cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Qualitative Inquiry About Pruno, an Illicit Alcoholic Beverage Linked to Botulism Outbreaks in United States Prisons.

Objectives. Since 2011, 3 outbreaks of botulism in US prisons have been attributed to pruno, which is an alcoholic beverage made by inmates. Following 1 outbreak, we conducted a qualitative inquiry to understand pruno brewing and its social context to inform outbreak prevention measures.Methods. We interviewed staff, inmates, and parolees from 1 prison about pruno production methods, the social aspects of pruno, and strategies for communicating the association between botulism and pruno.Results. Twenty-seven inmates and parolees and 13 staff completed interviews. Pruno is fermented from water, fruit, sugar, and miscellaneous ingredients. Knowledge of pruno making was widespread among inmates; staff were familiar with only the most common ingredients and supplies inmates described. Staff and inmates described inconsistent consequences for pruno possession and suggested using graphic health messages from organizations external to the prison to communicate the risk of botulism from pruno.Conclusions. Pruno m...
Effect of Corticosterone on Insulin and Glucagon Secretion by the Isolated Perfused Rat Pancreas

The in vitro effect of corticosterone in insulin and glucagon secretion has been examined in the isolated perfused rat pancreas preparation. COrticosterone at physiological concentrations was found to inhibit acutely and strongly the secretion of insulin induced by both glucose and arginine and to potentiate the output of glucagon in a glucose-free medium or when induced by arginine. Phentolamine, an alpha-adrenergic blocking agent, diminished the strong inhibitory effect of corticosterone on insulin secretion. The present results demonstrate that corticosterone has direct effects on pancreatic islet cells, and they suggest that the inhibition of insulin secretion is to some extent related to the alpha-adrenergic receptors.
Fluorescence and Double Resonance Studies of Energy Transfer

An informal review is presented of measurements of energy transfer using fluorescence and double resonance spectroscopy. In addition to increasing our knowledge of molecular relaxation processes, such measurements are of practical importance in such areas as the design of new laser systems and chemical reactions induced by laser radiation. Monochromatically excited fluorescence experiments are particularly useful in determining relaxation parameters for molecular excited states. The voluminous data from such experiments can be effectively handled using the “Information-Theoretic” approach of Bernstein and Levine. We have used this method to calculate vibrational deactivation rates for HF, which are in good agreement with available experimental data. Infrared double resonance experiments can reveal the dynamics of molecules undergoing radiative excitation, such as sulfur hexafluoride pumped by the CO2 laser. Es wird ein kurzer Uberblick uber Untersuchungen von Energieubertragungsprozessen mit Hilfe von Fluoreszenz- und Doppelresonanzspektroskopie gegeben. Solche Messungen vergrosern unsere Kenntnisse molekularer Relaxationsprozesse; sie sind jedoch auserdem von praktischer Bedeutung fur die Planung von neuen Lasersystemen und laserinduzierten chemischen Reaktionen. Fluoreszenzexperimente mit monochromatischer Anregung sind besonders wichtig fur die Bestimmung von Relaxationsdaten angeregter Molekulzustande. Die umfangreichen Informationen aus solchen Experimenten konnen rationell mit dem „informationstheoretischen Ansatz” von Bernstein und Levine dargestellt werden. Wir haben diese Methode auf die Schwingungsdesaktivierung von HF angewandt und gute Ubereinstimmung mit den vorhandenen Experimenten gefunden. Infrarot-Doppelresonanzexperimente konnen die Dynamik von Molekulen mit Strahlungsanregung. wie SF6 in CO2-Laserfeld, aufklaren.
Secure and Tamper Proof Code Management

In this paper, we present an additional layer of security to source code repositories by combining Keyless Signature Infrastructure (KSI) with Git to protect against insider threats as well as provide security even in the event of a private key compromise. This work was done to show the minimal effort required to integrate these two technologies to provide additional security to software development efforts using Git compared to the security benefit gained. Additionally, we designed the solution to minimize the impact to the current Git workflow, requiring no additional commands when committing code and only one new command to verify past commits.
Computer-generated design of electric circuits

An artificial intelligence-based design automation methodology for computer-generated design of electric circuit is proposed. Given the requirements of the circuit to be designed, a program using this approach can generate a set of candidate circuits, evaluate them according to the specified requirements, and recommend the most suitable circuit(s). A PROLOG program (called VMD) implementing this approach has been developed for the design of voltage multiplier circuits. Issues pertaining to the usage of this approach are discussed in this paper.
L-alanine binding sites and Na+, K(+)-ATPase in cilia and other membrane fractions from olfactory rosettes of Atlantic salmon.

