cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Randomizing Form: Stochastics and Combinatorics in Postwar Literature

From the 1950s onward, writers increasingly harness mathematical models of randomness to disrupt or organize literary forms. In 1950s Stuttgart, Max Bense leads a project of generative aesthetics based on probability distributions in language. Meanwhile in New York, Fluxus artists and writers use chance operations to set parameters of composition or performance. The Paris-based Oulipo group rejects stochastic models in favor of combinatorial algorithms or literary “axioms.” Despite aesthetic divergences between cybernetic/stochastic and combinatorial/enumerative approaches, these three groups use mathematics and computation to push literary forms beyond the limits of established conventions and intentions. Used to model uncertainty, mathematics comes to signify both “anti-chance” and the real, while the turn to aleatory procedures transforms the literary work into an imitation and formalization of chance.
First postpartum ovulation, metabolites and hormones in follicular fluid and blood in transition dairy cows supplemented with a Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product.

Abstract We hypothesized that feeding a Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product (SCFP) from −4 through +7 wk (calving = Day 0) facilitates early first postpartum ovulation and alters blood and follicular fluid concentrations of glucose, beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), free fatty acids (FFA), and steroid hormones favorable to subsequent fertility. Holstein cows were fed individually a SCFP product (n = 24) or served as controls (n = 23). Blood samples were collected at wk −4 and −2 from expected calving and at 1, 2, 5, and 7 wk postpartum to determine plasma concentrations of FFA and BHB. Early spontaneous ovulation (progesterone > 1 ng/mL or corpus luteum presence by postpartum median Day 33) or late ovulation was determined. Plasma FFA in weekly samples was not affected by SCFP supplementation, but FFA was greater (P
Optimal Transport Based Refinement of Physics-Informed Neural Networks.

In this paper, we propose a refinement strategy to the well-known Physics-Informed Neural Networks (PINNs) for solving partial differential equations (PDEs) based on the concept of Optimal Transport (OT). Conventional black-box PINNs solvers have been found to suffer from a host of issues: spectral bias in fully-connected architectures, unstable gradient pathologies, as well as difficulties with convergence and accuracy. Current network training strategies are agnostic to dimension sizes and rely on the availability of powerful computing resources to optimize through a large number of collocation points. This is particularly challenging when studying stochastic dynamical systems with the Fokker-Planck-Kolmogorov Equation (FPKE), a second-order PDE which is typically solved in high-dimensional state space. While we focus exclusively on the stationary form of the FPKE, positivity and normalization constraints on its solution make it all the more unfavorable to solve directly using standard PINNs approaches. To mitigate the above challenges, we present a novel training strategy for solving the FPKE using OT-based sampling to supplement the existing PINNs framework. It is an iterative approach that induces a network trained on a small dataset to add samples to its training dataset from regions where it nominally makes the most error. The new samples are found by solving a linear programming problem at every iteration. The paper is complemented by an experimental evaluation of the proposed method showing its applicability on a variety of stochastic systems with nonlinear dynamics.
Review of commonly used prostate specific PET tracers used in prostate cancer imaging in current clinical practice.

Abstract 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) underperforms in detecting prostate cancer (PCa) due to inherent characteristics of primary and metastatic tumors, including relatively low rate of glucose utilization. Consequently, alternate PCa PET imaging agents targeting other aspects of PCa cell biology have been developed for clinical practice. The most common dedicated PET imaging tracers include 68Ga/18F prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), 11C-Choline, and 18F-fluciclovine (Axumin™). This review will describe how these agents target specific inherent characteristics of PCa and explore the current literature for these agents for both primary and recurrent PCa, comparing the advantages and limitations of each tracer. Both 11C-Choline and 18F-Fluciclovine PET have been shown to detect nodal and osseous disease at higher rates compared to FDG-PET but offer no additional benefit in detecting prostate disease, especially in primary staging. As a result, PSMA PET, specifically 68Ga-PSMA-11, has emerged as a key imaging option for both primary and recurrent cancer. PSMA PET may be more sensitive than MRI at the local level and more sensitive than 11C-Choline and 18F-Fluciclovine PET for distant disease. Furthermore, compared to 11C-Choline and 18F-Fluciclovine PET, 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET has higher detection rates at low PSA levels (
A novel homozygous mutation of the PCNT gene in a Chinese patient with microcephalic osteodysplastic primordial dwarfism type II.

