cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Design and analysis of renewable hydrogen production from biogas by integrating a gas turbine system and a solid oxide steam electrolyzer

Abstract In this paper, design and performance analysis of a biogas (60%CH4 + 40%CO2) fueled gas turbine (GT) power generation system integrated with a flameless boiler for steam generation for hydrogen production in a solid oxide steam electrolyzer (SOSE) is reported. In this design, the exhaust gases from GT is conducted to a flameless boiler where diluted and preheated exhaust gases are employed as an oxidizer in this process. Using a small amount of biogas in the flameless boiler enables the hybrid system to produce required steam for SOSE process and the whole generated electrical power by GT is employed in SOSE as well to produce hydrogen. The effects of biogas blends and flowrate, turbine inlet temperature (TIT), steam temperature and the electrode characteristics on the performance of the hybrid system are evaluated. The results indicate that by purification of biogas and increasing CH4 concentration up to 80%, the generated electrical power and produced hydrogen of the hybrid system augment 24% and 20% respectively. In GT system, the TIT should be set at the temperatures higher than 1300 K to prepare a desirable circumstance for the operation of flameless mode in the boiler. At the constant electrical power, when steam temperature increases, the overall SOSE potential decreases and consequently the current of the SOSE enhances which result in the enhancement of the overall hydrogen production in high steam temperatures. To increase the steam temperature from 850 K to 1450 K, the rate of overall biogas consumption of the system increases 1% while the amount of overall hydrogen production from SOSE system augments from 0.01 to 0.052 mol/s. The presented analysis in this paper can be employed to perform more analyses to achieve insightful understanding of the green hydrogen production using hybrid systems.
Soil management induced shifts in nematode food webs within a Mediterranean vineyard in the Central Coast of California (USA)

Abstract The soil food web regulates several key processes that support soil health and agricultural production. Here we investigated how soil management within a commercial Pinot noir Mediterranean vineyard affects nematode abundance and community structure, as a proxy to evaluate the status of the soil food web. We compared the soil under the vine to the soil in the tractor row which receive different water and nutrient inputs and different strategies to manage herbaceous vegetation cover. Furthermore, we compared the effects of different fertilizers (organic, synthetic and no fertilizer) applied under the vine. Our results showed that the soil in the tractor row hosted a more complex food web, with a higher abundance of microbial feeding nematodes and processing of the soil C and organic matter through omnivore and bacterivore nematodes leading to higher amounts of plant available N, likely due to increased mineralization rates. Thus, the tractor row has a great value as a reservoir of biodiversity within vineyards and support soil ecosystem services such as C sequestration and N cycling. The soil under the vine was characterized by a higher abundance of herbivore nematodes and high plant parasitic index that were alleviated by the addition of organic fertilizers increasing the abundance of bacterivore and fungivore nematodes, contributing to a more balanced food web. Changes in nematode community composition and food web status were strongly associated to soil physicochemical properties such as the active C, nitrate and soil pH. Thus, a change in fertilizer management could significantly boost soil health in these intensively managed soils.
Hubble Space Telescope Fine Guidance Sensor Parallaxes for Four Classical Novae

We have used data obtained with the Fine Guidance Sensors on the Hubble Space Telescope to derive precise astrometric parallaxes for four classical novae: V603 Aql, DQ Her, GK Per, and RR Pic. All four objects exceeded the Eddington limit at visual maximum. Re-examination of the original light curve data for V603 Aql and GK Per has led us to conclude that their visual maxima were slightly brighter than commonly assumed. With known distances, we examine the various maximum magnitude-rate of decline relationships that have been established for classical novae. We find that these four objects show a similar level of scatter about these relationships as seen in larger samples of novae whose distances were determined using indirect techniques. We also examine the nebular expansion parallax method and find that it fails for three of the four objects. In each case it was possible to find an explanation for the failure of that technique to give precise distance estimates. DQ Her appears to suffer from an anomalously high extinction when compared to field stars on its sight line. We suggest that this is likely due to local material, which may also be the source of the IRAS detections of this object.
A corpus-based analysis of syncopated patterns in ragtime.

In this paper, we build on and extend a number of previous studies of rhythmic patterns that occur in ragtime music. All of these studies have used the RAG-C dataset of approximately 11,000 symbolically-encoded ragtime pieces to identify salient rhythmic patterns in the corpus and qualify how they are used. Ragtime music is distinguished from other musical genres by frequent use of syncopation, and previous computational studies have confirmed a number of musicological hypotheses regarding the use of syncopated patterns in ragtime compositions. In this work, we extend these studies to investigate further questions involving the use of syncopation. Specifically, we introduce a new methodological framework for processing the RAG-C dataset and confirm that experiments from previous studies obtain similar results using the new methodology. We investigate the use of the common ``short-long-short'' syncopated pattern in different time periods and present new results detailing its use by three well-known ragtime composers. We describe how the use of other syncopated patterns has evolved over time and the different distributions of patterns that result from those changes. Lastly, we present novel results identifying statistically significant patterns in the way composers varied the amount of syncopation in consecutive measures in compositions.
Connecting Provider to home: A home-based social intervention program for older adults.

