cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prolongation of QTc Intervals and Risk of Sudden Death among Patients with Sickle Cell Diseases.

Unexplained sudden death is common among patients (pts) with sickle cell diseases (SCD). QTc prolongation is a risk factor for fatal arrhythmias among adults. Cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction has been proposed as a contributing cause for sudden death in SCD but QTc prolongation has only been described in isolated pediatric case reports. Purpose: To investigate the incidence of QTc prolongation among adults with SCD and the relationship between prolonged QTc interval and sudden death. Methods: We reviewed records of 180 consecutive adults with SCD from October 1996 to January of 2007. EKGs and echocardiograms (Echo) were independently reviewed by a cardiologist who was blinded to the patients’ clinical and laboratory data. Bazett’s formula was used to calculate QTc interval. In pts with more than one EKG, the longest QTc data was used for analysis. Results: SCD were divided into 3 groups: homozygous SS = 113 (67%), SC = 34 (20%), Sβthal = 21 (13%). Mean age was 35 years (range 25–45), 66 (58%) were females, 108 (96%) were African American and 4% were Mexican. Other medical problems were prior CVA in 17, congestive heart failure in 11, hypertension in 9, renal insufficiency in 13, and diabetes in 7. Medications included hydroxyurea in 41, methadone in 38, other narcotics in 41, ACE inhibitors in 16 and beta blockers in 16. Twenty five pts were receiving chronic exchange transfusions. EKGs were available in 113 (67%) and Echo in 95 (53%). Serum chemistries and ferritin were available in 110 pts within 24 hours of the EKG and in 3 pts within 48 hours. QTc intervals were prolonged (>440 msec) in 74 pts (66%). Sixty six pts (47%) pts had more than one EKG with prolonged QTc. QTc intervals increased progressively over 4 years from a mean 434 msec (415–452) to mean 462 msec (446–487), (p=
Dasatinib-Induced Platelet Dysfunction.

Abstract Dasatinib is efficacious and safe in patients (pts) with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) after imatinib failure. However, dasatinib therapy has been linked to bleeding in some pts, typically affecting mucosal surfaces. We analyzed the effect of dasatinib on basic coagulation tests and platelet aggregation function in 55 pts with CML in chronic phase at diagnosis (1), >8 weeks after tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) discontinuation (3), or during therapy with the ABL/SRC inhibitors dasatinib (n=27) and bosutinib (n=12), or the aminopyrimidine derivatives imatinib (n=8) and nilotinib (n=4). Median age was 54 yrs (range, 22–80), WBC 5.5 ×109/L (range, 2.1–58.5), hemoglobin 12.2 g/dL (range, 9.7–15.1), and platelets 230 ×109/L (range, 80–746). Only 2 pts (both on imatinib and warfarin) had abnormal basic coagulation parameters (prolonged prothrombin time [PT]). In the remainder 53 pts, the median PT time was 11.6 sec (9.8–13), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) 28.5 sec (range, 21–33.9), and fibrinogen level 495 mg/dL (range, 336–700), suggesting an intact secondary hemostasis. To evaluate the primary hemostasis status, platelet aggregation was measured by turbidometry in 1 mL of platelet-rich plasma upon stimulation with 5 μM of ADP, 1 μg/ml of collagen, 1 μM of epinephrine, 1 mM arachidonic acid, or 8 μL of ristocetin by using a Whole Blood Lumi-Aggregometer (Chrono-Log Corporation, Havertown, PA). Aggregation was expressed as the maximal percent change in light transmittance from baseline using platelet-poor plasma as a reference. Five (9%) patients (2 bosutinib, 1 nilotinib, and 2 imatinib) were on aspirin and showed an aspirin-like effect (decreased platelet aggregation with arachidonic acid [AA] and epinephrine [Epi]). Patients off-TKI or untreated had a normal platelet aggregation test. Results on the remaining 46 assessable patients demonstrate that dasatinib is strongly associated platelet aggregation defects, particularly an aspirin-like effect, when compared with other TKIs. Platelet function analysis by PFA-100 showed that addition of dasatinib (400 nM) to fresh whole blood obtained from a healthy volunteer rapidly induced platelet dysfunction. Closure times were prolonged from 100 sec (baseline) to >300 sec in response to Epi (normal Table 1 . Effect of BCR-ABL kinase inhibitors on platelet aggregation Dasatinib Bosutinib Nilotinib or Imatinib Platelet aggregation test n=27 n=10 n=9 p value Normal (%) 4 (15) 8 (80) 6 (67) Abnormal (%) 23 (85) 2 (20) 3 (33) Only with Epi 7 1 0 With both Epi and AA 14 1 3 With all agonists 2 0 0
Explaining ethnic disparities in lung function among young adults: A pilot investigation.

