cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Yap1 Mediates Trametinib Resistance in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas.

Purpose: In a head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) "window of opportunity" clinical trial, we reported that trametinib reduced MEK-Erk1/2 activation and resulted in tumor responses in a subset of patients. Here, we investigated resistance to trametinib and molecular correlates in HNSCC cell lines and patient samples. Experimental design: HNSCC cell lines were treated with trametinib to generate resistant lines. Candidate bypass pathways were assessed using immunoblotting, CRISPR knockout, and survival assays. Effectiveness of combined trametinib and verteporfin targeting was evaluated. Patient-derived xenografts (PDX) from responder patients were treated with trametinib and resistant tumors were analyzed. Window trial clinical samples were subjected to whole exome and RNA sequencing. Results: HNSCC cell lines developed resistance (CAL27-TR and HSC3-TR) after prolonged trametinib exposure. Downstream effectors of the Hippo pathway were activated in CAL27-TR and HSC3-TR, and combined trametinib and verteporfin treatment resulted in synergistic treatment response. We defined the Hippo pathway effector Yap1 as an induced survival pathway promoting resistance to trametinib in HSC3-TR. Yap1 was necessary for HSC3-TR trametinib resistance, and constitutively active Yap1 was sufficient to confer resistance in parental HSC3. Analysis of trametinib neoadjuvant trial patient tumors indicated canonical MEK-Erk1/2 pathway activating mutations were infrequent, and Yap1 activity increased following trametinib treatment. Trametinib treatment of a PDX from a responder patient resulted in evolution of resistance with increased Yap1 expression and activity. Conclusions: These studies identify a Yap1 dependent resistance to trametinib therapy in HNSCCs. Combined Yap1 and MEK targeting may represent a strategy to enhance HNSCC response.
Cost-effective fetal lung volumetry for assessment of congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

Abstract Objectives (1) To investigate the reproducibility of total fetal lung volume (TFLV) measurements using a free 3D modeling software (3DSlicer); (2) To correlate these measurements with lung-to-head ratio (LHR) or TFLV measured using PACS and; (3) To determine the role of 3DSlicer in predicting perinatal outcomes in cases with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) who had fetal tracheal occlusion (FETO). Methods Retrospective cohort study between 2012 and 2017 at Texas Children’s Hospital (2011–2017), including all patients who underwent FETO for CDH. LHR was measured by ultrasound and TFLV was measured by MRI at the time of referral and 6 weeks after FETO using 3DSlicer and PACS. We evaluated intra- and inter-rater reliability of TFLV measurement using 3DSlicer, infant survival to 1 year, need for ECMO and pulmonary hypertension. Results The intra- and inter-rater reliability of TFLV measured with 3DSlicer was excellent before and after FETO (Intra-class correlation coefficient: 0.98−0.99 and 0.94−0.99, respectively). There was a good correlation between TFLV measured with PACS and with 3DSlicer before and after FETO (r = 0.78 and r = 0.99, respectively). Similarly, there was a good correlation between TFLV measurements using PACS or 3DSlicer and LHR after FETO (r = 0.86 and r = 0.88, respectively). Infants who survived to 1 year had a significantly higher TFLV evaluated with 3DSlicer before FETO compared to non-surviving infants (OR = 1.16[1.1–1.3], p = 0.03) as well as a significantly higher TFLV evaluated by 3DSlicer after FETO (OR = 1.2[1–1.4], p = 0.04). Conclusion Lung volume measurements using free 3DSlicer in infants with severe CDH who underwent FETO are reproducible and reliable, and have comparable predictive capability for survival as those measured using conventional software.
Smart City Ethics: The Challenge to Democratic Governance in the Oxford Handbook of Ethics of AI (edited by Markus D. Dubber, Frank Pasquale, and Sunit Das)

Smart city initiatives rely on pervasive data gathering and integration, big data analytics, and artificial intelligence to manage mobility, energy, housing, public realm access, and myriad public and private services. These data flows can change how physical infrastructure like streets and parks are configured and services provisioned. They can tailor opportunities for housing or education based on individual digital identities and predictive algorithms. As more life in the city runs through digital apps and platforms, rights to access and control data increase in importance. Data flows from residents and public spaces to smart city corporations raise pressing policy questions about what power the public should cede to private developers to shape urban space, subject to how much oversight, and with what expectation of return on public assets. This chapter sorts these concerns into three major groups: privatization, platformization, and domination.
Boiling heat transfer performance in three internal enhanced tubes

An experimental study was carried out on the boiling heat transfer of R22 flowing inside three internal thread tubes with different geometrical parameters. Three enhanced tubes have the same inner and outer diameters, which are 6.9 mm and 7.92 mm respectively. The outside surface of the tube is smooth, while the inside enhanced structure is different. The variation range of the helix angle is from14° to18°, the thread height is between 0.15 mm and 0.22 mm, and the thread width is from 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm. The relationship between the heat transfer performance and the mass velocity in three enhanced tubes and a smooth tube was tested by changing the mass velocity of refrigerant under given condition of import and export of refrigerant, and their performance is compared. Experimental results indicate that the heat transfer coefficients of three internal thread tubes are 60%—80%, 80%—120% and 80% higher than that of smooth tube. Analysis suggests that the larger helix angle is advantageous to the heat transfer,when fluid is on laminar flow or the transition of laminar flow and annular flow, and more of thread amount is advantageous to the heat transfer,when the fluid is on annular flow.
Hypoxia via ERK Signaling Inhibits Hepatic PPARα to Promote Fatty Liver.

