cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Application of GPS-Buoy Water Level Instrument for Radar Altimeter Calibration

This paper discusses contemporary research in GPS-buoy sea level measurements and its application to absolute radar altimeter calibration. Different processing techniques to obtain GPS-buoy water level solutions were studied using differential GPS (DGPS) and using absolute positioning by resolving GPS clock errors. Results of GPS-buoy campaigns in Lake Michigan, USA and near Catalunya, Spain for absolute calibration of the TOPEX/POSEIDON Side B (TSB) radar altimeter are presented. Error analysis indicates that the uncertainty associated with a “single” GPS buoy (water-rider) sea surface height measurement in Lake Michigan is ∼40 mm rms, accounting for a list of estimated fixed and variable errors. The corresponding uncertainty for altimeter bias closure using the “single” measurement is estimated to be ∼62 mm rms. Preliminary studies using altimeter water level measurements and GPS buoy measurements to “translocate” historic TOPEX Side A (TSA) radar altimeter lake level measurements to the Holland West, Lake Michigan tide gauge, to conduct altimeter calibrations indicates that the technique is viable. The resulting TSA bias, based on 112 samples, is estimated to be -122.5±41 mm, including an apparent 100 mm offset. The estimated altimeter drift is 4.4±2.5 mm/yr. The drift estimate and its uncertainty are in reasonable agreement with results obtained at the dedicated T/P absolute calibration site at Harvest Platform, California, USA.
Effects of Dissolved Organic Carbon, Ultraviolet Light and their Co-Exposure on Deepwater Horizon crude oil acute toxicity to larval red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus)

In the aquatic environment, ubiquitous natural factors such as ultraviolet light (UV) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) are likely to influence crude oil toxicity. The present study examined the interactive effects of DOC, UV, and DOC-UV co-exposure on the acute toxicity of Deepwater Horizon crude oil in larval red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus). Although DOC alone did not influence crude oil toxicity, it mildly reduced UV photo-enhanced toxicity. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:2509-2515. © 2020 SETAC.
The Fleming-Viot Process with McKean-Vlasov Dynamics

The Fleming-Viot particle system consists of $N$ identical particles diffusing in a domain $U \subset \mathbb{R}^d$. Whenever a particle hits the boundary $\partial U$, that particle jumps onto another particle in the interior. It is known that this system provides a particle representation for both the Quasi-Stationary Distribution (QSD) and the distribution conditioned on survival for a given diffusion killed at the boundary of its domain. We extend these results to the case of McKean-Vlasov dynamics. We prove that the law conditioned on survival of a given McKean-Vlasov process killed on the boundary of its domain may be obtained from the hydrodynamic limit of the corresponding Fleming-Viot particle system. We then show that if the target killed McKean-Vlasov process converges to a QSD as $t \rightarrow \infty$, such a QSD may be obtained from the stationary distributions of the corresponding $N$-particle Fleming-Viot system as $N\rightarrow\infty$.
Teaching Ethnic-Specific Coursework: Practical Suggestions for Promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Within the Classroom:

Background:Access to professors willing and trained to teach courses related to specific ethnic groups may be difficult for many universities to provide. This may partially explain why many psychol...
Mitigation of Aerosols Generated During Exercise Testing With a Portable High-Efficiency Particulate Air Filter With Fume Hood.

BACKGROUND: The role of portable high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters for supplemental aerosol mitigation during exercise testing is unknown and might be relevant during COVID-19 pandemic. RESEARCH QUESTION: What is the effect of portable HEPA filtering on aerosol concentration during exercise testing and its efficiency in reducing room clearance time in a clinical exercise testing laboratory? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Subjects were six healthy volunteers aged 20 to 56 years. In the first experiment, exercise was performed in a small tent with controlled airflow with the use of a stationary cycle, portable HEPA filter with fume hood, and particle counter to document aerosol concentration. Subjects performed a four-stage maximal exercise test that lasted 12 minutes plus 5 minutes of pretest quiet breathing and 3 minutes of active recovery. First, they exercised without mitigation then with portable HEPA filter running. In a separate experiment, room aerosol clearance time was measured in a clinical exercise testing laboratory by filling it with artificially generated aerosols and measuring time to 99.9% aerosol clearance with heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) only or HVAC plus portable HEPA filter running. RESULTS: In the exercise experiment, particle concentrations reached 1,722 ± 1,484/L vs 96 ± 124/L (P 0.3 µm), 1,339 ± 1,281/L vs 76 ± 104/L (P < .05) for smaller particles (0.3 to 1.0 µm), and 333 ± 209/L vs 17 ± 19/L (P < .01) for larger particles (1.0 to 5.0 µm) at the end of the protocol in a comparison of mitigation vs portable HEPA filter. Use of a portable HEPA filter in a clinical exercise laboratory clearance experiment reduced aerosol clearance time 47% vs HVAC alone. INTERPRETATION: The portable HEPA filter reduced the concentration of aerosols generated during exercise testing by 96% ± 2% for all particle sizes and reduced aerosol room clearance time in clinical exercise testing laboratories. Portable HEPA filters therefore might be useful in clinical exercise testing laboratories to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
Application of cell and tissue culture techniques for the genetic improvement of sorghum, Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench: progress and potential.