BACKGROUND Microcephalic osteodysplastic primordial dwarfism type II (MOPD II) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by severe pre- and postnatal growth restrictions, microcephaly, skeletal dysplasia, severe teeth deformities, and typical facial features. Previous studies have shown that MOPD II is associated with mutations in the pericentrin (PCNT) gene. METHODS We evaluated the clinical features of a 10-year and 7-month-old Chinese girl with MOPD II. Subsequently, next-generation sequencing and flow cytometry were performed to investigate genetic characteristics and the expression of PCNT protein respectively. RESULTS The patient presented with short stature, microcephaly, typical craniofacial features, teeth deformity, thrombocytosis, and a delayed bone age (approximately 7 years). No abnormality in growth hormone or insulin-like growth factor 1 was detected. Notably, the patient was found to carry a novel homozygous PCNT mutation (c.6157G>T, p.Glu2053Ter), which was inherited from her healthy heterozygous parents. Meanwhile, significant deficiency of PCNT expression was identified in the patient. CONCLUSION Our study identified a novel PCNT mutation associated with MOPD II, expanded the mutation spectrum of the PCNT gene and improved our understanding of the molecular basis of MOPD II.
A REVIEW OF SEPARATE AND JOINT STRATEGIES FOR THE USE OF DATA ON REVEALED AND STATED CHOICES

This paper examines recent developments in household travel surveys that collect data for use in transportation planning and modeling efforts. The paper then introduces the notion of a total survey design and elaborates on what is meant by this concept. This is done first in the context of standard surveys of revealed choices. The paper discusses aspects of content and respondent burden and illustrates the potential to reduce respondent burden through careful consideration of content, question design, and question ordering. The paper also explores some issues of survey "friendliness" particularly with respect to activity surveys versus time-use surveys, with some observations about the potential of time-use surveys to eliminate some of the burden and content problems of previous diary designs. The remainder of the paper concentrates on the issue of collecting stated-response data and examines two alternative methods for collection: simultaneous collection of the contextual information and "on-the-fly" development of the alternatives for the stated-response questions, or sequential collection of contextual data and development of the stated-response questions. The paper also addresses issues of respondent burden that arise in the administration of stated-response surveys. The paper concludes with exploration of some of the reasons for collecting stated-response data, with particular emphasis on the US situation. In conclusion, the paper stresses again the need for a total design concept for collection of stated-response data, as well as for the simpler collection of more standard revealed choice data.
Anthocyanidins and related compounds—XI: Catechin-flavylium salt condensation reactions

Abstract Flavylium salts and d-catechin condense oxidatively to yield crystalline 4-flavanylflavylium salts. Aerial oxidation is not involved in these condensation reactions. A 4-flavanylflavene is first formed and then oxidized by a second molecule of the flavylium salt, which is reduced to a monomeric flav-2-ene. This conclusion is supported by studies on the oxidation of model phenolic flav-2-enes. Disproportionation of a flavene, viz. VIII, to a flavylium salt and the corresponding flavan has been demonstrated unequivocally for the first time.
Nonholonomic systems and exponential convergence: some analysis tools

In this paper the authors make a contribution to the analysis of nonholonomic systems with exponential rates of convergence. A key idea is the use of control laws which render the closed loop system homogeneous with respect to a dilation. The analysis is applied to nonholonomic systems in power form and consists of two steps. The first step is a reduction to an invariant set and then the application of an averaging result. The averaging theorem is a stability result for C/sup 0/ homogeneous order zero vector fields. >
Alternative preservatives of insect DNA for citizen science and other low-cost applications

Prevention of DNA degradation is essential to conducting molecular analyses of field-captured specimens. This is especially important for projects that incorporate participation of non-specialists in research, such as agency monitoring of pests, or citizen science, where standard methods of preservation may be inaccessible. We examined efficacy of three common alternative products as a substitute for 95% ethanol or pure propylene glycol in preserving DNA: alcohol-based hand sanitiser and propylene and ethylene glycol-based automobile antifreeze. We subjected Xylosandrus compactus ambrosia beetles (Coleoptera : Curculionidae : Scolytinae) to each preservative for two or seven days under direct outdoor exposure and assessed relative quantity of intact DNA by performing real-time polymerase chain reaction amplification of a single-copy nuclear marker. Amplification was observed in all treatments and electrophoresis of the amplified product showed clear bands of the appropriate weight. Successful amplification of the target gene was verified by sequencing the amplified control. No statistically significant differences were found between the cycle threshold values of any treatment. Our results suggest that alcohol-based hand sanitiser and automobile antifreeze can successfully preserve DNA for short-term storage and serve as effective substitutes for laboratory-grade preservatives in citizen science projects, large-scale trapping projects or by professionals.
Microwave spectrum of tertiary-butylphosphine

Abstract The microwave spectra of tertiarybutylphosphine (CH 3 ) 3 CPH 2 , (CH 3 ) 3 CPHD, and (CH 3 ) 3 CPD 2 have been recorded in the region 26.5–40.3 GHz. Both a - and c -type transitions were observed and assigned for the “light” and “heavy” molecules and a -type transitions were observed and assigned for the d 1 species. The rigid rotor rotational constants were determined to be A = 4397.63 ± 0.04, B = 2878.88 ± 0.02, and C = 2870.86 ± 0.02 MHz for (CH 3 ) 3 CPH 2 and A = 4261.98 ± 0.04, B = 2769.82 ± 0.02, and C = 2752.71 ± 0.02 MHz for (CH 3 ) 3 CPD 2 and A = 4330 ± 2, B = 2831.45 ± 0.02, and C = 2801.50 ± 0.02 MHz for (CH 3 ) 3 CPHD. Dipole moment components of | μ a | = 1.06 ± 0.02, | μ c | = 0.49 ± 0.02 and | μ t | = 1.17 ± 0.02 D were determined from the Stark effect. By assuming reasonable structural parameters for the tertiarybutyl and phosphine groups, a least-squares fit of the rotational constants gave λ P-C = 1.896 A and ∢CPH = 95.7° . No splitting was observed of the first excited state of the phosphine torsional mode.
Shannon Wavelet Approach to Sub-Band Coding