Author(s): Moreno, Gerardo; Mangione, Carol M; Tseng, Chi-Hong; Weir, Melanie; Loza, Rosaneli; Desai, Lisa; Grotts, Jonathan; Gelb, Eve | Abstract: ObjectivePatients with multiple medical conditions and complex social issues are at risk for high utilization and poor outcomes. The Connecting Provider to Home program deployed teams of a social worker and a community health worker (CHW) to support patients with social issues and access to primary care. Our objectives were to examine the impact of the program on utilization and satisfaction with care among older adults with complex social and medical issues.DesignRetrospective quasi-experimental observational study with matched comparator group.SettingCommunity-based program in Southern California.ParticipantsFour hundred twenty community dwelling adults.InterventionCommunity-based healthcare program delivered by a social worker and CHW team for older adults with complex medical and social needs.MeasurementsAcute hospitalization and emergency department (ED) visits in the 12 months preceding and following enrollment in the pilot program. A "difference-in-difference" analysis using a matched comparator group was conducted. Comparator group data of patients receiving usual care were obtained. Surveys were conducted to assess patient satisfaction and experiences with the program.ResultsThe mean age of patients was 74 years, and the program demonstrated statistically significant reductions in acute hospitalizations and ED use compared with 700 comparator patients. Pre/post-acute hospitalizations and ED visits were reduced in the intervention group. The average per patient per year reduction in acute hospitalizations was -0.66, whereas the average per patient reduction in ED use was -0.57. Patients enrolled in the program reported high levels of satisfaction and rated the program favorably.ConclusionsA care model with a social worker and CHW can be linked to primary care to address patient social needs and potentially reduce utilization of healthcare services and enhance patient experiences with care.
Safety and Efficacy of Vedolizumab Versus Tumor Necrosis Factor α Antagonists in an Elderly IBD Population: A Single Institution Retrospective Experience.

Vedolizumab is a monoclonal antibody used to treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). There is little known about the safety and comparative efficacy of this agent in the elderly population. Here, we present data on the safety and comparative efficacy of vedolizumab versus tumor necrosis factor α antagonists (anti-TNF) in elderly patients with IBD. This retrospective cohort study included IBD patients started on vedolizumab or anti-TNF at age 60 or older at a single tertiary IBD center. Safety was evaluated by assessing for the development of serious infection. The comparative needs for IBD-related surgery, IBD-related hospitalization, and drug discontinuation for any reason were obtained. Efficacy was assessed by comparing changes in endoscopic, histologic, and patient-report outcomes. 212 cases were identified—108 patients treated with vedolizumab and 104 patients treated with anti-TNF. There were no significant differences between cohorts in serious infection, surgical intervention, or IBD-hospitalization-free survival (p = NS). Drug discontinuation survival was different between anti-TNF and vedolizumab (p = 0.02) with more patients remaining on vedolizumab at the time of last follow-up (51.9% vs. 25.9%). Endoscopic remission and response rates were higher in the vedolizumab versus anti-TNF group (65.7% vs. 45.2%, p = 0.02; 80.0% vs. 59.3%, p < 0.001). In a cohort of IBD patients over age 60, vedolizumab showed no statistically significant differences in infection, hospitalization, or surgical intervention-free survival as compared to anti-TNF. Vedolizumab was discontinued less frequently than anti-TNF. Patients on vedolizumab had higher rates of endoscopic remission and response.
Mechanism of Tethered Agonist-Mediated Signaling by Polycystin-1

Polycystin-1 (PC1) is an important atypical G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) with 11 transmembrane domains and its mutations account for 85% of cases of human autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). PC1 shares multiple features with Adhesion GPCRs, including a tethered agonist (TA) from the stalk region that is suggested to activate signaling of the PC1 membrane-embedded C-terminal fragment (CTF). However, the mechanism by which a TA can activate PC1 is not known. Here, we have combined mutagenesis and cellular functional experiments with Gaussian accelerated molecular dynamics (GaMD) simulations to investigate TA-mediated activation of the wild type, stalkless and ADPKD stalk mutants of the PC1 CTF. Our GaMD simulation findings were highly consistent with the signaling experimental data. Together they revealed an allosteric signaling pathway connecting the stalk, Tetragonal Opening for Polycystins (TOP) and pore loop in activation of the PC1 CTF. Key residue interactions predicted from the GaMD simulations were validated with newly designed mutation-signaling experiments. Our complementary experiments and simulations have provided critical mechanistic insights into the TA-mediated activation of PC1 CTF, which is expected to facilitate rational drug design for the PC1 protein. Significance StatementMutations of polycystin-1 (PC1) are the major cause (85% of cases) of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), yet the physiological and disease-related functions of PC1 remain poorly understood. A significant portion of the mutations encode PC1 with defects in maturation or reduced function that may be amenable to functional rescue. In this work, we have combined highly complementary biochemical and cellular assay experiments and accelerated molecular simulations, which revealed a novel allosteric transduction pathway in activation of the PC1 CTF. Our findings shall facilitate future rational drug design efforts targeting the PC1 signaling function.
Maximally discriminative spectral feature projections using mutual information

