cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of forced convection and thermal radiation on high expansion foam used for LNG vapor risk mitigation

Abstract Liquefaction of natural gas is an effective way of easily storing and transporting natural gas because of its high ratio of liquid to vapor densities. Any spill of liquefied natural gas (LNG) can result in the formation of a vapor cloud, which cannot only cause asphyxiation but can also migrate downwind near ground level because of a density greater than air and has the potential to ignite. The NFPA recommends the use of high expansion foam to mitigate the vapor risk due to cryogenic LNG. This paper studies the effects of heat transfer mechanisms, such as forced convection and thermal radiation on high expansion foam breakage, with and without a cryogenic liquid. A lab scale foam generator was used to produce high expansion foam and carry out experiments to evaluate the rate of foam breakage, the amount of liquid drained from foam, the vaporization rate of the cryogenic liquid, and the temperature profile through the foam. High expansion foam breakage was found to depend on the amount of wind induced forced convection and thermal radiation. At the highest wind speed (2.5 m/s) and thermal radiation intensity (270 W/m 2 ) measured, foam breakage was found to be nearly 3 and 5 times the value without any wind or thermal radiation, respectively. Liquid drainage from the foam was found to affect the vaporization rate of the cryogenic liquid, especially immediately after foam application. Accounting for external factors such as forced convection and thermal radiation can help provide a better estimate for the amount of foam that needs to be applied for effective vapor risk mitigation.
Solving the six-field governing equations for a system code

Abstract The coolant systems of nuclear power plants are modeled with system codes. The results of the system code calculations are necessary not only to develop new power plants, but also in the licensing and analysis of existing power plants. Therefore, it is essential that system codes produce realistic results. Simple models using a single fluid field have been used in initial versions of many system codes. In recent years, more fluid fields have been used for best-estimate code results to improve two-phase flow predictions of the system codes. This paper introduces the numerical equations and solution methods for a next-generation system code that uses 6 fluid fields. It demonstrates the discretization of the mass, momentum, and energy governing equations and the application of matrix solutions that are necessary to implement the 6-field model in a software code.
Pdgfra marks a cellular lineage with distinct contributions to myofibroblasts in lung maturation and injury response.

Pdgfra-expressing (Pdgfra+) cells have been implicated as progenitors in many mesenchymal tissues. To determine lineage potential, we generated PdgfrartTA knockin mice using CRISPR/Cas9. During lung maturation, counter to a prior study reporting that Pdgfra+ cells give rise equally to myofibroblasts and lipofibroblasts, lineage tracing using PdgfrartTA;tetO-cre mice indicated that ~95% of the lineaged cells are myofibroblasts. Genetic ablation of Pdgfra+ cells using PdgfrartTA-driven diphtheria toxin (DTA) led to alveolar simplification, demonstrating that these cells are essential for building the gas exchange surface area. In the adult bleomycin model of lung fibrosis, lineaged cells increased to contribute to pathological myofibroblasts. In contrast, in a neonatal hyperoxia model of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), lineaged cells decreased and do not substantially contribute to pathological myofibroblasts. Our findings revealed complexity in the behavior of the Pdgfra-lineaged cells as exemplified by their distinct contributions to myofibroblasts in normal maturation, BPD and adult fibrosis.
Improving Youths’ Attitudes About the Police: Results From an Experimental Design:

This study examined the effectiveness of Students Talking it Over with Police (STOP) to improve youths’ perceptions of the police, willingness to cooperate with police, and perceptions of procedura...
Constraining the Oxygen Isotopic Composition of Nitrate Produced by Nitrification.

Measurements of the stable isotope ratios of nitrogen (15N/14N) and oxygen (18O/16O) in nitrate (NO3–) enable identification of sources, dispersal, and fate of natural and contaminant NO3– in aquatic environments. The 18O/16O of NO3– produced by nitrification is often assumed to reflect the proportional contribution of oxygen atom sources, water, and molecular oxygen, in a 2:1 ratio. Culture and seawater incubations, however, indicate oxygen isotopic equilibration between nitrite (NO2–) and water, and kinetic isotope effects for oxygen atom incorporation, which modulate the NO3– 18O/16O produced during nitrification. To investigate the influence of kinetic and equilibrium effects on the isotopic composition of NO3– produced from the nitrification of ammonia (NH3), we incubated streamwater supplemented with ammonium (NH4+) and increments of 18O-enriched water. Resulting NO3– 18O/16O ratios showed (1) a disproportionate sensitivity to the 18O/16O ratio of water, mediated by isotopic equilibration between wa...
Prevalence of DNA damage response and repair, cellular signaling, tumor suppressor, and immune checkpoint gene mutations in gastrointestinal cancers.

e15149Background: The prevalence of genetic mutations in gastrointestinal (GI) cancers is not well characterized. Molecular targeted therapies have substantial potential to improve outcomes. As nex...
Growth and yield responses under different grove floor management strategies for water conservation in young grapefruit trees