It is well known that the Shannon Sampling Theorem allows us to fully recover a continuous-time bandlimited signal from its digital samples, as long as the sampling rate to be chosen is not smaller than the Nyquist frequency. This theory applies to all bandlimited signals, which may or may not occupy the entire frequency band. Hence, it is intuitively convincing that for continuous-time signals, such as those in speech, that do not fully utilize the entire frequency intervals, less digital samples are required for their full recovery. Current techniques in sub-band coding are used for achieving this goal. The objective of this paper is to present a wavelet theory for establishing the mathematical foundation of this sub-band coding approach. A wavelet packet decomposition of the signal provides the optimal sub-band coding bit-rate by using the Shannon wavelet library introduced in this paper.
Identification of an actin-binding protein from Dictyostelium as elongation factor 1a

INDIRECT evidence has implicated an interaction between the cytoskeleton and the protein synthetic machinery1–8. Two recent reports have linked the elongation factor la (EF-la) which is involved in protein synthesis, with the microtubular cytoskeleton7–8.In situ hybridization has, however, revealed that the messages for certain cytoskeletal proteins are preferentially associated with actin filaments6. ABP-50 is an abundant actin filament bundling protein of native relative molecular mass 50,000 (50K)9 isolated from Dictyostelium discoideum. Immunofluorescence studies show that ABP-50 is present in filopodia and other cortical regions that contain actin filament bundles9,10. In addition, ABP-50 binds to monomeric actin in the cytosol of unstimulated cells and the association of ABP-50 with the actin cytoskeleton is regulated during chemotaxis10. Through complementary DNA sequencing and subsequent functional analysis, we have identified ABP-50 as D. discoideum EF-la. The ability of EF-la to bind reversibly to the actin cytoskeleton upon stimulation could provide a mechanism for spatially and temporally regulated protein synthesis in eukaryotic cells.
Increased NQO1 but Not c-MET and Survivin Expression in Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma with KRAS Mutations

Cigarette smoking is one of the most significant public health issues and the most common environmental cause of preventable cancer deaths worldwide. EGFR (Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor)-targeted therapy has been used in the treatment of LC (lung cancer), mainly caused by the carcinogens in cigarette smoke, with variable success. Presence of mutations in the KRAS (Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog) driver oncogene may confer worse prognosis and resistance to treatment for reasons not fully understood. NQO1 (NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase), also known as DT-diaphorase, is a major regulator of oxidative stress and activator of mitomycins, compounds that have been targeted in over 600 pre-clinical trials for treatment of LC. We sequenced KRAS and investigated expression of NQO1 and five clinically relevant proteins (DNMT1, DNMT3a, ERK1/2, c-MET, and survivin) in 108 patients with non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). NQO1, ERK1/2, DNMT1, and DNMT3a but not c-MET and survivin expression was significantly more frequent in patients with KRAS mutations than those without, suggesting the following: (1) oxidative stress may play an important role in the pathogenesis, worse prognosis, and resistance to treatment reported in NSCLC patients with KRAS mutations, (2) selecting patients based on their KRAS mutational status for future clinical trials may increase success rate, and (3) since oxidation of nucleotides also specifically induces transversion mutations, the high rate of KRAS transversions in lung cancer patients may partly be due to the increased oxidative stress in addition to the known carcinogens in cigarette smoke.
Aerosol and cloud sensing with the lidar in-space technology experiment (LITE)

The Lidar In-space Technology Experiment (LITE) is a multi-wavelength backscatter lidar developed by NASA Langley Research Center to fly on the Space Shuttle. The LITE instrument is built around a three-wavelength ND:YAG laser and a 1-meter diameter telescope. The laser operates at 10 Hz and produces about 500 mJ per pulse at 1064 nm and 532 nm, and 150 mJ per pulse at 355 nm. The objective of the LITE program is to develop the engineering processes required for space lidar and to demonstrate applications of space-based lidar to remote sensing of the atmosphere. The LITE instrument was designed to study a wide range of cloud and aerosol phenomena. To this end, a comprehensive program of scientific investigations has been planned for the upcoming mission. Simulations of on-orbit performance show the instrument has sufficient sensitivity to detect even thin cirrus on a single-shot basis. Signal averaging provides the capability of measuring the height and structure of the planetary boundary layer, aerosols in the free troposphere, the stratospheric aerosol layer, and density profiles to an altitude of 40 km. The instrument has successfully completed a ground-test phase and is scheduled to fly on the Space Shuttle Discovery for a 9-day mission in September 1994.
A comparison between two measurement configurations for full 3D GPR imaging

