cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Aquaporin 0 plays a pivotal role in refractive index gradient development in mammalian eye lens to prevent spherical aberration.

Abstract Aquaporin 0 (AQP0) is a transmembrane channel that constitutes ∼45% of the total membrane protein of the fiber cells in mammalian lens. It is critical for lens transparency and homeostasis as mutations and knockout cause autosomal dominant lens cataract. AQP0 functions as a water channel and as a cell-to-cell adhesion (CTCA) molecule in the lens. Our recent in vitro studies showed that the CTCA function of AQP0 could be crucial to establish lens refractive index gradient (RING). However, there is a lack of in vivo data to corroborate the role of AQP0 as a fiber CTCA molecule which is critical for creating lens RING. The present investigation is undertaken to gather in vivo evidence for the involvement of AQP0 in developing lens RING. Lenses of wild type (WT) mouse, AQP0 knockout (heterozygous, AQP0 +/− ) and AQP0 knockout lens transgenically expressing AQP1 (heterozygous AQP0 +/ − /AQP1 +/ − ) mouse models were used for the study. Data on AQP0 protein profile of intact and N- and/or C-terminal cleaved AQP0 in the lens by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and SDS–PAGE revealed that outer cortex fiber cells have only intact AQP0 of ∼28 kDa, inner cortical and outer nuclear fiber cells have both intact and cleaved forms, and inner nuclear fiber cells have only cleaved forms (∼26–24 kDa). Knocking out of 50% of AQP0 protein caused light scattering, spherical aberration (SA) and cataract. Restoring the lost fiber cell membrane water permeability ( P f ) by transgene AQP1 did not reinstate complete lens transparency and the mouse lenses showed light scattering and SA. Transmission and scanning electron micrographs of lenses of both mouse models showed increased extracellular space between fiber cells. Water content determination study showed increase in water in the lenses of these mouse models. In summary, lens transparency, CTCA and compact packing of fiber cells were affected due to the loss of 50% AQP0 leading to larger extracellular space, more water content and SA, possibly due to alteration in RING. To our knowledge, this is the first report identifying the role of AQP0 in RING development to ward off lens SA during focusing.
Immunoelectron microscopic localization of type 1 plasminogen activator inhibitor on the surface of activated endothelial cells.

Immunogold EM was employed to compare the distribution of type 1 plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) on the surface of agonist-activated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) with that of control, unactivated cells. As previously observed, (Schleef, R.R., T.J. Podor, E. Dunne, J. Mimuro, and D.J. Loskutoff. J. Cell Biol. 110:155-163), analysis of cross-sections of nonpermeabilized control HUVEC monolayers stained first with affinity-purified rabbit antibodies to PAI-1 and then with gold-conjugated goat anti-rabbit IgG, revealed the presence of relatively few gold particles (less than 1-2% of the total) on the apical cell surface. The majority of gold particles were detected primarily in the extracellular matrix between the culture substratum and the cell membrane. In contrast, treatment of HUVECs with tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha; 200 U/ml, 24 h) or with lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 10 micrograms/ml, 24 h) resulted in an increased staining of PAI-1 not only in the extracellular matrix, but also on the apical cell surface (10-fold increase). Immunoabsorption of the rabbit anti-PAI-1 with purified PAI-1, or treatment of HUVECs with tissue-type plasminogen activator (2.5 micrograms/ml, 2 h, 4 degrees C) reduced the amount of staining both on the apical surface and in the extracellular matrix of agonist-activated HUVECs by 80-95%. The topographical location of PAI-1 on the cell surface was examined further by coupling immunogold staining with high resolution surface replication. Transmission EM of surface replicas from TNF alpha- or LPS-activated HUVECs revealed a general increase in PAI-1 staining both on planar regions and within indentations of the apical cell surface. Nonactivated HUVECs revealed PAI-1-specific immunogold particles only in areas of exposed extracellular matrix between the cells and occasionally at regions of cell-cell contacts. Analysis of activated bovine aortic endothelial cells by immuno-electron microscopy, immunologic assays, and flow cytometry revealed similar increases in surface PAI-1. These increases in surface PAI-1 could be detected by 3 h and continued over a 24-h period. The expression of PAI-1 on the luminal surface of endothelial cells during immune or inflammatory reactions could reduce endothelial fibrinolytic activity, thus, promoting the localized, pathologic formation of intravascular thrombi.
Surface tension of a charged and polarized system

Usually, the formula for the surface tension of a planar charged and polarized interface is obtained from that for a system involving only short-range forces, γ=∫ ∞ - ∞ dz [p-p x (z)], by replacing the tangential pressure p x by p x +E 2 /8π
Prostatic expression of hensin, a protein implicated in epithelial terminal differentiation.