Determining the optimal subspace projections, which maintains the best representation of the original data, is an important problem in machine learning and pattern recognition. In this paper, we propose a nonparametric nonlinear subspace projection technique that employs kernel density estimation based information theoretic methods and kernel machines, in order to maintain class separability maximally under the Shannon mutual information criterion.
Job to be done: Connections for technology entrepreneurs

To paraphrase prevailing wisdom…with few exceptions, every job users need to do has a social, a utilitarian, and an emotional dimension. When technology entrepreneurs understand these motivations, emerging technological innovations focus on the nuances of a job; then, users can recognize their connection to the innovation. The key to commercial success, therefore, is a focus on the job, per se, not the technology: the job must be the fundamental unit of analysis that leads to ideas, goods, and services that users will hire. For example, why exactly do users hire hybrid transportation? They have five, distinct motivations: to maximize the economics of mobility; to show off; to gain investiture among pioneers; to salve egos about helping to slow global warming; and merely to understand the subtleties of this emerging technology. What are the motivations for other emerging technologies such as induced pluripotent stem cells, nano-gels, computing clouds, artificial photosynthesis, and PEM fuel cells? And what are the implications for defining target markets for emerging technological innovations? Appreciating a motivational framework helps technology entrepreneurs answer these questions and cements the connections between their innovation and prospective users
A novel pathway for alternative splicing: identification of an RNA intermediate that generates an alternative 5' splice donor site not present in the primary transcript of AMPD1.

Abstract AMP deaminase (AMPD) is a central enzyme in eucaryotic energy metabolism, and tissue-specific as well as stage-specific isoforms are found in many vertebrates. This study demonstrates the AMPD1 gene product in rat is alternatively spliced. The second exon, a 12-base miniexon, was found to be excluded or included in a tissue-specific and stage-specific pattern. This example of cassette splicing utilizes a unique pathway through an RNA intermediate that generates an alternative 5' splice donor site at the point where exon 2 is ligated to exon 1. In the analogous intermediate of human AMPD1, the potential 5' splice donor site created at the boundary of exon 1 and exon 2 was a poor substrate for splicing because of differences in exon 2 sequences, and human AMPD1 was not alternatively spliced. These results demonstrate that in some cases alternative splicing may proceed through an RNA intermediate that generates an alternative splice donor site not present in the primary transcript. Discrimination between alternative 5' splice donor sites in the RNA intermediate of AMPD1 is apparently controlled by tissue-specific and stage-specific signals.
Related Effects of Serum and Carbon Dioxide on Initial Growth of Strain L Cells

Abstract : Various concentrations of serum and carbon dioxide were tested for their effects on the growth of strain L929 during the first 48 hours after subculture. Three different combinations of the two constituents produced: (a) cell loss followed by a burst of mitosis, (b) a lag period followed by steady growth, or (c) rapid growth followed by rapid cell loss. The balance of the two factors was always more important than the absolute amount of either one. Growth did not correlate directly with pH changes in the medium. (Author)
Effect of support elasticity on the bending of axisymmetric plates

The problem of flexure of an elastically supported axisymmetric plate carrying lateral load is solved in closed form via energy minimization technique. A second solution obtained directly by integration of the equations of classical plate theory in terms of feer, feei, feer, and kei functions is also given. The effect of support width and stiffness is examined by way of a specific problem. The stress couples as well as deflection given by the two solutions are in close agreement for a wide range of support widths and stiffnesses.
Habitat use by age‐0 yellow perch in two South Dakota glacial lakes

– We determined the habitat use of age-0 yellow perch (Perca flavescens) in two South Dakota (USA) lakes. Larval perch abundance was based on trawl catches and related to environmental variables on two late spring dates. Juvenile perch abundance was based on late July shoreline seine and bottom trawl catches. Day and night juvenile abundance relations to environmental variables were examined. Larval abundance appeared to be related to biological environmental variables, and no significant (P≥0.05) correlations with physical habitat variables were found. Juvenile yellow perch abundance was related to physical variables, particularly substrate, water temperature and water depth. The only biological variable that could be related to juvenile abundance was chironomid abundance. Finally, juvenile perch abundance was positively associated with abundance of other juvenile fishes and minnows, but these associations varied by lake, time of day and habitat type. Understanding age 0 perch habitat use will allow fishery biologists to better assess sampling designs and recruitment processes.
Effects of treatment with muramyl dipeptide on resistance to Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium marinum infection in mice.