Background & Aims Fatty liver or nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disease associated with comorbidities such as insulin resistance and cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Chronic activation of hypoxic signaling, in particular, hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)2α, promotes NAFLD progression by repressing genes involved in fatty acid β-oxidation through unclear mechanisms. Therefore, we assessed the precise mechanism by which HIF2α promotes fatty liver and its physiological relevance in metabolic homeostasis. Methods Primary hepatocytes from VHL (VhlΔHep) and PPARα (Ppara-null) knockout mice that were loaded with fatty acids, murine dietary protocols to induce hepatic steatosis, and fasting-refeeding dietary regimen approaches were used to test our hypothesis. Results Inhibiting autophagy using chloroquine did not decrease lipid contents in VhlΔHep primary hepatocytes. Inhibition of ERK using MEK inhibitor decreased lipid contents in primary hepatocytes from a genetic model of constitutive HIF activation and primary hepatocytes loaded with free fatty acids. Moreover, MEK-ERK inhibition potentiated ligand-dependent activation of PPARα. We also show that MEK-ERK inhibition improved diet-induced hepatic steatosis, which is associated with the induction of PPARα target genes. During fasting, fatty acid β-oxidation is induced by PPARα, and refeeding inhibits β-oxidation. Our data show that ERK is involved in the post-prandial repression of hepatic PPARα signaling. Conclusions Overall, our results demonstrate that ERK activated by hypoxia signaling plays a crucial role in fatty acid β-oxidation genes by repressing hepatocyte PPARα signaling.
Structural Racism and Immigrant Health: Exploring the Association Between Wage Theft, Mental Health, and Injury among Latino Day Laborers.

Background: Although wage theft has been discussed primarily as a labor and human rights issue, it can be conceptualized as an issue of structural racism with important consequences for immigrant health. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to: 1) identify sociodemographic, employment, and stress-related characteris­tics that increase LDLs’ odds of experiencing wage theft; 2) assess the association be­tween wage theft and serious work-related injury; 3) assess the association between wage theft and three indicators of mental health—depression, social isolation, and alcohol use—as a function of wage theft; and 4) assess serious work-related injury as a function of wage theft controlling for mental health. Methods: Secondary data analyses were based on survey data collected from 331 Latino day laborers between November 2013 and July 2014. Regression analyses were conducted to test the relationships described above. Results: Approximately 25% of participants reported experiencing wage theft and 20% reported serious work-related injury. Wage theft was associated with working in construction and was initially associated with work-related injury. Wage theft was not significantly associated with mental health indicators. The association between wage theft and injury became non-significant when controlling for the mental health variables. Conclusions: The hardship and stress associated with wage theft incidents may ultimately lead to more frequent injury. Al­though we expected an association of wage theft with mental health, we found vulner­ability to physical health as indicated by in­jury incidents. Thus, our basic premise was partially supported: wage theft may act as a stressor that stems from conditions, in part, reflecting structural racism, making work­ers vulnerable to poorer health. Ethn Dis. 2021;31(Suppl 1):345-356; doi:10.18865/ed.31.S1.345
The Future of Liberal Democracy in the International Legal Order

This chapter asks the question: what will the international law of democratic governance look like in 2050? The question reflects the fact that notwithstanding pluralism, there is much normative architecture supporting liberal democratic norms on the international plane. This architecture is not matched by equally expansive enforcement, but weak mechanisms do exist. This chapter speculates on alternative scenarios and what they might mean for the persistence of liberal democracy as a going concern, through the lens of international law. One scenario is authoritarian dominance; a second is democratic revival; and a third is duopoly between the United States and China. Each scenario has profoundly different implications for democracy and for the character or international law.
Can a Machine Flow Like Dao? The Daoist Philosophy on Artificial Intelligence

This question might seem odd, but it is, nevertheless, directly relevant to our life today. My intention is to bring ancient Daoist philosophy into a conversation about the challenges that technology poses. Today, cutting-edge technologies do not exist just in research labs but have already easily penetrated all aspects of our lives. It is difficult to argue that we do not yet inhabit a world with Artificial Intelligence (AI), for it has become a pervasive and effective technology woven into the fabric of everyday living
Dynamic Consistency Analysis for Convergent Operators

It has been shown that sets of convergent operators with a shared fixed point can simulate autonomic control mechanisms, but many questions remain about this management technique. We discuss how an autonomous agent can reason about whether its convergent operators share a fixed point with the operators of other agents. Using a concept of time based upon operator repetition, we show that a failure to achieve convergence within specific time limits can be used as a probabilistic indicator of inconsistencies in local policy. We describe a statistical inference technique that determines if an agent's promise strategy is feasible. The strengths of this technique are that it is both scale-invariant and exterior to the operators whose consistency is being evaluated.
Review of "Radiohead and the Resistant Concept Album: How to Disappear Completely" by Marriane Tatom Letts

