cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ultrasonic absorption in intermediate purity type-II superconductors

Abstract Ultrasonic absorption measurements on reversible V-5 at.% Ta with K ≈ 7 and ξ o l ≈ 5 provide sensitive characterization of the regime of type-II behavior intermediate between the very pure and very dirty limits.
Results of a randomized study of medical and surgical management of angina pectoris

Of 686 male adults randomly allocated to 2 treatment groups in the 3 years 1972, 1973, and 1974, there were 354 assigned to the medical (control) group and 332 assigned to medical plus surgical treatment (in 95% of cases, to saphenous vein aortocoronary bypass procedure alone). There were no statistically significant differences between the 2 groups in any of 35 different clinical, electrocardiographic and arteriographic characteristics at baseline, except for serum cholesterol, so the 2 groups were judged to be comparable. Twelve percent of patients were found to have significant disease of the left main coronary artery, in almost all instances in addition to disease of other vessels. For this subgroup, surgery was associated with increased survival (at 4 years,p<0.001). For the remaining 88% of patients, and for the 6 subgroups into which they could be categorized on the basis of extent of disease and status of left ventricular function, no significant differences in survival could as yet be identified in these preliminary analyses. Another important finding was that inclusion of patients with left main coronary artery disease in the analyses of subgroups with 3-vessel disease gave results for survival favoring surgically randomized patients, to a statistically significant degree. If patients with left main coronary artery disease were excluded, the difference in survival between medically and surgically treated patients was no longer statistically significant. Medically treated patients had better survival rates than earlier reports in the literature had indicated. Data on morbidity and quality of life are undergoing continuing analysis.
Insight into a bad omen for white men: Coronary artery disease—The Bogalusa Heart Study

Abstract Clinical experience of diagnostic and interventional procedures, including cardiac surgery, indicates a greater prevalence of coronary heart disease in white men than in other race-gender groups. Studies of children and young adults in the Bogalusa Heart Study have provided evidence that might account for this race-gender contrast. A variety of anthropometric and metabolic parameters influencing serum lipid and lipoprotein levels places white boys and young white men selectively at high risk for the development of atherosclerotic coronary artery disease. Obesity and greater central body fat, subtle aberrations in carbohydrate-lipid metabolic relations and variability in sex hormone profiles appear to underlie a trend to adverse lipoprotein changes in white men. A lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level and apolipoprotein A-I at puberty and a dramatic increase of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol are seen in young white men; such adverse changes identify them to be at greater risk. It is noteworthy that children whose fathers had myocardial infarction tend to be white. These children also have relatively high ratios of apolipo-protein B/apolipoprotein A-I and apolipoprotein B/ low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Studies of risk factors in children emphasize their importance in the early natural history of coronary artery disease. These findings show the need for beginning prevention of adult heart disease in childhood.
A Review on Fluid Structure Interaction Modeling Using Bondgraph Method

Modeling of complex multi-dynamic systems is a formidable challenge. Extensive research has already been carried out focusing on modeling of fluid flow using conventional techniques. This research paper aims at carrying out review on fluid structure interaction specifically adopting bondgraph approach. A comprehensive review, on modeling of fluid dynamic systems, osmosis and hydraulics, rotary piston hydraulic motor, with the help of bondgraph method is carried out. This will facilitate to explore important areas of original research using bondgraph method.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Laboratory studies of gas generation for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

The design-basis, defense-related, transuranic waste to be emplaced in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant may, if sufficient H{sub 2}O nutrients, and viable microorganisms are present, generate significant quantities of gas in the repository after filling and sealing. We summarize recent results of laboratory studies of anoxic corrosion and microbial activity, the most potentially significant processes. We also discuss possible implications for the repository gas budget.
Psychosocial Factors in Medical and Psychological Treatment Avoidance: The Role of the Doctor-Patient Relationship

A community sample of 1106 adults was examined to assess the impact of the doctor-patient relationship on participants' avoidance of treatment for a recognized medical or psychological problem. Of five aspects of participants' previous experience with their physicians, all but waiting time predicted participants' self-reported treatment avoidance. In two logistic regression models participants who felt their physicians listened more to their concerns were less likely to avoid treatment for both medical and psychological problems during the previous 12 months. These findings suggest that patients' perceptions of how they are treated by physicians may help explain why many people delay or avoid healthcare treatment, even when faced with a significant health problem.
Advanced distance education technology and hands-on science

Distance education technology can be used to increase the teaching of science in schools. However, the use of the technology must be carefully monitored. This paper describes the general use of 2-way video/2-way audio technology to link three remote sites and a studio. To evaluate the instructiors' and participants' use of this technology, video recordings ofall 11 (2-hour) broadcasts were reviewed. In general, the instructors were able to conduct a semester long hands-on science course, however, there were many science teaching techniques that had to be altered for this technology. When this technology is used for hands-on science, the hardware itself must be improved so that continuous interaction can take place between the studio and all remote sites. Science topics and activities may prove to be one of thebest fields to present with the technology, because of the practical lab based nature of science. Hands-on science activities seem to lessen the feeling of distance between remote sites and the studio.
Vanadate Action on Renal Phosphate Transport