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the progress and potential of application of cell and tissue culture techniques for the genetic improvement of sorghum, Sorghum Bicolor (L.) . In sorghum, as with most grasses, primarily very young tissue temporally close to a meristematic state has proven responsive in culture. The embryogenesis from cultured immature inflorescences of several sorghum cultivars and hybrids including CK-60, Regular Hegari, Plainsman, WAC692, G522DR, FS302, and G83F is reported. All entries except Regular Hegari produced plants, although the hybrid G522DR was superior in culture response. The embryogenic responses of CS3541 and Regular Hegari were negatively correlated with inflorescence length, while MN1500 demonstrated a positive correlation. It is found that the MN1500 yielded more callus per unit length of inflorescence than CS3541. In order to determine whether cell and tissue culture techniques are viable tools for creating useful variability in sorghum, it is necessary to use established, agronomically important lines and evaluate them in terms of agronomic characteristics. It is suggested that useful variability may be identified and incorporated more easily in traditional sorghum breeding programs.
Fiscal Federalism and the War on Drugs

In 2000, 34% of federal defendants were prosecuted for drug offenses despite the fact that all states had statutes prohibiting these offenses. According to Fiscal Federalism, the national government should have a role in these prosecutions if there are inter-jurisdictional positive externalities for drug convictions. If positive externalities are important, the federal government should help states that are too poor or have too many other priorities to adequately deal with illicit drugs. The empirical findings in this paper are consistent with this prescription. Specifically, a higher fraction of drug incarcerations are federal in states where more individuals favor the de-criminalization of marijuana and in states with lower per-capita income. The emphasis on supply policies as a means of reducing drug use may be inefficient. However, the results in this paper are consistent with the federalization of drug prosecutions implementing the supply policies efficiently.
MR Enterography Image Fusion in Small Bowel Analysis

In the last years, the use of magnetic resonance enterography to evaluate inflammatory bowel diseases has become a mainstay, thanks to its non-ionizing nature, and to the advent of faster sequences that are less sensitive to motion artifacts. In this work we present a novel multimodal image merging framework able to combine the detailed structural information, and the small bowel motility provided by the SSFSE and the FIESTA sequence, respectively. Once the breathing motion has been eliminated via non-rigid B-spline based registration, we create a personalized peristaltic activity map from the FIESTA sequence using optical flow analysis. Defining a new multimodal similarity measure, the two nearest sets of FIESTA frames are projected over the SSFSE slices, leading to a new image that provides specific structural and functional information of the patient simultaneously. The practical utility of these new images has been successfully evaluated in a preliminary study with 13 cases, showing its potential for planning small bowel interventions, and patients’ diagnosis and follow up.
Exome Sequencing of SLC30A2 Identifies Novel Loss- and Gain-of-Function Variants Associated with Breast Cell Dysfunction

The zinc (Zn) transporter ZnT2 (SLC30A2) is expressed in specialized secretory cells including breast, pancreas and prostate, and imports Zn into mitochondria and vesicles. Mutations in SLC30A2 substantially reduce milk Zn concentration ([Zn]) and cause severe Zn deficiency in exclusively breastfed infants. Recent studies show that ZnT2-null mice have low milk [Zn], in addition to profound defects in mammary gland function during lactation. Here, we used breast milk [Zn] to identify novel non-synonymous ZnT2 variants in a population of lactating women. We also asked whether specific variants induce disturbances in intracellular Zn management or cause cellular dysfunction in mammary epithelial cells. Healthy, breastfeeding women were stratified into quartiles by milk [Zn] and exonic sequencing of SLC30A2 was performed. We found that 36% of women tested carried non-synonymous ZnT2 variants, all of whom had milk Zn levels that were distinctly above or below those in women without variants. We identified 12 novel heterozygous variants. Two variants (D(103)E and T(288)S) were identified with high frequency (9 and 16%, respectively) and expression of T(288)S was associated with a known hallmark of breast dysfunction (elevated milk sodium/potassium ratio). Select variants (A(28)D, K(66)N, Q(71)H, D(103)E, A(105)P, Q(137)H, T(288)S and T(312)K) were characterized in vitro. Compared with wild-type ZnT2, these variants were inappropriately localized, and most resulted in either 'loss-of-function' or 'gain-of-function', and altered sub-cellular Zn pools, Zn secretion, and cell cycle check-points. Our study indicates that SLC30A2 variants are common in this population, dysregulate Zn management and can lead to breast cell dysfunction. This suggests that genetic variation in ZnT2 could be an important modifier of infant growth/development and reproductive health/disease. Importantly, milk [Zn] level may serve as a bio-reporter of breast function during lactation.
Growth factors and bone