Abstract 1. 1. Membrane fractions were obtained from homogenates of olfactory rosettes from Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar ) or from isolated olfactory cilia and homogenates of deciliated olfactory rosettes. 2. 2.|Specific binding of l -[ 3 H]alanine was saturable, high-affinity, and effectively inhibited by l -threonine, l -serine and l -alanine but not by l -lysine or l -glutamic acid. Comparable results were obtained with l [ 3 H]serine except for the presence of a second, lower affinity, binding site for l -alanine but not l -serine. 3. 3. Specific binding of l [ 3 H]alanine was inhibited by low concentrations of mercury ion, acidic pH, and high concentrations of cadmium, copper or zinc ions. Aluminum had no effect. 4. 4. Specific binding sites for l -alanine were present in membranes from isolated cilia at a level 2-fold that of membranes prepared from the deciliated rosette. 5. 5. Ouabain sensitive Na + , K + -ATPase activity was also determined in cilia preparations. This enzyme was present in cilia at a level approximately 3-fold that of membranes prepared from the deciliated rosette. 6. 6.|The results are consistent with the presence of an olfactory alanine receptor in S. salar with binding characteristics similar to those of a variety of other fish species and with a localization on olfactory cilia as well as non-ciliated receptor cell membranes.
Acetylation of Histone H3 Lysine 56 Abolishes Linker Histone Regulation of Transcription Factor Binding

The linker histone H1 is an ubiquitous regulator of chromatin structure and dynamics. These linker histones are highly abundant in metazoan somatic cells with almost one linker histone per nucleosome, and regulate gene expression during development and within somatic cells. We used fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) to detect changes to nucleosome wrapping, which is sensitive to both H1 binding and transcription factor binding within the nucleosome. H1 binding induces an increase in nucleosome wrapping and FRET, while transcription factor binding within the nucleosome decreases nucleosome wrapping and FRET. We find that H1 suppresses but does not abolish TF binding suggesting that H1 dynamically regulates nucleosomal DNA accessibility to TF binding. We then prepared nucleosomes with histone H3 acetylated at lysine 56 (H3K56ac). This modification is involved transcriptional regulation and increases DNA unwrapping. We find that this modification abolishes H1 suppression of TF binding within the nucleosome. This result suggests that H3K56ac can encode, within a nucleosome, H1 regulation of DNA accessibility and provides a mechanism by which H1 regulation of DNA accessibility is targeted through the genome.
Sports-Related Concussion

Concussion is a common injury that emergency medicine physicians will be called upon to evaluate. A comprehensive history and physical examination, cognitive evaluation, and balance testing are important in the assessment of a head injury. Assessment tools have been developed and are widely available. Their inclusion in the initial evaluation of suspected concussion may aid diagnosis and management. Athletes should never be allowed to return to play on the same day they suffer a concussion. Follow-up with a primary care physician, sports medicine specialist, or neurologist is recommended before return to play. Accurate anticipatory guidance has been shown to be beneficial in concussion recovery and can be instituted in the emergency department setting. Familiarity with legislation within your state is important in understanding the regulations for medical clearance for return to play for competitive athletes.
Regeneration of transgenic loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) from zygotic embryos transformed with Agrobacterium tumefaciens.

Embryos of 24 open-pollinated families of loblolly pine (Pinus teade L.) were used as explants to conduct in vitro regeneration. Then, Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain GV3101 harboring the plasmid pPCV6NFHygGUSINT was used to transform mature zygotic embryos of seven families of loblolly pine. The frequency of transformation varied among families infected with A. tumefaciens. The highest frequency (100%) of transient β-glucuronidase (GUS)-expressing embryos was obtained from family 11-1029 with over 300 blue spots per embryo. Expression of the GUS reporter gene was observed in cotyledons, hypocotyls, and radicles of co-cultivated mature zygotic embryos, as well as in callus and shoots derived from co-cultivated mature zygotic embryos. Ninety transgenic plants were regenerated from hygromycin-resistant callus derived from families WO3, 8-1082 and 11-1029, and 19 transgenic plantlets were established in soil. The presence of the GUS gene in the plant genome was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction, Southern blot, and plant DNA/T-DNA junction analysis. These results suggest that an efficient A. tumefaciens-mediated transformation protocol for stable integration of foreign genes into loblolly pine has been developed and that this transformation system could be useful for future studies on transferring economically important genes to loblolly pine.
Photoreduction of NADP+ by isolated reaction centers of photosystem II: requirement for plastocyanin.

Abstract The carrier of photosynthetically generated reducing power is the iron-sulfur protein ferredoxin, which provides directly, or via NADP+, reducing equivalents needed for CO2 assimilation and other metabolic reactions in the cell. It is now widely held that, in oxygenic photosynthesis, the generation of reduced ferredoxin-NADP+ requires the collaboration in series of two photosystems: photosystem II (PSII), which energizes electrons to an intermediate reducing potential and transfers them to photosystem I (PSI), which in turn is solely competent to energize electrons to the strong reducing potential required for the reduction of ferredoxin-NADP+ (the Z scheme). This investigation tested the premise of an alternative scheme, which envisions that PSII, without the involvement of PSI, is also capable of photoreducing ferredoxin-NADP+. We report here unexpected findings consistent with the alternative scheme. Isolated PSII reaction centers (completely free of PSI components), when supplemented with ferredoxin, ferredoxin-NADP+ oxidoreductase, and a PSII electron donor,1,5-diphenylcarbazide, gave a significant photoreduction of NADP+. A striking feature of this electron transfer from a PSII donor to the perceived terminal acceptor of PSI was its total dependence on catalytic quantities of plastocyanin, a copper-containing electron-transport protein hitherto known only as an electron donor to PSI.
When microarrays Met epidermal-cell migration.