Insulin stimulates reabsorption of phosphate (Pi) in the renal proximal tubule. Previous studies have shown that vanadate can mimic the action of insulin on various tissues. In the present study, we tested the action of vanadate on renal Pi transport both in control rats and in rats made diabetic by injection of streptozotocin. Vanadate was administered orally for 4 days by inclusion in drinking water (0.7 mg/ml). By the 4th day, vanadate treatment of control rats did not change acid-base status, plasma glucose or the filtered load of Pi, but the urinary excretion of Pi was reduced to 2.5 +/- 0.9 compared with 17.6 +/- 3.5 mumol/mg creatine (P < 0.02) in untreated control rats. However, Na+/Pi cotransport by isolated brush border membrane vesicles was not different between the two groups. Findings in parathyroidectomized rats were similar. By the 4th day of vanadate treatment of diabetic rats, there was reversal of polyuria, polydipsia and hyperglycemia with no change in acid-base status. The filtered load of Pi was decreased by vanadate, and urinary Pi excretion also tended to decrease but not significantly. The values for Pi excretion were 21.4 +/- 7.6 in vanadate treated diabetics and 36.1 +/- 4.5 mumol/mg creatinine in untreated diabetics. In contrast to vanadate, daily injections of insulin did not change the filtered load of Pi but reduced urinary Pi excretion in diabetic rats to 15.6 +/- 2.2 mumol/mg creatinine (P < 0.02). These findings suggest that vanadate stimulated tubular Pi reabsorption in control rats but not in diabetic rats. Vanadate treatment of diabetic rats may tend to decrease tubular Pi reabsorption in contrast to the action of insulin.
Effects of enhanced bolus flavors on oropharyngeal swallow in patients treated for head and neck cancer.

Background Treatment for head and neck cancer can reduce peripheral sensory input and impair oropharyngeal swallow. This study examined the effect of enhanced bolus flavor on liquid swallows in these patients.
The Orbit of the Double-line Spectroscopic Binary System HR 7112

We present velocity observations, obtained with the E. W. Fick Observatory 0.6 m telescope, of the 7th magnitudeK1 star HR 7112. Our observations show that HR 7112 is a double-line spectroscopic binary system composed of almost equal mass stars with a period of 215.6 days. The orbit has an eccentricitye = 0.142 and the stars orbit each other with a mean semi-major axis distance of approximately 0.4sin(i) AU. The masses of the stars are consistent with the classification as giant stars. Tidal effects are known to circularise the orbits of giant stars and this process is apparently underway in this system.
Quantum dynamical model of laser/surface-induced predissociation: Multiphoton—multiphonon processes and photon/phonon-dressed states☆

Abstract By the dynamical energy populations of a photon/phonon-dressed quantum system, laserstimulated surface predissociation (LSSPD) of an adsorbed diatomic molecule, characterized by the laser pumping rates, the phonon-induced damping factor (level width), the field detuning, and the phase detuning (Landau-Zener form), is studied. The optimal detunings for the enhancement of LSSPD are shown by the numerical results of a set of coupled generalized quantum equations (GQE). The important features of LSSPD and the possible predissociation of a multilevel multistate system via multiphoton—multiphonon processes are discussed.
Tuned Damping of Floor Vibration

Control of floor vibration, via damping, using a three-degree-of-freedom (DOF) tuned mass damper (TMD) is explored. Three-DOF TMDs can provide as much effectiveness as traditional one degree-of-freedom TMDs while possessing less internal damping than the traditional TMDs. In this work, the use of such a system as a damping treatment for floor vibration is explored. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed damping-enhancement system, a scaled floor with the first resonant frequency of around 9 Hz (typical first resonant frequency of most commercial building floors) is fabricated. A 3-DOF TMD, appended to the center of the floor, is tuned to the first mode of the floor to provide damping at that mode. The comparison of the floor vibration without and with this damping treatment exhibited an average reduction of close to 10 dBs in the magnitude of the targeted mode, signifying the high damping effectiveness of the treatment.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Intracapsular versus subcapsular coblation tonsillectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the postoperative recovery of patients who undergo intracapsular to subcapsular Coblation tonsillectomy.STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: This was a prospective, randomized, double-blinded study. A total of 69 children, aged 2 to 16 years, were randomized to intracapsular (n = 34) or subcapsular (n = 35) tonsillectomy. The Coblation technique was used with both groups. Outcomes measures were assessed on postoperative day 1 or 2 and 5 or 6. These included child and parental rating of pain with the Wong Faces pain scale, analgesic use, oral intake, and activity level.RESULTS: Intracapsular tonsillectomy patients had similar levels of pain to subcapsular tonsillectomy patients on day 1 or 2. However, at day 5 or 6, intracapsular tonsillectomy patients had significantly less pain than the subcapsular tonsillectomy patients. Intracapsular patients ate more and were more active at both time points.CONCLUSION AND SIGNIFICANCE: Children with obstructive sleep apnea who undergo tonsillectomy demonstr...
Oestrogen and progesterone receptors in lentigo maligna