With its first release in 1993, the British rock band Radiohead quickly became one of the most important groups in popular music. After three successful albums in 1993, 1995, and 1997 featuring gui...
Inherited macular degeneration-associated mutations in CNGB3 increase the ligand sensitivity and spontaneous open probability of cone cyclic nucleotide-gated channels

Cyclic nucleotide gated (CNG) channels are a critical component of the visual transduction cascade in the vertebrate retina. Mutations in the genes encoding these channels have been associated with a spectrum of inherited retinal disorders. To gain insight into their pathophysiological mechanisms, we have investigated the functional consequences of several CNGB3 mutations, previously associated with macular degeneration (Y469D and L595F) or complete achromatopsia (S156F, P309L, and G558C), by expressing these subunits in combination with wild-type CNGA3 in Xenopus oocytes and characterizing them using patch-clamp recordings in the inside-out configuration. These mutations did not prevent the formation of functional heteromeric channels, as indicated by sensitivity to block by L-cis-diltiazem. With the exception of S156F, each of the mutant channels displayed electrophysiological properties reflecting enhanced channel activity at physiological concentrations of cGMP (i.e., a gain-of-function phenotype). The increased channel activity produced by these mutations resulted from either increased functional expression levels, or increased sensitivity to cyclic nucleotides. Furthermore, L595F increased the spontaneous open probability in the absence of activating ligand, signifying a ligand independent gain-of-function change. In addition to the CNGB3 disease-associate mutations, we characterized the effects of several common CNGB3 and CNGA3 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on heteromeric CNGA3+CNGB3 channel function. Two of the SNPs examined (A3-T153M, and B3-W234C) produced decreased ligand sensitivity for heteromeric CNG channels. These changes may contribute to background disease susceptibility when combined with other genetic or non-genetic factors. Together, these studies help to define the underlying molecular phenotype for mutations relating to CNG channel disease pathogenesis.
Gamma-Minimax Inference †

Γ-minimax theory deals with the problem of selecting decision rules under partial prior information on the distribution of the unknown parameter. The selected rule is the one minimizing the supremum of the payoff (Bayes and regret risk in a frequentist approach, and posterior expected loss and regret in a Bayesian one) over the priors in Γ. Keywords: minimax principle; Bayes principle; classes of priors
Femtosecond pulses in optical fibers

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the femtosecond pulses in optical fibers. The chapter presents observation, manipulation and control of femtosecond pulses. The nomenclature and quantities in use are overviewed. The chapter illustrates the diagnostic techniques for ultrafast pulses and the application of some of these to ultrafast pulse propagation in optical fibers. Experimental results that reveal the behavior of the electric field through the temporal phase function of the pulse are illustrated, and a variety of nonlinear effects ranging from soliton formation, dark soliton formation, pulse breakup, intrapulse Raman scattering to soliton self-frequency shifts are presented. Fourier pulse-shaping is introduced along with a variety of programmable modulator techniques, and some examples of shaped pulses are presented. The application of pulse shaping to propagation in optical fibers is illustrated. The addition of feedback to the pulse-shaping capacity is described illustrating the adaptive control methods based on genetic algorithms showing that undistorted pulse propagation can be obtained by suitable preshaping of the input pulse launched in the fiber. The chapter discusses the propagation of femtosecond pulses in photonic crystal fibers, illustrating some results on the enhanced nonlinear effects, self-frequency shifting, high-order soliton formation and other aspects such as selective harmonic generation.
Stimulants—Including Cocaine

Stimulants are widely and greatly misused medications that have very limited bona fide medical users. It is imprtant that the clinician know these drugs well, as their misuse can mimic a variety of medical and psychiatric syndromes.
Hepatic adenomas and focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver in young women on oral contraceptives: case reports.

Case reports of 2 instances of hepatic adenoma and 1 case of focal nodular hyperplasia presumably associated with the use of oral contraceptives are presented. Case 1 a 32-year-old white woman had been taking Enovid-E for 4 years since the birth of her 4th child. She noticed a palpable mass in her right upper abdomen. X-ray examinations of small bowel and gallbladder were normal. Liver function tests were normal. A liver-spleen scan showed 2 cold areas in the hilum of the liver. At surgery a mobile cystic mass was found attached to the liver. Another mass was located in the hilum. Both were diagnosed as hepatic adenomas. Case 2 a 29-year-old black woman had taken Ortho-Novum for 4 years. An episode of acute abdominal pain was followed by diarrhea chills fever and right upper abdominal pain. Oral cholecystogram was normal. Chest X-ray showed an elevated right diaphragm. Liver scanning revealed a cold area in the right lobe. Hepatic angiogram showed a neovascular mass. Alkaline phosphatase was increased to 112 units. Other liver tests were normal. At surgery a multilobular mass was removed. Areas of hemorrhage occupied half of the mass. Histologic diagnosis was hepatic adenoma. Case 3 1 35-year-old white woman admitted for hysterectomy had taken Norinyl for 3 years but discontinued use 4 months earlier. At operation a vascular tumor was observed arising from the left lobe of the liver. The tumor was not removed at that time. An abdominal aortogram showed a vascular tumor supplied by the left hepatic artery. At surgery 1 large and 2 small masses were found. Histologic diagnosis of the large mass was nodular hyperplasia. The small masses were hemangiomas. For maximum diagnostic accuracy hepatic scanning should be correlated with the clinical angiographic and histologic data. Further use of oral contraceptives is contraindicated.
SOME PARALLELS IN THE WORKS OF AKAKI TSERETELI AND ADAM MITSKEVICH