Background Ethnic disparities in lung function have been linked mainly to anthropometric factors but have not been fully explained. We conducted a cross-sectional pilot study to investigate how best to study ethnic differences in lung function in young adults and evaluate whether these could be explained by birth weight and socio-economic factors. Methods We recruited 112 university students of White and South Asian British ethnicity, measured post-bronchodilator lung function, obtained information on respiratory symptoms and socio-economic factors through questionnaires, and acquired birth weight through data linkage. We regressed lung function against ethnicity and candidate predictors defined a priori using linear regression, and used penalised regression to examine a wider range of factors. We reviewed the implications of our findings for the feasibility of a larger study. Results There was a similar parental socio-economic environment and no difference in birth weight between the two ethnic groups, but the ethnic difference in FVC adjusted for sex, age, height, demi-span, father’s occupation, birth weight, maternal educational attainment and maternal upbringing was 0.81L (95%CI: -1.01 to -0.54L). Difference in body proportions did not explain the ethnic differences although parental immigration was an important predictor of FVC independent of ethnic group. Participants were comfortable with study procedures and we were able to link birth weight data to clinical measurements. Conclusion Studies of ethnic disparities in lung function among young adults are feasible. Future studies should recruit a socially more diverse sample and investigate the role of markers of acculturation in explaining such differences.
Seventy Years of Calorimetry

In this opening talk of the CALOR 2016 conference, I briefly review some milestones in the history of calorimetry as a detection technique in particle physics. I also discuss common misconceptions, which are unfortunately widespread, and give you my personal outlook on the future.
British Working-Class Writing: Paradox and Tension as Genre Motif

This chapter traces the development of working-class writing in British culture, identifying parallels and disparities of the genre across transnational lines. Commencing with the Industrial Revolution and the formation of the modern class system, the chapter touches on cultural events and flashpoints that informed working-class representation as well as literary production by working-class people. Spanning from the Chartist movement to the recent rise of class-conscious indie presses and alliances, the chapter offers an expansive overview of British working-class cultural production. In the process, the chapter interrogates the way aesthetic and ethical principles fluctuate across over time, illustrating how form and function are periodically at odds. Consequently, the chapter considers how aesthetic and ethical imbalance reflects class struggle writ large, suggesting how formal tension can be read as a productive and persistent feature rather than as a bug of the genre. Such imbalance, it might be said, acts as a homeostatic safeguard against the commodification of fetishized class identities, rendering working-class writing as dynamic and contingent—a genre that shifts to meet the needs of those it represents.
Effects of So-Called “Cerebral Blood Flow Increasing” Drugs on Tissue-Oxygenation of the Brain

Besides the physiological decrease of cerebral blood flow in aged individuals caused secondarily by proceeding physiological cell death (Puppe, 1971, Puppe-Erdmann, 1973) and decrease of oxygen demand, there may exist a pathological decrease of cerebral blood flow primarily induced by the so-called “arteriosclerosis” of the vessel wall leading to hypoxic death of cells.
Software engineering and computer science: how do they differ?

“Thermodynamics owes much more to the steam engine than the steam engine owes to thermodynamics… if we look at the usual course of events in the historical record… there are very few examples where technology is applied science. Rather it is much more often the case that science is applied technology” (from “Sealing Wax and String: A Philosophy of the Experimenter’s Craft and its Role in the Genesis of High Technology,” Proceedings of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, annual meeting, 1983; D.D. Price).
Oxidant stress induction and signalling in xenografted (human breast cancer-tissues) plus estradiol treated or N -ethyl- N -nitrosourea treated female rats via altered estrogen sulfotransferase (rSULT1E1) expressions and SOD1/catalase regulations

N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) is highly used in rodent models of tumerogenesis/carcinogenesis. Xenografting human-cancer tissues/cells with estradiol (E2) treatment is also used to generate rodent-models of gynaecological cancers. The altered metabolic-redox environment leading to establishment of pre-tumorigenesis condition and their mechanism are less studied. Here, female Wister rats were treated with these drugs at their pre-tumerogenic dosage (one group ENU single intra-peritoneal dose of 90 mg/kg b.w. and another group were implanted with human breast tumor (stage-IIIB) and fed with 2.5 mg of 17β-estradiol once in a week for 4 months). After 4 months, animals were sacrificed; their serum and liver tissues were tested. A brief comparison was made with a rat model (regarded as positive control) of toxicity induced by mutagenic environmental pollutant arsenic (0.6 ppm daily/4 weeks). The increase in serum alkaline phosphatase and glutamate-pyruvate transaminase suggests the possible organ toxicity is favoured by the increase in hepatic/systemic free radicals and oxidative stress in all drug application models. But the increase in the serum E2 level as noted in the ELISA data with impairment in the hepatic estrogen sulfotransferase (SULT1E1) protein expression (immuno-blot data) were noticed with interfered hepatic free-thiols only in ENU and xenograft-E2 group compared to arsenic group. It is also evident in the in vitro result from E2/GSH/NAC added hepatic slices with altered antioxidant regulations. Moreover, impairment in hepatic SOD1, catalase and glutathiole peroxidase activities (PAGEzymographic data), especially in the ENU-treated group makes them more vulnerable to the oxidative threat in creating pre-tumerogenic microenvironment. This is evident in the result of their higher DNA-damage and histological abnormalities. The Bioinformatics study revealed an important role of rSULT1E1 in the regulations of E2 metabolism. This study is important for the exploration of the pre-tumerogenic condition by ENU and E2 by impairing SULT1E1 expression and E2 regulations via oxidant-stress signalling. The finding may help to find new therapeutic-targets to treat gynaecological-cancers more effectively.
The Teacher Educators and Leaders as Agents of Change in a Teacher Education Activity System; the Reform-in-the-Making in Turkey

