cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Distance Running Improves Fitness in Asthmatic Children Without Pulmonary Complications or Changes in Exercise-Induced Bronchospasm

The effect of a distance running program was studied in 15 children with severe chronic asthma. Following a 6-week control period, the subjects ran four days a week for 6 weeks. The distance was increased gradually to 3.2 km. Clinical status and need for treatment did not change. Episodes of exercise-induced bronchospasm were readily reversed. Fitness improved as measured by the distance run in 12 minutes (P less than .005). Resting pulmonary function did not change. Exercise-induced bronchospasm following a bicycle ergometer stress test under comparable conditions did not change. Ventilatory muscle strength, measured as the maximal inspiratory pressure, and endurance, measured as the sustainable inspiratory pressure, were at a high level initially and did not change. It is concluded that distance running is safe and can increase the fitness of asthmatic children who are receiving adequate therapy.
Nonrigid, Linear Plasma Response Model Based on Perturbed Equilibria for Axisymmetric Tokamak Control Design

Tokamak control design relies on an accurate linear model of the plasma response, which can often dominate the local field variations in regions under active feedback control. For example, when fluxes at selected points on the plasma boundary are regulated in DIII-D [1], the plasma response to a change in a coil current gives rise to a flux change which can be larger than and opposite to the flux change caused by the coil alone. In the past, rigid plasma models have been used for linear stability and shape control design. In a rigid model, the plasma current profile is considered fixed and moves rigidly in response to control coils to maintain radial and vertical force balance. In a nonrigid model, however, changes in the plasma shape and current profile are taken into account. Such models are expected to be important for future advanced tokamak control design. The present work describes development of a nonrigid plasma response model for high-accuracy multivariable control design and provides comparisons of model predictions against DIII-D experimental data. The linear perturbed plasma response model is calculated rapidly from an existing equilibrium solution.
The Air-Water Interface: Turbulence and Scalar Exchange

Transport processes at gas-liquid interfaces play a central role in many industrial and environmental systems. For example, such processes at the air-water interface impact evaporation of water from reservoirs, control of regional climate, evasion of carbon in tropical river systems, and the aeration of hypoxic water, to name a few. There has also been recent intense interest in this area associated with the transport of greenhouse gases and moisture between the atmosphere and terrestrial water bodies. But despite all this activity, recent estimates of oceanic carbon dioxide uptake still vary by factors ∼2. Since carbon dioxide is thought to be sequestered in the oceans at a rate equivalent to ∼40% of its generation rate from man-made sources, such uncertainties have obvious policy implications.
A new source of freshwater for Antarctica's coastal waters

[1] Research into submarine groundwater discharge (SGD), predominantly regarding its prevalence as a source of freshwater and nutrients to coastal ecosystems, has recently grown in prominence. Using a new groundwater discharge sensor specifically designed for use in the cold polar ocean, Uemura et al. measured the flows of freshwater streaming through the Antarctic subsurface and into the surrounding coastal waters. The researchers found that SGD rates measured in Lutzow-Holm Bay in eastern Antarctica showed important differences from SGD rates measured elsewhere on Earth. At midlatitudes, discharge rates drop with increasing ocean depth, while the Antarctic flows were relatively consistent despite differences in depth among the seven survey sites scattered throughout the bay. In addition, the measured average flow rates, ranging from 0.85 × 10-7 to 9.5 × 10-7 meters per second, were 10–100 times higher than flow rates at similar depths made at midlatitudes. The authors also found that SDG rates oscillated with a period of 12.8 hours, peaking at low tide. Further, the discharge rates roughly tracked the size of the tide, having higher peaks in spring, when tides were strongest. The researchers propose that the most likely source of the freshwater flow is meltwater formed beneath the massive glaciers surrounding the bay. (Geophysical Research Letters, doi:10.1029/2010GL046394, 2011)
Nurses in the United States with a practice doctorate: Implications for leading in the current context of health care

The Institute of Medicine has recommended doubling the number of nurses with doctorates by 2020. The National Research Council has recommended a clearer distinction between doctoral preparation for a practice profession and that for the preparation of scientists. To support the central premise that both the research-oriented doctorate (PhD) and the practice-oriented doctorate, the doctor of nursing practice (DNP), are critical to achieve and expand doctoral education, we present current information regarding the impact of DNP programs, including enrollments, scholarly productivity of DNP graduates, and the employment setting of DNP scholars. Scholarly productivity was estimated by searching publication databases between 2005 and 2012 using three strategies to estimate the publication record of nurses who had earned a DNP degree. The large numbers of nurses receiving the DNP are helping to fulfill the Institute of Medicine's recommendation and are increasingly contributing to the scholarly output in the field, especially related to clinical practice.
Sperm replacement and depletion in the spermatheca of the S and CS strains of Oncopeltus fasciatus