Abstract Improving sustainable citrus production through soil and water conservation strategies such as plastic mesh groundcovers and raised planting beds has not been thoroughly evaluated. To determine the impacts of these practices on tree growth parameters, fruit yield, and soil environmental conditions we monitored a grapefruit grove (Citrus paradisi Macf. cv.‘Rio Red’) for five years after planting. Trees were planted under four grove floor management strategies that included flat beds with no plastic mesh groundcover (traditional practice), flat beds with groundcover, raised beds with no groundcover, and raised beds with groundcover. The use of ground cover increased soil temperature and moisture content and led to higher tree growth rates and yields relative to uncovered grove floors. Raising the planting bed to approximately 45 cm higher than the surrounding field reduced soil deposition from irrigation and improved soil properties, but caused fluctuations in soil moisture due to improved water infiltration of heavy clay soils compared to the flat beds. Despite the positive effects of the use of ground cover on yields, there was a trend of alternate bearing, smaller and sweeter fruit sizes for trees under this planting design. The traditional method of planting (flat bed with no groundcover) resulted in smaller trees as measured by tree height, canopy circumference, and trunk diameter. While yields were moderate, they were fairly consistent across years and increased slightly each year of the study. These results show that adoption of plastic mesh groundcovers in citrus or other tree fruit production could potentially improve water conservation while increasing production.
Biased neural coding of feature-based attention in human brain

Selective attention is a core cognitive function for efficient processing of information. Although it is well known that attention can modulate neural responses in many brain areas, the computational principles underlying attentional modulation remain unclear. Here, we show a biased neural coding of feature-based attention in a large fMRI dataset. We found that when participants selected one feature from a compound stimulus, voxels in many cortical areas responded consistently higher to one attended feature over the other. This univariate bias was robust at the level of single brain areas and consistent across brain areas within individual subjects. Importantly, this univariate bias showed a progressively stronger magnitude along the cortical hierarchy. In frontoparietal areas, the bias was strongest and contributed largely to pattern-based decoding, whereas early visual areas lacked such a bias. These findings suggest a gradient of coding mechanism implements the transition from a more analog to a more abstract representation of attentional priority. Biased neural responses in high-level areas likely reflect a low-dimensional neural code (possibly one-dimensional scalar code) that facilitates robust representation and simple read-out of cognitive variables.
Narrative experiences of interactions with pharmacists among African-born persons living with HIV: "It's mostly business."

Abstract Background African-born persons constitute 1% of the total Minnesota population, yet 24% of new HIV infections occurred in this population in 2016. Furthermore, 32% of the African born persons living with HIV [PLWH] did not check their CD4 counts or viral load in 2018. Little is known of the role of pharmacists in antiretroviral (ARV) management in the PLWH of African origin. Objective This study aimed to describe the experiences of African-born PLWH in their interactions with pharmacists and perceptions of pharmacists’ roles in fostering adherence to ARV therapy. Methods A qualitative approach was used for this study. Recruitment via fliers for in-person interviews with African-born PLWH in Minnesota continued until saturation was achieved. Narrative Interviews with 14 participants lasting up to 2 h were conducted over five months. All interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim by a professional transcription service. Conventional Content Analysis was used to analyze the data. Results Three themes emerged from analyzed data “Interaction with the pharmacists,” “Revealing the diagnosis to a pharmacist,” and “Lack of disclosure of HIV status to a pharmacist.“ Conclusions The participants referred to the interaction with pharmacists as a “business” or “transactional interaction.” To better understand the interaction between pharmacists and PLWH of African-born, future studies could benefit from interviewing pharmacists from different practice settings.
From Viruses to Genes to Cells

I always loved biology and to do experiments. This passion and a great deal of good fortune and serendipity landed me in the field of retrovirology at the time when it opened to experimental analys...
Approximate in-Memory Computing on ReRAM Crossbars

Existing capabilities of computing devices are unable to match the growing demands of modern computing tasks such as multimedia processing, artificial intelligence, pattern matching, and data mining etc. Towards this end, advancements have been made in approximate hardware and software designs for such error tolerant, soft applications. We present a novel framework for approximate in-memory computing on memristive crossbars. First, we generate "Approximate Reduced Ordered Binary Decision Diagram" (ROBDDs) representations of arbitrary compute kernels. These Approximate ROBDDs are then mapped to crossbar circuits for flow-based in-memory execution. We make improvement on two fronts, (i) approximation approach reduces computational requirements without sacrificing much accuracy (ii) in-memory computing circumvents the von Neumann bottleneck by unifying processing and storage. Our approach generates designs that are ≈ 10-80% more compact than exact designs while sacrificing small (less than 10%) amounts in accuracy. Our approach synthesized a crossbar design for edge detection that is 72% more compact than the state of the art on approximate synthesis for flow-based computing.
Laparotomy for Necrotizing Enterocolitis