In the frame of full 3D Ground Penetrating Radar imaging, this paper deals with a model based approach, exploiting the Born approximation to describe the scattering phenomenon and accounting for the vectorial nature of the signal-media interaction. The goal is to investigate how the information content of the collected data changes with two specific reflection-mode measurement arrangements. These are the multimonostatic configuration and the single view/multistatic one, both exploiting frequency diversity. By taking advantage of a Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) based analysis of the relevant scattering operators, the imaging performance referred to both the measurement configurations are compared in terms of the retrievable spatial harmonics of the unknown contrast function. Reconstruction results based on synthetic data confirm that the multimonostatic configuration yields better performance, while requiring exactly the same amount of measurements of the single view one.
Application of fire suppression materials on suppression of LNG pool fires

An LNG pool fire is considered one of the main hazards of LNG, together with LNG vapor dispersion. Suppression methods are designed to reduce the hazard exclusion zones, distance to reach radiant heat of 5 kW/m2, when an LNG pool fire is considered. For LNG vapor dispersion, the hazard exclusion zone is the distance travelled by the LNG vapor to reach a concentration of 2.5% v/v (half of the LNG lower flammability limit). Warming the LNG vapor to reach positive buoyancy faster is one way to suppress LNG vapor dispersion and reduce evaporation rate (thus fire size and its associated radiant heat) and that is the main objective in LNG pool fire suppression. Based on previous research, the use of high expansion foam has been regarded as the primary method in suppressing LNG pool fires. However, in 1980, another method was introduced as an alternative pool fire suppression system, Foamglas®. The research concluded that 90% of the radiant heat was successfully reduced. Currently-called Foamglas® pool fire suppression (Foamglas® PFS) is a passive mitigation system and is deployed after the leak occurs. Foamglas® PFS is non-flammable, and has a density one-third of the density of LNG, thus floats when an LNG pool is formed. This paper describes the study and confirmation of Foamglas®PFS effectiveness in suppressing LNG pool fires. In addition, while Foamglas® PFS is not expected to suppress LNG vapor dispersion, further investigation was conducted to study the effect of Foamglas®PFS on LNG vapor dispersion. An LNG field experiment was conducted at Brayton Fire Field. The experimental development, procedures, results and findings are detailed in this paper.
Copper-induced synthesis of copper-chelatin in rat liver☆

Abstract Intraperitoneal injection of CuCl 2 into rats leads to the accumulation of Cu-chelatin, a low molecular weight copper-containing protein which is not detectable in significant quantities in livers of control rats even after in vitro addition of copper to liver homogenates. In control rat liver preparations, the Sephadex G-75 eluate fraction corresponding to Cu-chelatin fails to bind copper under conditions in which the apochelatin is reconsitituted with the metal. A marked increase in the incorporation of [4,5- 3 H]lysine into Cu-chelatin is observed in experiments where the labeled amino acid is used for pulse-labeling 5.5 h after copper injection. Administration of cycloheximide or actinomycin D to rats prior to exposure to copper results in marked inhibition of the incorporation of the radioactive lysine into Cu-chelatin without preventing hepatic accumulation of the metal. Under these conditions, the extraneous copper is found to be associated with the major protein components, with no detectable increase in the Cu-chelatin fraction. The incorporation of [5- 3 H]orotic acid into liver RNA is elevated in Cu-treated rats. The Cu-stimulated labeling of RNA is abolished by the pretreatment of the animals with actinomycin D. These results provide evidence for the induction by copper of the synthesis of Cu-chelatin by a mechanism involving transcriptional control.
Chromatin and Pluripotency: the MYSTerious Connection

Although histone acetylation is critical for maintaining embryonic stem cell pluripotency, the molecular machinery involved remains poorly understood. Li et al. (2012) now show that Mof, a MYST family histone acetyltransferase, functions as a coactivator of Nanog-mediated transcription, maintains the expression of pluripotency-associated genes, and primes developmental genes for differentiation.
Robust HOSVD-Based Higher-Order Data Indexing and Retrieval

Higher-order singular value decomposition (HOSVD), a natural multilinear extension of the matrix SVD, computes the orthonormal spaces associated with different modes of the tensor. It is widely employed for feature extraction, dimensionality reduction etc. However, due to the vast quantities of tensor entries involved in calculation, it inevitably suffers from high computational cost, especially when recalculation of HOSVD is frequently required. To address the problem, we prove theoretically that the set of HOSVD unitary matrices of a sub-tensor is equivalent to the corresponding subset of HOSVD unitary matrices of the original tensor. Therefore, if we first arrange all tensors in the database compactly as a higher-order tensor, then we only need to conduct HOSVD once on the total tensor. We subsequently propose a robust HOSVD-based multilinear approach for efficiently indexing and retrieving multifactor data, in responding to various query structures. We also apply the proposed method for indexing and retrieval of multi-camera multi-object motion trajectory. Simulation results demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed approach in terms of both robustness and efficiency.
Progesterone Production Rates During the Third Trimester of Pregnancy in Normal Women, Diabetic Women, and Women with Abnormal Glucose Tolerance1