summary We have measured oestrogen and progesterone binding in specimens of histopathologically confirmed lentigo maligna (LM) lesions excised from five elderly white men, using a dextrancoated charcoal method. Oestrogen binding was observed in four of the five specimens, and progesterone binding in all five. Marginal normal skin showed only non-specific binding for oestrogen and progesterone. The presence of steroid hormone receptors in LM suggests the possibility that hormone responsiveness may be relevant in the transformation of a lentigo maligna into malignant melanoma.
An event service to support Grid computational environments

We believe that it is interesting to study the system and software architecture of environments which integrate the evolving ideas of computational Grids, distributed objects, Web services, peer-to-peer (P2P) networks and message-oriented middleware. Such P2P Grids should seamlessly integrate users to themselves and to resources which are also linked to each other. We can abstract such environments as a distributed system of ‘clients’ which consist either of ‘users’ or ‘resources’ or proxies thereto. These clients must be linked together in a flexible, fault-tolerant, efficient, high-performance fashion. In this paper, we study the messaging or event system—termed Grid Event Service (GES)—that is appropriate to link the clients (both users and resources of course) together. For our purposes (registering, transporting and discovering information), events are just messages—typically with time stamps. The messaging system GES must scale over a wide variety of devices—from handheld computers at one extreme to high-performance computers and sensors at the other. We have analyzed the requirements of several Grid services that could be built with this model, including computing and education and incorporated constraints of collaboration with a shared event model. We suggest that generalizing the well-known publish–subscribe model is an attractive approach and here we study some of the issues to be addressed if this model is used in GES. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Contribution of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction to heart failure regardless of ejection fraction

Heart failure (HF) has been classified as systolic and diastolic based on the left ventricular ejection fraction. We hypothesized that left ventricular diastolic dysfunction is an important element of HF regardless of ejection fraction. Two hundred six patients who had clinical HF were compared with 72 age-matched controls. Diastolic dysfunction, as assessed by the mitral filling pattern and tissue Doppler imaging, was present in >90% of patients who had HF regardless of ejection fraction and was more frequent and severe than in age-matched controls (p
An Anodic Process for the Determination of Grain Boundary and Film Thickness Strengthening Effects in Aluminum Films on Oxidized Silicon

We have measured stress variations with temperature as a function of film thickness and a given grain size in pure Al and AI-0.5%Cu films on Si substrates. The variation in thickness for a given grain size is brought about by using the same film and the repeated controlled growth and dissolution of a barrier anodic oxide which can be grown uniformly on the film. Stress measurements were made as a function of temperature by measuring wafer curvature after successively removing each 0. Iμm of Al film. The components of strengthening due to the film thickness and the presence of grain boundaries were separated by assuming that the flow stress of the film is simply the sum of these two components. The observations are consistent with results obtained using lascr-rcflowed films in an earlier work. The variations of these two components with temperature, and under tension and compression is discussed.
The Clinical Appearance of the Lamina Cribrosa as a Function of the Extent of Glaucomatous Optic Nerve Damage

The authors evaluated the shapes of the largest clinically visible pores on the surface of the lamina cribrosa in 87 eyes of 52 glaucoma patients and found an apparent progression in pore shape as a function of the extent of glaucomatous optic nerve head damage. Small, round pores predominated in eyes with mild field loss, oval pores were more common in eyes with moderate field loss, and striate or slit-shaped pores were most frequent in eyes with advanced field loss. If the pores of the lamina cribrosa elongate as a function of increasing glaucomatous optic atrophy, and if large pore size is associated with an increased risk for pressure-related axonal damage, then the threshold for ganglion cell atrophy may drop as the damage to the optic nerve progresses.
In vitro bone metabolism in hypophosphatemic mice: 32P and 45Ca release from cultured calvaria