Mol Syst Biol. 4: 200 Cell movements are important for many physiological processes. Whether it is the development of an embryo, the lethal progression of a cancer, or the healing of a paper cut, a common biological theme is the ability of cells to migrate in complex environments. Cell migration occurs through a series of protein modification and macromolecular assembly–disassembly cycles that are mechanochemically coupled (Lauffenburger and Horwitz, 1996; Ridley et al , 2003). Now, a recent publication in Molecular Systems Biology adds transcription to the mix of regulatory pathways that impinge upon a cell's decision to migrate or remain stationary (Busch et al , 2008). Cell migration is a field that has a rich history of advancing through computational and quantitative studies (Carlsson and Sept, 2008). Most of this work, however, has involved cells that are already actively migrating. Usually, cells require a delay of several hours after exposure to a motogenic stimulus to interpret it and gear up their migratory machinery. The study of Busch et al focuses on the molecular events that take place during this ‘processing time’ in a co‐culture model of epidermal wound healing. The authors use hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) to induce migration of a …
AMPA receptor activation potentiates zinc neurotoxicity.

Abstract Extracellular Zn 2+ attenuates NMDA receptor-mediated neurotoxicity and increases AMPA receptor-mediated toxicity. Known electrophysiological effects of Zn 2+ predict only the former. We considered the possibility that the latter rather reflects AMPA potentiation of Zn 2+ toxicity, perhaps mediated by neuronal depolarization and Zn 2+ entry through voltage-gated Ca 2+ channels. High K + or kainate also potentiated Zn 2+ toxicity, and AMPA plus Zn 2+ toxicity was attenuated by raising extracellular Ca 2+ , or by Ca 2+ channel blockers. AMPA plus Zn 2+ exposure induced an increase in fluorescence from neurons loaded with the Zn 2+ -sensitive dye TS-Q and increased subsequent 45 Ca 2+ accumulation. The ability of AMPA receptor activation to potentiate Zn 2+ toxicity may be relevant to neuronal death associated with intense activation of glutamatergic pathways.
Periodic solutions to a convective droplet burning problem: The stagnation point

A theoretical study is performed of the droplet-burning process in a forced convection field when a small-amplitude sound wave is introduced into the free stream. Since an exact solution may be found for arbitrary frequency near the forward stagnation point, this region is given primary treatment. The analytical techniques involved contribute to the general problem of unsteady, compressible boundary-layer theory. It is found that for sufflciently large free-stream oxidizer mass fraction or stoichiometric heat of reaction with respect to the free-stream enthalpy the local burning-rate perturbation undergoes a sort of resonance with respect to the pressure perturbation in a standing sound-wave field. Above a certain frequency of oscillation the burning rate goes negative with respect to the pressure perturbation but remains bounded in the infinite frequency limit. This is in contrast to the behavior of the local vaporization rate which is unbounded, going to infinity as the square root of frequency. It is shown that the results may be conveniently split into two parts, one due to the compressibility of the fluid, called a “pressure effect,” and one which remains for an incompressible (but not constant density) fluid, called a “velocity effect.” These effects have the property that, regardless of the free-stream waveform, a pressure effect will vanish at a pressure node and a velocity effect vanishes at a velocity node. In the limit of very large frequency, the velocityeffect burning-rate results are valid for arbitrary amplitudes of oscillation, the rest of the treatment requiring small perturbations about the steady state.
Resource-Allocation Strategies: A Verbal Protocol Analysis.

The current study examined the strategies used by people to solve resource-allocation problems. Verbal protocols were recorded as participants provided meal choices for seven consecutive days with limited resources available to spend on meals and with daily constraints imposed on meal consumption. None of the participants incorporated the established mathematical procedures (i.e., Linear Programming) to arrive at the optimum number of meals possible in a week. However, the strategies they did use enabled them to achieve meal totals on average at 94% of this optimal amount. A few participants attempted to first solve the maximum meals possible in a week before scheduling this solution across the seven days (solve-and-schedule strategy), but the majority of participants simply selected meals on a day-to-day basis while checking resource availability each day to allow for full resource consumption (consume-and-check strategy). The findings of this study provide a preliminary step toward understanding how people make intuitive resource-allocation decisions.
Ocean Sediment Coring Program

The Ocean Sediment Coring Program is providing samples of sediments and a small amount of crystalline volcanic or igneous rock from far beneath the floor of the deep ocean basins. Drilling uses largely proven and conventional rotary drilling technology. The program fulfills a real need of the times. Two hundred years ago, based on suitable navigational instruments, the era of Captain Cook mapped the oceans. One hundred years ago, the H.M.S. Challenger measured the depths of the ocean basins and established the broad contours of the bottom of the oceans. Today, the Ocean Sediment Coring Program is adding the next dimension of time to our knowledge of the ocean basins.
Good and bad shopping vibes: Spending and patronage satisfaction