The metabolic clearance rate of progesterone has been studied by single injection (MCRR) [2340 ± 183 (se) l/day in 7 subjects] and by continuous infusion (MCRr) methods in the third trimester of pregnancy in 22 normal women [2020 ± 135 (se) l/day], 10 women with abnormal intravenous glucose tolerance (GTT) [2830 ± 229 (se) l/day], and in 11 insulin-dependent diabetic women—7 treated with estrogen and progestin [2400 ± 176 (se) l/day] and 4 not treated with estrogen and progestin [2260 ± 280 (se) l/day]. The inner volume of distribution (VI) in normal pregnant women was 13.2 ± 1. 3 (se) 1 and the outer volume assuming metabolism in tie inner compartment to be zero was 38.0 ± 7.6 (se) 1 and assuming metabolism in the outer compartment to be zero was 21.0 ± 4.1 (se) 1. The plasma/blood concentration of 3H-progesterone was 1.55 (expected ratio 1.59), and therefore, progesterone is distributed primarily in the plasma during pregnancy. The MCRr for patients with abnormal GTT was different from normals (P < 0.00...
Connections between community and emerging technology: support for enhanced oil recovery in the Weyburn, Saskatchewan area.

Abstract The enhanced oil recovery project located near Weyburn, Saskatchewan has played an important role in geologic carbon sequestration development. It is one of the earliest and largest sites demonstrating the feasibility of underground storage of CO 2 in an enhanced oil recovery (EOR) project. The project has been operating for more than a decade with little community opposition and provides a unique opportunity to examine local public opinion of EOR. In-depth, face-to-face interviews with Weyburn-area residents were held to better understand local perceptions of the risks and benefits associated with the development. Results indicate that there is high community support for the project. The primary factors that related to community perceptions of the EOR project included: trust in industry to monitor and manage the project, pride in technological development, local oil field operators contributing to community functioning, and the associated benefits to the region including economic stability. Results also highlight the need for developers to recognize local contexts and residents’ concerns about their community and environment. This research elucidates why the project has support from local community members and also provides recommendations for risk communication and management of similar current and proposed projects.
Replication Timing Predicts Underreplicated Domains in Polyploid Trophoblast Giant Cells

s / Placenta 34 (2013) A1–A99 A8 migrants to high altitude. Our global hypothesis is that evolution has favored genes that may permit greater fetal growth even in the presence of hypoxia. Methods: Using microarrays, we compared placental RNA from 45 Native Americans versus Europeans. Our criteria for differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were a fold change > 1.25 with an adjusted p-value < 0.01. Results: There were only 10 DEGs in Andeans versus Europeans at 400 m. The most pronounced was localized to chromosome 19, is a member of the pregnancy specific glycoprotein family, and its expression is increased in Andeans. In contrast, there were 54 altitude-induced DEGs in the Europeans and 40 in the Andeans. These are ancestry dependent DEGs because there were only two shared between ancestry groups (Figure 1). There were 103 DEGs between the high and low altitude individuals irrespective of ancestry, including NOS3, a nitric oxide synthase, associated with the regulation of oxygen in hypoxic environments. Conclusion: These findings support the concept that the ancestry-environment interaction differs between Native American and European groups. Andeans at 3600 m showed enrichment of genes related to the HIF1 pathway, while there is over-representation of DEGs related to inflammation and coagulation in Europeans. Our current analyses target differences in placental morphometrics in relation to the DEGs reported here. Support: 1R211HD068954-01, NIHHD042737, NSFBCS0309142
Transfer times of electrons and holes across the interface in CdS/HgS/CdS quantum dot quantum well nanoparticles

Abstract The electron and hole trapping times in the HgS well of a 6 nm CdS/HgS/CdS quantum dot quantum well nanoparticle were determined from the rise time of the ultrafast transient absorption in the visible and IR regions as well as the trap fluorescence when the CdS core is excited. From the 1.5 ps observed rise time of the well fluorescence (which is determined by the trapping time of the slowest carrier) and the intraband hole IR absorption (150 fs), the electron localization time is found to be 1.5 ps while that of the hole is ∼150 fs. This large difference in the observed dynamics of the electron and hole in crossing the CdS/HgS interface is discussed.
Target tracking by a human operator

In this paper target tracking as an hierarchical information extraction process is defined and spatio-temporal factors in vision affecting motion detection are briefly discussed. The relativistic aspects of motion perception which quantify perceived extent, time, and velocity of moving objects are introduced. A systems approach to the operator-display interaction is also investigated and the role of the human operator as an optimal position and velocity estimator and controller is presented.© (1990) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
High-performance hydrophobic interaction chromatography of proteins