Abstract Calvaria were explanted from 6-day-old normal and hypophosphatemic mice and cultured for 3–4 days. The release of 32 P and 45 Ca into a chemically defined physiological medium was studied. During a 72-h incubation period, normal calvaria released 39.9% 32 P and 25.5% 45 Ca. Calvaria explanted from mutant mice released 26.0% 32 P and 18.1% 45 Ca. At the same time, efflux from dead tissue amounted to 16.4% 32 P and 11.9% 45 Ca in normal and 13.6% 32 P and 10.0% 45 Ca in hypophosphatemic animals. Differences between living- and dead-tissue releases increased with time. Such differences representing cell-mediated releases of 32 P and 45 Ca are more conspicuous in normal than in hypophosphatemic mice. During the same period, normal calvaria responded to a physiological concentration of 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol with increases (treated-control) of 11.9% in 32 P release and 9.5% in 45 Ca release. Stimulations by parathyroid extract were respectively, 26.0 and 15.7% in normal, and 15.4 and 9.3% in hypophosphatemic mice. In the presence of both agents, stimulation of 32 P mobilization was greater than the sum of their independent effects. Therefore, vitamin D and the parathyroid extract exerted a synergistic effect on 32 P release from calvaria. In combination or independently, these hormones showed stimulations that increased progressively with time. Absolute hormonal effects (treated-control) on mineral release were greater in normal than in hypophosphatemic mice. Nonetheless, percentage effects 100(treated-control)Jcontrol increased at equal rates in both strains. Our data show that the hypophosphatemic bone releases its minerals at slower rates than does normal bone, presumably a metabolic defect related to cellular activity. It is suggested, therefore, that the differences in hormonal responses between normal and hypophosphatemic mice may simply be quantitative and related to bone size. In fact, the nature of these responses may be the same in both strains.
Reducing lengths of stay for patients hospitalized with chest pain using medical practice guidelines and opinion leaders

Abstract There are few available data on the effectiveness and safety of medical practice guidelines when used for patient care in the coronary and intermediate care units. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of educating physicians about practice guidelines to promote shorter lengths of stay for “low-risk” patients hospitalized with chest pain. Such guidelines were disseminated to physicians working in a health maintenance organization (HMO) by educational conferences, written memoranda, endorsement by opinion leaders, concurrent written feedback, and nursing-to-physician cues. A total of 208 patients were enrolled in the study. Following implementation of the practice guidelines, hospital lengths of stay were reduced from 2.51 ± 2.1 to 1.96 ± 1.3 days (22% reduction, p = 0.03) and intermediate care unit lengths of stay from 33.9 ± 19 to 28.2 ± 14 hours (17% reduction, p = 0.02) for patients with low-risk chest pain. The reduction in length of stay for patients with low-risk chest pain exceeded reductions in stay for patients hospitalized with cardiac conditions for which no guidelines were introduced. None of the patients treated according to guideline recommendations had unexpected “life-threatening” adverse events in the 2-week period after hospital discharge (95%, confidence interval 0%, 3%). This study supports the effectiveness and possible safety of practice guidelines to reduce lengths of stay for patients with low-risk chest pain.
Neutrino physics with the KamLAND detector

We present the initial design of a very large liquid scintillator detector to be installed in the underground cavity where Kamiokande was once sited. The experiment is optimized to detect low-energy anti-neutrinos and will perform unique measurements in the fields of neutrino physics, geophysics and astrophysics. KamLAND is conceived as a “scalable” detector that will be able to start in a very short time. This first stage detector will be able to deliver results on a number of essential physics issues that only require present day technology. This first running period will also establish backgrounds and detector requirements for a second ultra-low background running phase. One of the initial aims will be to perform a very long baseline oscillation experiment using several nuclear reactors. This can be considered the “ultimate” neutrino mass test using the oscillation technique. The observation of neutrinos from the Earth, supernovae, atmosphere and nucleon decay will also be part of a very ambitious initial program, while in a later stage the observation of solar neutrinos will become the main focus.
Conformational changes of small molecules binding to proteins

Flexible molecules change their conformation upon binding to a protein. This was shown by the analysis of small molecules whose structures have been determined by X-ray crystallography of both the pure compound and the compound bound to a protein. Thirty-three compounds present both in the Cambridge Structural Database and the Brookhaven Protein Data Bank were analyzed, and both were compared with the global energy minimum conformation calculated by the molecular mechanics program CHARMm. It was found that the conformation bound to the protein differs from that in the crystal structure and also from that of the global energy minimum, and the degree of deformation depends upon the number of freely rotatable bonds in the molecule. Analysis of the conformational energies of the flexible molecules showed that, for most of those compounds, both the crystal and the protein-bound conformations are energetically well above the global minimum, and, in many cases, not even in any local energy minimum. Semi-empirical calculations performed for a select number of structures, using both the AM1 and PM3 hamiltonians, confirmed these results. These findings are discussed as to their impact upon contemporary methods of drug design.
Hedonic ratings of sucrose solutions: effects of body weight, weight loss and dietary restriction.