Abstract This research addresses appropriately evaluating resource investments aimed at improving customer mood through atmospherics. A structural equations approach is used on a sample 375 mall consumers to test relevant hypotheses. The results of the study suggest that consumer emotions have a “dual” impact. Whereas consumers' in-store mood does influence spending, it has a considerably greater effect on customer satisfaction with the retailer. Further, the study shows that negative shopping moods affect satisfaction with greater efficacy than do positive moods. Implications for developing customer loyalty and suggestions for further research are discussed.
Challenges in eGovernment technology transfer

Digital government has four distinct phases in its evolvement [6]. In the first Catalog phase, governments publish information to view and download forms and other static documentation. The second Transactional phase facilitates information exchange and online payments. The third Vertical Integration phase provides integrated services within a governmental department. Finally, Horizontal Integration phase provides integrated services across various levels of governments and agencies: local, county, and state.
Implant malposition: prevention and correction

Breast implant malposition may occur more frequently than documented in the literature. Prevention is the key to avoiding the need for secondary surgery by means of a thorough preoperative assessment of each patient's anatomic features and an operative plan that specifically addresses these issues. Care must be taken during the intraoperative dissection to accurately create the position of the implant pocket. When implant malposition occurs following augmentation, adequate treatment includes addressing the specific etiology. When inferior or lateral malpositions are apparent, consideration should be given to performing a capsulorraphy to readjust the implant pocket along with replacement of the implant if necessary.
Distribution and polarity of actin in the sensory hair cells of the chinchilla cochlea.

The distribution and polarity of actin in sensory hair cells of the chinchilla cochlea has been determined by decoration of actin filaments with myosin sub fragment S1. Decorated actin filaments of the same polarity were present within the stereocilia above the cuticular plate. However the filaments in the rootlets and the thin filaments projecting laterally from the rootlets into the cuticular plate did not decorate with S1. Decorated actin filaments were present within the cuticular plate, and near the plasma-membrane filaments of opposite polarity were observed. In the cross-striated region at the base of the cuticular plate of inner hair cells, decorated filaments were present in the dense bands of the cross-striations but the thin filaments perpendicular to the dense bands were not decorated. These results are discussed with respect to the two mechanisms that have been suggested for actin-myosin mediated movement of the stereocilia of inner-ear sensory cells.
Lack of B-cell participation in acute lymphocyte choriomeningitis disease of the central nervous system.

Abstract The pattern of acute lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM) virus-induced central nervous system (CNS) disease was studied in BALB/c mice rendered deficient in B cells and incapable of producing a humoral immune response. The CNS disease in mice treated from birth with goat anti-mouse μ-chain globulin (μ-suppressed mice) was clinically and histopathologically indistinguishable from that of controls. This result demonstrates that neither B cells nor antibody participate in the pathogenesis of acute LCM of the CNS. These observations support the view that the host cell-mediated response to viral antigens is solely responsible for acute CNS disease induced by the intracerebral inoculation of LCM virus.
Transient Characterization of Solid-Electrolyte-Interphase Using Ferrocene

A method using ferrocene to characterize the solid-electrolyte-interphase in lithium-ion batteries is expanded from steady-state analysis to consider electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and transients in the open-circuit potential. Although surface films formed on glassy carbon differ quantitively among different electrodes, results from impedance are consistent with steady-state findings, that increasing formation time decreases film porosity. Evolution of open-circuit potential shows a qualitative trend consistent with other methods, but does not yield reasonable estimates of film thickness or porosity. Impedance results are less effective at extracting unique characterization parameters than steady-state methods but have major experimental advantages over
Monitoring metal ion contamination onset in hydrofluoric acid using silicon-diamond and dual silicon sensing electrode assembly

Potentiometric detection of trace levels of metallic contamination onset in hydrofluoric acid using a silicon-based sensor in conjunction with two non-contaminating reference electrode systems is presented in this paper. In the first case, conductive diamond was used as a non-contaminating reference electrode. Cyclic voltammetry and open-circuit potential experiments demonstrated the feasibility of using a conductive diamond film electrode as a quasi-reference electrode in the HF solution. In the second case, a dual silicon electrode system was used with one of the silicon-based electrodes protected with an anion permeable membrane behaving as the quasi-reference electrode. The dual silicon sensing electrode system possessed an additional operational advantage of being unaffected by the solution acidity. Though both sensing configurations were able to detect the metal ion contamination onsets at the parts-per-trillion to parts-per-billion levels, the dual silicon electrode design showed a greater compatibility for the on-line detection of metallic impurities in HF etching baths commonly used in semiconductor processing.
A Community Pulmonary Disease Screening Effort: “Denver Lung Days”