New strains of O. fasciatus, reared at 30° C either on seeds of sunflower (strain S) or mixed sunflower and cashew nuts (strain CS), were used. Females of wild (+) or mutant (wb) genotype were mated in various sequences with + males (some of them chemosterilized or castrated) or wb males. Eggs of each clutch laid were counted and characterized as: infertile, or non-viable (apparently fertile but unable to hatch), or hatching into + or wb nymphs. Mating with a second male (except a castrate) causes partial or complete replacement of the spermathecal store of spermatozoa provided by the first male. A model of the replacement mechanism is proposed, which suggests that a volume of semen five times greater than the capacity of the spermatheca must be transferred by the male to cause the complete disappearance of the previous store of sperm. In the absence of males, or in the presence of castrate males, fertile eggs may be laid for at least 5 weeks but in most cases the store of sperm becomes exhausted sooner. The minimum store of sperm (estimated from the total count of viable eggs) is highly variable (40–400, mean 180). The percent of viable eggs in successive egg-clusters declines proportionately as the sperm store is reduced from 60 to 0. RESUME LA SUBSTITUTION ET L'EPUISEMENT DES SPERMATOIDES DANS LA SPERMATHEQUE DE DEUX LOTS (S) ET (CS) D'ONCOPELTUS FASCIATUS En vue d'analyser les consequences d'accouplements successifs chez Oncopeltus fasciatus, on a utilise des femelles de deux souches: l'une de type sauvage (+), l'autre correspondant a un mutant a corps blanc (wb, mutant autosomique recessif). Ces femelles subissent des croisements alternes avec les mâles de l'une ou l'autre souche; en outre, certains mâles utilises etaient soit castres chirurgicalement (effet de l'accouplement sans transfert de sperme), d'autres avaient subi une application topique d'un chimiosterilisant (tetramine) pouvant donner des œufs fecondes, mais non viables. L'accouplement avec un second mâle (sauf un castre) provoque le remplacement partiel complet dans la spermatheque du stock de spermatozoides issu d'un premier mâle. Un modele du mecanisme de remplacement est propose selon lequel un volume de sperme 5 fois plus grand que la capacite de la spermatheque devrait etre introduit par le second mâle pour assurer la disparition complete du depot precedent. En l'absence d'accouplement renouveles, ou en presence de mâles castres la ponte d'œufs fecondes peut durer au moins 5 semaines, mais dans la plupart des cas le depot de spermatozoides s'epuise plus tot. Le stock minimum de spermatozoides, estime d'apres le nombre total d'œufs viables, est tres variable (40–400, moyenne 180). Le pourcentage d'œufs viables dans les pontes successives diminue proportionnellement a la reduction de ce stock au-dessous d'un minimum de 60.
Capital Structure Theory and the Fisher Effect

This paper incorporates capital structure theory to model the response of nominal interest rates to expected inflation in a world with taxes. Within an otherwise common framework, the model includes Modigliani-Miller (MM) and Miller capital structure theory, as well as a variation of the Miller model with bankruptcy costs, developed by DeAngelo and Masulis. Within this framework, we derive an equation to predict the response of nominal interest rates under each capital structure hypothesis. With MM theory, our model predicts diD/dπ value consistent with empirically observed ranges. With Miller theory, the predictions are inaccurate. With DeAngelo-Masulis, the predictions vary widely; the midpoint of the predicted range is less accurate than with Miller theory.
Switching from Cut-and-Paste to Replicative Tn7 Transposition

The bacterial transposon Tn7 usually moves through a cut-and-paste mechanism whereby the transposon is excised from a donor site and joined to a target site to form a simple insertion. The transposon was converted to a replicative element that generated plasmid fusions in vitro and cointegrate products in vivo. This switch was a consequence of the separation of 5'- and 3'-end processing reactions of Tn7 transposition as demonstrated by the consequences of a single amino acid alteration in an element-encoded protein essential for normal cut-and-paste transposition. The mutation specifically blocked cleavage of the 5' strand at each transposon end without disturbing the breakage and joining on the 3' strand, producing a fusion (the Shapiro Intermediate) that resulted in replicative transposition. The ability of Tn7 recombination products to serve as substrates for both the limited gap repair required to complete cut-and-paste transposition and the extensive DNA replication involved in cointegrate formation suggests a remarkable plasticity in Tn7's recruitment of host repair and replication functions.
Use of diagnostic nuclear medicine procedures in breast cancer.

Unfortunately the use of radionuclide imaging procedures to assist in the care of patients with carcinoma has been limited to establishment of distant metastases at an advanced stage of the disease. In over 90% of the cases of proven metastases to the bone and brain the scans have been positive. In the case of the liver scan the accuracy rate is about 80%. The scans have also been helpful in confirming the cases of tumorous effusion in the pericardal sac. The delineation of the extent of the carcinoma either at local regional nodal metastases or distant metastases to the adrenals ovaries pituitary gland lungs or peritoneal spaces has thus far been unsuccessful.(AUTHORS MODIFIED EZ)
Release of Photosynthates from Mesophyll Cells in vitro and in vivo