OBJECTIVES Hensin induces terminal differentiation in rabbit kidney collecting tubule cells. Rabbit hensin and human DMBT1 result from alternative splicing of the same gene. The human DMBT1 gene is located on chromosome 10q25-26, a region often deleted in prostate cancer. In this study we examined the potential role of this gene in terminal differentiation of prostate, as well as its role in prostatic carcinogenesis. METHODS We searched for deletions of this gene in prostatic cells cultured from cancer and benign tissues using PCR and cDNA cloning. The expression of hensin/DMBT1 in cultured cells and during prostate development was characterized by immunochemistry. RESULTS No deletions of hensin/DMBT1 similar to those found in glioblastomas, lung and esophageal cancers were observed in prostate cancer or BPH cells. Hensin/DMBT1 protein was localized in intracellular vesicles of epithelial cells in neonatal and 6-week-old mouse prostates. By 6 weeks, hensin/DMBT1 began to localize in the basal lamina of the prostate and vas deferens. In matured 6-month-old prostates, there was extensive deposition of hensin/DMBT1 in the basal lamina. CONCLUSIONS There is no evidence that hensin/DMBT1 is implicated in prostatic carcinogenesis. The localization of hensin/DMBT1 during maturation raises the possibility that hensin/DMBT1 is involved in terminal differentiation of the prostate and vas deferens. Prostate 49:9–18, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A Survey of Effects of Animal Wastes on Stream Pollution from Selected Dairy Farms

Abstract Water was sampled from flowing streams adjacent to dairy farms within South Carolina. Stream samplings were above, adjacent, and below the major animal waste drainage area. Disposal systems were lagooning, dry disposal, and liquid manure handling. Increases were small for fecal coliform, biochemical oxygen demand, and chemical oxygen demand between locations above and below. Ninety percent of water samplings exceeded fecal coliform standards of not more than 10/ml, 10% reflected a dissolved oxygen of less than 5 mg/liter, and 30% of tie samples had a pH below 6.0.
Gene Therapy for the Nervous System: Challenges and New Strategies

Current clinical treatments for central nervous system (CNS) diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease and glioblastoma do not halt disease progression and have significant treatment morbidities. Gene therapy has the potential to “permanently” correct disease by bringing in a normal gene to correct a mutant gene deficiency, knocking down mRNA of mutant alleles, and inducing cell-death in cancer cells using transgenes encoding apoptosis-inducing proteins. Promising results in clinical trials of eye disease (Leber’s congenital aumorosis) and Parkinson’s disease have shown that gene-based neurotherapeutics have great potential. The recent development of genome editing technology, such as zinc finger nucleases, TALENS, and CRISPR, has made the ultimate goal of gene correction a step closer. This review summarizes the challenges faced by gene-based neurotherapeutics and the current and recent strategies designed to overcome these barriers. We have chosen the following challenges to focus on in this review: (1) delivery vehicles (both virus and nonviral), (2) use of promoters for vector-mediated gene expression in CNS, and (3) delivery across the blood-brain barrier. The final section (4) focuses on promising pre-clinical/clinical studies of neurotherapeutics.
Inherited vs. acquired complexity in east Texas weathering profiles

Complexity in weathering profiles may reflect variability in the parent material and/or complex feedback relationships within regolith weathering systems. Because regolith formation modifies or destroys the parent material, it is difficult to determine the extent to which variability in the weathering profile is inherited, as opposed to created by the weathering processes. The state probability function (SPF), designed to model the spatial pattern of transitions in system states, is applied to complex weathering profiles formed in glauconitic materials in east Texas to address this issue. The weathering profile is remarkably complex, with units ranging from unweathered parent material to highly modified weathering products similar to those found in the Bt horizons of the overlying Rhodic Paleudalf. There is a very general vertical sequence with more weathered material near the top and less weathered material near the bottom; however, the pattern is quite irregular. Highly weathered units are found everywhere except at the base of the study section, and much less developed units are found throughout. Though the SPF indicates a high degree of spatial complexity, the value never approaches or exceeds that which would be expected in a random vertical sequence of weathering horizons. Variation inherited from the parent material would produce SPF values greater than that for a random sequence. The complex patterns in the east Texas regolith are thus attributable primarily to feedbacks within the weathering system and indicate that the complexity is dominantly acquired. Whatever anisotropy there may have been in the parent material has been magnified and overprinted by complex interactions within the weathering system.
SURVIVAL AND GROWTH OF FREEZE‐STRESSED Campylobacter jejuni CELLS IN SELECTIVE MEDIA

Freezing and thawing of Campylobacter jejuni inflicted sublethal injury among survivors. About 95% or more of the survivors lost viability within 2 h of microaerobic incubation at 42°C in brucella broth containing a Campylobacter-selective antibiotic supplement of vancomycin, trimethoprim, polymyxin B, cephalothin and amphotericin. The remaining viable cells were able to multiply under these incubation conditions. The stressed cells were adversely affected by incubation at 42°C andpolymyxin B. A method consisting of incubating suspected samples microaerobically in brucella broth, supplemented with nutrients (succinate + cysteine) and antibiotics (vancomycin, trimethoprim, cephalothin and amphotericin) at 37°C for the initial 6 h and then adding polymyxin B and shifting the temperature to 42°C up to 24 h could improve detection of C. jejuni from frozen foods.
Apurinic/apyrimidinic-specific endonuclease activities from Dictyostelium discoideum