Abstract Studies were carried out to determine whether treatment of mice with the synthetic adjuvant muramyl dipeptide (MDP) afforded resistance to infection with Mycobacterium leprae or M. marinum in mice. Regardless of the timing, dose, or route of administration, there was no evidence that treatment with MDP or 3 of its analogs (desMDP, abuMDP, valMDP) enhanced resistance to food pad infection with M. leprae or M. marinum. In parallel studies, systemic treatment with Proprionibacterium acnes failed to protect against either M. leprae or M. marbium. Administration of P. acnes locolly into the foot pad afforded marginal resistance to M. marinum when injected prior to infection. Local treatment with P. acnes afforded marked rsistance to growth of M. leprae, even when administered months after infection.
Localized emission from flat diamond cathodes

We analyze steady-state field emission from an n-type semiconductor under the assumption that its surface presents no barrier for electron emission from the conduction band into the vacuum. We construct a classical Lagrangian field theory for the coupled electric and quasi-fermi potentials and use it to show that uniform emission is unstable against laterally nonuniform perturbations. We use a two-parameter model of normal emission current to show that the Lagrangian of the linearized system is minimal when all electrons are emitted from a single site. In addition to this intensely localized emission, we show the normal electric field at the surface is moderately enhanced at the solitary emission site even though the surface itself is planar. We use the result to explain the isolated emission sites observed in nanocrystalline n-type diamond films.
Species richness in the Phanerozoic: Compensating for sampling bias

Sampling biases are the greatest impediment to resolving the history of species richness of fossilizable marine invertebrates in the Phanerozoic. Actual patterns of species richness have remained uncertain because no method is available to compensate for variations in sampling intensity. Data are not obtainable which would permit application of techniques that allow direct compensation for sampling intensity, such as rarefaction, but actual patterns can be estimated with a sampling model designed to account for sampling bias. One can estimate the total species richness of a geologic period if one knows the relative sampling intensity devoted to that period, the original species-abundance distribution of all species that existed during the interval, and the number of species that existed during the Cenozoic. The model presented here is based on the assumption that the species-abundance distributions of fossilizable marine invertebrates were lognormal and that sampling was proportional to sediment area, volume, or paleontologist interest units. The model produces consistent results with different estimates of total Cenozoic species richness and sampling intensity and strongly suggests low diversity during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic, followed by a dramatic early Cenozoic increase in standing species richness. These results are consistent with Valentine9s (1970) Empirical model of species richness.
Vasoactive intestinal peptide: behavioral effects in the rat and hamster.

Abstract The behavioral effects of intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of the brain-gut peptide vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) were quantified with a behavioral sampling technique in home-caged, nondeprived, male and female albino rats and golden hamsters. ICV VIP sex-dependently decreased observed resting behavior during 1 hr after injections in both rats and hamsters at 0.1–10.0 μg. Grooming behavior was increased in hamsters, and rearing and standing behaviors were increased in rats, sex-dependently at VIP doses that decreased resting. Drinking behavior was suppressed in rats by VIP at 10.0 μg. Intraperitoneal (IP) VIP (100.0 μg/kg) increased 5% ethanol intake and decreased eating behavior in fluid-deprived male rats. The increase in ethanol intake produced by IP VIP was prevented by IP cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK, 4.0 μg/kg). VIP potently controls resting and ingestive behaviors, suggesting a role for this neuropeptide, along with CCK, in the feedback regulation of rodent behavior.
High-capacity in vitro assessment of anti-hepatitis B virus compound selectivity by a virion-specific polymerase chain reaction assay.

An integrated assessment system specific for hepatitis B virus (HBV) Dane particle DNA was developed to examine the activity of potential anti-HBV compounds in chronic HBV-producing HepG2-derived 2.2.15 cells. Cell culture, immunoaffinity purification, polymerase chain reaction, and hybrid-capture detection were performed in the microtiter format to facilitate increased throughput by automation. The high sensitivity afforded by the assay provided quantitative detection of less than 0.5 fg of extracellular HBV DNA from 25 microliters of cell culture supernatants, and drug-induced reductions in HBV titers greater than 100-fold were easily measured. Fluorometric determination of total cellular DNA from the same 96-well proliferating cell cultures allowed simultaneous evaluation of inhibition of cell growth, thus providing the ability to assess the overall selectivities of candidate compounds in a single experiment. The potent activities of three anti-HBV compounds, the (+) and (-) enantiomers of cis-5-fluoro-1-[2-(hydroxymethyl)-1,3-oxythiolane-5-yl]cytosine (FTC) and D-carbocyclic-29-deoxyguanosine (CDG), were confirmed by this method. (-)-FTC was more active than its (+) enantiomer (50% inhibitory concentrations, 0.033 +/- 0.006 and 0.723 +/- 0.160 microM [standard error of the mean; SEM], respectively), while both enantiomers demonstrated a lack of cytotoxicity at 200 microM. CDG was more potent (50% inhibitory concentration, 0.0063 +/- 0.0007 microM [SEM]) but was also significantly more toxic, inhibiting cell growth by 50% at 32 +/- 6 microM (SEM). These results demonstrate the usefulness of this immunoaffinity-based, quantitative polymerase chain reaction system as a high-capacity in vitro tool for assessment of anti-HBV compound selectivity.
1-(2-Hydroxy-2-methyl-3-phenoxypropanoyl)indoline-4-carbonitrile Derivatives as Potent and Tissue Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators

We present a novel series of selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs) which shows excellent biological activity and physical properties. 1-(2-Hydroxy-2-methyl-3-phenoxypropanoyl)-indoline-4-carbonitriles showed potent binding to the androgen receptor (AR) and activated AR-mediated transcription in vitro. Representative compounds demonstrated diminished activity in promoting the intramolecular interaction between the AR carboxyl (C) and amino (N) termini. This N/C-termini interaction is a biomarker assay for the undesired androgenic responses in vivo. In orchidectomized rats, daily administration of a lead compound from this series showed anabolic activity by increasing levator ani muscle weight. Importantly, minimal androgenic effects (increased tissue weights) were observed in the prostate and seminal vesicles, along with minimal repression of circulating luteinizing hormone (LH) levels and no change in the lipid and triglyceride levels. This lead compound completed a two week rat toxicology study, and was well tolerated at doses up to 100 mg/kg/day, the highest dose tested, for 14 consecutive days.
Quality and Shelf Life of Individually Shrink-Wrapped Peaches

Fresh redglobe peaches were defuzzed, treated with fungicide and shrink wrapped individually in polyolefin film. The wrapped and unwrapped fruits were stored at 1°C and 10°C, respectively, for periods up to 50 days. Samples of peaches were tested every week to examine the changes in quality as determined by visual observation, weight loss, titratable acidity, % soluble solids, texture and sensory profiles. Weight loss of fruits was reduced tremendously by shrink wrapping. The appearance, flavor and overall eating quality of the wrapped peaches were found to be better than the control fruits. The shelf life of wrapped peaches was 5–6 weeks at both 1°C and 10°C as opposed to 3–4 weeks at 1°C for the control peaches.
THE MORPHOGENESIS OF HIGH SYMMETRY: THE WARPING THEOREM

A theorem is presented concerning the morphogenesis of high-symmetry structures made of three-dimensional morphological units (MU's) free to move in three dimensions or constrained to a surface. All parts of each MU interact non-specifically with the rest of the structure, via an isotropic function of distance. Summing all interactions gives a net figure of merit, ℐ, that depends upon MU positions and orientations. A structure evolves via gradient dynamics, each MU moving down the local gradient of ℐ. The analysis is represented with generality in Fourier space. A "warping" from a configuration of MU's is a set of MU displacements and/or rotations that slightly perturb nearest neighbor relations; deviations can accrue across the structure, producing large global distortions. A warping behaves qualitatively like a small perturbation, so a warping from a stable equilibrium decays under gradient dynamics. Connection to the Symmetrization Theorem greatly extends the basin of attraction of stable symmetrical configurations. Warped configurations are equivalent as precursors of structure, which helps to understand assembly by accretion. Numerical illustrations are given in cylindrical geometry, for application to phyllotaxis; and in spherical geometry, for virus capsid structure. For animations of numerical evolutions that find high symmetry via unwarping, see
Memory and the Seven Dwarfs

This article describes a teaching demonstration in which the names of the seven dwarfs are used to introduce and explain basic processes of memory for an introductory psychology or cognition class. Recall and recognition are contrasted in order to develop an understanding of other important memory principles: organization by sound, letter, and/or meaning; the tip-of-the-tongue-phenomenon; long-term memory; and short-term memory. Empirical verifications of this teaching method found it to be effective in helping students master the principles of memory.
Bisphosphonates for Breast Cancer: Questions Answered, Questions Remaining

Bone is an important organ that is essential to adult hematopoiesis, electrolyte balance, and locomotion. Individuals who have metastatic breast cancer involving the bone are at increased risk for skeletal complications and those who have a history of early-stage breast cancer may be at increased risk for fragility fractures. Maintaining bone integrity is critical to control the morbidity and mortality associated with fractures and other skeletal complications. The bisphosphonates have been shown to be efficacious in decreasing the risk for skeletal complications in cancer and in osteoporosis. The article reviews the use of bisphosphonates in patients who have breast cancer.
Routine cholecystectomy is not mandatory during morbid obesity surgery.