Abstract Skeletal cells secrete a variety of growth factors that either enhance the replication of the bone cells or modify their differentiated function. The synthesis and activity of skeletal growth factors can be modified by systemic hormones, local factors, and binding proteins.
International alliances as sources of capital: Evidence from the biotechnology industry

Abstract This study empirically tested the relationship between three signaling mechanisms (scientific capabilities, firm location and top management team international experience) and the amount of capital raised through international strategic alliances. The number of patents held by the firm, firm location and the number of products in stage III of development were found to be significant. Implications for managers and researchers are discussed.
Nature of rate-limiting steps in a compartmentalized enzyme system. Quantitation of dopamine transport and hydroxylation rates in resealed chromaffin granule ghosts.

Abstract Using isolated chromaffin granule ghosts from bovine adrenal medullae, we have studied the kinetics of dopamine beta-monooxygenase (D beta M) activity as it is linked to dopamine transport. Measurements of the initial rates of transport and of transport-linked norepinephrine formation suggested that enzyme activity may be partially rate-limiting in the coupled carrier/enzyme system. This was confirmed by (i) measurements of initial rates of norepinephrine formation using deuterated substrate, which gave isotope effects greater than 2.0, and (ii) kinetic measurements using ghosts pulsed with varying concentrations of labeled dopamine, which indicated substantial substrate accumulation in the vesicle interior as a function of time. Initial rates of product formation, when combined with approximations of internal substrate concentrations, allowed estimates of Kcat and Km for intravesicular D beta M. Activation by external reductant was apparent in both initial rate parameters and the measurements of transients. Under conditions of optimal D beta M activity, the enzyme rate parameters (kcat = 0.31 nmol/s.mg and Km = 2 mM) indicated partial rate limitation compared to dopamine transport (kcat = 0.38 nmol/s.mg and Km = 32 microM). Compartmental analysis of the time curves, performed using numerical nonlinear least squares methods, gave least squares estimates of rate constants for a simple carrier mechanism and kcat values for D beta M which were consistent with estimates from initial rates.
How To Counsel Patients About Depression and Its Treatment

To provide effective counseling for patients receiving drug therapy for depression, one must understand the natural course of mood disorders, the appropriate dose and duration of antidepressant therapy, and how to individualize the discussion of potential adverse effects and use of alcohol. Patients must understand that effective antidepressant treatment requires several weeks before onset of clinical effect, and 6-12 months of therapy is necessary to prevent relapse. Discussion of adverse effects must address what the patient should do if an adverse effect occurs, with the focus on common, expectable effects of the particular drug. Rather than merely telling patients not to drink alcohol, appropriate counseling should focus on the possible consequences of drinking while taking antidepressant drugs.
Computer usage in engineering education in developing countries

A brief overview is given of aspects of computer usage in engineering education in developing countries. Educational, political, industrial, and economic considerations are all involved. Specific topics explored include the background of undergraduate students, equipment and software needed, faculty preparation and credentials, the role of industry, and the integration of computer use in undergraduate engineering curricula. >
Performance Assessment of Personality and Psychopathology

This chapter provides a meaningful, comprehensive, and historically informative conceptual framework for understanding performance tests of personality. Their distinctive characteristics are discussed, along with what they add to assessment, and how one should understand and interpret them. An explanation of why the term projective has been replaced with the term performance is provided. Additionally, common misperceptions about performance tests and a more informed approach to using them are addressed. A response process framework that includes both self-expressive and organizational components—that is, what the respondent says and how he or she structures the response—is provided as a framework for understanding these tests. A problem-solving model in which input-processing-output is the response sequence is used to explain how to understand the performance test response. The implications of the response process framework for performance tests of personality and contributions of this type of testing to assessment at large are addressed. In general, discussion of specific tests is limited to the Rorschach, Thematic Apperception Test, figure drawings, sentence completion tests, and the early memory tests. Keywords: performance tests; problem-solving model; projective; response process; problem-solving model; Rorschach
Studies of sigma D-dependent functions in Bacillus subtilis.