Abstract Two apurinic/apyrimidinic- (AP-) specific endonuclease activities have been isolated from the cells of Dictyostelium discoideum by fractionation on DEAE-cellulose, CM-cellulose and Sephadex G-75. These activities, designated A and B, have apparent molecular weights of 49000 and 40000, respectively. Although their precise reaction optima differ somewhat, both A and B quantitatively nick AP DNA best at pH 8.0–8.5 in low salt (less than 100 mM NaCl); both require Mg2+. These activities are apparently specific only for AP sites in DNA. The low activities observed on heavily ultraviolet-irradiated DNA, gamma-irradiated DNA and osmium tetroxide-treated DNA are consistent with the small numbers of secondary AP sites expected in these DNAs. Both A and B produce single-strand nicks in AP DNA that result in termini that serve as good primers for Escherichia coli polymerase I. Hence, A and B appear to be Class II AP endonucleases which yield 3′-OH termini at nicks on the 5′ side of baseless sugars. It is unclear whether A and B are independently coded proteins, different post-translational modifications of the same gene product, or whether one is an artifact arising from the isolation. Many of the properties of these D. discoideum AP endonuclease activities are similar to those of the predominant AP endonucleases observed in bacterial, plant and animal cells. They will be of use in the characterization of excision repair in this organism.
Reprogramming Directional Cell Motility by Tuning Micropattern Features and Cellular Signals

Simple geometrical constraints of micropatterned substrates can be used to manipulate the direction and directional persistence of motile cells (scale bar: 20 μm). Modulation of the directional bias is demonstrated by altering pattern parameters and signal pathways.
Reptiles as a food resource

Reptiles have served as an important source of protein for human populations around the world. Exploitation for food is heaviest in the tropical and sub-tropical regions, but also occurs in temperate areas. Of all reptiles, turtles are the most heavily exploited for human consumption. High, unsustainable levels of exploitation for food are directly responsible for the precarious conservation status of many turtles. Crocodilians, snakes, and lizards may be locally important food sources, however, with the exception of a few lizard species, they are exploited in a less intense and generally non-commercial manner for human consumption. In comparison, the commercial skin trade poses a far greater threat to the survival of crocodilians as well as certain large snakes and lizards. Recent field reports have implicated the south east Asian medicinal trade as a growing threat to reptiles, especially turtles and snakes. There are few unequivocal examples of managed harvest programmes for reptiles that are economically and culturally viable, as well as biologically sustainable. Given the economic importance of reptiles as sources of protein and other highly valued commodities, it is imperative that more attention be focused on the development of sustainable use programmes for these species.
THE PROMOTING AND FINANCING OF TRANSCONTINENTAL GAS PIPE LINE CORPORATION

AFTER WORLD WAR II the future of the "Inch Lines," built by the government to transport petroleum during the war emergency, was uncertain. Just how to fit these soldiers into a peacetime economy was unknown. Temporarily, the pipe lines were leased to the Tennessee Gas Transmission Company during the coal strike emergency in I946. While politicians and the oil and gas industry debated the future of the largest "war baby," the only realistic route for a visionary promoter was to assume that sooner or later the government would dispose of these lines. Thus, long before any definite steps were taken by the government, numerous promoters began planning and making contacts. One of these early planners-who, unlike most of the others, was later able to put his plan into action-was Mr. Claude A. Williams. Mr. Williams, destined to become the president of Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation, was then an attorney in Austin, Texas. He had formerly been a district attorney in the big East Texas oil field and assistant secretary of state in Texas. A friend of his was Mr. Rogers Lacy. Mr. Lacy, now deceased, had a keen business knowledge of the natural gas industry, controlled huge natural gas reserves, and had a substantial amount of capital. In February, I946, these two men organized Trans-Continental Gas Pipe Line Company, taking the entire stock of the new organization. Early in I946 the young company offered to purchase the "Inch Lines" and submitted a bid of $40,000,000 to the War Assets Ad-
Effect of inhibition of multiple steps of angiogenesis in syngeneic murine pleural mesothelioma