Abstract Background Controversy exists concerning the utility of routine cholecystectomy during bariatric surgery. We report our series of bariatric surgical procedures at our institution without concurrent cholecystectomy. Methods From October 2003 to August 2005, 621 morbidly obese patients underwent a weight loss operation. Preoperatively, each patient had undergone abdominal ultrasound (AUS) to evaluate for abnormal gallbladder findings. Patients with previous cholecystectomy were excluded. Symptomatic patients with AUS findings consistent with gallbladder disease underwent concomitant cholecystectomy and bariatric surgery. Asymptomatic patients, despite AUS findings, did not undergo cholecystectomy with their bariatric operation. A comparison between the preoperative AUS-positive and AUS-negative, asymptomatic patients after bariatric surgery was performed. Results Of the 621 patients who underwent bariatric surgery, 170 (27%) had undergone previous cholecystectomy and were excluded. Of the remaining 451 patients, 17 with positive AUS findings and symptoms underwent cholecystectomy during bariatric surgery. The range of follow-up was 4–25 months. Of the 451 patients, 324 were asymptomatic and had negative AUS findings and 102 were asymptomatic and had positive AUS findings for gallbladder abnormalities. Postoperatively, 29 asymptomatic/AUS-negative patients (9%) developed symptoms and had positive AUS findings. Nine asymptomatic patients with AUS positive findings (9%) developed symptoms. Finally, 38 patients (8.4%) went on to undergo elective cholecystectomy. These 2 groups were not signficantly different statistically. Conclusions In this study, the development of symptomatic/AUS-positive gallbladder abnormalities was low after obesity surgery, suggesting that mandatory cholecystectomy is not required at bariatric surgery.
Abstract 783: Combination treatment with epigallocatechin-3-gallate and sulforaphane sensitize ovarian cancer cells to cisplatin

Objective: A number of tumor suppressor genes (TSGs), responsible for drug resistance in high stages of ovarian cancers, were silenced due to epigenetic mechanisms. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), which is a major component of green tea, is known for its role as a DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) inhibitor. Sulforaphane (SFN), which is derived from broccoli, is known for its role as a histone deacetylation inhibitor. Both of these compounds have anti-cancer effects in a number of cancers including ovarian. The objective of the study is to test whether EGCG and SFN combination treatment can sensitize ovarian cancer cells to cisplatin treatment. Methods: EGCG, SFN and cisplatin combination treatments were applied to A2780/CP20 (cisplatin-resistant) and A2780 (cisplatin-sensitive) cells to determine their effects on sensitization. Cell viability was measured via MTT assay. Flow cytometry analysis was adopted to reveal cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Real time quantitative PCR was employed to analyze changes in gene expression in response to the combination treatment. Results: For A2780/CP20 cells, 50% inhibiting concentrations (IC50) to cisplatin was lowered from 13 µM to less than 1 µM with combination treatment. For A2780 cells, IC50 was decreased from 3 µM to 1.5 with combination treatment. Apoptosis analyses revealed that SFN can induce apoptosis in A2780/CP20 and A2780 cells, EGCG or cisplatin can potentiate the effect in both cell types. Cell cycle analyses revealed that 28.58% of A2780/CP20 cells were arrested in G2/M phase with SFN treatment alone compared with 14.3% of vehicle treated cells. Additionally, combination treatment leads to an increase to 52.14% of cells in G2/M phase arrest. Furthermore, we found that 20.45% of A2780 cells were arrested in G2/M phase with SFN treatment compared with 8.02% of vehicle-treated cells, while, combination treatment led to a slight increase to 29.33% of cells in the G2/M phase. There is also a synergistic effect on G2/M phase arrest when EGCG, SFN or cisplatin were used together compared with alone in both cell types. On the molecular level, mRNAs of p21 and hMLH1 were upregulated (18.5 and 28.4 fold respectively, P Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 783. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-783
Causal inference of asynchronous audiovisual speech.

During speech perception, humans integrate auditory information from the voice with visual information from the face. This multisensory integration increases perceptual precision, but only if the two cues come from the same talker; this requirement has been largely ignored by current models of speech perception. We describe a generative model of multisensory speech perception that includes this critical step of determining the likelihood that the voice and face information have a common cause. A key feature of the model is that it is based on a principled analysis of how an observer should solve this causal inference problem using the asynchrony between two cues and the reliability of the cues. This allows the model to make predictions abut the behavior of subjects performing a synchrony judgment task, predictive power that does not exist in other approaches, such as post hoc fitting of Gaussian curves to behavioral data. We tested the model predictions against the performance of 37 subjects performing a synchrony judgment task viewing audiovisual speech under a variety of manipulations, including varying asynchronies, intelligibility, and visual cue reliability. The causal inference model outperformed the Gaussian model across two experiments, providing a better fit to the behavioral data with fewer parameters. Because the causal inference model is derived from a principled understanding of the task, model parameters are directly interpretable in terms of stimulus and subject properties.
The Tropical Marine Boundary Layer Under a Deep Convection System: a Large‐Eddy Simulation Study

[1] The tropical marine PBL under the influence of a deep convection system is investigated using a large-domain LES that resolves a wide range of scales, from mesoscale cloud clusters down to energy-containing turbulence. The simulated PBL is dominated by both turbulence and cloud-induced cold-pools. The variance of vertical velocity in the PBL resides mostly in the turbulence scales while that of water vapor mixing ratio resides mostly at the cold-pool scales; however, both turbulence and cold-pool scales contribute about equally to their covariance. The broad scale range of the LES flow field is decomposed into the filtered (i.e., cloud system) and the subfilter (i.e., small convection and turbulence) components using a Gaussian filter with various filter widths. Such decomposed flow fields are used to retrieve information of spatial distribution of the subfilter-scale fluxes and their relationship to the filtered field. This information is then used to evaluate the performance of an eddy-viscosity model commonly used in cloud-resolving models. The subfilter-scale fluxes computed from the eddy-viscosity model correlate reasonably with those retrieved from the LES in the lower cloud layer but not in the PBL; the correlation coefficients between the modeled and the retrieved fluxes are about 0.5 in the lower cloud layer but smaller than 0.2 in the PBL.
Global mega urbanization and impacts in the 2000S