A community-wide program of screening for pulmonary disease was designed to examine (1) the feasibility of performing spirometric tests of pulmonary function on a large number of subjects in a short period of time using volunteer workers, (2) the accuracy of the results of screening, (3) the reliability of the electronic spirometers used, (4) whether those advised to seek medical attention actually did so, and (5) what evaluation and therapeutic endeavors physicians carried out when consulted by these patients. Over 2,500 people underwent testing in nine centers over a period of nine hours. Of the 2,586 people, 466 individuals (18 percent) had a ratio of the forced expiratory volume in one second over the forced vital capacity (FEV 1 /FVC) that was less than 70 percent, and 181 persons (7 percent) had an FEV 1 /FVC that was less than 60 percent. On formal retesting of a random sample, all 25 persons with a screening value for FEV 1 /FVC that was greater than 70 percent had the same in the laboratory. All 35 subject with an FEV 1 /FVC that was less than 60 percent in the laboratory were identified as abnormal (FEV 1 /FVC less than 70 percent) by screening; however, 50 subjects, approximately 40 percent of those tested in the laboratory with a screening value for FEV 1 /FVC that was less man 70 percent, actually had a ratio greater than 70 percent All spirometers maintained calibration within 10 percent Of 61 subjects who first learned by this screening that they might have abnormalities of pulmonary function, 33 (54 percent) of those advised to seek medical attention did so. One-half of the symptomatic patients with abnormal spirometric data were treated with bronchodilator medication by their physicians. Although there was “overcall” of abnormality, the program was valuable in demonstrating feasibility, the reliability of the spirometer, and the subjects' concern over abnormal results. Diagnostic and therapeutic recommendations for physicians should be included in any future screening efforts.
Adaptiive finite element modeling of long-term polyethylene wear in total hip arthroplasty

Adaptive remeshing capability was addded to an existing sliding-distance-coupled finite element model of polyethylene wear in total hip arthroplasty. This augmentation allowed earlier postoperative wear simulation to be extended to the clinically more significant long-term regimen (as long as 20 years). Loads and femoral head excursions were taken from a physically validated gait analysis model of a patient with an instrumented total hip replacement. For otherwise identical 22, 28, and 32 mm components, the least volumetric wear but the most linear wear occurred for the 22 mm head. When the polyethylene thickness in a 22 mm component was reduced to the same as that in a 32 mm component, the volumetric wear rate for the 22 mm component was still much less than that for the larger component, indicating that sliding distance (head size). rather than polyethylene liner thickness, was primarily responsible for the difference in rates, A “28 mm” series, for which head sizes were varied across the range of currently accepted industrial tolerances, showed that although initial wear rates were greatest for the least congruent articulations, the long-term volumetric wear was nearly the same, regardless of initial clearance.
Regulated expression during development and following sciatic nerve injury of mRNAs encoding the receptor tyrosine phosphatase HPTPζ/RPTPβ

Three major isoforms of the receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase HPTPζ/RPTPβ (RPTPζ/β) have been previously identified, two with identical transmembrane and intracellular catalytic domains that differ by virtue of a long cysteine-free extracellular region, and a soluble proteoglycan called phosphacan that lacks the transmembrane and carboxy-terminal catalytic domains. To determine whether these RPTPζ/β variants are produced by alternative mRNA splicing of a common primary transcript, we performed genomic Southern analysis and characterized several rat cDNA and genomic RPTPζ/β clones. These studies indicated that the three major transcripts which encode phosphacan and the two RPTPζ/β phosphatase variants are encoded by a single gene, and further that additional alternative mRNA splicing is likely to result in the deletion of a 7 amino acid insert from the intracellular juxtamembrane region of both long and short phosphatase isoforms. Simultaneous quantitation of the three major isoforms by RNase protection analysis indicated that the mRNA encoding phosphacan had the highest relative abundance in the CNS while that encoding the short phosphatase isoform was most abundant relative to the other RPTPζ/β variants in the PNS. Following peripheral nerve crush, all RPTPζ/β mRNAs, including phosphacan and the phosphatase variants with and without the 21 base insert, were significantly induced in the distal segments of the sciatic nerve with a time course that correlated well with the response of Schwann cells to this injury.
SOME THOUGHTS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF URBAN GEOGRAPHY IN THE UNITED STATES DURING THE 1950s AND 1960s

Urban geography evolved in the late 1940s from a mixture of traditional geography, Chicago-School urban sociology, and city planning. In the 195Os, Inventory and Priaspecf first reflected a similar mixture in separate chapters; then the Mayer-Kohn readings pulled several strands together into a dominantly spatial framework which had considerable impact on the role of urban geography in the cumculum as did the later Murphy textbook organized along similar lines. During the 19609, urban research focused on more explicitly spatial, quantitative, and theoretical concerns, which then merged with the mainstream model in the early 1970s as evidenced by the BASS committee report, the Berry-Horton reader, and the Yeates-Garner textbook. The resulting blend of spatial theory, traditional geography, and planning implications appears to have continued in the cumculum even though urban geographic research has become more divergent and pluralistic.
An approach to simultaneous system design. Part 11: nonswitching gain and dynamic feedback compensation by algebraic geometric methods