Abstract Recent research has found that obese and normal subjects respond differentially to sucrose solutions when rating them on the dimension of pleasantness. Investigators have suggested that this differential responsiveness may be due to a physiological regulatory mechanism called the ponderostat , which plays a role in the maintenance of body weight. The present study evaluated the effects of weight loss attained either through a behavior modification program or a liquid diet on the hedonic ratings of 6 solutions of sucrose. The obese subjects displayed the expected aversion to higher concentrations. Weight loss did not influence the stability of the ratings over time. Furthermore, close inspection of the data revealed that for some obese subjects there is a positive relationship between hedonic ratings and increasing sucrose concentrations, however, the more typical trend for the obese was towards aversion. Methodological features of previous studies are discussed as well as the implications of our data for the ponderostat regulatory mechanism of food ingestion.
The cardiac ventricles of a baleen whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata: Minke whale) and a toothed whale (Hyperoodon ampullatus: Bottlenose whale)

Fifteen minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata: Mysticeti) and three bottlenose whale (Hyperoodon ampullatus: Odontoceti) hearts were obtained from Norway. Only the ventricular mass and the base of the great arteries were available for study. The shape of the heart, the double apex, the narrowness of the interventricular septum in the dorsiventral plane, the side-to-side position of the ventricles, the relative thickness of the wall of the right ventricle, and the heavy trabeculation agree with other, brief reports of whale heart morphology. Coronary artery tortuosity, which has been described in sperm whales by others, was found in the bottlenose but not in the minke whales. It is suggested that the shape of the heart is associated with depth and duration of dives and that the pattern of trabeculation may be related to the size of the animal.
Conformational changes induced in the MHC class I molecule by peptide and β2-microglobulin

Assembly of the class I MHC molecule is inextricably linked to the antigen presentation function of the class I molecule. Association of the class I MHC molecule with β2-microglobulin (β2m) is a prerequisite for association with the heterodimeric protein TAP, and once peptide is acquired, the class I molecule folds and begins its sojourn to the cell surface. To maintain its folded conformation, class I MHC requires peptide but not β2m, and the sequence of the peptide bound exercises a subtle influence on the structure of the class I molecule that is likely to be a factor in T cell receptor discrimination of MHC/peptide complexes.
Impact of observing constraints and unplanned events on observatory efficiency and long-range plan stability

In an era of increasing pressure to do more with less and make the most out of every budget dollar, HST science operations have steadily been able to give its customers more by increasing observatory efficiency. While original mission goals for observatory efficiency were targeted at less than 35%, HST now consistently achieves weekly schedules which are greater than 50% efficient. Furthermore, special concentration on continuous viewing opportunities and science campaigns (i.e. -- the Hubble Deep Field) has yielded efficiencies exceeding 60%. More than fourteen years of applied operational experience and system analysis by HST ground, flight, instrument, and user support systems personnel have resulted in the success. However, these efficiency levels could be even higher were it not for the variety of constraints and unplanned events which affect how and when the observatory can be used. Certain known spacecraft and instrument constraints impact efficiency with little effect on long range plan stability since they can be accounted for in advance. For this class of concerns, planning scenarios can be developed and analyzed to see what efficiencies might be achieved without these constraints. Unpredictable events such as spacecraft safings and anomalies, targets of opportunity and quick turnaround director's discretionary science reduce the overall stability of an observatory's planned use as well as its efficiency. In this paper we will describe various constraints and unplanned events, show their effects on HST observatory efficiency and stability, and discuss specific efforts of the HST Long Range Planning group to minimize their impact.© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Systematic distance deviation error compensation for a ToF-camera in the close-up range

In machine vision applications, Time-of-Flight (TOF) sensors like the Photonic Mixer Devices (PMD) became considerable alternatives to common 3D sensing devices. Because of the enormous progress in TOF-vision systems, nowadays 3D matrix cameras can be used for many applications such as robotic, automotive, industrial, medical and multimedia applications. This paper focuses on the range data resolution for machine vision applications in the close-up range. A new approach is presented which achieves a range data resolution in the lower millimeter range for low-cost commercial TOF cameras. Experimental results show that the proposed approach is well suited for machine vision applications.
Disparities in Utilization of Outpatient Rehabilitative Care Following Hip Fracture Hospitalization With Respect to Race and Ethnicity

Abstract Nguyen-Oghalai TU, Ottenbacher KJ, Kuo Y-F, Wu H, Grecula M, Eschbach K, Goodwin JS. Disparities in utilization of outpatient rehabilitative care following hip fracture hospitalization with respect to race and ethnicity. Objective To compare the prevalence of discharge home to self-care after hip fracture hospitalization among the elderly in 3 racial groups: whites, Hispanics, and blacks. Design Secondary data analysis. Setting US hospitals. Participants Patients (N=34,203) aged 65 and older with Medicare insurance discharged after hip fracture hospitalization between 2001 and 2005. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measure Discharge home to self-care. Results Bivariate analyses showed higher rates of discharge home to self-care among minorities, 16.4% for Hispanics, 8.7% for blacks, and 5.9% for whites. Hispanics had 3-fold higher odds of being discharged home to self-care, and blacks had about 50% higher odds of being discharged home to self-care after adjusting for age, sex, Klabunde's comorbidity index, income, year of admission, type of hip fracture, surgical stabilization procedure, and length of hospital stay. Conclusions The higher rate of discharge home to self-care among minorities underscores the risk of suboptimal outpatient rehabilitative care among minorities with hip fracture.
Container production of tomato with food by‐product compost and mineral fines