Abstract Background Angiogenesis is a multistep process in which the endothelial cell plays a pivotal role. We hypothesized that the combination of two antiangiogenic agents with distinct mechanisms of action would more effectively inhibit tumor growth than either agent alone in a murine mesothelioma model. Methods A syngeneic murine mesothelioma flank tumor model (AB-12) was established in BALB/c mice. Separate adenovirus vectors expressing the cDNAs for human pigment epithelium-derived factor (AdPEDF) and a soluble form of the human vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 (Adsflt-1) were administered intratumorally. End points measured included tumor size, animal survival, and microvessel density using CD31 immunohistochemistry. An orthotopic model of mesothelioma was established by implanting AB-12 cells into the murine pleural cavity. Simultaneously, AdPEDF and Adsflt-1 were instilled intrapleurally and tumor burden and survival were recorded. The development of pulmonary emphysema was also assessed by calculating the mean linear intercept (a measure of interalveolar septal distance) in histologic lung sections from tumor-free mice after vector administration. Results In the flank tumor model, the combination of AdPEDF and Adsflt-1 inhibited tumor growth, prolonged survival, and decreased microvessel density more profoundly compared with either AdPEDF or Adsflt-1 alone. In the orthotopic model, the combination was also more effective in prolonging survival. Intrapleural AdPEDF or Adsflt-1 did not increase the mean linear intercept compared with controls in tumor-free mice. Conclusions In this murine model, inhibiting multiple mechanisms of angiogenesis using two agents is a more effective antineoplastic strategy than using either agent alone. In addition, instillation of antiangiogenic gene transfer vectors into the pleural space does not result in histologic evidence of pulmonary emphysema.
Forecasting with an Input-Output Model

One of the more difficult problems of the modeling of corporate activities is in the area of forecasting equipment retirement. This paper develops a statistical forecasting method based on an input-output model suitable for use in this particular problem as well as in similar areas. The model assumes that present output is a linear, time invariant function of current and past input values. The model parameters may be developed by employing a constrained gradient technique. The use of this method is illustrated by developing retirement frequency and survivor curves for several input-output time series of electric utility plant data. These results are obtained without the assumption of particular shapes for the retirement frequency functions. The results are compared to those obtained with more conventional techniques. This comparison leads to the conclusion that the method may be advantageously employed for retirement studies where the equipment class exhibits a very long life or where the equipment mortality characteristics do not tend to behave in a fashion that is easily anticipated.
Posttranslational modification of the Ha-ras oncogene protein: evidence for a third class of protein carboxyl methyltransferases

Abstract The ras oncogene products require membrane localization for their function, and this is thought to be accomplished by the addition of a palmitoyl group to a cysteine residue near the carboxyl terminus of the nascent chain. A lipidated carboxyl-terminal cysteine residue is also found in sequence-related yeast sex factors, and in at least two cases, the alpha-carboxyl group is also methyl esterified. To determine if ras proteins are themselves modified by a similar type of methylation reaction, we incubated rat embryo fibroblasts transformed with p53 and activated Ha-ras oncogenes with L-[methyl-3H]methionine under conditions in which the isotope was converted to the methyl donor S-adenosyl-L-[methyl-3H]methionine. By using an assay that detects methyl ester linkages, we found that immunoprecipitated ras proteins are in fact esterified and that the stability of these esters is consistent with a carboxyl-terminal localization. This methylation reaction may be important in regulating the interaction of ras proteins with plasma membrane components. The presence of analogous carboxyl-terminal tetrapeptide sequences in other proteins may provide a general recognition sequence for lipidation and methylation modification reactions.
Climate Change Impact on Runoff and Sediment Loads to the Apalachicola River at Seasonal and Event Scales

ABSTRACT Chen, X.; Alizad, K.; Wang, D., and Hagen, S.C., 2014. Climate change impact on runoff and sediment loads to the Apalachicola River at seasonal and event scales. In this study, potential climate change impacts on runoff and sediment load in Apalachicola River basin in Florida are assessed using Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), a semi-distributed hydrologic model. The observed streamflow and sediment load from 1984 to 1994 are used for the model calibration and validation. The streamflow Nash-Sutcliffe Coefficients (NSEs) for the simulation and validation periods (1984–1989 and 1990–1994 years) are 0.92 and 0.88, respectively. The sediment NSEs for the simulation and validation periods are calculated to be 0.46 and 0.36, respectively, with excellent description of trend variability. Rainfall data under climate change effects is applied as the calibrated SWAT model input to estimate the streamflow and sediment load change. The rainfall and temperature data is prepared using two regional clima...
Registry to referral: using birth defects registries to refer infants and toddlers for early intervention services.

BACKGROUND Although many birth defect surveillance systems were developed for the primary purpose of monitoring trends and conducting epidemiologic studies, a number of programs have recognized the potential of birth defects monitoring systems for identifying and referring children who may be eligible for services. Because almost all surveillance programs maintain a registry of all children who have been diagnosed with birth defects in a particular state or other defined geographic region, registries can play an important role in identifying eligible children and providing timely referral to specialized services. METHODS We sent electronically an 18-question survey to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's list of State Birth Defects Surveillance Contacts in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The survey queried states as to whether they had or were developing a birth defect surveillance program, the extent to which they were currently using or were considering using their program as a means of identifying and referring children for services, and if so, the manner in which referrals were made. RESULTS We received completed surveys from all 50 states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico. Thirty-two of the fifty-two respondents stated that their state or entity has an operational birth defect surveillance program. Of these, 13 have implemented an identification and referral system within the surveillance program. All 16 states that were planning a surveillance program are also are planning or beginning to implement a program that would include an identification and referral system. Respondents cited lack of resources and confidentiality concerns as being the major barriers to implementing a referral system for their registry. CONCLUSIONS For many registries, using their surveillance data for program development purposes represents a new undertaking. This trend reflects increasing recognition of the role that state-based birth defect surveillance systems can play in supporting child-find efforts for children with special needs. In the long run, this expanded focus may further enhance the public health usefulness of birth defect surveillance programs. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 67:647–650, 2003. Published 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Dual colorimetric and luminescent assay for dipicolinate, a biomarker of bacterial spores.

