (ARTs) for treatment of HIV-infected pregnant women have markedly reduced mother-to-child transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) from approximately 25% to <1%. However, zidovudine (ZDV; AZT), a nucleoside analogue, induces chromosomal damage, gene mutations, and cancer in animals following direct or transplacental exposure. To determine if chromosomal damage is induced by ZDV in infants exposed transplacentally, we evaluated micronucleated reticulocyte frequencies (%MN-RET) in 16 HIV-infected ART-treated mother-infant pairs. Thirteen women received prenatal ART containing ZDV; three received ART without ZDV. All infants received ZDV for 6 weeks postpartum. Venous blood was obtained from women at delivery and from infants at 1-3 days, 4-6 weeks, and 4-6 months of life; cord blood was collected immediately after delivery. Ten cord blood samples (controls) were obtained from infants of HIV-uninfected women who did not receive ART. %MN-RET was measured using a single laser 3-color flow cytometric system. Tenfold increases in %MN-RET were seen in women and infants who received ZDV-containing ART prenatally; no increases were detected in three women and infants who received prenatal ART without ZDV. Specifically, mean %MN-RET in cord blood of ZDV-exposed infants was 1.67 +/- 0.34 compared with 0.16 +/- 0.06 in non-ZDV ART-exposed infants (P = 0.006) and 0.12 +/- 0.02 in control cord bloods (P < 0.0001). %MN-RET in ZDV-exposed newborns decreased over the first 6 months of life to levels comparable to cord blood controls. These results demonstrate that transplacentalZDV exposure is genotoxic in humans. Long-term monitoring of HIV-uninfected ZDV-exposed infants is recommended to ensure their continued health.
Dynamic collapse mode evolution in carbon composite tubes

Abstract An experimental study on the hydrostatic implosion of carbon-fiber reinforced epoxy composite tubes is conducted to explore unique failure and damage mechanisms of collapse. Experiments are performed in a pressure vessel designed to provide constant hydrostatic pressure through the collapse. Filament-wound carbon-fiber/epoxy tubes are studied using high-speed photography to explore the effect of complex damage on the modes of failure. 3-D Digital Image Correlation technique, which is first calibrated for the underwater environment, is used to capture the full-field deformation and velocities during the implosion event. Fourier Series deformation models are used to extract buckling modes from displacement data. The results reveal that the presence of damage in the structure can cause the mode shape to change as the structure deforms.
Temperature Induced Structure Evolution of Regioregular Poly(3-hexylthiophene) in Dilute Solution and its Influence on Thin Film Morphology

The structure evolution of regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) in THF dilute solution and its influence on thin film morphology were studied by a combination of static and dynamic laser light scattering (SLS and DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Most P3HT is not directly soluble in THF at room temperature. A thermal treatment at high temperature effectively redisperses P3HT microsized aggregates, and introduces two modes in DLS measurement. The fast mode with ⟨Rh⟩f ∼ 4 nm is P3HT unimer coil, while the slow mode with ⟨Rh⟩s∼ 90 nm is P3HT associate. The linear relationship between ⟨Γ⟩ and q2 passing through origin indicated both modes are diffusive. DLS showed the percentage of large associates is increasing, and that of the unimer coils is decreasing with temperature. The ratio, ⟨Rg⟩s/⟨Rh⟩s ∼ 0.8, indicates the associates are closely packed spherical in shape. The structure of P3HT in dilute solution greatly influences its morphology on thin films. We found that the memory of chain c...
Low-temperature polycondensation of carboxylic acids and carbinols in heterogeneous media

Aliphatic diols and dicarboxylic acids condense in hydrophobic solvents to form polyesters at 25-75°C when the solutions interface with an acidic hydrophilic phase. Certain aliphatic ω-hydroxy acids behave similarly. Rigorous removal of the by-produced water by distillation is unnecessary and examples are cited where polyesters are isolated in 85-90% yields having number-average molecular weights between 10,000-35,000. Polydispersity indices tend in many cases to be lower than expected for statistical step-growth polymerizations. Many of the side reactions encountered in high temperature polyesterifications, depending on the nature of the acidic phase, are absent or suppressed. While there are some limitations on the type of monomer, the mild conditions offer the possibility of forming polyesters with temperature sensitive structures directly from the corresponding carboxylic acids and carbinols.
Gray and Nongray Planetary Atmospheres. Structure, Convective Instability, and Greenhouse Effect