Summary Isolated mesophyll cells from Papaver somniferum and mesophyll cells in intact leaves from both Papaver somniferum and Spinacia oleracea were compared for their ability to export 14C-labelled photosynthates. It was found that under isotonic conditions isolated mesophyll cells release only 0.75% of the total fixed carbon during a 1 h light period. Amino acids seemed to be released faster than all other compounds. In a detached whole leaf at least 6% of the carbon fixed during a 1 h light period in a small illuminated leaf area was exported into the surrounding tissue which was kept in the dark. The main exported products were the free sugars sucrose, glucose and fructose. Exported photosynthates were found nearly exlusively in the veins located basipetally from the illuminated area. It is concluded that export of photosynthate from the mesophyll requires intact symplastic connections. Release of photosynthate through the plasmalemma of mesophyll cells is ex tremely low and appears to occur via unspecific diffusion.
SUPERRESOLVED OPTICAL SCANNING USING POLYCHROMATIC LIGHT

Subwavelength detection of object displacement with use of a polychromatic interferometric imaging system is demonstrated experimentally. Object position detection with 50-nm lateral resolution is achieved. This result derives from and is consistent with increases in information capacity with use of phase-sensitive polychromatic systems identified by Basinger [J. Opt. Soc. Am. A12, 704 (1995)]. This phase-sensitive polychromatic detection relies on an imaging interferometric cross-correlating receiver capable of 2-nm optical path difference resolution.
An Improved Zero-Tension Lysimeter to Monitor Colloid Transport in Soils

Mobile colloids may facilitate the long-distance transport of actinides, organic contaminants, and heavy metals in soil, surface water, and groundwater. Detection of colloid-facilitated contaminant transport in soils requires adequate monitoring before, during, and after in-situ remediation treatments. Zero-tension lysimeters (ZTLs) are devices designed to collect water that moves through the sod under the influence of gravity; they can also be used to collect mobile colloids. A ZTL that is suitable for monitoring colloid-facilitated contaminant migration consists of a specially designed collection cup placed below an undisturbed core of sod that has been initially withdrawn with a hydraulically powered tube. Field tests of the lysimeter were conducted at a site near Ames, IA, where three Levels of municipal sewage sludge were applied to the soil in 1992. Each ZTL required about 45 min for a two-person crew to install at 50-cm depth. Turbidity measurements of leachate following summer storms revealed considerable spatial variability in colloid migration, supporting the use of ZTLs that can be installed quickly and cheaply in large numbers at a study site. The ZTL described has significant advantages over conventional designs with respect to simplicity and speed of installation. Therefore, it allows colloid transport to be monitored atmore » more locations at a given site. In addition, because of the improved spatial resolution in sampling and monitoring, if contaminants are mobilized, their source can be more easily identified than with piezometer-based monitoring methods. 16 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs.« less
Pure strategy Markov equilibrium in stochastic games with a continuum of players

Abstract We discuss stochastic games which are played by a continuum of players. The player space is given by the atomless measure space of a unit interval with the Lebesgue measure. The state space in period t is given by ( S , Σ , μ t ), where S is a complete, separable metric space, Σ is the Borel sigma algebra and μ t is a fixed probability measure. There is a common action space K which is either a finite set or the K -ball of an Euclidean space R n . The transition probabilities in period t are product measurable in the realizations of the state and average responses and norm continuous in the current average response of the players and absolutely continuous with respect to the measure μ t . The payoffs of the players in these infinite horizon stochastic games are the discounted sum of the payoffs received every period. We show that these stochastic games have pure strategy Markov equilibrium points. In the process we are able to provide a characterization of Markov equilibrium strategy as the equilibrium strategies of a sequence of single-period constituent games.
A large capacity, high-speed multiparameter multichannel analysis system

Abstract A data acquisition system for recording multiparameter digital data into a large memory array at over 2.5 MHz is described. The system consists of a MOSTEK MK8600 2048K × 24-bit memory system. I/O ports to various external devices including the CAMAC dataway, a memory incrementer/adder and a daisy-chain of experiment-specific modules which calculate the memory address which is to be incremented. The design of the daisy-chain permits multiple modules and provides for easy modification as experimental needs change. The system has been designed for use in multiparameter, multichannel analysis of high-speed data gathered by position-sensitive detectors at conventional and synchrotron X-ray sources as well as for fixed energy and time-of-flight diffraction at continuous and pulsed neutron sources. Modules which have been developed to date include a buffer for two-dimensional position-sensitive detectors, a mapper for high-speed coordinate transformations, a buffered time-of-flight clock, a time-correlator for synchronized diffraction experiments, and a display unit for data bus diagnostics.
The Resistance of Esophageal Adenocarcinoma to Bile Salt Insult is Associated with Manganese Superoxide Dismutase Expression