The paper utilizes data collected as part of the 2003-2004 US-Turkey Fulbright study of educational reform in Turkey. Included in this research was a general survey of 170 Turkish teacher educators; an in-depth followup of 38 of these respondents; and a third survey of 7 Turkish educational leaders as defined by the position they hold in the system. All surveys employed both qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques. Within the purview of activity theory, this paper utilizes the qualitative data of the surveys and describes the internal tensions and contradictions among 38 teacher educators and 7 university leaders recommending reflections on the possible solutions to the tensions. Overall, it was found that teacher education reform was not identified by the masses of teacher educators and university leaders who had conflicting motives participating in the reform. It also provides recommendations concerning how Turkey may better approach the European Union goals in this area.
Effects of forage level and canola seed supplementation on site and extent of digestion of organic matter, carbohydrates, and energy by steers.

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of fat supplementation from canola seed (CS) on ruminal fermentation and postruminal digestion of OM, carbohydrates, and energy of diets containing different levels of forage. Six ruminally and duodenally cannulated beef steers (354 kg +/- 18) were given ad libitum access to six isonitrogenous diets that were offered twice daily in a 6 x 6 Latin square design. Treatments were arranged as a 2 x 3 factorial with two forage levels (70 vs 30% of dietary DM as corn silage) and three forms of CS supplementation including no CS or CS added at 10% of dietary DM as whole CS treated with alkaline hydrogen peroxide or untreated crushed CS. Fat from CS provided 5% of dietary DM. The remaining dietary ingredients were corn, canola meal, molasses, and urea. No interactions (P > .05) between dietary forage level and CS supplementation were observed for ruminal characteristics or digestion of OM, carbohydrates, and energy in the rumen, postruminally, or in the total tract. Fat supplementation from CS did not affect (P > .05) DMI. With few exceptions, fat supplementation did not affect (P > .05) ruminal, postruminal, or total tract digestibilities of OM, structural and nonstructural carbohydrates, and GE. Ruminal disappearance of GE was decreased (P .05) by fat supplementation. Results suggest that fat supplementation from CS (at 5% of dietary DM) as whole treated or untreated crushed had no negative effects on ruminal fermentation of OM, carbohydrates, or energy when steers were given ad libitum access to diets containing high or low forage.
Manipulating the decision making process: Influencing a "gut" reaction.

The present series of studies sought to examine how external factors influence behavioral decision making task performance. Utilizing the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) to assess risky decision making, w...
Electroweak probe of neutron skins of nuclei

Abstract We describe a program of elastic electron scattering experiments aimed at direct measurements of the neutral weak form factor of nuclei from which the neutron rms radii of nuclei can be extracted with little theoretical ambiguity. The difference between the neutron and proton rms radii, the neutron skin, is intimately related to the density dependence of the symmetry energy in dense nuclear matter which in turn can be related to neutron star parameters such as mass, radius and mass quadrupole polarizability.
Suppressed flavor violation in Lepton Flavored Dark Matter from an extra dimension

Phenomenological studies of Flavored Dark Matter (FDM) models often have to assume a near-diagonal flavor structure in the coupling matrix in order to remain consistent with bounds from flavor violating processes. In this paper we show that for Lepton FDM, such a structure can naturally arise from an extra dimensional setup. The extra dimension is taken to be flat, with the dark matter and mediator fields confined to a brane on one end of the extra dimension, and the Higgs field to a brane on the other end. The Standard Model fermion and gauge fields are the zero modes of corresponding bulk fields with appropriate boundary conditions. Global flavor symmetries exist in the bulk and on the FDM brane, while they are broken on the Higgs brane. Flavor violating processes arise due to the misalignment of bases for which the interactions on the two branes are diagonalized, and their size can be controlled by a choice of the lepton profiles along the extra dimension. By studying the parameter space for the model, we show that when relic abundance and indirect detection constraints are satisfied, the rates for flavor violating processes such as $\mu\to e\gamma$ remain far below the experimental limits.
Abstract P180: Low Prevalence of Ideal Cardiovascular Health in Patients With Severe Hypercholesterolemia in a Largely Rural Population

Introduction: The American Heart Association’s ideal cardiovascular health (ICH) score is determined by 3 ideal health factors (normal blood pressure, untreated total cholesterol, and glucose) and ...
New nonlinear iterated filter with applications to target tracking

The two most popular solutions to the nonlinear filtering problem are the Extended Kalman filter (EKF) and the Iterated Extended Kalman filter (IKF). Both are sub-optimal algorithms which employ a first-order, Taylor-series approximation to adapt the linear, Kalman filter to the nonlinear problem. While the Taylor-series approximation makes an implementation realizable, its accuracy depends heavily on the stability of the Jacobian matrix. In practice the Jacobian matrix is often numerically unstable, resulting in filter divergence and, in the case of the IKF, slowed or even non-convergence of the iterates. This paper identifies inadequacies inherent to the EKF and IKF, discusses their detrimental effect on performance, and then proposes a solution which uses the Julier et al. time update and a new iterated procedure for computing the measurement update. The resulting new iterated filter is believed to be a robust alternative to prevailing methods. Examples involving target tracking are considered.
Diseases of the Digestive Tract