Abstract Analytic expressions are derived for the atmospheric structure, greenhouse effect, and level of onset of convective instability in window gray and nongray planetary atmospheres. Where pressure-induced transitions or dust are principal sources of infrared opacity, gray approximations may have a strict relevance; but, even when permitted transitions are the opacity sources, the appropriate expressions for the nongray atmosphere are quite similar to those for the gray case. Constant lapse rates should occur in deep radiative equilibrium as well as deep convective equilibrium atmospheres. Atmospheres with polyatomic, condensable gases, pressure-sensitive opacities, and long-wavelength windows tend to have higher tropopauses and more extensive convective tropospheres than atmospheres with converse properties. The outer Jovian planets may have very extensive outer envelopes in radiative rather than convective equilibrium. The mean infrared optical depth, τ, for a nongray convective atmospheric greenhouse on the Earth is about 2; for Venus, several hundred. In the window gray case, T increases with τ about twice as fast for convective as for radiative atmospheres; in the nongray case, about four times as fast.
Second-guessing technique for stochastic linear regulator problems with delayed information sharing

A solution procedure is reported for stochastic decision problems with decentralized information structure. The procedure is applied to obtain the optimal control of decentralized stochastic linear regulator problems with delayed information sharing structure where observations are centralized with one-step delay.
Cellular biomarkers of aging.

Abstract Normal human fibroblast-like cells show a declining proliferative capacity with age. Eventually the cultures become senescent and incapable of replicating. Loss of proliferative capacity is characterized by a declining fraction of cells which synthesize DNA in a defined time period, a gradually increasing cell cycle time, and a declining saturation density. For 36 sublines of WI-38 cells and 17 sublines of IMR-90 cells, we have characterized the fraction of cells synthesizing DNA and the saturation density throughout their life spans. These parameters were both related in a regular and consistent way with the percent life span completed and determined retrospectively by cell counts at each subcultivation until phase-out. Thus, these two determinations serve as independent biomarkers for cell culture aging as they relate to one functional parameter — proliferative capacity. As such, they can be used to assess functional age independently of chronological age.
On Gromov's Large Riemannian Manifolds

Gromov introduced several notions of largeness of Riemannian manifolds and proved that they are all equivalent for manifolds of nonnegative sectional curvature. In this paper, we study the equivalence of these notions in the case of nonnegative Ricci curvature and in particular we give an affirmative answer to one of Gromov's open questions.
PHENYL-PERFLUOROPHENYL STACKING INTERACTIONS : TOPOCHEMICAL 2+2 PHOTODIMERIZATION AND PHOTOPOLYMERIZATION OF OLEFINIC COMPOUNDS

The face-to-face stacking interaction between phenyl and perfluorophenyl groups is emerging as a common noncovalent interaction. To explore the generality of this supramolecular synthon, the solid-state packing structure and reactivity of several monoolefins and diolefins substituted with phenyl and perfluorophenyl groups was investigated. Of the seven crystalline or cocrystalline materials investigated, six were found to undergo a photochemically induced [2+2] reaction in the solid state. By determining the stereochemistry of the photoproduct and/or X-ray structural analysis of the olefinic precursors, the stacked interaction between phenyl and perfluorophenyl groups in the photoactive crystals were revealed.
The next generation energy information gateway for use in residential and commercial environments

Both the current state of technology as well as emerging trends in home/office automation and energy management necessitate the presence of a piece of software dedicated towards facilitating interoperability amongst heterogeneous components; therefore empowering occupants to manage these spaces more effectively. This paper outlines the software architecture of an Energy Information Gateway, which is the latest evolution of an open source reference design that utilizes a modular software architecture to create an environment where dissimilar communicable components can not only exchange energy related information, but participate in supervisory control efforts. This latest version of the software allows for the abstraction of physical devices into a common standard, thereby allowing unlike components to join the home or office energy network. In addition, the software allows for definitions to be made of the hierarchical relationship between devices in the physical world and for these relationships to be dynamically altered.
Spontaneous, Nontraumatic Gangrene Due to Clostridium septicum