This paper studies structured uncertainty problems in feedback system design, considers a compact parameterization of the space of linear dynamical systems and introduces “base points” and “critical points” as two algebraic-geometric objects that have significance in sensitivity and robustness studies, respectively. Using the Nevanlinna–Pick interpolation theory, the author obtains a necessary and sufficient condition for simultaneous stabilization of a structured one-parameter family of plants. A recent result due to Kharitonov, on the simultaneous stability of a parameterized family of polynomials, leads to a sufficiency condition for simultaneous stabilization of a structured multiparameter family of plants. Furthermore the author considers “simultaneous pole placement” of an r-tuple of plants as a means to arbitrarily tune the natural frequencies of a multimode linear dynamical system. The concept of “nondegenerate” and “twisted” r-tuples of plants is introduced as the pole placement problem is studie...
Thoracoscopic excision of a malignant schwannoma of the intrathoracic vagus nerve

Malignant schwannomas of the intrathoracic vagus nerve are rare tumors. A patient underwent resection of a mediastinal malignant schwannoma of the vagus nerve using video-assisted thoracoscopy, with no recurrence at 18 months.
Molekulare Erkennung mit konkaven Modellverbindungen

Molekulare Erkennung ist eines der Zauberworte der aktuellen Organischen Chemie. Es umschreibt das schon lange bekannte Phanomen, das gewisse molekulare Strukturen zueinander passen und miteinander wechselwirken. Untersuchungen auf diesem Gebiet begannen mit der Wirt-Gast-Chemie von Ionen und beschaftigen sich heute vorwiegend mit Wechselwirkungen zwischen Molekulen. Neuere Entwicklungen in der Synthese komplexer konkaver Molekule, besonders solcher mit konvergierenden, d. h. aufeinander zugerichteten funktionellen Gruppen, haben dazu gefuhrt, das kleinere konvexe Molekule mit bemerkenswerter Selektivitat gebunden werden konnen. So lassen sich z. B. Wasserstoffbruckenbindungen in Modellsystemen gezielt untersuchen. Dieser Aufsatz befast sich eingehend mit der Verwendung neuartiger konkaver Verbindungen („cleft-like structures”, „Nischenmolekule”), mit deren Hilfe die bei der Nucleinsaure-Erkennung auftretenden Wechselwirkungen untersucht werden. Des weiteren wird die Anwendung derartiger Verbindungen zur Katalyse chemischer Reaktionen beschrieben, und zwar besonders solcher, die in selbstreplizierenden Systemen auftreten. Ferner wird auf Implikationen fur die Wirkstoffentwicklung hingewiesen, die der Zugang zu synthetischen Rezeptoren fur biologisch relevante Zielmolekule birgt.
A Radioisotope Study of the Nickel Dip

Radioisotope tracer studies of the deposition of nickel during nickel dipping of steel and of the effect of this nickel deposit on the reduction of cobalt ions to metallic cobalt during enamel firing showed the following: (1) The deposition of nickel on the metal surface during the dipping and the deposition of cobalt at the enamel-metal interface during firing were both markedly affected by the type of cleaning given the steel and by the mechanical deformation of the metal surface. (2) The nickel from the nickel dip remained as metal at the interface during firing of the enamel. (3) The presence of the nickel deposit had little or no effect on the deposition of cobalt at the interface during firing.
Adiponectin: A relevant player in PPARγ-agonist-mediated improvements in hepatic insulin sensitivity?

The potent insulin-sensitizing effects of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) agonists are well established. However, it is still a matter of intense debate as to which tissue(s) represent the most critical sites of action for PPARgamma agonists, and what the relevant target genes are that ultimately mediate the improvements in insulin sensitivity. The cell type with the highest levels of PPARgamma is the adipocyte, and as such the adipocyte is an excellent candidate cell to look for critical mediators of PPARgamma agonist action. Adiponectin, an adipocyte-specific secretory protein, is upregulated in response to PPARgamma agonist exposure, and its serum levels consequently increase significantly. Genetic, pharmacological and clinical studies have demonstrated potent insulin-sensitizing effects of adiponectin. Here, we summarize the evidence that implicates adiponectin as a critical mediator of PPARgamma-agonist-mediated improvements in insulin sensitivity, particularly in the context of PPARgamma-agonist-mediated enhancements of hepatic insulin sensitivity.
A New Approach to Volumes Irradiated by Unknown Sources

We suggest an approach to the characterization of electromagnetic (EM) environments irradiated by unknown sources. The approach is based on the numerical solution of Maxwell's equations subject to the constraints imposed by the measured values of the field at a small number of measurement points and by boundary conditions. A thorough examination of a method for the numerical solution is presented. The examples attempted demonstrate the approach but reveal deficiencies in the numerical method. Possible future directions are suggested.
High-aspect ratio titania three-dimensional (TiO 2 ) nanostructures: fabrication and applications