Background Bile acids are implicated as etiologic agents in esophageal cancer. We sought to analyze the impact of bile acid exposure on esophageal epithelial cells, Barrett's metaplastic cells (BE), esophageal adenocarcinoma cells (EAC), and esophageal squamous carcinoma cell (ESC). We sought to determine if cellular resistance is related to manganese superoxide dismutase expression. Methods Cells were exposed to sodium choleate (CA), sodium deoxycholate (DCA), sodium glycocholate (GCA), sodium taurocholate (TCA), or a 1:1 mixture (MIX) of reagents at concentrations in the range 0.2–0.8 mM. Cell viability was evaluated by MTT assay. Manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) expression was analyzed by Western blot. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS ver. 17.0, SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL. Results Bile salt exposure inhibited cell viability in esophageal squamous cells in time- and growth-dependent manner. There was a 50% decrease in cell viability from 4 to 24 h. BE, EAC, and ESC cell lines were more resistant to bile insult. In untreated cell lines, MnSOD expression was significantly decreased in EAC and ESC cell lines compared with esophageal squamous epithelial cells and BE cells ( P = 0.002). Exposure of ESC cells to bile salt increased MnSOD expression. Conclusion The confirmation of the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and bile acids in esophageal carcinogenesis has interesting implications for chemoprevention in patients with reflux esophagitis and Barrett's esophagus. Further studies are necessary to assess the preventative role of antioxidant supplementation.
Genetics and the Archaeology of Ancient Israel

This letter is a call for DNA testing on ancient skeletal materials from the southern Levant to begin a database of genetic information of the inhabitants of this crossroads region. In this region, during the Iron I period traditionally dated to circa 1200-1000 BCE, archaeologists and biblical historians view the earliest presence of a group that called itself Israel. They lived in villages in the varied hill countries of the region, contemporary with urban settlements in the coastal plains, inland valleys, and central hill country attributed to varied indigenous groups collectively called Canaanite. The remnants of Egyptian imperial presence in the region lasted until around 1150 BCE, postdating the arrival of an immigrant group from the Aegean called the Philistines circa 1175 BCE. The period that follows in the southern Levant is marked by the development of territorial states throughout the region, circa 1000-800 BCE. These patrimonial kingdoms, including the United Kingdom of Israel and the divided kingdoms of northern Israel and Judah, coalesced varied peoples under central leadership and newly founded administrative and religious bureaucracies. Ancient DNA testing will give us a further refined understanding of the individuals who peopled the region of the southern Levant throughout its varied archaeological and historic periods and provide scientific data that will support, refute, or nuance our sociohistoric reconstruction of ancient group identities. These social identities may or may not map onto genetic data, but without sampling of ancient DNA we may never know. A database of ancient DNA will also allow for comparisons with modern DNA samples collected throughout the greater region and the Mediterranean littoral, giving a more robust understanding of the long historical trajectories of regional human genetics and the genetics of varied ancestral groups of today's Jewish populations and other cultural groups in the modern Middle East and Mediterranean.
The Bivariate Distribution of a Median Smoothed Markov Chain

Abstract Median based smoothing algorithms have received considerable attention in the last few years. Their properties make them sometimes superior to linear smoothers. In this paper we develop an expression for the bivariate distribution of a median- smoothed Markov chain and we illustrate one application of it by comparing the power spectra of the input and the output of a median smoother when the input is binary valued.
Modeled diversity effects on microbial ecosystem functions of primary production, nutrient uptake, and remineralization

Ecosystem-wide primary productivity generally increases with primary producer diversity, emphasizing the importance of diversity for ecosystem function. However, most studies that demonstrate this positive relationship have focused on terrestrial and aquatic benthic systems, with little attention to the diverse marine pelagic primary producers that play an important role in regulating global climate. Here we show how phytoplankton biodiversity enhances overall marine ecosystem primary productivity and other ecosystem functions using a self-organizing ecosystem model. Diversity manipulation numerical experiments reveal positive, asymptotically saturating relationships between ecosystem-wide phytoplankton diversity and functions of productivity, nutrient uptake, remineralization, and diversity metrics used to identify mechanisms shaping these relationships. Increase in productivity with increasing diversity improves modeled ecosystem stability and model robustness and leads to productivity rates that exceed expected yields primarily through niche complementarity and facilitative interactions between coexisting phytoplankton types; the composition of traits in assemblages determines the magnitude of complementarity and selection effects. While findings based on these aggregate measures of diversity effects parallel those from the majority of experimental outcomes of terrestrial and benthic biodiversity-ecosystem function studies, we combine analyses of community diversity effects and investigations of the underlying interactions among phytoplankton types to demonstrate how an increase in recycled production of non-diatoms through an increase in new production of diatoms drives this diversity-cosystem function response. We demonstrate the important role that facilitation plays in the modeled marine plankton and how this facilitative interaction could amplify future climate-driven changes in ocean ecosystem productivity.
Endostatin inhibits nitric oxide and diminishes VEGF and collagen XVIII in squamous carcinoma cells