Clostridium septicum is a major cause of spontaneous, nontraumatic gas gangrene. Unlike Clostridium perfringens, C. septicum is relatively aerotolerant and thus appears to be more capable of initiating infection in the absence of obvious damage to tissues. Six cases illustrate the clinical setting and fulminant nature of spontaneous gangrene caused by C. septicum. A lesion in the colon such as carcinoma is often present and is presumed to serve as a portal of entry to the bloodstream. Diabetes and leukopenia are also common predisposing conditions; compromise of vital host responses may facilitate proliferation of those organisms that settle out in the tissues. Acute lymphoma or leukemia during a course of chemotherapy is accompanied by damage to bowel mucosa and granulocytopenia, thus predisposing to spontaneous clostridial gangrene. Infection progresses in a fulminating manner; the majority of patients die within 24 hours of onset. Characteristic symptoms and signs include excruciating pain (although a sense of heaviness may be the only early symptom), swelling of tissues, crepitance, and bulla formation. A hallmark of C. septicum infection is the absence of acute inflammatory cells in involved tissues or in bulla fluid. A series of laboratory investigations demonstrated that fluid obtained from a bulla adversely affected the viability, morphology, and function of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs), which may explain the paucity of PMNs in involved tissues and may in part contribute to the fulminant progression observed in infection due to this organism.
Ethnic differences in somatic symptom reporting in children with asthma and their parents.

Objectives The purpose of this study is to examine the association between child and parent somatic symptom reporting and pediatric asthma morbidity in Latino and non-Latino white children.
Science operations with the James Webb Space Telescope

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will be a powerful space observatory whose four science instruments will deliver rich imaging and multiplexed spectroscopic datasets to the astronomical and planetary science communities. The ground segment for JWST, now being designed and built, will carry out JWST's science operations. The ground segment includes: software that the scientific community will use to propose and specify new observations; systems that will schedule science and calibration observations in a way that respects physical and investigator-specified constraints, while satisfying preferences for efficient observing, low background levels, and distributed subscription across a year; the infrastructure to regularly measure and maintain the telescope's wavefront; orbit determination, ranging, and tracking; communication via the Deep Space Network to command the observatory and retrieve scientific data; onboard scripts that execute each observing program in an event-driven fashion, with occasional interruptions for targets of opportunity or time-critical observations; and a system that processes and calibrates the data into science-ready products, automatically recalibrates when calibrations improve, and archives the data for timely access by the principal investigator and later worldwide access by the scientific community. This ground system builds on experience from operating the Hubble Space Telescope, while solving challenges that are unique to JWST. In this paper, we describe the elements of the JWST ground system, how it will work operationally from the perspective of the observatory itself, and how a typical user will interact with the system to turn their idea into scientific discovery.
A Comparison of Conversational Patterns Between Mothers and their Down Syndrome and Normal Infants

The purpose of this study was to compare conversational patterns between mothers and Down syndrome children with those between mothers and normally developing children. Patterns of maternal interaction with 2- and 3-year-old Down syndrome children and a developmentally matched sample of nonretarded children were analyzed with the turn-taking paradigm developed by Kaye & Charney (1980, 1981). The results of this comparison indicated that mothers of Down syndrome children were more dominant and their children less active communication partners than their normal counterparts. Post hoc analyses suggested that mothers of Down syndrome children may be more directive as a result of their efforts to induce their children to increase their activity level. Implications of these findings for children's language development were discussed.
Dietary intake and arsenic methylation in a U.S. population

Millions of people worldwide are exposed to arsenic-contaminated drinking water, and ingestion of inorganic arsenic (InAs) has been associated with increased risks of cancer. The primary metabolic pathway of ingested InAs is methylation to monomethyl arsenic (MMA) and dimethyl arsenic (DMA). However, people vary greatly in the degree to which they methylate InAs, and recent evidence suggests that those who excrete high proportions of ingested arsenic as MMA are more susceptible than others to arsenic-caused cancer. To date, little is known about the factors that determine interindividual differences in arsenic methylation. In this study, we assessed the effect of diet on arsenic metabolism by measuring dietary intakes and urinary arsenic methylation patterns in 87 subjects from two arsenic-exposed regions in the western United States. Subjects in the lower quartile of protein intake excreted a higher proportion of ingested InAs as MMA (14.6 vs. 11.6%; p = 0.01) and a lower proportion as DMA (72.3 vs. 77.0%; p = 0.01) than did subjects in the upper quartile of protein intake. Subjects in the lower quartile of iron, zinc, and niacin intake also had higher urinary percent MMA and lower percent DMA levels than did subjects with higher intakes of these nutrients. These associations were also seen in multivariate regression analyses adjusted for age, sex, smoking, and total urinary arsenic. Given the previously reported links between high percent MMA and increased cancer risks, these findings are consistent with the theory that people with diets deficient in protein and other nutrients are more susceptible than others to arsenic-caused cancer.
How Long Should a Customer Wait for Service