A binary mixture of Tb3+ and pyrocatechol violet (PV) forms a 1 : 1 Tb3+/PV complex that can be used in a dye displacement assay. Addition of dipicolinate (DPA) to the Tb3+/DPA complex simultaneously produces a PV color change from blue to yellow and luminescence emission from the newly formed Tb3+/DPA complex.
MOIRÉ INTERFEROMETRY WITH ENHANCED RESOLUTION

Summary The implementation of this method is relatively simple. It does not require any modification to interferometric systems already in use. It can be used in the analysis of large as well as very small fields, including measurements under a microscope. A fringe pattern with a carrier is recorded in a single exposure, just as in the standard procedure. As a consequence, any possible instability of the interferometer does not affect the accuracy of the measurements. Further, the spatial resolution of the measurements is not compromised. Since only one exposure is needed for a given displacement component this method can be applied to dynamic as well as static measurements. It should be emphasized that even though the number of electronically generated fringes can be arbitrary, the sensitivity is the same as in ordinary moire interferometry as long as the data are taken at the lines of minimum intensity. The improvement is in the increase of the number of data points taken at the locations of maximum resolution. In other words, all the data are taken at the maximum resolution. This method applies not only to moire interferometry but to any experimental technique based on two-beam interference, as long as the fringe pattern has good contrast.
Study of metallic adhesion using scanning tunneling microscopy

Scanning tunneling microscopy provides an ideal tool for studying interaction forces, in particular metallic adhesion, at distances of the order of a few A, a range that has not been accessible by other experimental techniques. The tip of the tunnel microscope serves both for tunneling and as a force probe, thus enabling direct correlation of tunneling and force data. Experiments were conducted in uhv using Ir tips and polycrystalline Ir, Au and Al samples. The interaction force gradient and tunnel conductivity were measured as a function of tunnel gap width. The observed characteristics are significantly different for the three metals. In the case of Ir, tunneling and force data are consistent with adhesion theory. Interpretation of the results obtained for Au and Al is more difficult since positive force gradients were observed in the tunneling regime. This indicates that the foremost atoms at the tip apex experienced a repulsive force long before electrical contact is established.
Cholinergic regulation of epithelial sodium channels in rat alveolar type 2 epithelial cells

We and others have shown that epithelial Na+ channels (ENaC) in alveolar type 2 (AT2) cells are activated by β2 agonists, steroid hormones, elevated oxygen tension, and by dopamine. Although acetyl...
Attenuated Plasticity of Postsynaptic Kainate Receptors in Hippocampal CA3 Pyramidal Neurons

Kainate receptor-mediated components of postsynaptic currents at hippocampal mossy fiber synapses have markedly slower kinetics than currents arising from AMPA receptors. Here, we demonstrate that other aspects of kainate and AMPA receptor function at this synapse are distinct; in particular, kainate receptor currents are less sensitive to short- and long-term increases in presynaptic strength. EPSCs arising predominantly from AMPA receptors exhibited well characterized paired-pulse facilitation, frequency facilitation, and NMDA receptor-independent long-term potentiation, whereas isolated kainate receptor synaptic currents (KA-EPSCs) exhibited attenuated facilitation and long-term potentiation. In addition, KA-EPSCs varied in their sensitivity to a low-affinity competitive antagonist, suggestive of a synaptic heterogeneity greater than that of EPSCs comprised predominantly of AMPA receptors. These data suggest that the proportional contribution of AMPA and kainate receptors to ensemble synaptic currents will vary depending on the firing frequency of mossy fiber afferents. These synaptic features may be a mechanism for limiting activation of kainate receptors at mossy fiber synapses, which has been shown to be involved in seizurogenic firing of the CA3 network.
Surgical Treatment of Bullous Emphysema