This paper presents research on the closeness of poetic world that developed between most prominent poets Akaki Tsereteli and Adam Mitskevich. Namely, an emphasis is placed on spiritual closeness of Georgian and Polish peoples. Some general parallels between Akaki Tsereteli’s poem Bagrat the Great and Adam Mitskevich’s poem Konrad Wallenrod which intensify patriotic spirit are extensively considered in the work. A review of existing scholarly literature is presented and conclusions based on biographical data of two great creators are offered.
Phosphoinositides: Lipid regulators of membrane proteins

Phosphoinositides are a family of minority acidic phospholipids in cell membranes. Their principal role is instructional: they interact with proteins. Each cellular membrane compartment uses a characteristic species of phosphoinositide. This signature phosphoinositide attracts a specific complement of functionally important, loosely attached peripheral proteins to that membrane. For example, the phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) of the plasma membrane attracts phospholipase C, protein kinase C, proteins involved in membrane budding and fusion, proteins regulating the actin cytoskeleton, and others. Phosphoinositides also regulate the activity level of the integral membrane proteins. Many ion channels of the plasma membrane need the plasma-membrane-specific PIP2 to function. Their activity decreases when the abundance of this lipid falls, as for example after activation of phospholipase C. This behaviour is illustrated by the suppression of KCNQ K+ channel current by activation of M1 muscarinic receptors; KCNQ channels require PIP2 for their activity. In summary, phosphoinositides contribute to the selection of peripheral proteins for each membrane and regulate the activity of the integral proteins.
Effect of solution ionic strength and iron coatings on mineral grains on the sorption of bacterial cells to quartz sand.

Understanding the interaction between bacterial cells and solid surfaces is essential to our attempts to quantify and predict the transport of microbes in groundwater aquifers, whether from the point of view of contamination or from that of bioremediation. The sorption of bacterial cells suspended in groundwater to porous medium grains was examined in batch studies. Bacterial sorption to clean quartz sand yielded equilibrium, linear, adsorption isotherms that varied with the bacterial strain used and the ionic strength of the aqueous solution. Values of Kd (the slope of the linear sorption isotherm) ranged from 0.55 to 6.11 ml g-1, with the greatest sorption observed for the highest groundwater ionic strength. These findings are consistent with the interpretation that an increasingly compressed electrical double layer results in stronger adsorption between the like-charged mineral surface and the bacterial cells. When iron-oxyhydroxide-coated sand was used, however, all of the added bacteria were adsorbed up to a threshold of 6.93 × 108 cells g of coated sand-1, beyond which no further adsorption occurred. The irreversible, threshold adsorption is the result of a strong electrostatic attraction between the sesquioxide coating and the bacterial cells. Experimental results of adsorption in mixtures of quartz and Fe(III)-coated sand were successfully predicted by a simple additive model for sorption by the two substrate phases. Even small amounts of Fe(III)-coated sand in a mixture influenced the extent of adsorption of bacterial cells. A quantitative description of adsorption in the mixtures can be realized by using a linear isotherm for reversible adsorption to the quartz grains with a y intercept that represents the number of cells irreversibly adsorbed to the Fe(III)-coated sand.
Parallel thinning algorithms and their implementation on hypercube machine

In this research, three parallel thinning algorithms and their implementation on the hypercube parallel computer are studied. The analysis and comparison of the algorithms are based on the topological analysis, shapes of the skeletons, processing time, and load balance. A special labeling technique is used which can both save the memory space and improve the processing time in implementation of parallel algorithms on parallel computers.
Synthesis of isomorphous copper-nickel and immiscible copper-niobium materials by shock-compression

Shock-induced reaction synthesis (SRS) refers to the process of in-situ induction of chemical reaction between two (or more) elemental powders by application of high pressures and temperatures involved in shock-compression. This mode of initiating chemical reactions by shock-compression has become a subject of increasing interest over the last ten years. The field is thought to hold promise for future technological developments, though a number of scientific questions are required to be understood prior to application of the process. Research on SRS has primarily focused on the experimental synthesis of materials, with the aim towards development of an understanding of the process mechanisms. While several organic polymers and inorganic materials have ben synthesized by SRS, considerable attention has been paid to the processing of intermetallic compounds by this method. Aluminides and silicides of nickel, titanium and niobium and zinc ferrite are examples of intermetallics that have been prepared from elemental powders by SRS processing. This paper reports that the experimental studies have also indicated that shock conditions and powder characteristics are key to SRS, though a fundamental understanding of the process is lacking. This is because a large number of changes including visco-plastic deformation, cleaning of powder surfaces leading to enhancedmore » reactivity, solid state diffusion and localized or bulk melting at enhanced rates, and formation and crystallization of end products are possible within the microsecond duration of the shock-front.« less
A prodrug resistance mechanism is involved in colibactin biosynthesis and cytotoxicity.