A major concern for service managers is the determination of how long a customer should wait to be served. Services, due to the customer's direct interaction with the process, must face a trade-off between minimizing the cost of having a customer wait and the cost of providing good service. A total cost model is presented for determining how long a customer should wait when these two conflicting cost components are considered. An integral part of this model includes a measure of customer satisfaction with waiting time which is used to develop a waiting cost function. The model is then applied to a major fast food chain, using data collected at several locations. Analysis of the data reveals that the “ideal” waiting time for this firm is significantly less than the current corporate waiting time policy. Thus, as indicated by the model, a corporate policy change is recommended to provide much faster service. The adoption of such a policy would result in increased labor costs, and would simultaneously increase the firm's overall profits. Although appearing contradictory, increases in current labor costs and long-term profits are both possible when management takes the long-range perspective suggested in this paper.
Design And Simulation Of Optically Interconnected Computer Systems

Optical interconnections within mainframe computers were first proposed over ten years ago, but the debate continues on their effectiveness at a given interconnection level (board-to-board, chip-to-chip, etc.) In order to gauge the impact of this new technology several studies have discussed the power and speed limitations of electrical interconnections. Unfortunately, hard data is difficult to generate due to the immense complexity of the systems involved. Many of these problems are due to the conceptual view of a computer as an array of devices connected by wires. As we move into the interconnect-limited regime it becomes advantageous to consider the system as a pattern of wires that must be excited by devices. It is in this spirit that we propose a model of the computer which is based on the statistical analysis of its interconnections. Previous work in this area has quoted the performance of interconnections in terms of effective averages. In this paper we produce closed-form analytic expressions for the interconnection distribution as a function of hierarchy. A self-similar hierarchical model, satisfying the observed power-law relationship between circuit complexity and interconnection count, is used to mimic the interconnection distribution within large computer systems. The length distribution function is accessible at all hierarchical levels. This enables the operational performance of optical interconnection strategies to be monitored and compared with their electrical counterparts.
Hemodynamic and regional blood flow studies in the normotensive and spontaneously hypertensive rat: Application of the radioactive microsphere technique

Abstract Radioactive microspheres (9 ± 1 μ.) labeled with one of the three isotopes (85Sr, 141Ce, or 51Cr) were injected directly into the left ventricle of anesthetized closed-chest spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) or normal (WKY) rats. The microspheres were injected into each animal at three different time intervals: during control conditions, during hypoxia, and after recovery from hypoxia. A reference blood sample technique was used for simultaneous measurement of the cardiac output (CO). Heart rate (HR) and aortic blood pressure (AOP) were also recorded throughout the experiment. The SHR had a significantly higher AOP and resistance, but there was no difference in HR or CO as compared to the WKY rats. The blood flow distribution to various organs in the two strains of rats was not significantly different. Both groups of rats responded with a marked decrease in flows to various organs during hypoxia; however, only blood flows to the heart and eyes were different in the two strains of rats during hypoxia. The mechanism of slow posthypoxic recovery in SHR as compared to WKY is discussed. The technique of microsphere distribution in small animals, especially SHR, can be applied to investigate the effect of various drugs on hemodynamics and blood flow distribution to different organs.
SARS and New York's Chinatown: The politics of risk and blame during an epidemic of fear

This paper examines the production of risk and blame discourses during the 2003 SARS epidemic and responses to those messages in New York City's Chinatown, a community stigmatized during the SARS epidemic despite having no SARS cases. The study consisted of 6 weeks participant observation and 37 semi-structured, open-ended interviews with community members. Stigmatizing discourses from the late 19th century resurfaced to blame Chinese culture and people for disease, and were recontextualized to fit contemporary local and global political-economic concerns. Many informants discursively distanced themselves from risk but simultaneously reaffirmed the association of Chinese culture with disease by redirecting such discourses onto recent Chinese immigrants. Legitimizing cultural blame obfuscates the structural and biological causes of epidemics and naturalizes health disparities in marginalized populations. This research demonstrates that myriad historical, political, and economic factors shape responses and risk perceptions during an unfamiliar epidemic, even in places without infection.
An apparatus for the direct measurement of fugacity in mixtures containing large and small molecules

Abstract The fugacity coefficients of carbon dioxide in carbon dioxide/isobutane mixtures were measured using a microporous hollow fiber silica membrane, coupled with a high accuracy pure component equation of state for carbon dioxide. The membrane is a size discriminator, allowing smaller carbon dioxide (kinetic diameter, σ=0.33 nm) molecules to permeate, while blocking the flow of the larger isobutane (σ=0.5 nm) molecules. Experiments were run at two temperatures and four different carbon dioxide mole fractions. Using measured values of the temperature, permeate and mixture pressures, and carbon dioxide mole fraction, fugacity coefficient comparisons were made using an extended corresponding states model using the van der Waals one-fluid mixing rules and with the Peng–Robinson equation of state.
Texture Analyses for BLT Films by Electron Backscatter Diffraction and SPM Techniques