Images in this section cover vast array of lesions in every part of the GI tract involved by mechanical obstruction, infection and inflammation, ischemic changes, perforations, ulcers, malignancies. The appendix lesions not only include appendicitis but also various malignancies.
Hyponatrémie due à une maladie neurologique

Un patient se presente au service des urgences en raison d’une paresie de la jambe, d’une retention urinaire, d’un episode de hoquet de deux jours et d’un episode de vision floue de plusieurs heures.
Is governance enough? Assessing municipal capacity and CSO participation for complex service delivery

Global South municipalities have varying levels of service performance depending on service complexity level. Given the implications of waste management for administrative capacity, nonstate actor participation, service complexity, and climate action, this article uses a panel dataset of Peruvian municipalities to examine whether local governance factors, such as waste office administrative capacity and active, locally embedded Civil Society Organization (CSO) involvement, equally influence the performance of both high- and low-complexity services. Preliminary findings suggest that waste office administrative capacity is associated with improved performance in both services while neighborhood-based CSOs are crucial for increased simple waste service delivery but not for a more complex one. Deliberative governance spaces of local collaboration are not associated with either service. This suggests that strengthening government administrative capacity is needed for delivering complex services related to climate change and that nonstate actors may not substitute for the state in these conditions, contrary to expectations.
Banaras reconstructed: architecture and sacred space in a Hindu holy city

Lynn Zastoupil in a 1991 review of Thomas Metcalf’s 1989 book, An Imperial Vision: Indian Architecture and Britain’s Raj says, ‘Readers who know Edward Said’s book Orientalism, or the work of Berna...
Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 mutations in the United States suggests presence of four substrains and novel variants.

SARS-CoV-2 has been mutating since it was first sequenced in early January 2020. Here, we analyze 45,494 complete SARS-CoV-2 geneome sequences in the world to understand their mutations. Among them, 12,754 sequences are from the United States. Our analysis suggests the presence of four substrains and eleven top mutations in the United States. These eleven top mutations belong to 3 disconnected groups. The first and second groups consisting of 5 and 8 concurrent mutations are prevailing, while the other group with three concurrent mutations gradually fades out. Moreover, we reveal that female immune systems are more active than those of males in responding to SARS-CoV-2 infections. One of the top mutations, 27964C > T-(S24L) on ORF8, has an unusually strong gender dependence. Based on the analysis of all mutations on the spike protein, we uncover that two of four SARS-CoV-2 substrains in the United States become potentially more infectious. Rui Wang et al. report a comprehensive analysis of nearly 13,000 SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences isolated from patients in the United States, comprising more than 7000 single mutations. They show that SARS-CoV-2 genomes cluster into four distinct groups and that two of these groups are potentially more infectious, underlining the urgent need for viral control strategies in the US.
An intensive outpatient program for suicidal college students.

College counseling centers (CCCs) have limited capacity to accommodate high-risk students who need more intensive care than traditional outpatient treatment. We describe an Intensive Outpatient Pro...
A Single Nucleotide Polymorphism in the SLCO1B3 Gene is Associated with Dose-Normalized Mycophenolic Acid AUC12

Purpose Lung transplant recipients are commonly maintained on mycophenolic acid (MPA). However, research has shown that transplant recipients experience a wide variability in MPA pharmacokinetics. We hypothesize that some of this variability is due to genetic factors. To this end we analyzed the relationship between MPA concentration and a hypofunctional polymorphism in the SLCO1B3 gene, rs7311358, which we have previously reported is associated with MPA-related clinical outcomes. Methods We performed full pharmacokinetic testing in 30 adult bilateral lung transplant recipients who were maintained on MPA and who had previously enrolled in our lung transplant genetic database. MPA levels were assessed using a high-performance liquid chromatography peak area quantitation. We calculated the 12-hour area under the curve (AUC12) using the linear trapezoidal method. We used linear regression to evaluate the relationship between the SLCO1B3 polymorphism and the AUC12. We also performed multivariate linear regression analysis to evaluate potential confounders. Results The SLCO1B3 rs7311358 polymorphism was present in 8 of 30 patients. These patients had a significantly lower dose normalized MPA AUC12 than patients without the polymorphism (rs7311358 GG/GA 40.11 mg*h/L vs. rs7311358 AA 68.84 mg*h/L, p=0.041, Figure 1). Additionally, in multivariate testing the presence of the polymorphism remained significantly associated with MPA AUC12. Conclusion We provide the first evidence that SLCO1B3 polymorphism rs7311358 is significantly associated with MPA dose normalized AUC12 in lung recipients. Integration of this pharmacogenetic data with traditional pharmacokinetic testing could lead to more effective MPA management strategies.
Atomistic Simulations Modify Interpretation of Spin-Label Oximetry Data. Part 1: Intensified Water–Lipid Interfacial Resistances