Gene expression in Bacillus subtilis can be controlled by alternative forms of RNA polymerase programmed by distinct sigma factors. One such factor, sigma D (sigma 28), is expressed during vegetative growth and has been implicated in the transcription of a regulon of genes expressed during exponential growth and the early stationary phase. We have studied several functions related to flagellar synthesis and chemotaxis in B. subtilis strains in which sigma D is missing or is present at reduced levels. Previous studies showed that a null mutant, which contains a disrupted copy of the sigma D structural gene (sigD), fails to synthesize flagellin and grows as long filaments. We now show that these defects are accompanied by the lack of synthesis of the methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins and a substantial decrease in two autolysin activities implicated in cell separation. A strain containing an insertion upstream of the sigD gene that reduces the level of sigma D protein grew as short chains and was flagellated but was impaired in chemotaxis and/or motility. This reduced level of sigma D expression suggests that the sigD gene may be part of an operon. A strain containing an insertion downstream of the sigD gene expressed nearly wild-type levels of sigma D protein but was also impaired in chemotaxis and/or motility, suggesting that genes downstream of sigD may also be involved in these functions. Genetic experiments demonstrate that sigD is allelic to the flaB locus, which was initially isolated as a locus affecting flagellin expression (G. F. Grant and M. I. Simon, J. Bacteriol. 99:116-124, 1969). Images
An Investigation of Students’ Forgiveness, Instructional Dissent, and Learning in the College Classroom

The current study examined the belief that students’ forgiveness mediates the relationship between instructor transgressions and students outcomes. Students’ descriptions of instructor relational transgressions were consistent with Kearney, Plax, Hays, and Ivey's (1991) typology of incompetent, offensive, and indolent misbehaviors. Results supported the mediating role of forgiveness, indicating that perceived severity and blameworthiness associated with instructor misbehaviors predicted students’ forgiveness, which in turn influenced students’ instructional dissent as well as affective and cognitive learning. Consistent with research in interpersonal communication, results suggest that perceptions and forgiveness of misbehaviors are important to understand in order to maximize positive outcomes in the college classroom.
Wetting characterisation of silicon (1,0,0) surface

Water droplets on bare silicon surfaces are studied to examine the wetting behaviour as a function of the surface energy and to parameterise water–silicon interactions in order to recover the hydrophobic behaviour measured by experiments. Two different wetting regimes characterised by a critical interaction strength value are observed. At a threshold value of the water–silicon interaction parameter, water molecules start penetrating into the first layer of silicon surface under thermally vibrating walls, resulting in two distinct wetting behaviours. Fixed (cold) silicon walls do not exhibit the two different wetting characteristics. Size effects are studied for nano-scale droplets, and line tension influence is observed depending on the surface wettability. Decrease in the droplet size increases the contact angle values for the low wetting cases, while contact angles decrease for smaller droplets on the high wetting surfaces. Considering the line tension effects and droplet size, ϵSi–O for water–silicon i...
Effect of melatonin on the response of the thyroid to thyrotropin stimulation in vitro.

Thyroidal-melatonin interactions are of particular importance to amphibian development since the thyroid controls the progress of metamorphosis while melatonin may coordinate its rate with prevailing environmental conditions. Melatonin antagonized thyroxine (T4) action at the tissue level and directly inhibited baseline T4 secretion in culture, so the present work sought to determine if it antagonized the response of the thyroid to thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) as well. A preliminary experiment showed that, in Rana pipiens, the concentration of TSH (0.2 microg/ml) used in the culture of tadpole thyroids stimulated T4 secretion as much as frog pituitaries, but more than late premetamorphic tadpole pituitaries. There was no significant effect of 1 to 15 microg/ml melatonin in TSH-containing thyroid cultures of various Rana species of tadpoles and frogs in experiments with media collected once every 24 or 48 hr, although 15 microg/ml melatonin tended to depress T4 secretion. In a final experiment, a higher melatonin concentration was used as well as more frequent media collections. Thyroids from prometamorphic Rana catesbeiana tadpoles were cultured in L-15 media with periodic stimulation by 0.2 microg/ml TSH, or TSH and 10 or 100 microg/ml melatonin. Media were collected at the end of two 3-hr TSH pulses, and every 8 hr thereafter for the next 3 days. Melatonin was administered until the end of Day 2 while TSH was given only on Day 2 in addition to the original 3-hr pulses. The secretion of T4 was inhibited significantly by 10 microg/ml melatonin at only two of the early media collections. In contrast, 100 micro;g/ml melatonin significantly depressed T4 secretion in response to TSH at all but one interval and completely inhibited the thyroidal response to TSH reintroduced into the media on Day 2. The findings suggest that a high concentration of melatonin is inhibitory to the thyroidal response to TSH, but that lower concentrations do not significantly overcome the TSH stimulus.
Kernel Estimators for Distribution Functions on Dependent Random Fields