This chapter describes the surgical treatment of necrotizing enterocolitis. This includes an introduction that outlines the indications, risks, alternatives, key steps, equipment needed, and variations in technique for the procedure. A template operative dictation is then included, providing a detailed operative report that is similar to what would be found in the patient medical record. A description is provided of the following critical concepts for this procedure: safe abdominal entry, removal of perforated and gangrenous bowel, techniques for preservation of bowel length, options for ostomy creation, and closure.
On the Homology of Nilpotent k-ary Lie Algebras

We introduce nilpotent k-ary Lie algebras including analogues of Heisenberg Lie algebras and free nilpotent Lie algebras. We study homology of k-ary nilpotent Lie algebras by using a modification of Chevalley-Eilenberg complex. For some classes of nilpotent k-ary Lie algebras and in particular Heisenberg k-ary Lie algebras we give explicit formulas for Betti numbers. Representation stability of free nilpotent k-ary Lie algebras is proven and lower bounds for Betti numbers are described by Schur modules. We also verify that toral rank conjecture holds for the classes we studied. Moreover, for 2-step nilpotent k-ary Lie algebras, we give a refinement of it.
Morphology, Microstructure and Micromechanics of Ice Fields

A model of constitutive behavior of ice fields treated as ensembles of ice floes with random physical and geometrical properties is presented. A graph-based micromechanical model permits the introduction of an elastic/viscoplastic law at the microscale, and the derivation of constitutve coefficients of the statistical continuum approximation. The elastic-plastic transition is characterized by a fractal dimension of plastic ridges, a feature typically observed in many ice field morphologies.
Theory of heat stress management: Development and application in the operating room.

Aim The Theory of Heat Stress Management addresses the phenomenon of occupational heat stress and applies the theory to surgical staff wearing personal protective equipment while performing surgery. This discussion paper relates development of the prescriptive middle range theory of heat stress management to inform and advance research and provide evidence to support new standards of care in clinical nursing practice. Design The prescriptive middle range theory was developed by summarizing essential elements of the theory, describing the linkages among the dimensions of the theory, enumerating nursing interventions and physiological, psychological and cognitive outcomes, stating relevant assumptions, defining and identifying relationships between the concepts of heat stress management in observable and measurable terms. Data sources This discussion paper is based on the first author's experiences with occupational heat stress, observed improvements in surgical personnel's thermal comfort by using a cooling intervention and knowledge gained from an extensive integrated literature review and ongoing clinical research. Implications for nursing The middle range theory was developed to create awareness of the impact heat stress has on the health and well-being of all healthcare personnel at risk for heat stress due to wearing personal protective equipment. Nurses need to recognize individuals in thermally stressful environments, evaluate and monitor individuals' physiological and psychological responses and promote comfort by providing interventions to alleviate occupational heat stress. Conclusion The Theory of Heat Stress Management combines dimensions specific to heat stress affecting surgical staff and provides a perspective that facilitates knowledge development, can enhance nursing practice and support exploration of the linkages and prescriptions of the theory through research. Impact The predictive middle-range Theory of Heat Stress Management will guide nurses to promote the health and well-being of healthcare workers and influence and improve clinical nursing practice, education, and research related to heat stress management.
Role of glomerular filtration rate-modifying drugs in the development of anticoagulant-related nephropathy.

Introduction Anticoagulant-related nephropathy (ARN), that was described in humans first as warfarin-related nephropathy, is characterized by acute kidney injury and red blood cell (RBC) tubular casts in the kidney. 5/6 nephrectomy (5/7NE) rats treated with warfarin or dabigatran show changes in kidney function and morphology that are similar to human disease. The role of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in the pathogenesis of ARN is not clear. The aim of these studies was to elucidate the role of GFR in the pathogenesis of dabigatran-induced ARN in 5/6NE rats. Methods 5/6NE rats were treated per os with 150 mg/kg/day dabigatran alone or with drugs that lower (enalapril, 1.5 mg/kg/day) or increase (albuterol, 4.0 mg/kg/day) GFR for 7 days. Changes in coagulation and kidney function were recorded daily. Kidney morphology was evaluated on day 7 after the treatment. Results Dabigatran resulted in activated partial thromboplastin time increase that was not affected by GFR-modifying drugs. Blood pressure was significantly lower in 5/6NE rats treated with enalapril and dabigatran as compared to dabigatran alone. The GFR was decreased by 35% in enalapril/dabigatran- and increased by 26% in albuterol/dabigatran-treated animals. There were no changes in serum creatinine, hematuria or urinary kidney injury molecule (KIM-1) levels when GFR-modifying drugs were added to dabigatran. All dabigatran-treated animals had RBC casts in the kidney regardless of the GFR modification. Conclusions GFR does not play a significant role in the dabigatran-induced acute kidney injury in 5/6 nephrectomy model in rats. Based in these data, modification of GFR in patients with ARN is not warranted.
Delayed Symptomatic Pulmonary Embolism Secondary to Bone Cement After Percutaneous Vertebroplasty.