In this study the grain orientations and distributions of BT-based films by spin-on coatings were examined by Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) and Scanning Probe Microscope (SPM) Techniques. Issues of ferroelectric high-density memories (> 64Mb) indispensable for upcoming ubiquitous era have been on the cell integration less than 0.1 μ m2 and reliabilities. Thus, nanoscale control of microstructures of ferroelectric films with large switching polarization has been one of the issues to obtain the uniform electrical properties for realization of high-density memories. Ferroelectric domain characteristics by Piezoresponse Force Microscope (PFM) were also performed to study the dependence of reliabilities on the grain orientations and distributions. It is believed that understandings of the nucleation and growth mechanisms of the a- or b-axis oriented films during the thermal processes such as RTA and furnace annealing affecting on grain orientation and uniformity could be possible based on our experim...
A Speech Read-Only Memory Store for Blind Programmers

The employment of a read-only memory store as a storage medium for limited speech vocabularies is described. The device, along with an electronics interface, is intended to serve as a remote speech output system driven by an ordinary teletype or key-punch without computer control. The use of such a stored vocabulary as a sensory aid for the blind is outlined.
Use of different electropolymerization conditions for controlling the size-exclusion selectivity at polyaniline, polypyrrole and polyphenol films

Abstract Controlled anodic growth of polyaniline, polyphenol and polypyrrole films is exploited for changing their permeability to solute species. In particular, fine molecular weight cutoffs are obtained by varying the electropolymerization time or monomer concentration. The exclusion of large electroactive species offers substantial improvements in the selectivity of amperometric detection in flowing streams. For example, a judicious choice of the polymerization time allows selective flow injection measurements of catechol, hydrogen peroxide, acetaminophen or hydrazine in the presence of excess of uric acid, ascorbic acid, chlorpromazine, or potassium ferrocyanide, respectively. Complex chromatograms are greatly improved. Prevention of electrode deactivation due to protein adsorption is observed in the case of polyaniline films. Scanning electron micrographs show the microstructures of films following different anodization times. The electrochemical approach for making permselective coatings is shown to be very versatile as it provides an elegant way of varying the transport properties.
Myocardial tagging by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance: evolution of techniques--pulse sequences, analysis algorithms, and applications

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) tagging has been established as an essential technique for measuring regional myocardial function. It allows quantification of local intramyocardial motion measures, e.g. strain and strain rate. The invention of CMR tagging came in the late eighties, where the technique allowed for the first time for visualizing transmural myocardial movement without having to implant physical markers. This new idea opened the door for a series of developments and improvements that continue up to the present time. Different tagging techniques are currently available that are more extensive, improved, and sophisticated than they were twenty years ago. Each of these techniques has different versions for improved resolution, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), scan time, anatomical coverage, three-dimensional capability, and image quality. The tagging techniques covered in this article can be broadly divided into two main categories: 1) Basic techniques, which include magnetization saturation, spatial modulation of magnetization (SPAMM), delay alternating with nutations for tailored excitation (DANTE), and complementary SPAMM (CSPAMM); and 2) Advanced techniques, which include harmonic phase (HARP), displacement encoding with stimulated echoes (DENSE), and strain encoding (SENC). Although most of these techniques were developed by separate groups and evolved from different backgrounds, they are in fact closely related to each other, and they can be interpreted from more than one perspective. Some of these techniques even followed parallel paths of developments, as illustrated in the article. As each technique has its own advantages, some efforts have been made to combine different techniques together for improved image quality or composite information acquisition. In this review, different developments in pulse sequences and related image processing techniques are described along with the necessities that led to their invention, which makes this article easy to read and the covered techniques easy to follow. Major studies that applied CMR tagging for studying myocardial mechanics are also summarized. Finally, the current article includes a plethora of ideas and techniques with over 300 references that motivate the reader to think about the future of CMR tagging.
Chemopreventive Properties of Black Raspberries in N-Nitrosomethylbenzylamine-Induced Rat Esophageal Tumorigenesis: Down-regulation of Cyclooxygenase-2, Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase, and c-Jun