A new, weakly hydrophobic, high-performance liquid chromatography column has been developed for the separation of native proteins based on their relative hydrophobicities. Starting with a covalently bound, hydrophilic polyamine matrix, packing materials were synthesized through acylation with anhydrides and acid chlorides of increasing chain length to obtain increasingly hydrophobic surfaces. Proteins in aqueous buffers were induced to bind hydrophobically to the columns by the use of high salt concentrations in the mobile phase. Elution was achieved by decreasing the ionic strength of the solvent in a linear gradient. A mixture of cytochrome c, conalbumin, and beta-glucosidase was used as a standard to test the resolving power of newly synthesized columns. On a 4-cm butyrate column, baseline resolution was achieved in 20 min with a gradient of 3.0 mu sodium sulfate in 0.1 M potassium phosphate buffer, pH 7.0, to water. The static loading capacity for each column was determined using a hemoglobin binding assay. Capacities normally ranged between 150 and 180 mg of hemoglobin per gram of support. Since proteins are not denatured in hydrophobic interaction chromatography, enzymes eluted from the column retained enzymatic activity. Samples of alpha-amylase and beta-glucosidase ranging in size from 10 to 200 micrograms were recovered from the butyrate column with greater than 92% enzymatic activity in all cases. In a single trial, the enzyme citrate synthase was recovered from the benzoate column with 92% retention of enzymatic activity.
A mechanism for regulation of the adhesion-associated protein tyrosine kinase pp125FAK

FOCAL adhesion kinase1,2 (pp125FAK) is a member of a growing family of structurally distinct protein tyrosine kinases that includes the recently identified FakB3 and PYK2/CAKβ/ RAFTK4,6. Activation of pp125FAK has been functionally linked to the formation of focal adhesions, integrin-mediated sites of contact between the cell and the extracellular matrix7,8. The carboxy-terminal domain of pp125FAK is also expressed as a separate protein called pp41/43FRNK(where FRNK represents pp125FAK-related non-kinase)9. Here we show that pp41/43FRNK acts as an inhibitor of pp125FAK by transiently blocking the formation of focal adhesions on fibronectin and constitutively reducing tyrosine phosphorylation of both pp125FAK and of two focal adhesion proteins, tensin and paxillin. These inhibitory effects of pp41/43FRNK are reversed by co-expression of pp!25FAK, suggesting that pp125FAK and pp41/43FRNK compete for a common binding protein(s) whose association with pp125FAK is necessary for signalling by pp125FAK. We propose that pp41/43FRNK functions as an endogenous regulator of pp125FAK, thus providing an unusual means to regulate both tyrosine kinase activity and cellular adhesion to the extracellular matrix.
Abstract 4330: Endometrial hyperplasia resulting from myeloid-specific targeting of the tumor suppressor APC

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL The Adenomatous polyposis coli (APC1) tumor suppressor is a multi-function protein with a central role in Wnt-regulated cell growth and differentiation. Additionally, APC functions to modulate microtubule and microfilament dynamics to establish polarity in epithelia during directed cell migration and asymmetric cell division. APC frequently collaborates with the canonical Diaphanous-related formin, mDia1 (DIAPH1), which also binds microfilaments and microtubules to modulate cytoskeletal dynamics. APC1 and DIAPH1 are genetically linked on chromosome 5q in a region frequently disrupted in myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). mDia1 knockout mice develop an age-dependent outgrowth of myeloid-lineage cells. The physical and functional linkage of APC and mDia1 as 5q tumor suppressors and in cytoskeletal remodeling led us to explore the role of APC in tumor suppression in myeloid-derived cell lineages affected by mDia1 knockout. To test this hypothesis in a genetic model, we created a mouse in which APC was knocked out in myeloid lineage cells by breeding the Apc-flox mice with mice expressing Cre recombinase under the control of lysozyme M (LyzsM) gene promoter. The resulting phenotype was unexpected and 100% penetrant: Female mice developed cystic endometrial hyperplasia and were unable to sustain pregnancy. Embryo implantation occurred, but embryos were resorbed mid-gestation irrespective of progeny genotype. Two hypothesized mechanisms to explain the initiation of endometrial hyperplasia are being pursued. The first hypothesis is that loss of APC impairs the homeostasis between growth and differentiation of myeloid lineage stem/progenitor cells that transdifferentiate into uterine epithelia. An alternate hypothesis is that loss of APC expression affects the inflammatory response of resident uterine macrophages that lead to defects in epithelial morphology. In either case, these genetic studies imply that APC gene defects in myeloid lineage cells may be an initiating event in endometrial cancer. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4330. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-4330
An Optimization Model for Production Costing in Electric Utilities

Estimating the annual production cost is a crucial component in long range capacity planning for electric utilities. Traditional simulation-based methods are quite expensive in terms of computer resources space and time, while simpler mathematical programming-based models generally assume a linear variable production cost. This paper presents a method that incorporates quadratic production costs for each unit and uses optimization submodels to develop a system production cost versus output curve. The method is tested using data from a large southeastern utility. Production cost estimates within one percent of the estimates from a large simulation model were obtained with a small fraction of the simulation model's computing time. The concluding section discusses how the new method might be incorporated in procedures for capacity planning.
Extended Antimicrobial Use in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy and Associated Antibiotic Related Complications