The global mega urbanization and impacts in the decade of the 2000s are investigated under an interdisciplinary science research participated by 25 institutions and agencies from five countries in North America and Europe. Among multiple components of the research, the Dense Sampling Method with the Rosette Transform enables a new method to process coarse-resolution satellite scatterometer data into a 1-km posting to delineate urban extent on the basis of physical infrastructures, rather than arbitrary boundaries from political or administrative definitions. Scatterometer data from the QuikSCAT satellite are processed for all 29 mega cities across the world. Results reveal an urban mega agglomeration of connected cities along a swath extending over 450 km from the Pacific coast to the internal land.
Epilepsy, Sex Hormones, and Antiepileptic Drugs

Many factors associated with hormone function have an impact on the course of epilepsy. Patients with epilepsy may have disturbances in sexual function such as anovulatory cycles in women and decreased libido and potency in men. Data indicate seizures especially those arising in the limbic system may influence the hypothalamic pituitary axis. Antiepileptic drugs also influence sexual function through direct brain effects as well as through induced changes in pharmacokinetics of the sex steroid hormones. Pregnancy has been reported to be a time of increased seizures; however this has often been associated with low drug levels for reasons that include inadequate drug dose possible changes in pharmacokinetics and noncompliance. Some evidence suggests that hormones affect seizure frequency. Changes in seizures during the menstrual cycle (catamenial epilepsy) have been found in some women: seizures were fewer during the luteal phase but increased when progesterone levels declined. Some improvement in seizure frequency has been shown in pilot studies using medroxyprogesterone acetate a synthetic progesterone. Current concepts of the interrelationship among epilepsy sex hormones and antiepileptic drugs are discussed. (authors)
Privatization: An Overview

Discusses the issue of privatization and its relationship with the government. Answers the question of who should perform certain governmental services and why they should be performed by that particular organization. Compares the privatization process in the United States and European countries. Finally explains why politicians do not resort to more private services.
Melt Season Changes in Arctic Ice

The changes in the properties of ice during the summer melt season were investigated at a camp established for acoustic studies on the shore-fast ice northeast of Pt. Barrow in 1977. The investigation consisted of synoptic measurements of ablation, under-ice depletion, ice core properties, ice column temperature, and visible light absorption. The rate of surface ablation was found to be dominated by insolation. The rate of under-ice depletion was most affected by the difference in temperature between the sea water and the freezing point of the ice.
Testing the limits of shape optimization by large-flip-angle pulses

Abstract Optimized waveforms for inverting pulses with areas up to 9π are reported. Both differences and similarities in rectangularity of inversion and sensitivity to inhomogeneity are found. For some applications many-π pulses may be more useful than low-flip-angle pulses.
Ocean tidal effects on Earth rotation

Abstract Tidal forces due to the tide-raising potential deform the solid and fluid regions of the Earth, causing the Earth's inertia tensor to change, and hence causing the Earth's rate of rotation and length-of-day to change. Because both the tide-raising potential and the solid Earth's elastic response to the tidal forces caused by this potential are well-known, accurate models for the effects of the elastic solid body tides on the Earth's rotation are available. However, models for the effect of the ocean tides on the Earth's rotation are more problematic because of the need to model the dynamic response of the oceans to the tidal forces. Hydrodynamic ocean tide models that have recently become available are evaluated here for their ability to account for long-period ocean tidal signals in length-of-day observations. Of the models tested here, the older altimetric data-constrained model of Kantha et al. (1998) is shown to still do the best job of accounting for ocean tidal effects in length-of-day, particularly at the fortnightly tidal frequency. The model currently recommended by the IERS is shown to do the worst job.
Obstacles to Ethnic Diversity in Marital Research: On the Failure of Good Intentions

Despite a consensus that marital research would benefit from more ethnically diverse samples, most marital research continues to address samples composed primarily of middle-class Whites. The goal of the current study was to identify reasons that attempts to recruit ethnically diverse samples may fall short. Analyses of data from couples responding to solicitations to participate in a longitudinal study of newly-weds revealed that, relative to White couples: (i) non-White couples were less likely to respond than would be expected given their representation in the local population; (ii) non-White, and especially Black, couples were more likely to be excluded by eligibility criteria; and (iii) non-White, and especially Asian, couples were less likely to participate after being told they were eligible. These results suggest directions for new procedures to address diversity at every stage of the sampling process.
Systematic Life Styles for New Product Segmentation