In this paper, the fabrication of high aspect ratio 3-dimensional titania (TiO2) nanostructures based on costeffectively hydrothermal synthesis method is presented. A novel patterning method to overcome the tradeoff between tall trunks (nanorods) and large spacing is addressed. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was adopted to restrain the growth of the trunks (nanorods) of nanoforests to well control the morphology and surface area of TiO2 nanoforests.
Lactate oxidation by three segments of the rabbit proximal tubule

Oxidation of (U/sup 14/C)lactate to /sup 14/CO/sub 2/ was measured in vitro, in nonperfused anatomically defined segments of rabbit proximal tubule (S1, proximal convoluted, and S2 and S3, proximal straight tubules). The rate of lactate oxidation was similar in S2 and S3 segments, and within the range of lactate oxidation rates measured in vivo. In contrast, the oxidation rate of S1 segments was significantly lower than that of S2 or S3. In proximal straight tubules, lactate oxidation was inhibited by incubation at 0/sup 0/C, or by application of 1 mM ouabain. To determine if the rate of transepithelial transport affected the rate of lactate oxidation, lactate oxidation was measured in proximal straight tubules after the lumen had been opened by perfusion with Ringer's containing 10 mM polyethylene glycol. No difference in lactate oxidation rate was observed between tubules with patent lumina and nonperfused tubules. These results suggest that the various segments of the renal proximal tubule have difference metabolic characteristics, and that the rate of substrate oxidation is related to the activity of the Na/sup +/, K/sup +/-ATPase.
Abstract 1541: Secondary mutations in ALK and resistance to ALK kinase inhibitors

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Background: The anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) inhibitor crizotinib is clinically effective in cancer patients whose tumors harbor ALK translocations. However, drug resistance will ultimately develop in most if not all patients. We studied drug resistance mechanisms using both in vitro models and analyses from tumors of patients that had developed crizotinib resistance. Methods and Results: We identified a secondary mutation in ALK, F1174L, as one cause of crizotinib resistance in a patient with an inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) harbouring a RANBP2-ALK translocation who progressed while crizotinib therapy. When present in cis with an ALK translocation, this mutation (also detected in neuroblastomas) causes an increase in ALK phosphorylation, cell growth and downstream signaling. Furthermore, the F1174L mutation inhibits crizotinib mediated downregulation of ALK signaling and blocks apoptosis in RANBP2-ALK Ba/F3 cells. We also evaluated the impact of mutations in the ALK gatekeeper residue (L1196) and engineered all possible gatekeeper mutations resulting from a single nucleotide change into the background of EML4-ALK. Three of the mutations (L1196M, L1196Q and L1196V) in the background of EML4-ALK led to IL-3 independent growth. Furthermore the EML4-ALK L1196M mutant resulted in a greater baseline ALK phosphorylation, cell growth and downstream signaling compared to EML4-ALK alone. A chemically distinct ALK inhibitor, TAE684, or the HSP90 inhibitor 17-AAG are both effective in models harbouring the F1174L or the L1196M ALK mutations. Conclusions: We identify secondary mutations in ALK that confer crizotinib resistance. In addition, we identify therapeutic strategies, alternative ALK inhibitors or HSP90 inhibitors that may be clinically effective in patients that have developed crizotinib resistance. Understanding the mechanistic basis of drug resistance is necessary in order to develop effective clinical treatments for patients with ALK-translocated cancers. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1541. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-1541
Massive splenic infarction in children with sickle cell anemia and the role of splenectomy.

Massive splenic infarction (MSI) is a very rare condition. Few reports of splenic infarction of various etiologies including hematological and non-hematological causes have been published. On the other hand, MSI in patients with sickle cell anemia (SCA) is extremely rare. This report describes our experience with 15 children with SCA and MSI outlining aspects of presentation, diagnosis and management. The records of all children with MSI were retrospectively reviewed for age at diagnosis, sex, clinical features, precipitating factors, investigations, management and outcome. 15 children (11 M: 4 F) with SCA were treated for MSI. Their mean age was 10.9 years (6–17 years). All presented with severe left upper quadrant abdominal pain. In nine, this was associated with nausea and vomiting. Three were febrile and all had a tender splenomegaly. Their mean hemoglobin was 8.2 g/dl (5.7–11.3 g/dl), mean WBC was 10.97 × 103 mm−3 (3.6 × 103–22.3 × 103 mm−3) and mean platelet count was 263.3 × 103 mm−3 (40 × 103–660 × 103 mm−3). In seven, there was a precipitating cause including high altitude in two, acute chest syndrome in two, septicemia in two and severe vasooclusive crisis in one. Abdominal ultrasound and CT scan confirmed the diagnosis of MSI which involved more than half of the spleen in 12 and whole spleen in 3. All were treated with IV fluids, analgesia and blood transfusion where appropriate. Eleven had splenectomy because of persistent abdominal pain, three developed splenic abscess and underwent splenectomy and one settled on conservative treatment. Histology confirmed the diagnosis of splenic infarction in 11 and infarction with abscess in the remaining 3. MSI is extremely rare in children with SCA. It can develop spontaneously or precipitated by other factors namely high altitude, acute chest syndrome and severe stress. Most reported cases of splenic infarction are small in size, focal and can be treated conservatively. MSI, on the other hand, may necessitate splenectomy for persistent symptoms or in case of complications, such as abscess formation.
Relation of extended Van Hove singularities to high-temperature superconductivity within strong-coupling theory.