Consider observations (representing lifelengths) taken on a random field indexed by lattice points. Estimating the distribution function F(x) = P(X i ≤ x) is an important problem in survival analysis. We propose to estimate F(x) by kernel estimators, which take into account the smoothness of the distribution function. Under some general mixing conditions, our estimators are shown to be asymptotically unbiased and consistent. In addition, the proposed estimator is shown to be strongly consistent and sharp rates of convergence are obtained.
Microfocal angiography of the pulmonary vasculature

X-ray microfocal angiography provides a means of assessing regional microvascular perfusion parameters using residue detection of vascular indicators. As an application of this methodology, we studied the effects of alveolar hypoxia, a pulmonary vasoconstrictor, on the pulmonary microcirculation to determine changes in regional blood mean transit time, volume and flow between control and hypoxic conditions. Video x-ray images of a dog lung were acquired as a bolus of radiopaque contrast medium passed through the lobar vasculature. X-ray time-absorbance curves were acquired from arterial and microvascular regions-of-interest during both control and hypoxic alveolar gas conditions. A mathematical model based on indicator-dilution theory applied to image residue curves was applied to the data to determine changes in microvascular perfusion parameters. Sensitivity of the model parameters to the model assumptions was analyzed. Generally, the model parameter describing regional microvascular volume, corresponding to area under the microvascular absorbance curve, was the most robust. The results of the model analysis applied to the experimental data suggest a significant decrease in microvascular volume with hypoxia. However, additional model assumptions concerning the flow kinematics within the capillary bed may be required for assessing changes in regional microvascular flow and mean transit time from image residue data.
End-To-End Information System Design at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Recognizing a pressing need of the 1980s to optimize the two-way flow of information between a ground-based user and a remote space-based sensor, an end-to-end approach to the design of information systems has been adopted at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The objectives of this effort are to ensure that all flight projects adequately cope with information flow problems at an early stage of system design, and that cost-effective, multi-mission capabilities are developed when capital investments are made in supporting elements. The paper reviews the End-to-End Information System (EEIS) activity at the Laboratory, and notes the ties to the NASA End-to-End Data System program.
Your place or mine?: visualization as a community component

Many Eyes is a web site that provides collaborative visualization services, allowing users to upload data sets, visualize them, and comment on each other's visualizations. This paper describes a first interview-based study of Many Eyes users, which sheds light on user motivation for creating public visualizations. Users talked about data for many reasons, from scientific research to political advocacy to hobbies. One consistent theme across these different scenarios is the use of visualizations in communication and collaborative practices. Collaboration and conversation, however, often took place outside the site, leaving no traces on Many Eyes itself. In other words, despite spurring significant social activity, Many Eyes is not so much an online community as a "community component" which users insert into pre-existing online social systems.
Iodine metabolism in the ascidian, Molgula manhattensis.

Abstract Specimens of Molgula manhattensis were immersed in sea water containing 125 I. Light-microscopic autoradiography of the soft tissues revealed that bound iodine was confined to the endostyle and to the lumina of the pharynx and intestines. The presence of iodinated material was investigated in homogenates of the endostyle, extraendostylar pharynx, tunic, and gonads. PB 125 I was found in the tunic, endostyle, and extraendostylar pharynx after exposure to 125 I for 1 or more hr. After long-term exposures (7–10 days), small amounts of PB 125 I were detected in the gonads as well. MIT and DIT, but not T 4 or T 3 , were identified in proteolytic digests of these four tissues. The ratio of DIT:MIT was higher in the endostyle than in the other tissues. Homogenates of the endostyle and tunic, but not of the extraendostylar pharynx or gonads of M. manhattensis , incorporated 125 I into protein and free tyrosine in vitro . This iodinating activity was dependent upon a hydrogen peroxide-generating source and was inhibited either by boiling tissue or by the addition of methimazole. These properties suggest that the iodination process was mediated by a peroxidase. It is concluded that active binding of iodine occurs in both the endostyle and tunic of M. manhattensis . PB 125 I found in the extraendostylar pharynx and the gonads is suggested to have originated in other sites. Iodine binding in the endostyle appears to be mediated by an enzymatic mechanism similar to that of the vertebrate thyroid gland. Iodination in the tunic may be related both to quinone tanning and to the action of a peroxidase, either by two separate metabolic pathways or by a single process utilizing both quinones and a peroxidase.
Laparoscopic splenectomy in patients with hematologic malignancies.