Abstract Background Percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) is a common procedure performed on patients suffering from osteoporotic compression fractures. Complications of the bone cement escaping both locally as well as systemically into pulmonary circulation leading to pulmonary embolism (PE) have been reported in ≤26% of patients. Case Report A 57-year-old woman presented to the emergency department with complaints of chest pain, fever, and cough. The patient had a history of an outpatient PVP from compression fractures of T5 and T7 performed 25 days before her presentation. She was in moderate respiratory distress and placed on bilateral positive airway pressure with improvement of her respiratory status. Laboratory results were remarkable for an elevated D-dimer, normal B-type natriuretic peptide, and decreased pH on venous blood gas. Pulmonary computed tomography angiography demonstrated bone cement PE in both the left lower lobe and a right middle lobe pulmonary artery. She was admitted to the hospital with improvement of her respiratory status with supportive treatment only. She was discharged after a 4-day hospital stay but died unexpectedly in her sleep 38 days after discharge. Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This? PVP is a common procedure that carries a risk of PE from bone cement embolization. Most of these events occur during the procedure, making the diagnosis obvious. However, delayed presentations from weeks to years have been reported. The emergency physician should consider bone cement embolization in the differential diagnosis in any patient with chest pain and shortness of breath that also has a history of PVP.
Atmospheric aging enhances the ice nucleation ability of biomass-burning aerosol

Ice-nucleating particles (INPs) in biomass-burning aerosol (BBA) that affect cloud glaciation, microphysics, precipitation, and radiative forcing were recently found to be driven by the production of mineral phases. BBA experiences extensive chemical aging as the smoke plume dilutes, and we explored how this alters the ice activity of the smoke using simulated atmospheric aging of authentic BBA in a chamber reactor. Unexpectedly, atmospheric aging enhanced the ice activity for most types of fuels and aging schemes. The removal of organic carbon particle coatings that conceal the mineral-based ice-active sites by evaporation or oxidation then dissolution can increase the ice activity by greater than an order of magnitude. This represents a different framework for the evolution of INPs from biomass burning where BBA becomes more ice active as it dilutes and ages, making a larger contribution to the INP budget, resulting cloud microphysics, and climate forcing than is currently considered.
First-Principles Nonadiabatic Dynamics Simulation of Azobenzene Photodynamics in Solutions

The photoisomerization of azobenzene is a prototypical reaction of various light-activated processes in material and biomedical sciences. However, its reaction mechanism has been under debate for decades, partly due to the challenges in computational simulations to accurately describe the molecule's photodynamics. A recent study (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2020, 142 (49), 20,680-20,690) addressed the challenges by combining the hole-hole Tamm-Dancoff Approximated (hh-TDA) density functional theory (DFT) method with the ab initio multiple spawning (AIMS) algorithm. The hh-TDA-DFT/AIMS method was applied to first-principles nonadiabatic dynamics simulation of azobenzene's photodynamics in the vacuum. However, it remains necessary to benchmark this new method in realistic molecular environments against experimental data. In the current work, the hh-TDA-DFT/AIMS method was employed in a quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics setting to characterize the trans azobenzene's photodynamics in explicit methanol and n-hexane solvents, following both the S1 (nπ*) and S2 (ππ*) excitations. The simulated absorption and fluorescence spectra following the S2 excitation quantitatively agree with the experiments. However, the hh-TDA-DFT method overestimates the torsional barrier on the S1 state, leading to an overestimation of the S1 state lifetime. The excited-state population decays to the ground state through two competing channels. The reactive channel partially yields the cis azobenzene photoproduct, and the unreactive channel exclusively leads to the reactant. The S2 excitation increases the decay through the unreactive channel and thus decreases the isomerization quantum yield compared to the S1 excitation. The solvent slows down the azobenzene's torsional dynamics on the S1 state, but its polarity minimally affects the reaction kinetics and quantum yields. Interestingly, the dynamics of the central torsion and angles of azobenzene play a critical role in determining the final isomer of the azobenzene. This benchmark study validates the hh-TDA-DFT/AIMS method's accuracy for simulating the azobenzene's photodynamics in realistic molecular environments.
Marijuana Use in Epilepsy: The Myth and the Reality

Marijuana has been utilized as a medicinal plant to treat a variety of conditions for nearly five millennia. Over the past few years, there has been an unprecedented interest in using cannabis extracts to treat epilepsy, spurred on by a few refractory pediatric cases featured in the media that had an almost miraculous response to cannabidiol-enriched marijuana extracts. This review attempts to answer the most important questions a clinician may have regarding the use of marijuana in epilepsy. First, we review the preclinical and human evidences for the anticonvulsant properties of the different cannabinoids, mainly tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). Then, we explore the safety data from animal and human studies. Lastly, we attempt to reconcile the controversy regarding physicians' and patients' opinions about whether the available evidence is sufficient to recommend the use of marijuana to treat epilepsy.
Validation of a new computer-assisted tool to measure spino-pelvic parameters