Bullous emphysema becomes a clinical entity when patients with chronic hypertrophic emphysema, of a localized or generalized form, develop aircysts that are demonstrable roentgenographically. These air-cysts are generally divided into two types,6’ 14 bullae and blebs, depending on their anatomical relationships to the lung. Two clinical types of bullous emphysema are encountered and a careful differentiation between them is of utmost importance in assaying the results of surgical management. The first we refer to as Type I or the localized type. The pathology encountered in this type is that of hypertrophic emphysema but it is characterized by its limitation to a lobe, or more specifically to one or more segments or subsegments of a lobe. Such changes may be confined to one lung or may be present bilaterally. It should be emphasized that Type I bullous emphysema is not associated with generalized hypertrophic emphysema and it should be carefully excluded from Type II or the generalized type of bullous emphysema, in which blebs and bullae are encountered as part of a diffuse, bilateral hypertrophic emphysema. Since surgical treatment of the Type I bullous emphysema is rather clear-cut and results are uniformly excellent, it is with Type II bullous emphysema that the remainder of this discussion will be primarily concerned. It is worthy of note that, from the surgical standpoint, Type I bullous emphysema is a clinical separate entity and should not be confused with congenital anepithelial or nonepithelialized cysts.’#{176} Evaluation of the Emphysema Patient
Evaluation of the abdomen in intoxicated patients: Is computed tomography scan or peritoneal lavage always indicated?

Study objective: To investigate the necessity of intensive evaluation of the intoxicated patient with normal mentation for intra-abdominal injury after blunt torso trauma. Design: Retrospective study; trauma registry and medical records. Setting: Level I regional trauma center serving a population of 2.3 million. Participants: Adult victims of blunt trauma more than 17 years old, admitted between January 1, 1986, and December 31, 1989, with suspected blunt abdominal injury and serum ethanol of more than 100 mg/dL and Glasgow Coma Score of 15. Intervention: All patients had serum ethanol levels measured in mg/dL and computed tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen and/or diagnostic peritoneal lavage (DPL). Results: Criteria were met by 92 patients. Eighty-nine underwent CT scans, two had DPL, and one had both. Of 17 patients complaining of abdominal pain and/or tenderness on palpation, six (35.3%) had blood in the peritoneal cavity demonstrated by CT scan or DPL and underwent celiotomy All 75 patients without abdominal pain or tenderness had negative CT scan or DPL, with no missed injury. Conclusion: In the intoxicated blunt trauma patient with normal mentation, the physical examination is a reliable indicator of abdominal injury. Elevated alcohol level; per se , should not be considered an absolute indication for DPL or abdominal CT.
Phenotypic modification of human airway epithelial cells in air-liquid interface culture induced by exposure to the tobacco-specific nitrosamine 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK).

AbstractThe nitrosamine 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) is a potent tobacco-specific carcinogen. We used an air–liquid interface epithelial cell culture system to model changes associated with NNK exposure relative to pathologies documented in human tobacco-related illnesses. Although in vitro systems exhibit certain limitations, they often offer accentuation of subtle pathologies. While the distribution of cell types in control cultures typically favors the ciliated cell phenotype, NNK-exposed cultures transitioned to non-ciliated cell phenotypes as well as reflecting features consistent with squamous metaplasia. We conclude that NNK impacts normal growth and differentiation of human airway epithelium in a short interval of time in vitro.
Application of a dual unscented Kalman filter for simultaneous state and parameter estimation in problems of surface‐atmosphere exchange

A dual unscented Kalman filter (UKF) was used to assimilate net CO2 exchange (NEE) data measured over a spruce-hemlock forest at the Howland AmeriFlux site in Maine, USA, into a simple physiological model for the purpose of filling gaps in an eddy flux time series. In addition to filling gaps in the measurement record, the UKF approach provides continuous estimates of model parameters and uncertainty.
SATORC: a system analysis tool for reengineering complex systems

Reengineering of complex manufacturing systems depends in part on the availability of experts who have well defined and articulated mental models of specific problems and how to solve them. In this research, a knowledge-based reengineering model is developed. The model is applied to maintenance problem solving at Miller Brewing Company in Eden plant, North Carolina.
Retrieval of Flow Structures in a Convective Boundary Layer Using an Adjoint Model: Identical Twin Experiments

The applicability of a four-dimensional variational data assimilation (4DVAR) technique to retrieval of microscale turbulent structures in a convective boundary layer is assessed. Two new features are implemented into the existing 4DVAR model: a height-dependent eddy viscosity and a surface flux model. The identical twin experiments approach is adopted to utilize the model itself to generate 13 instantaneous three-dimensional radial velocity datasets uniformly spanning 5 min. An ideal experiment, using these datasets as the observations, is first tested. After 400 iterations, the resulting correlation coefficients between retrieved and exact data are 0.99 for velocity and 0.97 for temperature fields. To emulate the lidar scanning feature, the 13 three-dimensional datasets are used to construct two volume scan datasets with each horizontal data slice taken from different instantaneous datasets. Using these data as the input, the correlation coefficients for horizontal, spanwise, and vertical velocity fluctuations and temperature can still reach 0.97, 0.97, 0.94, and 0.72 after 400 iterations. Addition of a surface flux model improves retrieval quality. Allowing height-dependent eddy viscosity and diffusivity does not improve retrieval quality, whereas doubling the value of eddy diffusivity improves retrieval quality. Implementation of temporal and spatial smoothness penalty functions significantly improves retrieval quality in the presence of various sources of error.
Isolation of Older Persons The Influence of Immigration and Length of Residence