Commensal Escherichia coli residing in the human gut produce colibactin, a small-molecule genotoxin of unknown structure that has been implicated in the development of colon cancer. Colibactin biosynthesis is hypothesized to involve a prodrug resistance strategy that entails initiation of biosynthesis via construction of an N-terminal prodrug scaffold and late-stage cleavage of this structural motif during product export. Here we describe the biochemical characterization of the prodrug synthesis, elongation, and cleavage enzymes from the colibactin biosynthetic pathway. We show that nonribosomal peptide synthetases ClbN and ClbB assemble and process an N-acyl-d-asparagine prodrug scaffold that serves as a substrate for the periplasmic d-amino peptidase ClbP. In addition to affording information about structural features of colibactin, this work reveals the biosynthetic logic underlying the prodrug resistance strategy and suggests that cytotoxicity requires amide bond cleavage.
Continuous ethanol production by a flocculent strain of Zymomonas mobilis

Cell retention and ethanol production using the flocculent bacterium Zymomonas mobilis NRRL B-12526 were studied in three bioreactor configurations. The flocculent growth characteristic of this strain and a special reactor design were combined to achieve relatively high cell concentrations in a continuous bioreactor for the conversion of glucose to ethanol.
Prediction of Process Induced Thermal Residual Stresses in Injection Molded Composites

Several models exist for predicting residual thermal stresses in inorganic glasses. A few of these have been applied with some success, to predicting residual stresses in amorphous polymers. One such theory, that of Indenbom, has been used in this study to conduct a sensitivity analysis on the effect of material properties and processing parameters on the residual stress distribution in neat polymers. This theory has then been coupled to a micromechanics theory to predict residual stresses in isotropic short fiber composites (composites which have a 3-D random fiber orientation distribution). Finally a thermoelastic formulation based on incremental stress analysis is proposed for predict ing residual thermal stresses in orthotropic, short-fiber composites with depth varying properties due to the skin-core effect.
Mass spectrometric elucidation of the neuropeptidome of a crustacean neuroendocrine organ

The blue crab Callinectes sapidus has been used as an experimental model organism for the study of regulation of cardiac activity and other physiological processes. Moreover, it is an economically and ecologically important crustacean species. However, there was no previous report on the characterization of its neuropeptidome. To fill in this gap, we employed multiple sample preparation methods including direct tissue profiling, crude tissue extraction and tissue extract fractionation by HPLC to obtain a complete description of the neuropeptidome of C. sapidus. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI)-Fourier transform mass spectrometry (FTMS) and MALDI-time-of-flight (TOF)/TOF were utilized initially to obtain a quick snapshot of the neuropeptide profile, and subsequently nanoflow liquid chromatography (nanoLC) coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight (ESI-Q-TOF) tandem MS analysis of neuropeptide extracts was conducted for de novo sequencing. Simultaneously, the pericardial organ (PO) tissue extract was labeled by a novel N,N-dimethylated leucine (DiLeu) reagent, offering enhanced fragmentation efficiency of peptides. In total, 130 peptide sequences belonging to 11 known neuropeptide families including orcomyotropin, pyrokinin, allatostatin A (AST-A), allatostatin B (AST-B), FMRFamide-like peptides (FLPs), and orcokinin were identified. Among these 130 sequences, 44 are novel peptides and 86 are previously identified. Overall, our results lay the groundwork for future physiological studies of neuropeptides in C. sapidus and other crustaceans.
Developing a world‐class CI program in telecoms

Given the liberalization of telecommunications (telecom) markets, the proliferation of new entrants, and the overall acceleration of the industry, telecom providers from around the world are taking a careful look at their competitive intelligence (CI) capabilities. Deloitte Consulting has interviewed several CI leaders from the largest telecom operators in North America, Western Europe, and Australia to identify current CI practices within the telecom industry. Results from these interviews and insights from experience in the field, coupled with internal and external research, allowed us to develop a framework to guide the development of a competitive intelligence program for telecom operators. This article summarizes our preliminary findings. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Determination of Surface Pressure Distributions for Axisymmetric Bluff Bodies