Abstract Background Context Evaluation of sagittal alignment is essential in the operative treatment of spine pathology, particularly adult spinal deformity (ASD). However, software applications for detailed spino-pelvic analysis are usually complex and not applicable to routine clinical use. Purpose This study aimed to validate new clinician-friendly software (Surgimap) in the setting of ASD. Study Design/Setting Accuracy and inter- and intra-rater reliability of spine measurement software were tested. Five users (two experienced spine surgeons, three novice spine research fellows) independently performed each part of the study in two rounds with 1 week between measurements. Patient Sample Fifty ASD patients drawn from a prospective database were used as the study sample. Outcome Measures Spinal, pelvic, and cervical measurement parameters (including pelvic tilt [PT], pelvic incidence [PI], lumbar-pelvic mismatch [PI-LL], lumbar lordosis [LL], thoracic kyphosis [TK], T1 spino-pelvic inclination [T1SPI], sagittal vertical axis [SVA], and cervical lordosis [CL]) were the outcome measures. Methods For the accuracy evaluation, 30 ASD patient radiographs were pre-marked for anatomic landmarks. Each radiograph was measured twice with the new software (Surgimap); measurements were compared to those from previously validated software. For the reliability and reproducibility evaluation, users measured 50 unmarked ASD radiographs in two rounds. Intra-class correlation (ICC) and International Organization for Standardization (ISO) reproducibility values were calculated. Measurement time was recorded. Results Surgimap demonstrated excellent accuracy as assessed by the mean absolute difference from validated measurements: PT: 0.12°, PI: 0.35°, LL: 0.58°, PI-LL: 0.46°, TK: 5.25°, T1SPI: 0.53°, and SVA: 2.04 mm. The inter- and intra-observer reliability analysis revealed good to excellent agreement for all parameters. The mean difference between rounds was 0.93 and the inter-observer ICC values were all >0.87. Parameters based on point landmarks rather than end plate orientation had a better reliability (ICC≥0.95 vs. ICC≥0.84). The average time needed to perform a full spino-pelvic analysis with Surgimap was 75 seconds (+25). Conclusions Using this new software tool, a simple method for full spine analysis can be performed quickly, accurately, and reliably. The proposed list of parameters offers quantitative values of the spine and pelvis, setting the stage for proper preoperative planning. The new software tool provides an important bridge between clinical and research needs.
Assessment of fetal gestational age in high-risk pregnancies by amniotic fluid analyses and ultrasound mensuration

Maturity studies are reported on 204 women with high-risk pregnancies. Estimates of fetal maturity were made prenatally by the use of ultrasonic measurements, the lecithin/sphingomyelin (L/S) ratio, and a gestational index based on amniotic fluid creatinine, urea nitrogen, and cytology. These estimates were compared with the neonatal pediatric estimate of maturity. The gestational score agreed with pediatric maturity to within 14 days in 95 per cent of the cases. Estimates of L/S ratio distinguished between mature and immature infants in 86 per cent of the cases. Ultrasound could estimate gestational age only to within 14 days in 75 per cent of the cases, and the disagreements were greatest where either growth retardation or macrosomia was present. However, ultrasound is more useful in estimating fetal size and abnormalities of growth pattern. An estimate of gestational age by gestational score aids management, particularly where growth retardation is present, enabling a decision about delivery to be made even though the infant is very small and has an immature L/S ratio.
Autobiography, Anthropomorphism, and the Science Writer: The Case of Loren Eiseley

Scientist-memoirists, especially those who study animal behavior or evolutionary science, face a particular challenge: if they do not avoid expressing strongly felt connections with non-human animals, they risk being accused of anthropomorphism: the imposition of human characteristics on the non-human. For American physical anthropologist and science writer Loren Eiseley (1907–1977), strictures against anthropomorphism – particularly strong during the mid-20th century, his most productive period – resulted in tensions that influenced not only his essays about science but also his representation of his own identity in his autobiographical writing. Rather than edit out all references to human–animal connection, Eiseley claims anthropomorphism as a strategic choice in the interpretation of the natural world: in exploring the possibility of shared characteristics, we do not just impose human traits onto other animals; instead, we may see qualities in animals that we then recognize in ourselves. Recent discussions (among cognitive ethnologists, linguists, and others) of the uses of anthropomorphism give serious attention to this and similar viewpoints. However, Eiseley’s references to animal-human connections – even in his autobiography – tend to be defensive, resulting in a self-representation that is alternately argumentative and elusive.
Knowledge Discovery in Textual Databases: A Concept-Association Mining Approach

The number of scientific publications is exploding as online digital libraries and the World Wide Web grow. MEDLINE, the premier bibliographic database of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) , contains about 18 million records from more than 7,300 different publications dating from 1965; it is growing by about 400,000 citations each year. The explosive growth of information in textual documents creates great need for techniques for knowledge discovery from text collections.
The nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of fluorocarbons: Part IV. Discussion of chemical shifts and spin coupling constants