Recent angle-resolved photoemission (ARPES) experiments have indicated that the electronic dispersion in some of the cuprates possesses an extended saddle point near the Fermi level which gives rise to a density of states that diverges like a power law instead of the weaker logarithmic divergence usually considered. We investigate whether this strong singularity can give rise to high transition temperatures by computing the critical temperature ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$ and isotope effect coefficient \ensuremath{\alpha} within a strong-coupling Eliashberg theory which accounts for the full energy variation of the density of states. Using band structures extracted from ARPES measurements, we demonstrate that, while the weak-coupling solutions suggest a strong influence of the strength of the Van Hove singularity on ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$ and \ensuremath{\alpha}, strong-coupling solutions show less sensitivity to the singularity strength and do not support the hypothesis that band-structure effects alone can account for either the large ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$'s or the different ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$'s within the copper oxide family. This conclusion is supported when our results are plotted as a function of the physically relevant self-consistent coupling constant, which shows universal behavior at very strong coupling.
Spatial post-processing of spectrally classified video images by a piecewise linear classifier

Abstract This study focused on investigating the possibility of combining the piecewise linear classifier (PLC) with simple spatial post-processing to improve the classification accuracies of spectrally classified images. The PLC was employed to classify video images. Spatial post-processing was then applied to the classified images. This technique was found to enhance classification accuracies considerably with only a moderate increase in processing time. Since spatially processed classification results were scene-dependent, it was important to choose an appropriate size of spatial filter for a study area. However, trade-offs between classification accuracy and processing speed with increasing size of spatial filter could be determined by trial and error.
Hazardous exposures during pregnancy.

A teratogen is any environmental agent that permanently harms the developing fetus. Health‐care providers who care for pregnant women are consulted regarding a variety of agents, including prescribed or over‐the‐counter medications, vaccinations, diseases or infections, chemical agents in the work place or at home, radiation, and alcohol, tobacco, and "street drugs." Patients also may have questions about the impact of paternal exposures on subsequent offspring and the safety of maternal use of medications while breastfeeding. Thus, it is important for the caregivers to be knowledgeable concerning basic principles of teratogenesis, such as the effects of timing, dosage, and fetal susceptibility, and the impact of specific agents on the fetus or pregnancy. Clinicians should be cognizant of the possibilities for prenatal diagnosis of fetal damage, strategies to decrease risk, and available resources.
Measurements of the gas phase UV absorption spectrum of C2H5O2· radicals and of the temperature dependence of the rate constant for their self-reaction

Abstract A flash photolysis technique has been used to measuer the gas phase UV absorption cross-sections for C 2 H 5 O 2 · radicals over the wavelength range 215 – 300 nm. Kinetic absorption spectroscopy was then employed to study the self-reaction of these radicals. The measured absorption cross-section at 250 nm, (3.89 ± 0.54) × 10 −18 cm 2 molecule −1 , was sued to derive an observed self-reaction rate constant at room temperature, defined as −d[C 2 H 5 O 2 ]·/d t = 2 k obs [C 2 H 5 O 2 ·] 2 , of k obs = (9.87 ± 0.74) × 10 −14 cm 3 molecule −1 s −1 , independent of pressure over the range 25 – 400 Torr. Experiments were performed over the temperature range 228 – 380 K and the kinetic data were fit by the Arrhenius expression ( k obs = (1.41 ± 0.19) × 10 −13 exp{su−(110 ± 40)/ T } cm 3 molecule −1 s −1 ) where the error limits represent 2σ from linear least-squares analysis. A modeling assessment of the effects of secondary reactions involving C 2 H 5 O 2 · radicals indicates that these measured values for k obs could be higher than the true rate constant for the self-reaction by as much as a factor of 1.7 depending on the branching ratio for the various product channels for the reaction C 2 H 5 O 2 · + C 2 H 5 O 2 · → Products. Thus k 1 ≈ (0.6) k obs .
Field-induced ion-pair formation in molecular hydrogen.

We present the first experimental results on the electric-field dependence of the threshold for ion-pair formation in a molecular system. The results were obtained for the process ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$+h\ensuremath{\nu}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}${\mathrm{H}}^{+}$+${\mathrm{H}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ by using a double-resonance excitation scheme via the E, $^{1}\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}_{\mathrm{g}}^{+}$, v=6 level. The similarity of the long-range interaction in the ion-pair system with that of the electron-ion system leads to analogies between the field-induced process and the processes of field ionization and forced autoionization of Rydberg states of atoms.