The role of membrane cholesterol in cellular function and dysfunction has been the subject of much inquiry. A few studies have suggested that cholesterol may slow oxygen diffusive transport, altering membrane physical properties and reducing oxygen permeability. The primary experimental technique used in recent years to study membrane oxygen transport is saturation-recovery electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) oximetry, using spin-label probes targeted to specific regions of a lipid bilayer. The technique has been used, in particular, to assess the influence of cholesterol on oxygen transport and membrane permeability. The reliability of such EPR recordings at the water–lipid interface near the phospholipid headgroups has been challenged by all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulation data that show substantive agreement with spin-label probe measurements throughout much of the bilayer. This work uses further MD simulations, with an updated oxygen model, to determine the location of the maximum resistance to permeation and the rate-limiting barrier to oxygen permeation in 1-palmitoyl,2-oleoylphosphatidylcholine (POPC) and POPC/cholesterol bilayers at 25 and 35 °C. The current simulations show a spike of resistance to permeation in the headgroup region that was not detected by EPR but was predicted in early theoretical work by Diamond and Katz. Published experimental nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) oxygen measurements provide key validation of the MD models and indicate that the positions and relative magnitudes of the phosphatidylcholine resistance peaks are accurate. Consideration of the headgroup-region resistances predicts bilayer permeability coefficients lower than that estimated in EPR studies, giving permeabilities lower than the permeability of unstirred water layers of the same thickness. Here, the permeability of POPC at 35 °C is estimated to be 13 cm/s, compared to 10 cm/s for POPC/cholesterol and 118 cm/s for simulation water layers of similar thickness. The value for POPC is 12 times lower than that estimated from EPR measurements, while the value for POPC/cholesterol is 5 times lower. These findings underscore the value of atomic resolution models for guiding the interpretation of experimental probe-based measurements.
Lipid-stabilized hydrophobically modified silica-coated gold nanorods generate enhanced photoacoustic signal from cavitation with nonlinear dependence on laser fluence

In this work, we report that gold nanorods coated with hydrophobically modified mesoporous silica shells not only enhance photoacoustic (PA) signal by more than 10-fold over unmodified mesoporous silica coated gold nanorods but also the relationship between PA amplitude and input laser fluence is strongly nonlinear. Mesoporous silica shells of ∼14 nm thickness and with ∼3 nm pores were grown on gold nanorods showing near infrared absorption. The silica was rendered hydrophobic with addition of dodecyltrichlorosilane, then re-suspended in aqueous media with a lipid monolayer. Analysis of the PA signal revealed not only an enhancement of PA signal compared to mesoporous silica coated gold nanorods at lower laser fluences but also a nonlinear relationship between PA signal and laser fluence. We attribute each effect to the entrapment of air in the mesopores: the air has a larger expansion coefficient than silica that enhances conversion to acoustic energy, and the air undergoes thermal size oscillations that increase with laser fluence, leading to a nonlinear trend even at fluences as low as 5 mJ cm−2. At 21 mJ cm−2, the highest laser fluence tested, the PA enhancement was >12-fold over mesoporous silica coated gold nanorods.
Hilbert's Tenth Problem: Diophantine Classes and Extensions to Global Fields

In the late sixties Matiyasevich, building on the work of Davis, Putnam and Robinson, showed that there was no algorithm to determine whether a polynomial equation in several variables and with integer coefficients has integer solutions. Hilbert gave finding such an algorithm as problem number ten on a list he presented at an international congress of mathematicians in 1900. Thus the problem, which has become known as Hilbert's Tenth Problem, was shown to be unsolvable. This book presents an account of results extending Hilbert's Tenth Problem to integrally closed subrings of global fields including, in the function field case, the fields themselves. While written from the point of view of Algebraic Number Theory, the book includes chapters on Mazur's conjectures on topology of rational points and Poonen's elliptic curve method for constructing a Diophatine model of rational integers over a 'very large' subring of the field of rational numbers.
Allen Telescope Array digital processing requirements driven by radio frequency interference concerns

[1] As a new generation radio telescope, the Allen Telescope Array (ATA) is a prototype for the Square Kilometer Array (SKA). Here we describe recently developed design constraints for the ATA digital signal processing chain as a case study for SKA processing. As radio frequency interference (RFI) becomes increasingly problematic for radio astronomy, radio telescopes must support a wide range of RFI mitigation strategies, including online adaptive RFI nulling. We observe that the requirements for digital accuracy and control speed are driven not by astronomical imaging but by RFI. This can be understood from the fact that high dynamic range and digital precision are necessary to remove strong RFI signals from the weak astronomical background and because RFI signals may change rapidly compared with celestial sources. We review and critique lines of reasoning that lead us to some of the design specifications for ATA digital processing, including these specifications: Beam former coefficients must be specified with at least 1° precision and at least once per millisecond to enable flexible RFI excision.
Course 7 Introduction to single-DNA micromechanics

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses introduction to Single-Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) micromechanics. Over the past ten years new single-molecule techniques to study individual biomolecules have been developed. Many of the new approaches being used are based on micromanipulation of single DNAs, allowing direct study of DNA, and enzymes which interact with it. These lectures focus on mechanical properties of DNA, crucial to the design and interpretation of single-DNA experiments, and to the understanding of how DNA is processed and therefore, functions inside the cell. DNA has extremely interesting and unique polymer properties. In double helix form it is a water-soluble, semiflexible polymer which can be obtained in gigantic lengths. The double helix (sometimes called the “B-form”) is taken by DNA most of the time in the cell. This form of DNA has a regular helical structure with remarkably uniform mechanical properties. The double helix is made of two DNA polymer molecules. Each DNA polymer is a string of four interchangeable types of monomers, which can be strung together in any sequence.
Humane Interfaces to Improve the Usability of Data Clearinghouses