Abstract The chemical shifts and spin-spin coupling constants obtained in studies of twelve halogenated ethanes, eleven halogenated propanes, and eight fluorinated higher normal paraffins including butanes, pentanes, hexanes, and octanes are summarized. A graphical summary of the data on total chemical shifts reveals certain systematic relations. Certain general characteristic values of spin-spin coupling constants are noted and attention is drawn to certain possibly unexpected variations of coupling constants with variation in molecular environment.
Metformin and prostate cancer mortality: a meta-analysis

Observational studies report conflicting results on the association between metformin exposure and prostate cancer outcomes. This meta-analysis summarizes studies reporting overall survival, prostate cancer-specific mortality, and biochemical recurrence. PubMed and Embase were systematically reviewed to identify studies investigating the association between metformin use and clinical endpoints among men with prostate cancer while taking confounding by diabetes diagnosis into account. Pooled risk estimates (hazard ratios, HRs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using random-effects models. Sensitivity analyses for quality components and factors for heterogeneity were conducted. Of 549 articles identified, nine retrospective cohort studies representing 9,186 patients were included. There was significant heterogeneity between studies, and studies differed in quality. Metformin use was associated with improved overall survival in studies with clear risk window definition (HR 0.88, 95 % CI 0.86–0.90, p < 0.001) and in studies with potential immortal time bias (HR 0.52, 95 % CI 0.41–0.65, p < 0.001). No significant association with prostate cancer-specific mortality was detected (HR 0.76, 95 % CI 0.44–1.31, p = 0.33). Metformin use was associated with a decreased risk of biochemical recurrence (HR 0.79, 95 % CI 0.63–1.00, p = 0.047). This meta-analysis suggests a benefit of metformin in men with diabetes and prostate cancer. However, further carefully designed studies are needed to confirm findings and to assess potential generalization to non-diabetic, non-white, and less aggressively treated men with prostate cancer.
A study of the interplanetary disturbances on 1–4 April 1979

Abstract Three interplanetary shock events during the first week of April 1979 are modeled by the method developed originally by Hakamada and Akasofu (1982, Space. Sci. Rev. 31 , 3). There occurred a large number of weak and medium intensity solar flares during this period. However, solar wind observations at three points, the Earth ( ISEE -3), Helios A and B , enabled us to choose three solar flares and their parameters in such a way that the simulated arrival times and the speed jumps of the shock waves at the three points are in fair agreement with the observations.
Coexistence of tight and loose bundled states in a model of bacterial flagellar dynamics

Many microorganisms propel themselves through their fluid environment by means of multiple rotating flagella that self-organize to form bundles, a process that is complex and poorly understood. In the present work, the bundling behavior of a pair of flexible flagella, each driven by a constant torque motor, is investigated, using a mathematical model incorporating the fluid motion generated by each flagellum as well as the finite flexibility of the flagella. The initial stage of bundling is driven purely by hydrodynamics but the final state of the bundle is determined by a nontrivial balance between hydrodynamics and elasticity. As the flexibility of the flagella increases a regime is found where, depending on initial conditions, one finds bundles that are either tight, with the flagella in mechanical contact, or loose, with the flagella intertwined but not touching. That is, multiple coexisting states of bundling are found. The parameter regime (in terms of flexibility and distance between motors) at which this multiplicity occurs is comparable to the parameters for a number of bacteria.
Free-solvent model shows osmotic pressure is the dominant factor in limiting flux during protein ultrafiltration

Abstract In protein ultrafiltration (UF), the limiting flux phenomenon has been generally considered a consequence of the presence of membrane fouling or the perceived formation of a cake/gel layer that develops at high operating pressures. Subsequently, numerous theoretical models on gel/cake physics have been made to address how these factors can result in limiting flux. In a paradigm shift, the present article reestablishes the significance of osmotic pressure by examining its contribution to limiting flux in the framework of the recently developed free solvent osmotic pressure model. The resulting free-solvent-based flux model (FSB) uses the Kedem–Katchalsky model, film theory and the free solvent representation for osmotic pressure in its development. Single protein tangential-flow diafiltration experiments (30 kDa MWCO CRC membranes) were also conducted using ovalbumin (OVA, 45 kDa), bovine serum albumin (BSA, 69 kDa), and immuno-gamma globulin (IgG, 155 kDa) in moderate NaCl buffered solutions at pH 4.5, 5.4, 7 and 7.4. The membrane was preconditioned to minimize membrane fouling development during the experimental procedure. The pressure was randomly selected and flux and sieving were determined. The experimental results clearly demonstrated that the limiting flux phenomenon is not dominated by membrane fouling and the FSB model theoretically illustrates that osmotic pressure is the primary factor in limiting flux during UF. The FSB model provides excellent agreement with the experimental results while producing realistic protein wall concentrations. In addition, the pH dependence of the limiting flux is shown to correlate to the pH dependency of the specific protein diffusion coefficient.
Contextual correlates of meaning