Our laboratory has used a rodent model of human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma to identify putative chemopreventive agents for this disease and to determine their mechanisms of action. In the present study, we treated F344 rats with the esophageal carcinogen, N-nitrosomethylbenzylamine (NMBA), thrice per week for 5 weeks. Beginning 1 week later, they were fed a synthetic diet containing 5% black raspberries (BRB) for the duration of the bioassay (25 weeks). Rats were sacrificed at weeks 9, 15, and 25. Esophageal tissues were collected, and tumor data were recorded. The expression and enzymatic activities of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) as well as the expression of c-Jun in the esophagi, were evaluated to investigate the mechanism(s) by which black raspberries modulate tumorigenesis. At week 25, BRB inhibited tumor multiplicity, the standard end point in this tumor model, from 3.78 +/- 0.41 tumors per rat in NMBA-treated animals to 2.23 +/- 0.21 tumors per rat in animals treated with NMBA plus BRB (P < 0.005). BRB reduced mRNA and protein expression levels of COX-2, iNOS, and c-Jun as well as the level of prostaglandin E(2) in preneoplastic lesions of the esophagus at week 25. The berries inhibited mRNA expression of iNOS and c-Jun, but not COX-2, in papillomatous lesions of the esophagus. Prostaglandin E(2) and total nitrite levels were also decreased by BRB in papillomas. These results suggest a novel tumor suppressive role of BRB through inhibition of COX-2, iNOS, and c-Jun.
Grading Differences between Graduate Teaching Assistants and Faculty Members in the Introductory Marketing Class

This study compared the final course grades given by first time teaching assistants, experienced teaching assistants, and full-time faculty members. The results clearly showed that inexperienced graduate teaching assistants awarded higher grades than either experienced graduate teaching assistants or faculty members, and these grades were usually much higher than the student's overall grade point average.
A partial comparison of events, transaction, and roll‐call data for a developed‐developing nation subsystem

This paper examines the “information overlap” between WEIS events data and other measures of foreign policy behavior, including foreign aid allocations, diplomatic exchanges, trade, and UN voting agreements. The analysis suggests that events and non‐events variables tap different facets of states’ external conduct, but it also raises questions about the wisdom of relying on a single source of data to describe internation links.
Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty in situs inversus.

A case of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty to the right coronary artery in a patient with situs inversus is presented. The selection of the guiding catheter is discussed.
An experimental investigation of flow and diffusion in the disturbed boundary layer over a ridge—II. Diffusion from a continuous point source

Abstract The influence of a low but steep ridge on diffusion of material in a disturbed boundary layer is investigated through experiments conducted in a large wind tunnel. A two-dimensional triangular ridge with side slopes of 2 to 1 and height (h) about 1 10 of the boundary-layer thickness was placed normal to the flow. In addition to the various flow measurements described in Part I (Arya and Shipman, 1980), observations were made of the vertical and horizontal concentration profiles downwind of a point source whose height and position relative to the ridge were varied. These were compared with diffusion measurements in the undisturbed boundary layer without the ridge. For a source located upwind of the ridge, the effect of the ridge is generally to reduce ground level concentrations (g.l.c.) on the lee side of the ridge. For the source located on the ridge top, concentrations in the cavity region are likely to be significantly increased if any part of the plume impinges on the separation streamline and is entrained into the cavity. The highest ground level concentrations result when the source is located within the cavity region. The magnitude and location of the maximum g.l.c. are considerably influenced by the ridge, especially when the source is located within a distance of 15h downwind of the ridge crest. For an elevated source located in the lee of the ridge, but outside the cavity region, the maximum g.l.c. decreases rapidly with increasing distance of the source away from the ridge, while the location of the maximum g.l.c. shifts farther away from the source. Comparisons of vertical concentration profiles at various distances from a point source with and without the ridge bring out several interesting features of dispersion in the lee of a ridge. The concentration distributions within the cavity due to sources located upwind of or at the ridge top are nearly uniform (independent of height). For a source located on the lee side near the separation streamline, concentration profiles show the effect of plume downwash with resulting high g.l.c. where the streamline reattaches to the surface.
Farming-related caustic ingestion by a 2-year-old: innocent play with costly results

Young children continue to ingest caustic materials while playing in farm work areas. However, recent agricultural safety and health literature scarcely mentions caustic ingestion, and national incidence data specific to childhood caustic ingestion occurring on farms were not found. We present a case report of a 2-year-old child who, while playing with her brother, ingested dairy pipeline cleaner (an alkali). This case, although not unique, raises concerns about current prevention efforts related to the use and storage of chemicals on farms, long-term medical problems and associated costs, and the level of tolerance regarding the intermingling of innocent child play with adult work.
On the comparison between identification and discrimination tests in speech perception