Low pO2 values are a common finding among oral squamous cell carcinomas (SCC). Our objective was to determine the role that oxygen tension plays on the direct tumor effect of endostatin (ES). Squamous carcinoma cell lines were grown under normoxic or hypoxic conditions and treated with endostatin (ES), nitric oxide (NO) donors, NO scavengers, NO synthase inhibitors, or transduced with AdenoVec™-hEndo or AdenoVec™Null vectors. The expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and collagen XVIII were determined by RT-PCR and protein levels assessed by Western blot analyses. Our studies demonstrated that collagen XVIII and VEGF are expressed and responsive to ES in a limited number of SCC cell lines during normoxia but were most responsive when grown under hypoxic conditions. VEGF and collagen XVIII were downregulated by both ES and transduction of cells with AdenoVec™-hEndo. The effects of ES on SCC cells were enhanced by aminoguanidine (Ag), L-NAME, and diphenyleneiodonium chloride (DPI). Endostatin and transduced with ES vectors diminished the levels of NO whereas NO donors enhanced VEGF expression and collagen XVIII expression. In conclusion, the direct effect of endostatins on tumor cells is most effective under conditions of low oxygen tension and can be potentiated by the use of nitric oxide synthase inhibitors or NO scavengers. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Use of recombinant factor VIIa during excision of vascular anomalies.

Background: The surgical excision of vascular anomalies is often accompanied with significant perioperative bleeding. Novel hemostatic agents, including recombinant factor VIIa (rVIIa), have been shown to reduce bleeding in hemophilia and trauma patients along with decreasing blood loss during various surgical procedures. The role of rVIIa during excision of vascular anomalies has not been examined. Methods: A retrospective chart review of patients from 2001 to 2003 who received perioperative rVIIa during excision of vascular anomalies at one institution. Results: Nine patients were identified who received perioperative rVIIa during removal of their vascular anomalies (7 venous malformations, 1 lymphatic-venous malformation, 1 arteriovenous malformation). All patients received at least one dose of rVIIa during the perioperative period (2/9 received 2 doses). An accurate account of hourly blood loss was reported, and could be graphed, in three patients. These patients displayed significant reductions in hourly blood loss after the administration of rVIIa. These cases are detailed in this report. Surgeons reported subjective improvements in operative bleeding, efficiency, and operative time in six of six patients after the administration of rVIIa intraoperatively. Reduced postoperative bleeding was reported in two patients who received rVIIa for persistent drain output. Conclusion: rVIIa may be an effective adjunct in improving the surgical efficiency and outcome of excised vascular anomalies.
Correlation of impedance cardiography with invasive hemodynamic measurements in patients with advanced heart failure: The BioImpedance CardioGraphy (BIG) substudy of the Evaluation Study of Congestive Heart Failure and Pulmonary Artery Catheterization Effectiveness (ESCAPE) Trial

Background Impedance cardiography (ICG) is a noninvasive modality that uses changes in impedance across the thorax to assess hemodynamic parameters, including cardiac output (CO). The utility of ICG in patients hospitalized with heart failure is uncertain. Methods The BioImpedance CardioGraphy in Advanced Heart Failure study was a prospective substudy of the Evaluation Study of Congestive Heart Failure and Pulmonary Artery Catheterization Effectiveness. A total of 170 subjects underwent blinded ICG measurements using BioZ (CardioDynamics, San Diego, CA); of these, 82 underwent right heart catheterization. We compared ICG with invasively measured hemodynamics by simple correlation and compared overall ICG hemodynamic profiles ("wet" [thoracic fluid content ≥47/kOhm in men and ≥37/kOhm in women] and "cold" [cardiac index ≤2.2 L min −1 m −2 ) versus those determined by invasive measurements (wet [pulmonary capillary wedge pressure ≥22 mm Hg] and cold [cardiac index ≤2.2 L min −1 m −2 ). We also determined whether ICG measurements were associated with subsequent death or hospitalization within 6 months. Results There was modest correlation between ICG and invasively measured CO ( r = 0.4 to 0.6 on serial measurement). Thoracic fluid content measured by ICG was not a reliable measure of pulmonary capillary wedge pressure. There was poor agreement between ICG and invasively measured hemodynamic profiles (κ ≤0.1). No ICG variable alone or in combination was associated with outcome. Conclusions In hospitalized patients with advanced heart failure, ICG provides some information about CO but not left-sided filling pressures. Impedance cardiography did not have prognostic utility in this patient population.
Dry-jet Wet Spinning of Polyhydroxyamide Fibers

A high molecular weight polyhydroxyamide (PHA) solution in N, N-dimethyl acetamide (DMAc) was prepared from 3,3′-dihydroxybenzidine and isophthalic chloride (IPC), which was used for spinning PHA fiber. Before spinning, the diffusion property of DMAc into various coagulants was examined. The fiber was well formed in coagulants such as water/ethanol with a composition of 5/5, ethanol, and ethanol/isopropanol with a composition of 7/3 and 5/5. However, the PHA fiber spun in the water/ethanol mixture contained voids. After the fiber spun in ethanol was annealed at over 350°C, the ultimate stress and initial modulus of the fiber increased from 75.5 MPa and 3.22 GPa to 369 MPa and 29.5 GPa, respectively. These properties of the PHA fiber spun by the dry spinning method were also enhanced, attaining 154 MPa and 5.56 Gpa, respectively.
Time harmonic solutions for a long horizontal wire over the ground with grazing incidence