The relation between similarity and dissimilarity of meaning and similarity of context was analyzed for synonymous nouns. New semantic similarity and dissimilarity rating tests with an empirically determined series of linguistic anchors and conventional, arbitrarily anchored semantic similarity ratings were compared. Contextual similarity was elicited by a sorting test based on substitution and yielding d-primes. The study found reliable correlations between the d-primes and the different ratings for semantic similarity and dissimilarity of the synonymous nouns across a wide continuum of meaning. The data strongly supported a contextual hypothesis of meaning. The data endorsed the claim that people abstract a contextual representation from experiencing the multiple natural linguistic contexts of a word. Semantic similarity and dissimilarity rating formats with an empirically chosen series of linguistic anchors and a sorting test of contextual similarity yielded stronger support for a contextual hypothesis than did alternative methods of eliciting lexical and contextual similarity.
Structural Studies of Neuropeptide Y and NPY-[18-36] in the Presence of Neuronal Lipid Membrane Mimics

Neuropeptide Y (NPY), a 36-residue long polypeptide and one of the most abundant neuropeptides found in the mammalian nervous system, activates G-protein coupled receptors. As a neurotransmitter, it helps regulate metabolism and the cardiovascular system. It has also been shown to have antimicrobial properties. To better understand multiple functions of NPY, it is important to characterize its structural features under physiologically-relevant conditions. Previous studies have shown that NPY interacts strongly with phospholipids that mimic neuronal cell membranes. In this regard, we recently used CD and solid-state NMR to show that 2:1PC:PS (1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine/ 1-palmitoyl 2-oleoyl phosphatidylserine), a suitable lipid mimic for neuronal membranes, could be used for high-resolution structural studies of NPY and antagonist NPY-[18-36].In this research, we have used solid-state NMR more extensively on NPY and NPY-[18-36] to investigate their high-resolution structures and dynamics in the presence of 2:1 POPC/POPS bilayers. Two-dimensional heteronuclear correlation solid-state NMR spectra have been collected on 15N-amide backbone labeled peptides in the presence of aligned lipid bilayers. 15N chemical shifts and 15N-1H dipolar couplings have been used to obtain the topological orientation and preliminary backbone structures of the peptides. The data indicate that the alpha-helical portion of the peptides adopt an in-plane bilayer orientation and diffusive rapidly in the plane of the membrane. To investigate the membrane-binding and membrane-disrupting abilities of NPY and NPY-[18-36], we performed CD and dye leakage experiments on samples containing vesicles of various lipid compositions and different peptide concentrations. We will discuss the results in terms of the peptide's ability to disrupt lipid bilayers mimicking mammalian and microbial cells. Overall, these studies provide valuable knowledge to help elucidate the molecular basis of NPY's multiple functions in the human body.
A parallel adaptive strategy for hp finite element computations

Abstract In this work, a new three-step adaptive strategy for hp finite element discretizations is presented. Techniques for parallelizing these calculations on distributed memory multiprocessor computers are also developed. Numerical examples are used to demonstrate convergence properties and parallel efficiencies. Orders of magnitude reduction in computational efficiency over conventional methods are observed.
Zur spektrochemie der metalloide F, Cl, Br, J, S, Se

The author describes an easy and rapid method for qualitative and quantitative determination of metalloids: F, C1, Br, 1, Sand Se. A tube of high melting point glass is charged with a small quantity of sample (10 to 20 mg) and thoroughly evacuated (less than 0.001 mm Hg). The metalloid spectra are excited without electrodes in the high frequency magnetic field of a coil with about 10 turns surrounding the sample-bearing tube. With this arrangement, ions of the listed metalloids, especially the halogens, are excited to intense spectral emission, which provides strong characteristic lines in the longer wave-length region (7000 to 450010. These lines are well suited for detecting traces as well as for quantitative determinations. The sensitivity limit is 0.001. %, under favorable conditions, and quantitative determinations can be made down to 0.01 % with an accuracy of 10 %. Special advantages of the method are: 1) Small utilization of materials. 2) The sample is used in original form (powder) and in small quantities without any previous chemical treatment. 3) Since no metallic electrodes are used, clean work is possible even with the chemically active halogens. 4) The high sensitivity of one halogen is practically uninfluenced by the simultaneous presence of large amounts of other halogens.
c-Abl Tyrosine Kinase Binds and Phosphorylates Phospholipid Scramblase 1