Current theories suggest that migration tends to exacerbate isolation of older people, although such isolation should be mitigated by length of residence. Propositions derived from these theories were tested using data collected in San Diego, California, from 1139 older people representing ten different ethnic groups (Black, Hispanic, Pilipino, Guamanian, Samoan, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, American Indian, and nonminority). The findings suggest that recent older immigrants are, in fact, more isolated than elders in other migration/residence statuses. However, immigration seems to exert an overall low level of influence on isolation, whereas ethnicity independently appears to exert a greater influence.
In Situ Monitoring of Solid-State Photochemical Reactions by Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Spectroscopy

The advent of diffuse reflectance (DR) infrared spectroscopy as a routine technique has greatly facilitated the study of otherwise intractable samples. In particular, studies requiring in situ investigation such as oxidation of coals, carbon, adsorption-desorption processes in catalysts, and other surface-active compounds are being studied by DR.
Minnesota, a good place for your heart: trends in cardiovascular disease.

In an evaluation of causes of these positive trends, a significant portion in the early years (1970–1990) was due to a decline in the new events of heart attack and stroke. Primary prevention through risk factor reduction predominated. However, in the more recent years, heart disease improvement tilted towards the beneficial effects of treatment and rehabilitation of those who are afflicted. Today, there is a balance between prevention of disease and effective treatment of it with both contributing to the improved situation we observe.
Novel zinc phosphate topologies defined by organic ligands.

Six new zinc phosphates [C18H20N4][Zn4(HPO4)4(H2PO4)2(C18H18N4)3]·2H2O (1), [Zn4(HPO4)4(C18H18N4)3]·4H2O (2), [Zn3(HPO4)3(H2PO4)(C22H22N8)0.5(C22H24N8)0.5] (3), [Zn2(HPO4)2(C18H16N4)] (4), [Zn(HPO4)(C18H14N2)] (5), and [Zn2(HPO4)2(C12H10N4)] (6) have been synthesized under mild hydrothermal conditions in the presence of 1,4-bis(N-benzimidazolyl)butane (L1), 1,2,4,5-tetrakis(imidazol-1-ylmethyl)benzene (L2), 1,4-bis(imidazol-1-ylmethyl)naphthalene (L3), 9-(imidazol-1-ylmethyl)anthracene (L4), and 1,4-bis(1-imidazolyl)benzene (L5), respectively, and their structures were determined by X-ray crystallography. Compound 1 exhibits a unique inorganic motif of isolated 8-rings interconnected by L1. Compound 2, also formed from L1, contains a previously unobserved chain structure composed of edge-sharing 4-rings and 8-rings. Compound 3, prepared from L2, possesses an unusual one-dimensional framework, which is composed of vertex-sharing 4-rings and triple fused 4-rings. The inorganic portions of 4, 5, and 6 each a...
Action of RORs and their ligands in (patho)physiology

The retinoic-acid-receptor-related orphan receptors (RORs) are members of the nuclear receptor (NR) superfamily whose activity has been implicated in several physiological and pathological processes. The RORs, specifically RORα and RORγ, are considered to be master regulators of T H 17 cells, a recently described subset of CD4 + T helper cells that have been demonstrated to have a pathological role in autoimmune disease. As with most members of the NR superfamily, RORs are ligand-regulated, suggesting that their activity can be modulated by synthetic ligands. Recent advances in the field have established that selective inhibition of the RORs is a viable therapeutic approach for not only the treatment of autoimmune disorders but also ROR-mediated metabolic disorders.
Simulation of light propagation in planar-integrated free-space optics

Abstract A Fourier transform based beam propagation method is described to simulate light propagation in planar-integrated free space optics. Wide angle beam propagation is modified to minimize the required space-bandwidth product and the required computational load with suitable coordinate transforms. To model diffraction at perfectly conducting and dielectric surfaces the extended Kirchhoff approximation is employed. This model accounts for diffraction effects in typical configurations of planar integrated optics, where the thin element approximation fails to provide an accurate description.
Spiropyran Derivatives as Multifunctional Artificial Receptors for Biologically Important Species

Abstract This paper deals with the syntheses and molecular recognition-induced coloration of two main types of the spiropyrans: (1) crowned spirobenzopyrans as alkali-metal cation receptors, and (2) spiropyridopyrans as nucleotide base receptors.
High-speed video processing and display system

A video processing and display system for performing high speed geometrical image transformations has been designed. It involves looking up the video image by using a pointer memory. The system supports any video format which does not exceed the clock rate that the system supports. It also is capable of changing the brightness and colormap of the image through hardware.
Score Gains, Attitudes, and Behavior Changes Due to Answer‐Changing Instruction