The conditions governing liquid droplet breakup are particularly important to the process of fuel atomization for spark-ignition engines. A proper mathematical description of the problem requires knowledge of the pressure distributions about the droplet surface. This work presents the results of measurements of pressure distributions about the surfaces of certain bluff, axi-symmetric bodies in airflows at ReD = 3 × 104 and ReD = 105 . The results of measurements from a sphere, disk, and two ellipsoids are used to develop a general method for estimating surface pressures. These estimates are compared with the results of pressure measurements about the surfaces of a concave and a nonellipsoidal convex body and with results obtained from a numerical study by other authors.
Erratum to: Common uses and cited complications of energy in surgery

In Table 3 in the Discussion section there are two misprints. In the disadvantages of Bipolar Electrosurgery, the reference cited in the second enumerator, The amount of thermal spread usually depends on the power setting and the skill level of the user—Ligasure produced thermal spread in the range of 0.6–6 mm in porcine organs [26, 41, 162] should be [26, 41, 158–161]. In the advantages of the Ultrasonic energy, the reference cited in the third enumerator, Best energy method of sealing small blood vessels (up to 2 mm in diameter) [27, 41, 162] should be [26, 41,162].
Distributed beamforming in multi-user cooperative wireless networks

This paper considers a distributed beamformer across multiple relay nodes in a two-hop cooperative wireless network that involves multiple concurrent source-destination pairs. Each of the nodes involved in the problem, including source, relay, and destination nodes, is assumed to use a single antenna. The focus of this paper is the optimization of the relay weights that maximize the sum capacity of the wireless network. A simple solution for the determination of relay weights is provided to yield nearly optimum network capacity. Simulation results validate that, in the presence of a high number of relay nodes, the average network capacity achieved through the concurrent transmission of multiuser streams exceeds that achieved by TDMA and single-user transmission with opportunistic source selection schemes.
Bisphenol-A extraction into water from a flexible PVC pond liner and its potential impact on artificial ponds

Abstract Bisphenol-A (BPA), a known ecological endocrine disruptor, is commonly used as an additive in the manufacture of flexible polyvinyl chloride (PVC) membranes. To assess the potential of artificial pond PVC liners as sources of BPA contamination, a laboratory extraction of BPA from a liner into water was conducted. The average blank-corrected BPA released by the liner, on a BPA/liner mass basis, was 28.4 ± 5.8 μg g −1 . On the basis of surface area the amount released was 0.84 ± 0.16 μg cm −2 . Given this quantity of BPA in a liner, a simple release model indicates that PVC pond liners are a potentially significant source of exposure of artificial pond aquatic organisms to BPA.
Liquid gated three dimensional graphene network transistor

Abstract In this paper, a novel three dimensional field effect transistor (FET) is presented. The transistor is made of graphene foam, which is a complex three dimensional network of single to double layer graphene that is immersed in the ionic liquid. The electrolytic double layer capacitance at the ionic liquid graphene interface provides all-around three dimensional liquid gating of the transistor. The high surface area of the graphene foam results in providing higher current carrying capacity than a two dimensional graphene transistor. Moreover, the nanometer thick electrolytic double layer formed at the high surface area liquid-graphene interface results in large gate capacitance that allows for low voltage operation. Owing to its all carbonaceous form and all around liquid gating, the presented three dimensional graphene transistor may lead the way for real electronic interfaces with the biological world and for biochemical sensing.
Methods research: Determination of dioxins in fish and sediment

Abstract This communication describes a simple isolation/extraction procedure for fish and sediment samples based on acid digestion, gel permeation chromatography, trisodium phosphate treatment, micro-alumina chromatography and carbon fibre colum chromatography. The cleaned extracts are analysed for tetrachloro dibenzo-p-dioxins using GC-ECD screening and HRGC-MS (multiple ion dection) confirmation.
Critical exponent doubling in microemulsion systems

Abstract Recent experimental results on the power-law divergence with temperature of the correlation length near the critical points of microemulsion systems are examined. It is shown that some of these results with unusually large critical exponents, ν, may be explained in terms of an approach to a double critical point where the oil-phase/water-phase immiscibility loops disappear.
Approximate synthesis of planar Cartesian manipulators with parallel structures

The systematical approach for approximate designing of Cartesian manipulators is described. As opposed to the traditional manipulators based on Pantograph mechanism, alternative kinematic diagrams of 7-link Cartesian manipulators are proposed: one built of revolute joints only while another ones are actuated by swinging cylinders. The design is carried out applying both structural and design-error based approximation techniques. Moreover, the results obtained by least-square and Chebyshev approximation are presented.
Growth Factors and the Extracellular Matrix