Abstract Background: Although laparoscopic splenectomy (LS) for benign hematologic disease is well accepted, its role in hematologic malignancies is not clearly defined. This study examined the efficacy and feasibility of LS for hematologic malignancies. Methods: Records were reviewed from patients who underwent LS at two university hospitals. Charts from 77 open splenectomies for malignancy (OM) during the same period were also reviewed. Results: Fifty-three patients underwent LS, 22 for hematologic malignancies (LM) and 31 for benign hematologic disorders (LB). Median splenic weight was greater in the LM group (930 g) than in the LB group (164 g, P = 0.001). LM was associated with longer operations and greater blood loss than was LB. LM had a 41% conversion rate. Morbidity, mortality, and transfusion rates were similar. Median hospital stay was shorter for LM (4 days) than for OM (6 days, P = 0.001). Conclusions: LS is feasible in hematologic malignancies but is associated with increased operative time and blood loss and a high conversion rate. Morbidity and mortality, however, was similar. Shorter hospital stays for LM compared with OM may translate into earlier recovery and initiation of antineoplastic therapy.
Inhibition of biological reductive dissolution of hematite by ferrous iron.

Bacterial dissimilatory iron reduction is self-inhibited by the production of ferrous [Fe(II)] iron resulting in diminished iron reduction as Fe(II) accumulates. Experiments were conducted to investigate the mechanisms of Fe(II) inhibition employing the dissimilatory metal-reducing bacterium Shewanella putrefaciens strain CN32 under nongrowth conditions in a system designed to minimize precipitation of ferrous iron minerals. After an initial period (ca. 1 day) of relatively rapid iron reduction, hematite reduction rates were controlled by mass transfer of Fe(II). Experiments in which hematite was equilibrated with Mn(II) prior to inoculation indicated that the observed inhibition was not due to Fe(II) sorption. At longer times, soluble Fe(II) accumulated such that the reaction was slowed due to a decreased thermodynamic driving force. The thermodynamic evaluation also supported the prior conclusion that hydrated hematite surface sites may yield substantially more energy during bioreduction than “bulk” hem...
An Intelligent Industrial Arm Using a Microprocessor

A system to control a hydraulic industrial arm using a 4-bit microcomputer is described. A supervisory minicomputer can handle global routines such as scene analysis and task and trajectory planing while the microcomputer attends to the control of the arm. The microcomputer monitors arm joint positions and sensors, and maintains current joint position when no motion is desired. The supervisory minicomputer transfers a job to the microcomputer in the form of a sequence of macro-commands. The microcomputer interprets and executes the job and returns the final status of the arm to the minicoputer.
Reliability of linear systems under Poisson white noise

Abstract A method is developed for calculating the failure probability of a linear dynamic system subjected to Poisson white noise assumed to function satisfactorily if its state X ( t ) does not leave a safe set D during a specified time interval [ 0 , τ ] . The method (1) is based on properties of Poisson white noise, features of system response to Poisson white noise, and conditional Monte Carlo simulation, and (2) delivers upper bounds on system failure probability, up to estimation errors. Numerical results illustrating the application and the accuracy of the proposed method include the largest value distribution of a generalized Ornstein–Uhlenbeck process and the reliability of a simple linear oscillator subjected to Poisson white noise. It is also shown that the proposed method can be applied to assess the performance of multidegree of freedom linear systems and nonlinear systems subjected to Poisson white noise.
Compartmentalizing VEGF-Induced ERK2/1 Signaling in Placental Artery Endothelial Cell Caveolae: A Paradoxical Role of Caveolin-1 in Placental Angiogenesis in Vitro

On vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) stimulation, both VEGF R1 and R2 receptors were phosphorylated in ovine fetoplacental artery endothelial (oFPAE) cells. Treatment with VEGF stimulated both time- and dose-dependent activation of ERK2/1 in oFPAE cells. VEGF-induced ERK2/1 activation was mediated by VEGFR2, but not VEGFR1, and was linked to intracellular calcium, protein kinase C, and Raf-1. VEGF stimulated oFPAE cell proliferation, migration, and tube formation in vitro. Blockade of ERK2/1 pathway attenuated VEGF-induced cell proliferation and tube formation but failed to inhibit migration in oFPAE cells. Disruption of caveolae by cholesterol depletion with methyl-β-cyclodextrin or by down-regulation of its structural protein caveolin-1 blunted VEGF-induced ERK2/1 activation, proliferation, and tube formation in oFPAE cells, indicating an essential role of integral caveolae in these VEGF-induced responses. Adenoviral overexpression of caveolin-1 and addition of a caveolin scaffolding domain peptide also inhibited VEGF-stimulated ERK2/1 activation, cell proliferation, and tube formation in oFPAE cells. Furthermore, molecules comprising the ERK2/1 signaling module, including VEGFR2, protein kinase Cα, Raf-1, MAPK kinase 1/2, and ERK2/1, resided with caveolin-1 in caveolae. VEGF transiently stimulated ERK2/1 activation in the caveolae similarly as in intact cells. Caveolae disruption greatly diminished ERK2/1 activation by VEGF in oFPAE cell caveolae. We conclude that caveolae function as a platform for compartmentalizing the VEGF-induced ERK2/1 signaling module. Caveolin-1 and caveolae play a paradoxical role in regulating VEGF-induced ERK2/1 activation and in vitro angiogenesis as evidenced by the similar inhibitory effects of down-regulation and overexpression of caveolin-1 and disruption of caveolae in oFPAE cells.
Levels of fumonisin B1 in corn naturally contaminated with aflatoxins

Aflatoxins and fumonisin B1 are hepatotoxic and carcinogenic metabolites produced by Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium moniliforme, respectively. These fungi are common natural contaminants of corn, and both aflatoxins and fumonisin B1 have been implicated as aetiological agents in animal and human diseases. To determine whether these mycotoxins co-exist on corn under natural conditions, 28 samples from the 1991 Georgia (USA) corn crop were assayed for (total) aflatoxin and fumonisin B1. 27 samples were positive for aflatoxin, 24 samples were positive for fumonisin B1, and 23 samples had detectable levels of both. In the positive samples, the mean aflatoxin concentration was 73 ppb (SD = 86), and the average fumonisin B1 concentration was 0.87 ppm (SD = 0.65). A correlation between aflatoxin and fumonisin B1 concentrations was not evident. None the less, these results demonstrate that exposure to both mycotoxins can occur simultaneously by consumption of co-contaminated corn.
Promoting quality breast cancer care: psychosocial distress screening.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the feasibility of implementing psychosocial distress screening in a breast center of a comprehensive cancer center, using a model of structure (personnel, resources), process (screening), and outcome (number of patients screened, number referred). METHODS The first step in the project was to establish administrative support, educate and engage breast center staff, identify stakeholders and persons with expertise in the conduct of evidence based initiatives. A two-phase implementation approach was agreed upon with Phase I being screening of new patients in surgical oncology and Phase II being screening women in medical oncology. RESULTS A total of 173 patients were screened. The new patients screened in surgical oncology reported higher average distress scores compared to patients in medical oncology (5.7 vs. 4.0). However, a greater number of patients in medical oncology reported scores >4 compared to the new patients screened in surgery (54% vs. 35%). Psychological distress was the most commonly reported distress for patients in surgery. In contrast, 60% of scores >4 in medical oncology were symptom related, managed by the nurse or physician. SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS Nurse led implementation of psychosocial distress screening is feasible, addressing this important quality indicator of patient-centered care.
Hartree version of the Lifshitz NAC point

Abstract In the frame of a simple Hartree theory it is shown that “unusual” phenomena observed in the vicinity of the multicritical Lifshitz NAC point (nematic-smectic A-smectic C) are a reflection of the crossover between fluctuation regimes with different lower critical dimensionalities.
Microbubbles in medical imaging: current applications and future directions.

Not all bubbles in the bloodstream are detrimental. During the past decade, contrast-enhanced ultrasound has evolved from a purely investigational tool to a routine diagnostic technique. This transformation has been facilitated by advances in the microbubble contrast agents and contrast-specific ultrasound imaging techniques. The ability to non-invasively image molecular events with targeted microbubbles is likely to be important for characterizing pathophysiology and for developing new therapeutic strategies in the treatment of cardiovascular and neoplastic diseases.
Differential Thermal Analysis of Rapid High Pressure Decompositions

Abstract A simple sample handling technique for recording differential thermograms of volatile and/or high pressure producing compounds is described. The calculation of activation energies for several hydrazines and explosives is reported.
A Family of Platinaoxetanes

Treatment of the platinaoxetane [Pt2(COD)2(OC7H10)Cl]BF4 (1), prepared from oxo complex [Pt4(COD)4(O)2(Cl)2](BF4)2 and norbornene, with Cl− yields platinaoxetane Pt(COD)(OC7H10) (2) and (COD)PtCl2....
Isotopic replacement of the totally excised canine heart.