Purpose: Despite global concern about antibiotic related complications the duration of antibiotic therapy at percutaneous nephrolithotomy varies based on individual physician practice. We evaluated perioperative antibiotic related complications in patients who received extended antimicrobial therapy at percutaneous nephrolithotomy.Materials and Methods: We reviewed the records of 227 consecutive patients treated with percutaneous nephrolithotomy from 2009 to 2013. Patients with positive urine or stone cultures received extended antimicrobial treatment. All others received 7 days of empirical therapy preoperatively and postoperatively. Adverse antibiotic related events were recorded for up to 3 months.Results: The median duration of antibiotic therapy was 14 days (IQR 14–34). Perioperatively 143 (63%), 67 (30%), 75 (33%) and 41 patients (18%) received nitrofurantoin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, fluoroquinolones and other antibiotics, respectively. Antibiotic related complications developed in 23 patient...
Linear stability of needle crystals in the boundary-layer model of dendritic solidification

We perform the linear-stability analysis in the boundary-layer model of dendritic solidification using both the direct matrix-diagonalization method and the differential-equation integration method. The fastest needle-crystal steady state is found to be linearly stable for nonzero anisotropy; successively slower needle crystals have successively more unstable modes. This result agrees with those previously obtained on other models.
Business Ethics: A Comparison of Business and Humanities Students and Faculty

Abstract This study employed a survey of business and humanities faculty and undergraduate students to assess these groups' personal ethics and commitment to social responsibility. The 216 participants registered their opinions regarding the ethicality of 17 business-related scenarios. The findings indicate that participants' discipline (business or humanities) did not play a significant role in value judgments. Additionally, faculty in each discipline exhibited higher personal ethics than did their students.
The Effects of Guided Care on the Perceived Quality of Health Care for Multi-morbid Older Persons: 18-Month Outcomes from a Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND The quality of health care for older Americans with chronic conditions is suboptimal.
Letter by Attaran Regarding Article, “Cardiac Ischemic Preconditioning in Coronary Stenting (CRISP Stent) Study: A Prospective, Randomized Control Trial”

To the Editor: Hoole et al1 should be commended for their study of remote ischemic preconditioning in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. In this prospective, randomized, controlled, single-center trial, the authors found that the remote ischemic preconditioning group showed an attenuated serum troponin …
Serious congenital heart disease and necrotizing enterocolitis in very low birth weight neonates.

Background Infants with serious congenital heart disease (CHD) appear to be at increased risk for necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). This study aimed to quantify the incidence and mortality of NEC among very low birth weight (VLBW) neonates with serious CHD, and identify specific CHD diagnoses at the highest risk for developing NEC. Study Design Data were prospectively collected on 257,794 VLBW (401 to 1,500 g) neonates born from 2006 to 2011 and admitted to 674 Vermont Oxford Network US centers. Entries were coded for specific CHD diagnoses and reviewed for completeness and consistency. Survival was defined as alive in-hospital at 1 year or discharge. Results Of eligible neonates, 1,931 had serious CHD. Of these, 253 (13%) developed NEC (vs 9% in infants without CHD, adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.80, p Conclusions The incidence of NEC is significantly higher in VLBW neonates when CHD is present. The mortality of CHD and NEC together is substantially higher than that with each disease alone. Infants with atrioventricular canal appear to have higher risk for developing NEC than other CHD diagnoses. In addition to providing benchmark incidence and mortality data, these findings may have utility in the further study of the pathophysiology of NEC.
An alternative desiccant cooling cycle

A computer analysis of the thermal performance of a desiccant cooling cycle in which the cooled air, passing to the space to be conditioned, has not been in contact with the desiccant. It is shown that an important factor is the efficiency of the desiccant tower. Only liquid desiccants are considered.
Clinical Application of a Multiplex Real-Time PCR Assay for Simultaneous Detection of Legionella Species, Legionella pneumophila, and Legionella pneumophila Serogroup 1

ABSTRACT We developed a single-tube multiplex real-time PCR assay capable of simultaneously detecting and discriminating Legionella spp., Legionella pneumophila, and Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 in primary specimens. Evaluation of 21 clinical specimens and 115 clinical isolates demonstrated this assay to be a rapid, high-throughput diagnostic test with 100% specificity that may aid during legionellosis outbreaks and epidemiologic investigations.
Physiology-based affect recognition for computer-assisted intervention of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Generally, an experienced therapist continuously monitors the affective cues of the children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and adjusts the course of the intervention accordingly. In this work, we address the problem of how to make the computer-based ASD intervention tools affect-sensitive by designing therapist-like affective models of the children with ASD based on their physiological responses. Two computer-based cognitive tasks are designed to elicit the affective states of liking, anxiety, and engagement that are considered important in autism intervention. A large set of physiological indices are investigated that may correlate with the above affective states of children with ASD. In order to have reliable reference points to link the physiological data to the affective states, the subjective reports of the affective states from a therapist, a parent, and the child himself/herself were collected and analyzed. A support vector machines (SVM)-based affective model yields reliable prediction with approximately 82.9% success when using the therapist's reports. This is the first time, to our knowledge, that the affective states of children with ASD have been experimentally detected via physiology-based affect recognition technique.
Computed Tomography For Optical Computing