Abstract Agricultural applications are sought for by‐products from agricultural, municipal, and industrial operations. Incorporation into media for container production of crops is a suggested use of organic and mineral by‐products. Composted food by‐products generated by grocery stores and restaurants and mineral fines from the aggregate industry were assessed in the formulation of media for tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) production in containers. The basic medium was compost and perlite (2 compost: 1 perlite, v:v). This medium was mixed with basalt fines or glacial moraine fines added separately at 60 or 120 g L‐1. Nitrogen (N) fertilizer was added weekly to the media except for one treatment that included the basic medium without N. Incorporation of mineral fines into the food by‐product compost produced an early stimulation of vegetative growth, but did not affect fruiting of tomatoes significantly; however, fruiting was heavy in the containers to which N was added, with an average of nearly 2...
Overexpression of miR‑145 in U87 cells reduces glioma cell malignant phenotype and promotes survival after in vivo implantation.

In the present study, we sought to elucidate the effect of miR-145 on glioma cell progression and its mechanisms of action. We examined the effects of miR-145 on proliferation and invasion of U87 glioma cells and on capillary tube formation. Our data show that restoration of miR-145 in U87 glioma cells significantly reduced their in vitro proliferation, invasion and angiogenesis. However, decreased miR-145 expression promoted U87 glioma cell proliferation, invasion and angiogenesis, and reduced-expression of miR-145 increased ADAM17 and EGFR expression in U87 cells. Overexpression of miR-145 reduced ADAM17 and EGFR expression. VEGF secretion and VEGF expression were decreased by increased miR-145 expression in U87 cells and were reversed by miR-145 down-regulation in vitro. Nude mice with intracerebral implantation of U87 overexpressing miR-145 cells exhibited significantly reduced tumor growth and promoted survival compared with control groups. Taken together, these results suggest a role for miR-145 as a tumor suppressor which inhibits glioma cell proliferation, invasion and angiogenesis in vitro and reduces glioma growth in vivo.
Driving predictive modelling on a risk assessment path for enhanced food safety

How do we best protect our citizens to allow the highest quality of life? Where do we put our food safety resources so that we gain the greatest positive impact? Risk assessment provides the critical scientific basis for these types of important risk management decisions. Increasingly, risk assessment is used to guide legislated and voluntary changes intended to improve safety, yet its formal application for enhanced food safety is in its infancy. Risk assessment includes disease characterization, dose-response assessment, exposure assessment, and risk characterization. Quantitative data is critical for risk assessment to realize its full value, yet much of our knowledge about the incidence of pathogens or toxins in foods, dose-response knowledge, incidence of acute food-borne illness, incidence of chronic sequelae, and cost of food-borne illness is qualitative or estimates are controversial. Predictive modelling should help to improve estimates and thereby allow quantitation of food safety risks. Predictive modelling will also find application for assessing prevention strategies in risk management.
Where the Cathedrals and Bazaars Are: An Index of Open Source Software Activity and Potential

ABSTRACT This article presents a framework to measure activity and potential for open source software development and use at a country level. The framework draws on interviews with experts in the open source software industry and numerous existing studies in the literature to identify relevant indicators. Several indices of diverse variable lists and weighting and aggregation methods were developed and tested for robustness. The results provide a first step toward more systematically understanding the current state of open source software internationally.
Implantable cardioverter defibrillator: The role of thoracoscopy

Video techniques have been used in many centers to assist with pericardial patch placement for implantable defibrillators. Although there are some specific instances where this technique would be helpful, the success of the transvenous systems will limit the application of this approach.
Bilateral Facet to Spinous Process Fusion: A New Technique for Posterior Spinal Fusion after Trauma

A variety of options exist for the treatment of fracture/dislocation of the cervical spine, including prolonged traction immobilization, immobilization in an external device, and open surgical fusion. In cases of facet dislocation and flexion/compression injuries, the authors have found that surgica
Decomposition of games with non-empty core into veto-controlled simple games

The non-negative games with non-empty core form a polyhedral cone. Extreme directions of this convex cone correspond to veto-controlled simple games. In this paper a constructive method is described to represent a non-negative game with non-empty core as a positive linear combination of veto-controlled simple games. As an application a constructive proof is suggested of a result of Spinetto (see [5]) dealing with the extreme points of the compact and convex set of nonnegative (0, 1)-normalized games with non-empty core.
Pretransplant portal venous adoptive transfer in conjunction with sirolimus prolongs renal allograft survival in non-human primates