A parametric study of the current responses on a long horizontal wire over the ground with frequencies ranging from 10 kHz to 100 MHz, earth conductivities of 10^{-1}, 10^{-2} , and 10^{-3} S/m, and wire heights of 10, 5, and 1 m. These current responses for typical wire lengths are given for a grazing incident plane wave and an incident lateral wave.
Intratumor Injection of the Hsp90 Inhibitor 17AAG Decreases Tumor Growth and Induces Apoptosis in a Prostate Cancer Xenograft Model

Purpose: A role for heat shock protein 90 inhibitors in prostate cancer has been explored only in the context of systemic treatment of refractory metastatic disease. We hypothesized that intratumor administration of heat shock protein 90 inhibitors may have benefit for treating localized prostate cancer.Materials and Methods: Twice weekly intratumor injections of 50 mg/kg 17AAG (treatment group of 8 mice) or dimethyl sulfoxide (control group of 8) were performed in subcutaneously grown DU-145 prostate cancer xenografts for a total of 8 doses. Tumor size was monitored. An additional tumor nonintervention control group of 3 mice was maintained.Results: Seven of the 8 mice (88%) in the 17AAG group lived to study completion, of which 6 (86%) showed decreased tumor size and growth rate compared to those of vehicle treated controls (p <0.05). Gross necropsy, and tumor histological and molecular evaluations were performed after sacrifice. No overt signs of systemic toxicity, evidence of distant metastases or per...
Estradiol production during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation correlates with treatment outcome in women undergoing in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer.

Objective To study the value of E 2 production during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) in predicting IVF-ET outcome. Design Historical cohort. Setting Academic infertility center. Patient(s) A cohort of 270 patients who completed 324 consecutive IVF-ET treatment cycles. Intervention(s) None. Main Outcome Measure(s) Area under the curve for E 2 levels (AUC-E 2 ) from the first day of COH until the day of hCG administration was calculated and cycles grouped into low, average, and high AUC-E 2 groups. Clinical pregnancy rates per cycle were compared among the three groups, and correlations with AUC-E 2 values were calculated for all patients and after sub-grouping according to age, COH protocol and infertility diagnosis. Result(s) Cycles with low and high AUC-E 2 values had significantly lower pregnancy rates particularly in patients 35 years or older. There was a positive correlation between AUC-E 2 and pregnancy rates up to a certain AUC-E 2 level above which a negative correlation was found. The turning point between positive and negative correlations occurred at a significantly lower AUC-E 2 level in patients 35 years or older. Conclusions Estradiol production during COH correlates with IVF-ET outcome. Women >35 years of age seem more vulnerable to high E 2 levels.
Citizens in the commons: blood and genetics in the making of the civic

This essay is based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted with the Indian community in Houston, as part of a National Institutes of Health and the National Human Genome Research Institute-sponsored ethics study and sample collection initiative entitled ‘Indian and Hindu Perspectives on Genetic Variation Research’. Taking a cue from my Indian interlocutors who largely support and readily respond to such initiatives on the grounds that they will undoubtedly serve ‘humanity’ and the common good, I explore notions of the commons that are created in the process of soliciting blood for genetic research. How does blood become the stuff of which a civic discourse is made? How do idealistic individual appeals to donate blood, ethics research protocols, open-source databases, debates on approaches to genetic research, patents and Intellectual Property regulations, markets and the nation-state itself variously engage, limit or further ideas of the common good? Moving much as my interlocutors do, between India and the ...
Time scale in follow-up studies: considering disease prognosis.

To the Editor: Colonge et al.’s manuscript on the choice of primary time scale for epidemiologic follow-up studies makes an important contribution to methods for longitudinal data analysis.1 We agree with their assessment that the choice of time scale should be based on “the goals of the study and the need for confounder adjustment.” As the authors say, in most studies of disease incidence, age will be the appropriate time scale (especially when compared to time on study), but there may be other relevant time scales for different applications. For example, in studies of disease prognosis, time since onset or diagnosis is commonly used.2, 3 In a study examining the association between the use of a particular medication and breast cancer recurrence, time since initial breast cancer diagnosis may be an important confounder and one that should be accounted for flexibly. Risk of breast cancer recurrence depends on time since diagnosis in a complex way (Figure 1, unpublished data). And, time since diagnosis might also be associated with the exposure of interest, making it a confounder. If time since diagnosis is chosen as the time scale, age should be adjusted for as a covariate in multivariable regression models as it, too, is related to the recurrence risk. The choice of age as a timescale (with adjustment for time since diagnosis) is not incorrect for this application as age is also associated with recurrence risk and, in some cases, exposure; however, we think using time since diagnosis may adjust more completely for confounding in some studies of disease prognosis. If both elements of time are potential confounders, both should be accounted for – one as the timescale and one as a covariate in the model. The interpretation of the hazard ratios is essentially the same regardless of which is selected as time scale and which is modeled; however, the choice may affect the ability to control for confounding. Whether it is better to use age or time since diagnosis as the time scale in studies of prognosis may depend on the specific application; in some cases, it may not affect the results.4 With the growing interest in follow-up studies of disease outcomes, additional research on how to select among multiple biologically relevant time scales is necessary. Figure 1 Kernel-smoothed estimate of hazard of second breast cancer event over years since diagnosis by age at diagnosis, in a cohort of early stage breast cancer patients diagnosed in 1990–2008.
What a Difference in 3 Years! Risking Social Justice Content in Required Undergraduate Music Education Curricula:

Preparing future music educators to teach diverse students in U.S. schools is essential; diversity is increasing, especially in urban schools. Music teacher education infused with social justice co...
Excitation Control to Improve Powerline Stability

The influence of generator voltage regulators upon powerline stability is closely scrutinized by analog techniques. Contrary to common concepts, it is shown that high-speed control of excitation to maintain constant terminal voltage actually hampers rather than aids damping and powerline stability. It is further shown that damping and stability are greatly improved by supplementing excitation control with a specially derived function of frequency deviation. Results of the studies are verified in actual performance obtained in field tests.
THE PROLIFERATIVE EFFECT OF RECOMBINANT TGFα, HUMAN MILK SUPERNATANT AND HUMAN MILK MACROPHAGE (HMM) MEDIA IS DECREASED IN THE PRESENCE OF 1° TGFα ANTIBODY. ▴ 753

The newborn GI tract undergoes extensive maturational changes in the weeks following birth. Activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFr) following its binding of EGF or TGFα is thought to play a major role in that process. Both growth factors are present in human milk. While milk-derived EGF has been shown to induce gut epithelial proliferation in bothin vitro and in vivo models, the role of TGFα is less clear. We devised an in vitro model to compare the effect of recombinant, human milk- and HMM-derived TGFα on small intestinal cell proliferation. A fetal small intestinal cell line with epithelial characteristics (FhS-74; American Tissue Type Co.) was grown to confluence in the presence of Hybri-Care medium with EGF (30 ng/ml medium). The cells were removed from flasks following Trypsan-EDTA exposure, washed in EGF-free medium, then placed in culture in EGF-free medium at a concentration of 104 cells/well (60% confluence; 96-well plates). After 24 hr, either recombinant TGFα (0.01-50 ng/mL media), human milk supernatant (0.5 -1 ng TGFα/mL) or HMM media (20-100 pg TGFα/mL) was added to separate wells (5 wells/condition) in the presence or absence of 1° monoclonal TGFα antibody (RDI; 1 μg/mL media) for 24 hr. Cell proliferation was then measured (CellTiter 96-AQ, Promega) and expressed as% above control. A positive dose-response effect on cell proliferation by all three agents that paralleled TGFα concentration was observed. This effect was decreased in the presence of 1° TGFα antibody: 22 ± 7.1% decline of TGFα-stimulated proliferation; 25 ± 3.1% decline of HM-stimulated growth; and 27.6 ± 3.2% decline of HMM media-stimulated growth at all concentrations tested. With removal of the 1° antibody, cell proliferation returned to control levels. Binding of the TGFα present in human milk and HMM media led to a consistent decrease in in vitro gut epithelial proliferation without affecting cell viability. The proliferative effect of human milk on the gut appears to be due, in part, to TGFα.
Hydrophobicity of protein surfaces: Separating geometry from chemistry

To better understand the role of surface chemical heterogeneity in natural nanoscale hydration, we study via molecular dynamics simulation the structure and thermodynamics of water confined between two protein-like surfaces. Each surface is constructed to have interactions with water corresponding to those of the putative hydrophobic surface of a melittin dimer, but is flattened rather than having its native "cupped" configuration. Furthermore, peripheral charged groups are removed. Thus, the role of a rough surface topography is removed, and results can be productively compared with those previously observed for idealized, atomically smooth hydrophilic and hydrophobic flat surfaces. The results indicate that the protein surface is less hydrophobic than the idealized counterpart. The density and compressibility of water adjacent to a melittin dimer is intermediate between that observed adjacent to idealized hydrophobic or hydrophilic surfaces. We find that solvent evacuation of the hydrophobic gap (cavitation) between dimers is observed when the gap has closed to sterically permit a single water layer. This cavitation occurs at smaller pressures and separations than in the case of idealized hydrophobic flat surfaces. The vapor phase between the melittin dimers occupies a much smaller lateral region than in the case of the idealized surfaces; cavitation is localized in a narrow central region between the dimers, where an apolar amino acid is located. When that amino acid is replaced by a polar residue, cavitation is no longer observed.
Peer relationships of foster children: Developmental and mental health service implications

In this review article it is argued that peer relationships are important for the development and mental health functioning of children who have been placed into foster care, and therefore, warrant attention from mental health service providers. Recent research suggests that interactions with peers facilitates children's cognitive, moral, affective and social development, and that problematic relationships are related to a variety of adjustment and mental health problems. Recent research on the peer relationships of foster children reveals that many foster children exhibit social behavioral patterns that undermine their relationships with peers. Consequently, they experience difficulties in forming positive and supportive relationships with peers. In light of this evidence, it is recommended that foster children's peer relationships should be given consideration in decisions concerning placement and in determining the mental health needs of foster children.
Antihypertensive and Hemodynamic Properties of the New Beta Adrenergic Blocking Agent Timolol