The conversion between identification and three forms of discrimination tests, based on the extreme assumption that discrimination performance in speech perception tests is determined solely by labeling in identification tests, is examined. Identical conversions are obtained for the two-interval same-different test, for the four-interval forced-choice test of pair similarity, and for the three-interval ABX test. Therefore, differences in discrimination performance among these tests are presumably due to their respective task requirements, not to differential prediction.
Two New Species of Asymmetrione (Isopoda, Bopyridae) From the Western Atlantic 1)

[Es werden 2 neue Arten der Gattung Asymmetrione im westatlantischen Ozean beschrieben. A. desultor parasitiert Pagurus longicarpus in Nordcarolina, P. bonairensis in Sudflorida, und P. provenzanoi neben Antigua und Pylopagurus sp. auf Cay Sal Bank. A. clibanarii parasitiert Clibanarius tricolor bei Florida und den Bahama-Inseln. Verbreitung und Vorkommen der Gattung Asymmetrione werden diskutiert., Es werden 2 neue Arten der Gattung Asymmetrione im westatlantischen Ozean beschrieben. A. desultor parasitiert Pagurus longicarpus in Nordcarolina, P. bonairensis in Sudflorida, und P. provenzanoi neben Antigua und Pylopagurus sp. auf Cay Sal Bank. A. clibanarii parasitiert Clibanarius tricolor bei Florida und den Bahama-Inseln. Verbreitung und Vorkommen der Gattung Asymmetrione werden diskutiert.]
Specific Adsorption of a Bisulfate Anion on a Pt(111) Electrode. Ultrahigh Vacuum Spectroscopic and Cyclic Voltammetric Study

We addressed in this study the process of specific adsorption of anions at the metal/solution interface. We focused on the nature of the surface chemical bond that accounted for the phenomenon of adsorption specificity in the context of bisulfate coverage and structural information. While we limited our investigations to bisulfate adsorption on the Pt(111) electrode in sulfuric and mixed sulfuric/perchloric acid media, our conclusions have general significance in explaining ionic adsorption events in electrochemistry. We used core-level electron energy loss spectroscopy, auger electron spectroscopy, low energy electron diffraction, and cyclic voltammetry. Our findings show that in the studied range of sulfuric acid concentration (10-4−10-1 M) the maximum anion coverage is 0.34 ± 0.02 monolayer (ML) and that this coverage corresponds to a highly ordered Pt(111)(√3 × √3)R30° surface structure. S2p core-level and LMM Auger electron spectra indicate that the chemical state of bisulfate sulfur is +6, as in the...
Anthranilate-Activating Modules from Fungal Nonribosomal Peptide Assembly Lines

Fungal natural products containing benzodiazepinone- and quinazolinone-fused ring systems can be assembled by nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPS) using the conformationally restricted β-amino acid anthranilate as one of the key building blocks. We validated that the first module of the acetylaszonalenin synthetase of Neosartorya fischeri NRRL 181 activates anthranilate to anthranilyl-AMP. With this as a starting point, we then used bioinformatic predictions about fungal adenylation domain selectivities to identify and confirm an anthranilate-activating module in the fumiquinazoline A producer Aspergillus fumigatus Af293 as well as a second anthranilate-activating NRPS in N. fischeri. This establishes an anthranilate adenylation domain code for fungal NRPS and should facilitate detection and cloning of gene clusters for benzodiazepine- and quinazoline-containing polycyclic alkaloids with a wide range of biological activities.
Aerosol number and mass concentration measurements: A comparison of the electrical aerosol analyzer with other measurement techniques

Abstract The performance of the electrical aerosol analyzer (EAA) for aerosol number and volume concentration measurements has been evaluated using polydisperse aerosols of sucrose, NaCl, (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 , dioctyl phthalate, and H 2 SO 4 . Comparisons were made between the EAA and a General Electric condensation nuclei counter (CNC) for aerosol number concentration measurement and with a gravimetric analysis technique for aerosol volume or mass concentration measurement. For number concentration measurements, it has been found that the EAA agrees with the CNC, the systematic difference between the two instruments being negligible and the random difference being about 5–10%. For volume concentration measurements, the maximum discrepancy between the EAA and the gravimetric technique is about ±20% for spherical particles in the 0.04- to 0.4-μm-diameter range. The discrepancy increases to about 30% for spherical particles of 0.55-μm diameter. This is attributed to the limited size resolution capability of the EAA near the upper limit of the instrument. For nonspherical particles, a discrepancy as large as 60% has been observed between the EAA and the gravimetric technique. It is concluded that the difference between the “equivalent sphere” diameter measured by the EAA and the “equivalent sphere” diameter based on particle volume may be as much as 20% for the nonspherical particles used in the study. Thus, one should exercise caution in using the “equivalent sphere” diameter measured by different instruments for calculating various aerosol properties.
Physiologically based pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic modeling of chemical mixtures and possible applications in risk assessment