Abstract Introduction: Portal venous inoculation of alloantigen has been demonstrated to induce hyporesponsiveness in multiple rodent models and has been suggested as a preferred method of donor specific transfusion (DST) for human tolerance protocols. Portal infusion of donor splenocytes and/or bone marrow has also been shown to induce tolerance to skin transplants across complete MHC barriers in mice. The objective of this study was to determine if portal DST had a demonstrable graft-sparing effect in a non-human primate renal allograft model. Methods: Outbred rhesus monkeys were used as donor-recipient pairs based on genetic non-identity at MHC and pretransplant MLR responsiveness. Perioperative DST was administered portally using splenocytes or bone marrow cells on day -7. A similar number of splenocytes or bone marrow cells were infused via a peripheral vein on day -2. On day 0, a kidney transplant was performed. Between the first exposure to alloantigen and the time of kidney transplant, the monkeys were maintained on FK506 1 mg/kg PO BID or sirolimus 1 mg/kg PO qD. No immunosuppression was used thereafter. Results: Histological examination of the transplant kidney at the time of euthanasia was consistent with acute cellular rejection. Group 4 had a significantly longer survival than either group 3 (p = 0.037), group 5 (p = 0.025) or group 6 (p = 0.001). GroupPV infusionIV infusionImmuno- suppressantSurvivalMean survival1SplenocyteSplenocyteFK5065, 1392SplenocyteBone marrowFK5065, 149.53Bone marrowBone marrowFK5064, 12, 14, 1511.254Bone marrowBone marrowSirolimus14, 26, 28, 40275——Sirolimus7, 7, 776———5, 5, 6, 7, 8, 86.5 Conclusions: Portal venous donor bone marrow inoculation with sirolimus adjuvant therapy resulted in prolonged renal allograft survival in this non-human primate model. Additional study is under way to determine humoral immune response and transcriptional analysis of the liver in response to portal inoculation.
Optimized graph topologies for probabilistic search

This paper investigates the effect on the performance of a mobile searcher caused by altering the search environment. We model the search environment as a simple connected undirected graph. By adding non-existing edges to the graph we change the search environment's model. Our objective is to optimize search performance, that is, to minimize the (expected) time needed to find the target, in the context of probabilistic search. We first analyze two different methods to generate random connected graphs, then evaluate a number of methods to augment a graph by means of the algebraic connectivity of the graph and its associated (Fiedler) eigenvector. The relationship between the graph topology and the performance of the search is highlighted, including a comparative evaluation of different search strategies employed by the mobile searcher. Extensive simulation studies and resulting statistical and theoretical models show that adding a few wisely chosen edges to a sparse graph is sufficient to dramatically increase search performance. Further, we propose a novel method for incorporating prior information about the target's likely location by defining a subgraph on which the presented approach is performed, resulting in even greater improvements in search performance.
Biotinylation of Lipoprotein Lipase and Hepatic Triglyceride Lipase: Application in the Assessment of Cell Binding Sites

Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and hepatic triglyceride lipase (HL) were biotinylated using N-hydroxysuccinamide ester of biotin (25-fold molar excess) which was incorporated into the lysine amino groups of the enzyme protein. By assessing enzyme activity and heparin-agarose affinity a biotinylation protocol which did not denature lipases was developed. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis showed that biotinylated LPL (bLPL) has the same mobility as that of unlabeled or iodinated LPL. Receptor binding activity of bLPL was studied in (i) cell binding experiments using cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells and (ii) ligand blotting experiments using endothelial cell plasma membranes. Endothelial cells in culture bound similar amounts of bLPL and 125I-LPL. We previously described a 116-kDa heparin-releasable LPL binding protein (hrp-116) on endothelial cells. Using biotinylated lipases in ligand blotting experiments we now demonstrate that both bLPL and biotinylated HL can bind to hrp-116. bLPL in addition also bound to low-density lipoprotein receptor related protein in ligand blotting. Thus, our protocol has produced biotinylated lipases which are both chemically and biologically active and can be used instead of iodinated lipases.
Tyrosine-modified analogs of methionine-enkephalin and their effects on the mouse vas deferens.

Abstract Eighteen analogs of Met-enkephalin were synthesized in order to examine those features of the N-terminal tyrosine (Tyr) residue responsible for activity on the mouse vas deferens . The most critical part of the tyrosine side-chain was its phenolic hydroxyl group which, in terms of biological activity, was highly sensitive to small changes and to the inclusion of fluorine or methyl groups in the aromatic ring. In contrast, the free amino group was not as sensitive to alterations. Single amino acid extensions had only modest effects on activity; however, beta and D-amino acid extensions virtually destroyed activity. Although the Tyr residue might be considered a promising part of the opiate peptides for the development of competitive antagonists, none of our inactive analogs were able to antagonize enkephalin and were, therefore, without binding affinity towards opiate receptors in the vas deferens .
Self-administration of orally-delivered methohexital in rhesus monkeys with phencyclidine or pentobarbital histories: effects of food deprivation and satiation