Web-based metadata clearinghouses and catalogs are intended to help users locate and access geospatial data that may be spread across many physical locations. Their specialized thesauri and query interfaces can be a significant help to users who are already familiar with the subject area and know specifically what they are seeking. At the same time, they can be very confusing for users who are unfamiliar with metadata and the FGDC metadata standard. Researchers at Oregon State University are developing a more "humane" approach to metadata searches, one that does not assume users know in advance how to exploit metadata in their quest to find geospatial data. One of their first projects was to review usability aspects of several large clearinghouses. Three well-known usability assessment methods were applied: predictive evaluation, a user expectations survey, and user testing. This paper describes the procedures that were used and presents the findings.
Periodic Acid Oxidation

Periodic acid oxidation is applicable to compounds having two hydroxyl groups or hydroxyl and an amino group attached to adjacent carbon atoms and is characterized by the cleavage of the carbon-carbon bond. Carbonyl compounds in which the carbonyl group is adjacent to a second carbonyl or hydroxyl group are oxidized also In reactive compounds containing the amino-alcohol structure, the amino group may be primary or secondary. Oxidation has been reported to occur with a number of compounds which contain nitrogen, but possess no alpha-amino-alcohol structure. Keywords: periodic acid; oxidation; aqueous solution; oxidation; methylgylcosides; alginic acid; acetyl glucosylamine; starch; side chain; dihydroxystearic acid; glycerol benzyl ether; experimental conditions; ethanol
Laboratory monitoring of new hemostatic agents for hemophilia

Prophylactic infusion of factor replacement products results in a reduction in long-term morbidity and mortality in patients with severe hemophilia. However, intravenous access is commonly through central venous access devices, which may result in complications such as infections and thrombosis. Available clinical data on extended half-life (EHL) factor replacement products indicate the potential for a significant reduction in the need for frequent infusions, eg, once per week for factor (F)IX and twice per week for FVIII. With the current generation of factor replacement products, individualized pharmacokinetics (pK) direct optimal prophylactic dosing. The available data on the EHL factor replacement products also confirm similar individualized variability. Optimal dosing of these therapies relies on accurate assays, of which there is a variety, although performance characteristics vary with the specific product being tested. Herein, the data on clinical trials and laboratory assays are reviewed.
Determining the mixing of oil and sea water using polarimetric synthetic aperture radar

Knowledge of the characteristics of spilled oil in the ocean is important for cleanup operations, predictions of the impact on wildlife, and studies of the nature of the ocean surface and currents. Herein I discuss a method for evaluating the characteristics of oil in a marine environment using synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and present a new, simple classification, called the oil/water mixing index (Mdex), to quickly assess the results. I link the Mdex results to the Bonn Agreement for Oil Appearance Codes (BAOAC) for aerial observers and demonstrate the Mdex on Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle SAR (UAVSAR) data collected June 23, 2010 over the former site of the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) drilling rig. The Mdex map shows a more heterogeneous oil swath than do radar backscatter images and features within the oil are consistent with features present in previously published, near-coincident optical imagery. The Mdex results indicate that most of the oil near the DWH was mixed with sea water to a minimum depth of a few millimeters, though some areas containing relatively thin films are observed.
Involvement of Multiple Cell Signaling Pathways in Cigarette Smoke induced Modulation of Ovarian Cancer Cell (OCC) Proliferation.

Cigarette smoking is a known risk factor for many cancers but not the ovarian cancer. Our study examined whether cigarette smoke extract (CSE) affects ovarian cancer development using A2780 ovarian...
Art on the plate: Effect of balance and color on attractiveness of, willingness to try and liking for food

Abstract The study investigated whether balance and complexity (increased by the addition of color) in the presentation of food on a plate affect the attractiveness of the presentation much as those factors affect the attractiveness of works of art. In addition, the willingness to try the food and liking for the food in four presentations (monochrome-balanced, colored-balanced, monochrome-unbalanced, and colored-unbalanced) combining these two variables was measured. While color increased the attractiveness of the balanced presentation it did not increase the attractiveness of the unbalanced one. Subjects were more willing to try the monochrome than colored presentations. There was no effect of color or balance on liking for the flavor of the food. So, while manipulating color and balance in a food presentation affects its attractiveness, it does not alter how much one likes the flavor of the food.
Mitteilungen aus dem Laboratorium für Geophysik der Carnegie-Institution in Washington. Nr. 25. Das ternäre System: Calciumoxyd-Aluminiumoxyd-Silicium-2-oxyd