The antihypertensive activity of timolol, a new beta adrenergic blocking agent, was assessed in hypertensive patients. In hospitalized patients timolol, 5 mg orally every 8 hr for one week, resulted in a significant although mild reduction of blood pressure with diastolic pressure falling from a mean of 101 mm Hg to 91 mm Hg. Heart rate and cardiac output fell while total peripheral resistance increased. The Valsalva response, the reflex tachycardia following inhalation of amyl nitrite and the cardiovascular responses to infusion of isoproterenol were significantly inhibited. Timolol also was compared to propranolol in a randomized double-blind outpatient trial. The antihypertensive and bradycrotic effects of the two drugs were similar. Heart rate was reduced 18% by both drugs ( P P
The future of regional fisheries cooperation in a changing economic environment: The south pacific island countries in the 1990s

In the past half decade, the Pacific Island countries have changed the development strategy for their Tuna Fisheries from a rent maximization approach to an approach that entails developing their own “locally based”; tuna industries. This article seeks to explore how this new development strategy could affect the future of cooperation among Pacific Island countries. In the past, cooperation among Pacific Island countries has been extensive and vital to their collective well‐being; in the future, it promises to be the only means of safeguarding the health of the tuna resource and avoiding the costly and wasteful excess capacity problem that plagues most commercial fisheries. The purpose of this article is not to prescribe policies, or to advocate a particular position, but rather to stimulate discussion and reflection about the future of cooperation before any major changes take place.
Counseling center intake checklists at academically selective institutions: Practice and measurement implications

Psychometric evaluation of presenting problem checklists is vital, given increasing clinical severity among college students. However, checklist research has focused on students at public universities and utilized inappropriate methodologies when doing so. It is unclear whether checklists used at academically selective universities reliably and comprehensively assess the potentially unique presenting problems of their students. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses with independent samples examined the checklist used at an academically selective university's counseling center. A six-factor model best fit the data, suggesting that this checklist reliably and comprehensively assesses presenting problems at this university. This model holds detailed assessment, outreach, and policy implications for counseling centers.
Effects of experimental manipulation of light and nutrients on establishment of seedlings of native and invasive woody species in Long Island, NY forests

While earlier studies on the process of invasion often focused on single factors or on the general explanation of ‘disturbance,’ recent work has attempted to move towards a more mechanistic understanding of the factors that promote plant community invasion. Manipulative experiments provide a means for discerning causal relationships and interactive effects of environmental factors in promoting invasion; such experiments have been conducted in a number of grassland and shrub ecosystems. This study extends multifactor manipulative experiments into forest communities to compare factors influencing early seedling establishment for native and invasive woody plants. In Long Island, NY, invasion patterns are correlated with forest community type (pine barrens or hardwood), light availability, and soil N and Ca. We conducted manipulative field experiments in two different years to determine the relative importance and interaction of experimental gaps and N and Ca addition in pine barrens and hardwood forests in promoting invasion. We used seedlings of seven common native and invasive species in the first experiment, and 16 native and invasive species paired phylogenetically in the second experiment. Light had the strongest effect on plant growth; all plants grew more in gaps. We found no difference in the average growth rates of native and invasive species. Invasives responded more to high resources than did natives, with highest relative growth rates in gaps in the more fertile soils of the hardwood forests. Opportunities for invasion may differ from year to year, with differential success of invaders only in some years and under some environmental conditions. Clearly, to understand the complex interactions between resources and invasion in forests will require many manipulative experiments across a range of environments and using suites of invasive and native species.
Structural evidence for effectiveness of darunavir and two related antiviral inhibitors against HIV-2 protease.

Abstract No drug has been targeted specifically for HIV-2 (human immunodeficiency virus type 2) infection despite its increasing prevalence worldwide. The antiviral HIV-1 (human immunodeficiency virus type 1) protease (PR) inhibitor darunavir and the chemically related GRL98065 and GRL06579A were designed with the same chemical scaffold and different substituents at P2 and P2′ to optimize polar interactions for HIV-1 PR (PR1). These inhibitors are also effective antiviral agents for HIV-2-infected cells. Therefore, crystal structures of HIV-2 PR (PR2) complexes with the three inhibitors have been solved at 1.2-A resolution to analyze the molecular basis for their antiviral potency. Unusually, the crystals were grown in imidazole and zinc acetate buffer, which formed interactions with the PR2 and the inhibitors. Overall, the structures were very similar to the corresponding inhibitor complexes of PR1 with an RMSD of 1.1 A on main-chain atoms. Most hydrogen-bond and weaker C–H…O interactions with inhibitors were conserved in the PR2 and PR1 complexes, except for small changes in interactions with water or disordered side chains. Small differences were observed in the hydrophobic contacts for the darunavir complexes, in agreement with relative inhibition of the two PRs. These near-atomic-resolution crystal structures verify the inhibitor potency for PR1 and PR2 and will provide the basis for the development of antiviral inhibitors targeting PR2.