Orally-delivered methohexital was demonstrated to function as a reinforcer for rhesus monkeys with either phencyclidine or pentobarbital self-administration histories. The effects of food deprivation and food satiation were compared across a wide range of methohexital concentrations. Initially, three monkeys were trained to orally self-administer phencyclidine (0.25 mg/ml) and water, and three were trained to orally self-administer pentobarbital (0.5 mg/ml) and water under concurrent fixed-ratio (FR) schedules during daily 3-hr sessions. Liquid deliveries during the session (drug and water) and intersession (water) were contingent upon lip contact responses on solenoid-operated drinking spouts. The monkeys were first tested while food deprived by maintaining them at 85% of their free-feeding body weights. Methohexital concentrations were presented in the following order, and each concentration was held constant until at least five or six sessions of stable behavior were obtained: 2, 2.8, 4, 2 (retest), 1, 0.5, (plus 0.25 and 0.125 in monkey M-W) and 2 (retest) mg/ml. The monkeys were then food satiated by allowing them unlimited access to food, and the methohexital concentration series was repeated. During food deprivation, the concentration-response functions generally resembled an inverted U. Concurrent water-maintained responding was generally low, but it increased in some monkeys as methohexital concentrations increased in some monkeys. During food satiation, methohexital-maintained responding was not different from water-maintained responding in some monkeys, but in others it was substantially higher than water-maintained responding. Maximum drug intake ranged from 20.4 to 93.8 mg/kg during food deprivation and from 6.4 to 64.2 during food satiation among the six monkeys.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Evaluation of Jet Noise Sources by Cross-Correlation of Far Field icrophone Signals

The objective of this paper is the evaluation of the noise sources from the far field measurements of jet noise. A one-dimensional model is envisioned in which noise sources move along the axis of the jet downstream of the nozzle. The autocorrelation function of the noise sources in the moving frame of reference is a function of time and time delay. A theory is developed for stationary sources and then extended to moving sources. The method of obtaining the autocorrelation through a least squares inversion method is illustrated for a hightemperature subsonic jet flow. This method can be extended to supersonic flows.
Human-information interaction

The technical communicator's job has changed from creating a document to creating information appropriate for a communication situation with multiple user groups and highly dynamic information needs. Many of the communication failure issues we consistently see have a root cause not based on how people interact with computers, but with a failure to understand how information is communicated to a person and how they interact with and interpret that information. It is a failure of effective Human-information interaction (HII), which emphasizes communicating information---interacting with, interpreting, and using information---not writing documents, not designing web sites, not generating content. Producing modern web-based information requires a solid understanding of HII to increase the success of creating information which communicates effectively to all readers. The information design and creation must be based on a clear understanding of a person's goals and information needs and how that person interacts with information. Developing information which fits a person's need requires understanding how a person thinks and what factors drives their decision processes. These elements form for the base of an understanding of HII.
Management of shock in acute myocardial infarction.

Shock complicating acute myocardial infarction contributes materially to the over-all mortality. The wisdom of combating the shock has been a matter of dispute, many clinicians holding that the fall in blood pressure has the salutary effect of reducing the work of an acutely injured heart. This report deals with a four-year experience in active intervention for shock. The data suggest that timely intervention for shock is frequently life-saving, and may be instrumental in halving themortality of the sickest patients.
Balancing material and exergy flows for a PCB soldering process: Method and a case study

Use of thermodynamics metrics (e.g. exergy) as sustainability analysis tools offers an insight into energy resources use in both energy and non-energy technologies. This study is devoted to an analysis of material, energy and exergy flows along a manufacturing line of a PCB-based products' manufacturing operation. It is observed that a large quantity of available energy is inherently dissipated even if a state-of-the-art process is adopted. Drastic change in an approach towards developing new, transformational technologies are mandatory if a sustainable development is to be achieved through improvements of resources use. These changes may be guided by an insight obtained through thermodynamics metrics studies.
Environmental Exposures and Development

Developmental diseases (fetal and neonatal death, structural alterations (birth defects), functional alterations, growth restriction and preterm delivery (1-3)) account for more than 25% of infant mortality and morbidity (2, 4, 5). The etiology of many developmental disorders is poorly understood, consequently, it is thought that infections, maternal or paternal health and genetic factors, drugs, over the counter medications, abused substances, environmental or occupational exposures are responsible (6-10). This increases concern about maternal and paternal environmental exposures (5, 11, 12), and natural or terrorist inflicted disasters on pregnancy outcome and developmental health (13-17). Adding to these concerns have been publications evaluating the capabilities of surveillance systems in the United States to identify emerging developmental diseases (18, 19), and information on human body burdens of an enlarging list of chemicals, many suspect as developmental hazards (20) Given these concerns it is important to understand the methods by which environmental exposures, genetic factors and adverse developmental outcomes have been assessed. This review summarizes recent selected publications from 2000 through 2009 concerning environmental chemical exposures and impact on human developmental outcomes.