Auf den voraufgehenden Seiten ist ein Bericht uber eine sorgfaltige Untersuchung des Systemes CaOAl2O3SiO2 gegeben, bei welcher etwa 7000 Erhitzungsversuche mit nachfolgenden optischen Prufungen der Produkte ausgefuhrt wurden. Dies ternare System erwies sich als kompliziert; das Gleichgewichtsdiagramm, das die Stabilitatsbeziehungen der Komponenten und Verbindungen bei atmospharischem Druck darstellt, enthalt nicht weniger als 14 getrennte Felder. Die Aufzeichnung der Grenzen der verschiedenen Felder war nur moglich, durch Anwendung der Phasenregel; das Ergebnis zeigt, das dieses Prinzip ebenso auf die nur bei hohen Temperaturen flussigen Oxydgemische anwendbar ist, wie auf die gewohnlichen Losungen.
Physical Properties and Sixth Graders' Acceptance of an Extruded Ready-to-Eat Sweetpotato Breakfast Cereal

Extruded ready-to-eat breakfast cereals (RTEBCs) were made from varying levels of sweetpotato flour (SPF), whole-wheat bran (WWB), and extrusion cooking. Moisture, protein, and ash contents were lower in the 100% SPF than the 100% WWB. Carbohydrate, beta-carotene, and ascorbic acid contents were higher in the 100% SPF. Fat, thiamin, riboflavin contents, bulk densities, and the water absorption index were similar for the cereals. However, the expansion ratio was highest in the 100% SPF cereal. The 100% WWB had the lightest color and most fibrous morphology. Extruded RTEBC containing 100% SPF and 75%/25% SPF/WWB were well-liked and acceptable to sixth graders attending an elementary school in Auburn, Alabama, but the 100% WWB was unacceptable.
Genome wide analysis of transcript levels after perturbation of the EGFR pathway in the Drosophila ovary

Defects in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway can lead to aggressive tumor formation. Activation of this pathway during normal development produces multiple outcomes at the cellular level, leading to cellular differentiation and cell cycle activation. To elucidate the downstream events induced by this pathway, we used genome-wide cDNA microarray technology to identify potential EGFR targets in Drosophila oogenesis. We focused on genes for which the transcriptional responses due to EGFR pathway activation and inactivation were in opposite directions, as this is expected for genes that are directly regulated by the pathway in this tissue type. We perturbed the EGFR pathway in epithelial follicle cells using seven different genetic backgrounds. To activate the pathway, we overexpressed an activated form of the EGFR (UAS-caEGFR), and an activated form of the signal transducer Raf (UAS-caRaf); we also over- or ectopically expressed the downstream homeobox transcription factor Mirror (UAS-mirr) and the ligand-activating serine protease Rhomboid (UAS-rho). To reduce pathway activity we used loss-of-function mutations in the ligand (gurken) and receptor (torpedo). From microarrays containing 6,255 genes, we found 454 genes that responded in an opposite manner in gain-of-function and loss-of-function conditions among which are many Wingless signaling pathway components. Further analysis of two such components, sugarless and pangolin, revealed a function for these genes in late follicle cell patterning. Of interest, components of other signaling pathways were also enriched in the EGFR target group, suggesting that one reason for the pleiotropic effects seen with EGFR activity in cancer progression and development may be its ability to regulate many other signaling pathways.
Comparison of ternary diffusion coefficients obtained from dynamic light scattering and Taylor dispersion

Abstract Over the last decade dynamic light scattering (DLS) has developed into a powerful technique for the determination of transport properties in liquids and liquid mixtures. Its advantague is based on the fact that microscopic fluctuations in concentration and temperature are used to characterize the transport behavior and no external macroscopic gradients are needed. All classical methods of Fick's diffusion coefficient determination, like Taylor dispersion (TD) or interferometric methods, however, use macroscopic concentration gradients and give a diffusion coefficient matrix. In the present paper we report results of diffusion coefficient measurements in ternary liquid mixtures of glycerol(0)–acetone(1)–water(2) at 298.15 K. Taylor dispersion technique is used to determine the mutual diffusion coefficients D ij along a path of constant mole fraction of water x 2 = 0.4200 from the binary edge towards the critical solution point in the ternary mixture. These results are compared with dynamic light scattering data in the vicinity of the critical solution point and along the very same path of constant x 2 . The aim of the comparison is to identify the physical character of the mass diffusion mode D m obtained in our previous DLS measurements. We found that in this ternary system the diffusion mode D m is not related to any of the diffusion coefficients D ij but we can clearly show that it coincides with the lowest eigenvalue of Fick's diffusion coefficient matrix. There are theoretical arguments which, at least in the vicinity of the critical solution point, lead to the conjection that this behavior might be general for ternary systems with molecules of similar size.
When Is Weaker Better? Design of an ADP Sensor with Weak ADP Affinity, but Still Selective against ATP

A simple ADP biosensor would be of broad usefulness in monitoring the large number of metabolic processes that produce ADP. Several new systems have been recently described including one in the current issue of ACS Chemical Biology that provides a simple readout of the ADP concentration without significant interference by ATP.
The regulatory subunit of the type II cAMP-dependent protein kinase in rabbit ovaries is the RIIβ isoform

Abstract Based on RII autophosphorylation, photoaffinity labeling with 8-N 3 [ 32 P]cAMP, and Western blot analysis we have identified the RII isoform found in rabbit corpora lutea as RIIβ. The RIIβ subunit found in rabbit corpora lutea differs from the RIIβ found in rat follicles and corpora lutea in that it migrates at M r 52,500 on SDS-PAGE and shifts to M r 53,000 when phosphorylated.
Tuberculosis presenting as an endobronchial mass.