Life style analyses have tended to focus on general life style versus specific product life styles, i.e., the specificity issue. These studies have led many companies to use life style varyables related to a specific product category or a brand. However, another key dimension of life style analysis, i.e., comprehensiveness of scope, has largely been ignored. This article suggests there is considerable power in systematically studying specificity and comprehensiveness of life styles for segmenting markets for new products.
EFFICACY OF NEW INSECTICIDES AGAINST BOLLWORMS IN BOLLGARD COTTON, 2000

Cotton was planted on 4 May into a Wicham loam soil in 38-inch rows in southeastern North Carolina near Richlands. The fertility and herbicide programs followed extension recommendations for cotton in this region. Temik at 5.0 lb (AI)/acre was used at planting. Plot size was 45 ft x 4 rows with four replications arranged in an RCBD. The early Orthene 97 PE treatment at 0.75 lb (AI)/acre was made on 18 Jul. Additionally, the whole test was oversprayed on 5 Aug with 0.5 lb (AI)/acre Orthene to encourage bollworm survival via destruction of beneficial insects. The remainder of the treatments were made on 8 Aug with a backpack-type, CO2-pressurized sprayer calibrated to deliver 8.0 gpa at 50 psi with a single TX-8 Spray Systems nozzle 18 inches over the row. All treatments were evaluated for boll damage from bollworms and for live bollworms on 21 Aug. Plots were harvested from the middle two rows with a 2-row John Deere 9600 picker on 18 Oct. Seed cotton yields were converted to lint cotton/acre using 40% gin turnout. All data were entered into Gylling’s Pesticide Research Manager 5.0 software and analyzed via ANOVA and LSD (P = 0.05).
Effect of advanced age and vital signs on admission from an ED observation unit.

Objectives The primary objective was to determine the relationship between advanced age and need for admission from an emergency department (ED) observation unit. The secondary objective was to determine the relationship between initial ED vital signs and admission.
Microextraction by demixing of two miscible solvents for the determination of phenols in water

A method for the determination of anionic solutes such as phenol, cresols, and xylenols present in industrial effluents has been developed. It is based on microextraction using two miscible phases followed by demixing of the phases by the addition of ammonium sulfate. The extraction properties of 2-propanol were examined and the procedures were optimized. High resolution gas chromatography–mass spectrometry in the selected ion monitoring mode was used as a separation and quantitation technique. This method is rapid and precise and allows detection limits of 1 μg L−1 to be easily obtainable employing a 50 mL water sample.
Reactions of dilithiooximes, dilithiophenylhydrazones and trilithiohydrazones with nitriles. Acid-cyclization to isoxazoles or pyrazoles

Certain C(α)O-dilithiooximes, C(α)N-dilithiophenylhydrazones, and C(α)N,N-trilithiohydrazones were treated with a variety of nitriles. The intermediates were not isolated, but cyclized with acid to give isoxazoles or pyrazoles.
Implementing co-evolution and parallelization in a multi-objective particle swarm optimizer

A new multi-objective optimizer based on swarm intelligence is presented in this article. A distinctive feature of the proposed particle swarm optimizer (PSO) is the utilization of only social components, which are based on global guides, for the exploration and exploitation of the search space. Mutation and elitism are also employed in order to improve the effectiveness of the PSO. The algorithmic parameters are controlled via an on-line adaptive scheme. The algorithm is further developed to co-evolve multiple swarms. The investigation of various multi-objective optimization problems reveals that the proposed PSO is able to converge fast and in a robust manner towards the true Pareto-optimal front. Comparisons with results obtained from other multi-objective optimizers are presented. A parametric investigation is performed in order to exploit the potential of the proposed co-evolutionary algorithm for parallelization. The results obtained from a hydrofoil design optimization problem demonstrate near-line...
Distribution of Metals in Water and Bed Sediment in a Mineral-Rich Watershed, Montana, USA

We sampled the Blackfoot River (Montana) and its major tributaries from the headwaters of the basin to near its confluence with the Clark Fork River over the course of 5 days in August 1998. We measured streamflow, collected fine-grained (<63 μm) streambed sediment, and sampled the dissolved (operationally defined as < 0.2 μm) phase of the surface water using clean techniques. Water and sediment collected from near the historic Heddleston mining district contained the highest concentrations of most trace elements in the basin. Many solute trace metals were at their highest several kilometers downstream from the mining district, where the river flows through an unremediated marsh system that has collected mine wastes in the past. Downstream on the headwaters area, water and bed sediment metal concentrations dclined sharply. Comparison of sediment samples with those collected by other workers in August 1989 and August 1995 do not show evidence of basin-scale long term changes, despite the onset of remediation efforts in 1993. The area of the proposed McDonald gold deposit near the confluence of the Landers Fork with the Blackfoot River was not contributing anomalous concentrations of naturally-occurring dissolved and bed-sediment metals into the basin.
Let the People In: The Life and Times of Ann Richards. By Jan Reid. (Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 2012. Pp. xxiii, 467. $16.95.)

The author of this book, a long‐time friend of and speechwriter for Ann Richards, describes his work as “a biography that contains a thread of memoir” (xiii). He offers both the personal and the po...