Six undergraduate and three graduate classes were given multiple-choice tests with subsequent evaluation of answer changes. The 300 students were tested twice, once before and once after instruction on answer changing. After each test, students were asked to complete two forms. The forms evaluated attitude toward answer changing, reasons for changing, and confidence in final answers. Students showed a significant increase in favorability toward answer changing after instruction. No significant change was found in number of answers changed. Psychology students were found to change significantly more items than were business students. Mean gain score did not change significantly after instruction. It was concluded that although instruction does lead to a change in attitude in answer changing, the number of changes and overall gain due to answer changing do not change. It was also determined that students continue to make significant gains even when their confidence in the final answer is less than 50 on a 100-point scale.
On the moral asymmetry of gametic contributions

An Ravelingien and Guido Pennings (2013) argue that donor-conceived children have a moral right to know the identity of their genetic fathers 1 in cases in which the genetic father is not the socia...
Career and Marriage in the Age of the Pill

Genuine change in the economic and social status of U.S. women did not emanate simply from their increased labor-force participation, but rather, from their increase in professions and as “career women.” Those changes first began in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. We examine here one factor of momentous importance in this break with the past. The Economist (31 December 1999) recently named it the greatest science and technology advance in the twentieth century. It is the oral contraceptive, known worldwide by its moniker “the pill.” In 1960, 18.4 percent of professionals were women, as were 4.7 percent of “high-powered professionals.” By 1998, 36.4 percent of professionals and 25.1 percent of the high-powered subset were women. We explore in this article a series of connections that link the birth-control pill to the increase of women in professional occupations. Our evidence for the impact of the pill relies largely on the timing of various changes. Changes in laws giving minors certain adult rights and lowering the age of majority enabled young and unmarried women to obtain the pill. Young women’s control over their fertility directly reduced the costs to them of engaging in long-term career investments. The pill also served to increase the age at first marriage and thus indirectly reduced a potential penalty of delaying marriage to pursue professional education and training. All of these changes began in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. The late 1960’s and early 1970’s were years of tumultuous social and political change. How can we separate the impacts of affirmative action, the resurgence of feminism, changes in social norms, and abortion reform from the impact of the pill? The simple answer is that the timing of several of these changes is far less convincing than is that of the pill in affecting career investment. But that is not the complete answer. The economic impact of the pill did not occur in isolation. Legal change made it possible for young women to obtain contraceptives. These changes, paradoxically, did not stem primarily from concerns regarding access to contraception. They were, instead, part of the larger political movement of the 1960’s. The pill, moreover, unleashed social change by enabling an increase in the age at first marriage. There is also no doubt that the rebirth of feminism, long in the making, served to complement and reinforce the pill’s impact. Our argument for the importance of the pill in affecting women’s career decisions relies on the correspondence among breaks in various time series and in the logic of the relationships among the pill, career, and marriage. We will begin with the time series on career and marriage, which can be viewed as the dependent variables. The evidence on the diffusion of the pill (the independent variable) is taken up next. The logic of our argument relating pill use, career, and marriage follows, and finally we present our defense for why we believe the pill packed considerable power in altering the social and economic status of American women.
Early changes in tumor size in patients treated for advanced stage nonsmall cell lung cancer do not correlate with survival.

BACKGROUND: In clinical trials, change in tumor size is used to stratify patients into response categories. The objective of the current study was to: 1) determine whether early change in the tumor size were correlated with survival in patients with advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) using modified response categories from the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST), and 2) to determine whether there was an optimal percentage change in tumor size that could be used to define a partial response that also correlated with survival. METHODS: A total of 99 consecutive patients presenting for the treatment of advanced NSCLC during the year 2003 who had computed tomography (CT) scans before and after treatment available for review were included in the study. The largest target thoracic lesion was measured on CT before treatment, and again 2 months to 3 months after the initiation of treatment. Percent change in tumor size was calculated. The relation between tumor response and patient survival was investigated. RESULTS: There was no definite relation noted between early tumor response and patient survival (P = .754). Patients who had any initial reduction in tumor size were not found to have a significantly different survival compared with patients with initial disease progression (P = .580). In addition, there was no particular percent reduction in tumor size that was found to optimally correlate with survival. CONCLUSIONS: There is no evidence of a relation between early changes in tumor size and survival among patients with advanced stage NSCLC. To predict survival in patients with advanced NSCLC, response criteria other than change in lesion size are needed. Cancer 2009. © 2008 American Cancer Society.
Pregalactic black holes - A new constraint

Pregalactic black holes accrete matter in the early universe and produce copious amounts of X radiation. By using observations of the background radiation in the X and gamma wavebands, a strong constraint is imposed upon their possible abundance. If pregalactic black holes are actually present, several outstanding problems of cosmogony can be resolved with typical pregalactic black hole masses of 100 solar masses. Significantly more massive holes cannot constitute an appreciable mass fraction of the universe and are limited by a specific mass-density bound.