patients. In this study, we have shown that inkwelling significantly increases the incidence of benign anastomotic stricture after Ivor Lewis esophagogastrectomy without affecting that rate of anastomotic dehiscence. Of note is that our study shows a high rate of benign anastomotic stricture. A similar incidence of benign anastomotic stricture has been reported in other series. 4 The incidence of stricture is influenced considerably by its definition and the quality of follow-up. In our center, patients are followed up every 6 months for life, and this may explain our high stricture detection rate. Our study is limited by the fact that it is a retrospective nonrandomized study; therefore, we were not able to control for other factors that may have influenced stricture formation, for example, staple size. 5 In conclusion, life expectancy is limited in most patients after Ivor Lewis esophagogastrectomy; 5-year survival in our unit is 22%, 2 and so for the majority of patients the benefit of the procedure is excellent palliation with rapid and long-term relief of dysphagia. The development of anastomotic stricture therefore reduces the benefit of the operation and casts doubts on the utility
Influence of Interleukin Treatment on Engineered and Native Articular Cartilage

Injury to the diarthrodial joint is often associated with elevated levels of cytokines and other inflammatory molecules. While the influence of interleukin on articular cartilage has been well-studied, its effects on engineered cartilage are not. The presence of inflammatory factors in the injured joint would be expected to affect the performance of implanted engineered cartilage repair tissue [1] and this effect may be especially pronounced in underdeveloped tissues [2]. The current study addresses this issue by examining the influence of interleukin (IL-1α and IL-1β) on engineered cartilage mechanical and biochemical properties at sequential stages of development. Furthermore, dexamethasone, an anti-inflammatory steroid that has been shown in some cases to suppress interleukin-induced degradation of native cartilage [3], was examined in the context of engineered constructs.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
2-Methoxyestradiol mediates the protective effects of estradiol in monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension.

Abstract When exposed to chronic hypoxia or toxin monocrotaline (MCT), female animals develop less severe pulmonary arterial hypertension (PH) compared to males; ovariectomy (OVX) exacerbates PH, and OVX animals treated with estradiol (E2) develop less severe disease. There is a line of evidence suggesting that cardiovascular protective effects of E2 are mediated by its major metabolite, 2-methoxyestradiol (2ME). Recently, we have shown that 2ME attenuates the development and retards the progression of MCT-induced pulmonary hypertension in male rats. We hypothesized that the protective effects of E2 in experimental PH are mediated by 2ME. Subsets of intact and OVX female rats were injected saline (Cont and OXV groups) or MCT (60 mg/kg; MCT and OVX-MCT groups) and some of OVX-MCT animals were treated with 2ME (10 μg/kg/h via osmotic minipumps; OVX-MCT + 2ME). After 28 days, MCT caused PH, i.e., increased right ventricular peak systolic pressure (RVPSP) and right ventricle/left ventricle + septum (RV/LV + S) ratio, induced inflammatory response in the lungs and caused media hypertrophy (media thickness and % media index) and adventitia widening of small size pulmonary arteries. Ovariectomy exacerbated the disease, i.e., further increased RVPSP, and RV/LV + S ratio, and augmented vascular remodeling and inflammatory response. In diseased OVX rats, treatment with 2ME prevented the worsening of PH and attenuated the inflammatory response and vascular remodeling. No mortality was recorded in the OVX-MCT + 2ME group vs. 10% and 36% mortality in the MCT and OVX-MCT group, respectively. This study suggests that 2-methoxyestradiol (a major non-estrogenic metabolite of E2) may mediate the protective effects of estradiol in MCT-induced PH, and warrants further evaluation of 2ME for treatment of PH.
Racial differences in selected cytokine allelic and genotypic frequencies among healthy, pregnant women in North Carolina

Background: Genetic susceptibility to diseases is likely influenced by common DNA variants in the form of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). The value of SNPs for linkage and association mapping studies may depend on the distribution of SNP allele frequencies across populations. Objectives: To establish the SNP allelic frequencies among Caucasian and African American women for tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α, transforming growth factor (TGF)β1, interleukin-10 (IL10), interleukin-6 (IL6), and interferon (IFN)γ. Materials and methods: DNA was extracted from whole blood from 123 healthy, pregnant women. PCR-based genotyping was performed for the genes encoding TNFα (−308G/A), TGFβ1 (codon 10C/T, codon 25C/G), IL10 (−1082A/G, −819T/C, −592A/C), IL6 (−174C/G) and IFNγ (874T/A). Allele frequencies were determined by Hardy–Weinberg Equilibrium and Linkage Disequilibrium tests. Differences in the SNP allelic frequencies between Caucasians and African Americans were assessed by the χ2 of Amitage trend test. Results: SNP allelic and genotypic frequencies for IL6 and IFNγ, but not for TNFα, TGFβ1, and IL10, differed significantly between the Caucasian and African American women. Conclusions: Recognition of racial differences in SNP allelic and genotypic frequencies for selected cytokines is important for designing and powering future linkage and association mapping studies investigating the role of cytokines in human disease.