All known methods of computed tomography (CT) for image reconstruction from parallel projections have been derived from Fourier transform (the central slice theorem) and inverse Fourier transform, and the present Hankel transform tomography being an angular slice theorem is of no exception. Such a simplified viewpoint and unified theory is expected to serve the reader of optical computing and to pool interdisciplinary knowledge from a broader scientific community. The community can apply CT to optical computing or innovate novel approaches to solve the problem of real time and safe dosage computed tomography.
Why so much stability? An optimistic view of the possibility of rational legislative decisionmaking

Recent formal models of legislatures have proved that equilibrium outcomes are extremely unlikely without either (1) extreme restrictions upon preferences or (2) constraints upon the agenda. The implication is that constant instability or dictatorial manipulation is the norm in politics.
HYPNOSIS AND THE DESENSITIZATION BEHAVIOR THERAPIES

A distinction is made between desensitization techniques carried out in vivo and other modes of desensitization therapy (flooding, implosion, and systematic desensitization) which rely upon mental operations or processes. Research is reviewed and points are discussed which support a position supporting a relationship between variables and phenomena found in the desensitization therapies and those found in hypnosis. This relationship appears to be greatest in those desensitization therapies basing treatment upon the utilization of mental operations. Some new lines of research are then proposed.
Causes of Death in Patients with Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Most patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) also have cirrhosis, an independent cause of death. We considered an alternative definition of tumor-related death in patients with HCC and attempted to validate our definition. Two hundred thirty-seven HCC patients were diagnosed, followed, and died over a 12-year period and were evaluated every 2 months, including their last 6 months of life. We defined death by cancer if there was, in the last 6 months of life, a CT scan increase of >25% in the sum of tumor index lesions' cross-sectional areas or new onset of, or increase in, either vascular invasion or metastatic disease (Group 1). Patients with stable cancer were considered to have died from any other cause (Group 2). We found that 135 (57%) patients died from cancer progression (Group 1), whereas 102 (43%) patients did not (Group 2). There was a statistically significant difference between Group 1 and Group 2 patients in percentage with bilobar disease (P = 0.03), more than one tumor (P = 0.01), an increase in AFP (P = 0.04), vascular invasion (P = 0.001), and the presence of metastases (P = 0.01). We conclude that 57% of patients with unresectable HCC died as a direct result of cancer progression, but 43% did not. The latter died from complications of their cirrhosis, including sepsis, GI bleeds, and renal failure.
Patching fellow eyes during subjective night does not prevent disruption to minus lens compensation in constant light-reared chicks

Abstract Purpose This study re-examined an earlier claim that monocular patching during subjective night (i.e. patched at the usual time that night would occur) in the chicks reared in continuous lighting (CL), offered unpatched eyes some protection from the ocular effects of CL. It also examined whether this monocular patching protected unpatched eyes against the disruptive effect of CL on compensation to minus lenses. Methods Hatchling White-Leghorn chicks were reared in either constant or diurnal lighting conditions ( n = 28) for 2 weeks. Some CL chicks had their right eyes patched every night during the entire study. Lenses of either +10 or −10 D power were fitted to the unpatched eyes of some patched chicks at the beginning of the second week. Retinoscopy, IR photo-keratometry and high-frequency A-scan ultrasonography were used to track refractions, corneal radius of curvature and ocular axial dimensions respectively; data were collected on experimental days 0, 7, 9 and 14. Results The patched eyes were completely protected from the ocular growth effects of CL, i.e. accelerated posterior segment (vitreous chamber) growth and inhibited anterior segment growth. Although the unpatched eyes showed no protection from the anterior chamber effects of CL, they were completely protected from the effects of CL on vitreous chamber growth. Nonetheless, the response to the −10 D lenses was disrupted in unpatched eyes, which responded in the wrong direction for compensation (+5.5 ± 0.25 D more hyperopic than no lens-unpatched eyes). The response to the +10 D lenses was preserved (+9.25 ± 0.25 D more hyperopic than no lens-unpatched eyes). Conclusion These data provide further support for local control of emmetropization, as reflected in compensatory lens responses, but point to additional influences on eye growth as reflected in CL-induced ocular changes.
Functional and Structural Features of a Tandem Duplication of the Human mtDNA Promoter Region

Summary An ∼260-bp tandem duplication of the human mtDNA regulatory region has been identified in patients with mitochondrial disorders and in a specific Caucasian haplogroup. The functional significance of this mtDNA duplication was difficult to assess, because it was present at very low levels in human tissues. We have isolated several transmitochondrial cybrid lines harboring this mutation, one of which (clone CA17.1) was essentially homoplasmic for the duplication. Oxidative-phosphory-lation function was not impaired in clone CA17.1, suggesting that this mtDNA alteration is not pathogenic. mtDNA copy number and steady-state levels of heavy-and light-strand transcripts were unaltered in clone CA 17.1. The steady-state levels of RNAs made from the two promoters (either from the heavy-strand or from the light-strand) were also similar, indicating that oppositely oriented promoters did not interfere with each other.