Human exposure to chemicals, be it environmental or occupational, is rarely, if ever, limited to a single chemical. Therefore, it is essential that we consider multiple chemical effects and interactions in our risk assessment process. However, with the almost infinitely large number of chemical mixtures in the environment, systematic studies of the toxicology of these chemical mixtures with conventional methodologies and approaches are impossible because of the immense resources and unrealistically long durations required. Thus, the development of predictive and alternative toxicology method is imperative. In order to have a reasonable chance to deal with the complex issue of toxicology of chemical mixtures, we believe that the following concepts must be considered: (1) the exploitation of recent advances in computational technology; (2) the utilization of mathematical/statistical modeling; (3) coupling computer modeling with very focused, mechanistically based, and short-term toxicology studies. Our approach is, therefore, the utilization of physiologically based pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PB-PK/PD) modeling, coupled with very focused, model-directed toxicology experiments as well as other statistical/mathematical modeling such as isobolographic analysis and response surface methodology. Tissue dosimetry at the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic levels is achievable with simple and complex, but chemically defined, mixtures. Our long-term goal is to formulate innovative risk assessment methodologies for chemical mixtures. In this presentation, one of our specific research projects is described: PB-PK/PD modeling of toxicologic interactions between Kepone and carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) and the coupling of Monte Carlo simulation for the prediction of acute toxicity.
Modeling Structural Degradation of RC Bridge Columns Subjected to Earthquakes and Their Fragility Estimates

Current seismic design of bridges is based on “one-time” performance of the bridges during the design seismic event. However, there might be a considerable probability of observing more than one damaging earthquakes in a bridge’s service life. Bridge components are known to accumulate seismic damage and deterioration in their structural properties. In such a scenario, design criteria that account for the cumulative seismic damage of bridges over time and performance objectives that span more than one seismic event are needed. This paper computes the probability of occurrence of more than one damaging earthquake during a bridge’s service life. Furthermore, it investigates the importance of accounting for cumulative seismic damage in seismic design. This paper develops a probabilistic model to compute the degraded deformation capacity of flexural reinforced concrete (RC) bridge columns as a function of cumulative low-cycle fatigue damage incurred in the past earthquakes. The model is developed for flexural ...
Quantitative Analysis of Systems Using Game-Theoretic Learning

The analysis of quantitative properties, such as timing and power, is central to the design of reliable embedded software and systems. However, the verification of such properties on a program is made difficult by their heavy dependence on the program’s environment, such as the processor it runs on. Modeling the environment by hand can be tedious, error prone, and time consuming. In this article, we present a new game-theoretic approach to analyzing quantitative properties that is based on performing systematic measurements to automatically learn a model of the environment. We model the problem as a game between our algorithm (player) and the environment of the program (adversary) in which the player seeks to accurately predict the property of interest, while the adversary sets environment states and parameters. To solve this problem, we employ a randomized strategy that repeatedly tests the program along a linear-sized set of program paths called basis paths, using the resulting measurements to infer a weighted-graph model of the environment from which quantitative properties can be predicted. Test cases are automatically generated using satisfiability modulo theories (SMT) solving. We prove that our algorithm can, under certain assumptions and with arbitrarily high probability, accurately predict properties such as worst-case execution time or estimate the distribution of execution times. Experimental results for execution time analysis demonstrate that our approach is efficient, accurate, and highly portable.
The Discovery of Insulin: A Case Study of Scientific Methodology

The nature of scientific research sometimes involves a trial-and-error procedure. Popular reviews of successful results from this approach often sanitize the story by omitting unsuccessful trials, thus painting the rosy impression that research simply follows a direct route from hypothesis to experiment to scientific discovery. The discovery of insulin is a classical case study in this genre that begs for an explanation to our students because it is so often ignored or misrepresented even in biology and physiology textbooks.
Generating textual summaries of bar charts

Information graphics, such as bar charts and line graphs, play an important role in multimodal documents. This paper presents a novel approach to producing a brief textual summary of a simple bar chart. It outlines our approach to augmenting the core message of the graphic to produce a brief summary. Our method simultaneously constructs both the discourse and sentence structures of the textual summary using a bottom-up approach. The result is then realized in natural language. An evaluation study validates our generation methodology.