ONE of the objectives pursued actively for the past 80 years by cell biologists has been to reconstruct from single cells maintained in vitro the corresponding functional tissue. This not only requires that cells obtained from a given tissue and maintained singly in vitro proliferate actively but also that upon reaching confluence they reconstruct the tissue to which they belong in vivo in such a way that both the morphological characteristics of the tissue and its functions are preserved. In recent years, the discovery of mitogenic factors that maintained cells in an active stage of proliferation, thereby preventing their precocious senescence in vitro, has made it possible, in the case of a few tissues, to achieve these objectives. The discovery of growth factors is in a sense not a recent occurrence. The first growth factor to be identified was erythropoietin. This factor, first identified by Carnot and Deflandre in 1906, controls the proliferation of erythroblasts, the progenitors of red blood cells (...
Major depression drives severity of American Urological Association Symptom Index.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the unclear relationship between depression and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) by assessing depression's effect on the American Urological Association Symptom Index (AUA-SI) scores. Depression is a common illness associated with chronic inflammatory disease states. Data have suggested a significant role of inflammation in the progression of BPH. METHODS The present prospective study involved 547 male patients who completed the Geriatric Depression Scale and the AUA-SI. We evaluated whether the mean AUA-SI score and the severity categories differed by the state of depression. We then conducted binary logistic regression analysis with forward stepwise regression to assess the relationship between depression and the severity symptoms as determined by the AUA-SI score. RESULTS Of the cohort, 22% screened positive for depressive symptoms. The depressed patients (Geriatric Depression Scale score >5) reported significantly more severe symptoms (mean AUA-SI score 16.61 ± 9.89) compared with the nondepressed patients (Geriatric Depression Scale score of ≤5 and mean AUA-SI score 10.65 ± 7.29; F = 40.19, P <.001). After controlling for socioeconomic and demographic variables, depressed patients were 3 times more likely to present with severe symptoms (odds ratio 3.079, 95% confidence interval 1.129-8.402, P = .028). CONCLUSIONS A significant association was found between depression and BPH. However, it remains unclear whether this relationship represents unidirectional or bidirectional causality. Additional research is imperative to assess the nature of this correlation, either to address comorbid depression in patients with BPH or to ensure that depressed patients do not report falsely elevated symptoms.
Persistent Sciatic Artery: Collective Review and Management

One of the rarer anatomic variants is persistent sciatic artery. Only 93 cases have been reported since the first description of this anomaly. The earlier reports were mainly pathologic descriptions, whereas the more recent have been clinically oriented. There is a slight male predominance, and the average age of presentation is 49 years old (range 6 months to 85 years). The majority of patients have symptoms of a mass, ischemia, or gluteal pain. There is no preference for the right or left side, and one in four patients has both legs affected. In this anomaly the sciatic vessel acts as the principal blood supply to the lower limb. One half of all patients develop aneurysms that are characteristically located caudal to the sciatic notch as opposed to gluteal aneuryms that are cephalad to this landmark. Various methods (some now obsolete) have been tried to treat these aneurysms, but the best results were obtained through aneurysm ablation and vascular reconstruction. Arterial bypasses succeeded when used for ischemic complications of persistent sciatic artery. Optimal management of this condition requires prompt recognition, an understanding of the developmental anatomy, exclusion and bypass of aneurysms, appropriate vascular intervention for ischemic sequelae, and close observation of asymptomatic individuals.
THE EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE ON THE SUSCEPTIBILITY OF PLANTS TO 2,4-D.

The conditions under which 2,4-D is most effective as a weed-killer are not thoroughly established. Among the possible factors influencing the result of 2,4-D application is the temperature at which the plants are growing. Hamner and Tukey (2) noticed that killing of bindweed by 2,4-D was more rapid in midsummer than in the fall. Marth and Davis (3) found that 2,4-D killed lawn weeds at a more rapid rate when they were growing at warmer temperatures. Both the absorption and translocation of 2,4-D in bean plants were speeded when they were kept at higher temperatures (4). Akamine's recent experiments indicate that root induction by 2,4-D is influenced by temperature (1). The following experiments were carried out to investigate more precisely the relationship between temperature and susceptibility of plants to 2,4-D.
Poor Relief, Informal Assistance, and Short Time during the Lancashire Cotton Famine☆

Abstract This paper presents new evidence concerning the importance of poor relief as a source of income assistance for unemployed operatives during the Lancashire cotton famine. My comparison of weekly data on the number of relief recipients in 23 distressed poor law unions with estimates of weekly cotton consumption for the period November 1861 to December 1862 suggests that the average length of time between becoming unemployed and receiving poor relief was less than 2 months. This result is shown to be consistent with available evidence on working class saving. Given the meager amount of informal assistance available to them, most operatives were forced to turn to the poor law for income assistance within 4 to 8 weeks of becoming unemployed.
Turnover of hepatic collagen in reversible and irreversible fibrosis.

Werden Ratten bis zu 60 Tage lang mit Carbontetrachlorid behandelt, dann ist die Vermehrung des hepatischen Kollagens reversibel; bei einer Behandlung von mehr als 140 Tagen bleibt sie jedoch bestehen.
Prevalence of African DNA RELP alleles in neotropical African honeybees