Phospholipid scramblase 1 (PLSCR1) is a plasma membrane protein that has been proposed to play a role in the transbilayer movement of plasma membrane phospholipids. PLSCR1 contains multiple proline-rich motifs resembling Src homology 3 (SH3) domain-binding sites. An initial screen against 13 different SH3 domains revealed a marked specificity of PLSCR1 for binding to the Abl SH3 domain. Binding between intracellular PLSCR1 and c-Abl was demonstrated by co-immunoprecipitation of both proteins from several cell lines. Deletion of the proline-rich segment in PLSCR1 (residues 1--118) abolished its binding to the Abl SH3 domain. PLSCR1 was Tyr-phosphorylated by c-Abl in vitro. Phosphorylation was abolished by mutation of Tyr residues Tyr(69)/Tyr(74) within the tandem repeat sequence (68)VYNQPVYNQP(77) of PLSCR1, implying that these residues are the likely sites of phosphorylation. Cellular PLSCR1 was found to be constitutively Tyr-phosphorylated in several cell lines. The Tyr phosphorylation of PLSCR1 was increased upon overexpression of c-Abl and significantly reduced either upon cell treatment with the Abl kinase inhibitor STI571, or in Abl-/- mouse fibroblasts, suggesting that cellular PLSCR1 is a normal substrate of c-Abl. Cell treatment with the DNA-damaging agent cisplatin activated c-Abl kinase and increased Tyr phosphorylation of PLSCR1. The cisplatin-induced phosphorylation of PLSCR1 was inhibited by STI571 and was not observed in Abl-/- fibroblasts. These findings indicate that c-Abl binds and phosphorylates PLSCR1, and raise the possibility that an interaction between c-Abl and plasma membrane PLSCR1 might contribute to the cellular response to genotoxic stress.
A shoot induction procedure altered for increased shooting efficiency of potato protoplast-derived calli (cvs. crystal and norgold russet)

The responses of two potato cultivars, Crystal and Norgold Russet, to a standard protoplast regeneration procedure were examined. Both cultivars yielded protoplasts that survived and grew in the initial plating medium. Protoplast-derived callus tissue also grew on the callus proliferation medium. The cultivars differed most in their ability to survive on the shoot induction medium; changes in its growth regulator content and the quantity of agar increased shoot production of Crystal from 1% to 30% and that of Norgold Russet from 7% to 24% on modified medium under low light intensity.
Changes in Free and Total Levels of Plasma Cortisol and Thyroxine Following Thermal Injury in Man

Changes in endocrine status are known to occur following thermal injury. Therefore, the effect of burn injury on plasma corticosteroid and and thyroid hormones and their respective binding proteins was examined. Thirty-one subjects with 18%-99% TBSA burn were compared to 50 normal controls with respect to plasma levels of total cortisol, free cortisol, total thyroxine (T4), free thyroxine index (FTI), corticosteroidbinding globulin capacity ICBGC), tri-iodothyronine uptake (T3U), and albumin. Compared to controls, plasma concentrations of total and free cortisol in thermally injured patients were elevated at all time points tested. However, there was no significant difference in total or free cortisol values for survivors and nonsurvivors. Both total T4 and the FTI were significantly decreased compared to normal, and nonsurvivors in turn had significantly lower T4 and FTI values than did survivors. In nonsurviving patients, values of T4 and the FTI were about 50% of the mean value for normal controls, and these levels showed only a slight increase by postburn day (PBD) 21. For both survivors and nonsurvivors, CBGC was decreased relative to normals in the 48-hour period following burn, but by PBD 7 survivors and nonsuivivors had mean levels of CBGC within the normal range. Plasma albumin was uniformly decreased throughout, and there was no difference in levels for survivors and nonsurvivors. These data confirm that thermally injured human beings have increased levels of free and total corticosteroids and decreased levels of T4, and that these changes are more extreme in patients with greater illness who eventually die.
Genomic Comparison of cag Pathogenicity Island (PAI)-Positive and -Negative Helicobacter pylori Strains: Identification of Novel Markers for cag PAI-Positive Strains

In an analysis of Helicobacter pylori genomic DNA by macroarray methodology, genomic DNA from a panel of cag pathogenicity island (PAI)-negative H. pylori clinical isolates failed to hybridize with 27 genes located outside the cag PAI in a cag PAI-positive reference strain. PCR analyses confirmed that HP0217 (encoding a lipopolysaccharide biosynthetic protein) and HP1079 (encoding a protein of unknown function) were present significantly more frequently in cagA-positive strains than in cagA-negative strains. A low G+C content of these two genes suggests they were acquired by horizontal transfer events.
An analysis of page allocation strategies for multiprogramming systems with virtual memory

In a multiprogramming, virtual-memory computing system, many processes compete for the main storage page frames and CPU's of the real system. It is customary to define a subset of these processes called the "multiprogramming set" (MPS), and to allocate resources only to those processes currently in the MPS. Each process remains in the MPS for a limited time and is then demoted. The system paging manager controls the size of the MPS; it allocates the available page frames among the processes in the MPS and fetches appropriate pages into the page frames. A model is described that assumes the most critical resources of the system to be page frames and the paging channel (i.e., there is no significant CPU contention). The model makes certain assumptions about the page fault rate of processes as a function of page frames allocated, and about the page fetch time as a function of mean load on the paging channel. The model also incorporates a definition of the value of a given page allocation in terms of system throughput. The model is used to study various strategies for choosing an MPS and allocating page frames among processes. For simple cases, the model yields an exact optimal strategy. A heuristic strategy is proposed for dealing with more complex cases, and is shown by the model to be reasonably near optimal. The heuristic strategy monitors the page fault rate of each process and chooses an allocation such that each process can be executed at a reasonable rate, while ensuring that the paging channel is neither overloaded nor underloaded.