A few queens of the honeybee, Apis mellifera scutellata, were imported from Africa and released in Brazil in 1957. Progeny of these bees have now largely colonized the American tropics. Their imminent arrival in the United States poses a serious threat to the beekeeping industry and to agriculture dependent on honeybee pollination. African and European bees are morphologically very similar. DNA restriction fragment length polymorphisms are proving successful in distinguishing between the two. Several DNA markers specific to European honeybees have been described previously. Reported here are three cloned honeybee DNA probes that reveal polymorphisms that appear to be either African or European specific. Of fourteen alleles or haplotypes identified, five were present only in African and neotropical (Venezuelan and Mexican) African bees but absent in European-derived bees, two were present only in European-derived bees but absent in samples from South Africa. Another allele showed apparent frequency differences among populations. Such markers are useful in studying the genetics of neotropical African bee populations. Venezuelan and Mexican honeybee colonies show a preponderance of the African alleles with low levels of the European alleles. These observations of nuclear DNA, revealing limited paternal European introgression, together with previous mitochondrial DNA findings showing negligible European maternal gene flow into feral African populations, indicate that neotropical African bees are primarily African.
Differential Effect of Grape Seed Extract against Human Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Cells: the role of Reactive Oxygen Species and Apoptosis Induction

The present study examines grape seed extract (GSE) efficacy against a series of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines that differ in their Kras and p53 status to establish GSE potential as a cytotoxic agent against a wide range of lung cancer cells. GSE suppressed growth and induced apoptotic death in NSCLC cells irrespective of their k-Ras status, with more sensitivity toward H460 and H322 (wt k-Ras) than A549 and H1299 cells (mutated k-Ras). Mechanistic studies in A549 and H460 cells, selected, based on comparative efficacy of GSE at higher and lower doses, respectively, showed that apoptotic death involves cytochrome c release associated caspases 9 and 3 activation, and poly (ADP-ribosyl) polymerase cleavage, strong phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and JNK1/2, downregulation of cell survival proteins, and upregulated proapoptotic Bak expression. Importantly, GSE treatment caused a strong superoxide radical-associated oxidative stress, significantly decreased intracellular reduced glutathione levels, suggesting, for the first time, the involvement of GSE-caused oxidative stress in its apoptotic inducing activity in these cells. Because GSE is a widely-consumed dietary agent with no known untoward effects, our results support future studies to establish GSE efficacy and usefulness against NSCLC control.
Observation of nonclassical optical diffusion.

The optical diffusion coefficient D and photon absorption time ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\tau}}}_{\mathrm{a}}$ in a sample of titania spheres in air are determined from measurements of picosecond pulse transmission over the wavelength range 514--650 nm. At 514 nm, D=1.45\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{4}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$/s. This corresponds to an anomalously small value of the effective mean free path l\ifmmode \tilde{}\else \~{}\fi{}==3D/v=250 A\r{}, where v is the velocity of light in the medium. Throughout the wavelength range measured, l\ifmmode \tilde{}\else \~{}\fi{}\ensuremath{\le}0.15\ensuremath{\lambda}. Assuming that D is reduced by coherent backscattering and that the optical mobility edge is given by the Ioffe-Regel criterion, the renormalization factor at 514.5 nm is 2.8.
On Causality and Causal Mechanisms: Comment on Dennis Lindley's “Seeing and Doing: the Concept of Causation”

Dennis Lindley's review of Judea Pearl's book is a service to many (including myself) who have had trouble deciphering Pearl's "causal mechanism". It is also a service to Pearl whose work will now be appreciated by probabilists and statisticians interested in foundational issues. My understanding of what is meant by causal mechanism is entirely due to Lindley's review, and based on this, my position is that Pearl's causal mechanism is embraced within the framework of probability. Thus to me, the calculus of probability, endowed with a time dynamic, is indeed a calculus for causality. Pearl (1999) challenges this; he claims that "(we must) deny the premise that causal relationships are governed by the laws of standard probability calculus". Lindley shares Pearl's claim; he feels that "causality needs its own calculus so that users can operate with it as confidently as they do with the calculus of probability". In what follows, I hope to make my case.
Inner Ideals and Facial Structure of the Quasi-State Space of a JB-Algebra

Abstract In this paper we relate the geometric structure of the quasi-state space A * 1, + of a JB-algebra A to the algebraic structure of A . We prove that each non-empty w*-closed face F of A * 1, + coincides with the set of elements of A * that attain their norms at a closed projection p in A **, uniquely determined by F . When A is unital, we establish an order anti- isomorphism between the complete lattice of w*-closed faces of A * 1, + and the complete lattice of norm-closed inner ideals of A . These results are known for the special case when A is the self-adjoint part of a C*-algebra. The proofs use associative techniques and the Gelfand–Naimark representation. In the general case such techniques are not available, and it is necessary to introduce new techniques including the use of a new inequality of Cauchy–Schwarz type for elements of A *.
Analysis of Referrals for Lung Transplantation

In the first year of our lung transplantation program, 211 patients with end-stage pulmonary disease were referred for consideration. Over 50 percent of the patients had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and almost 20 percent had idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The referrals were screened according to predefined criteria of eligibility for single and double lung transplantation. After screening, 46 of the referred patients were admitted for an extensive inpatient evaluation, and 18 of these were accepted as candidates for transplantation. Although interest in lung transplantation is growing in both the medical and lay communities, a significant number of patients with endstage pulmonary disease were ineligible by our current criteria. As experience with these procedures is gained, criteria for selection may become less restrictive, and more patients may be candidates for transplantation.