Summary A technique is presented for isotopic replacement of the canine heart resulting in a totally denervated preparation with long term survival. The salient aspects of the method of removal and replacement are stressed, and possible clinical applications are discussed. Future physiological studies upon the functioning denervated canine heart are enumerated.
Photothermal multispectral image cytometry for quantitative histology of nanoparticles and micrometastasis in intact, stained and selectively burned tissues.

There is a rapidly growing interest in the advanced analysis of histological data and the development of appropriate detection technologies in particular for mapping of nanoparticle distributions in tissue in nanomedicine applications. We evaluated photothermal (PT) scanning cytometry for color-coded imaging, spectral identification, and quantitative detection of individual nanoparticles and abnormal cells in histological samples with and without staining. Using this tool, individual carbon nanotubes, gold nanorods, and melanoma cells with intrinsic melanin markers were identified in unstained (e.g. sentinel lymph nodes) and conventionally-stained tissues. In addition, we introduced a spectral burning technique for histology through selective laser bleaching areas with nondesired absorption background and nanobubble-based PT signal amplification. The obtained data demonstrated the promise of PT cytometry in the analysis of low-absorption samples and mapping of various individual nanoparticles' distribution that would be impossible with existing assays. Comparison of PT cytometry and photoacoustic (PA) cytometry previously developed by us, revealed that these methods supplement each other with a sensitivity advantage (up to 10-fold) of contactless PT technique in assessment of thin (≤100 μm) histological samples, while PA imaging provides characterization of thicker samples which, however, requires an acoustic contact with transducers. A potential of high-speed integrated PT–PA cytometry for express histology and immunohistochemistry of both intact and stained heterogeneous tissues with high sensitivity at the zepromolar concentration level is further highlighted. © 2010 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.
Medical outcomes of adolescent live kidney donors.

Living kidney donation from donors <18 yr of age is uncommon. The majority of donations from adolescents took place several decades ago providing a unique opportunity to study true long-term consequences of donation. We compared survival, renal outcomes, and rates of hypertension and diabetes among 42 adolescent donors and matched older controls. Adolescent donors were matched with donors 18-30 yr on the following: gender, relation to the recipient, BMI at donation, eGFR at donation, and year of donation. After a mean follow-up of 31.8 ± 8.0 yr, 94.9% of adolescent donors were alive vs. 93.8% of controls. There was no significant difference in having eGFR (MDRD) <60 mL/min/1.73 m(2) (26.1% vs. 40.9%), hypertension (35.9% vs. 39.4%), diabetes (5.1% vs. 12.5%), or proteinuria (15.4% vs. 14.1%): adolescent donors vs. controls for all comparisons. These data suggest that adolescent donors are not at a higher risk of shortened survival, hypertension, diabetes, or proteinuria. Nevertheless, they probably should donate only when other options are exhausted as they have to live with a single kidney for decades and longer follow-up is needed.
Large- and small-scale effects of habitat structure on rates of predation: how percent coverage of seagrass affects rates of predation and siphon nipping on an infaunal bivalve

Landscape ecology, predominantly a terrestrial discipline, considers the effect of large-scale (tens of meters to kilometers) spatial patterns of habitats on ecological processes such as competition, predation, and flow of energy. In this study, a landscape-ecology approach was applied to a marine soft-sediment environment to examine rates of predation and transfer of secondary production in and around vegetated habitats. Seagrass beds naturally occur in a variety of spatial configurations from patches 1–10s of meters across with interspersed unvegetated sediments (i.e., patchy coverage) to more continuous coverage with little or no bare sediment. I designed experiments to address how percent coverage of seagrass in a 100-m2 area of seafloor, and the spatial arrangement (degree of patchiness or fragmentation) of an equal area (100 m2) of vegetation affected predation (lethal) and siphon nipping (sublethal) intensity on an infaunal bivalve, Mercenaria mercenaria (hard clam). Measures of seagrass density and biomass with different percent coverage of seagrass were also made. When clams were placed in both the vegetated and unvegetated portions of the seafloor nearly twice as many clams were recovered live with 99% seagrass cover than with 23% seagrass cover, while survivorship was intermediate with 70% cover. Cropping of clam siphons from both the vegetated and unvegetated sediments was also affected by the amount of seagrass cover in a 100-m2 area of seafloor: mean adjusted siphon weights were approximately 76% heavier from the 99% seagrass cover treatment than from the 70% or 23% cover treatments. Survivorship of clams placed within an equal area of seagrass in very patchy, patchy, and continuous spatial configurations was 40% higher in the continuous seagrass treatment than in either of the two patchy treatments. This study demonstrates that transfer of secondary production in the form of predation and cropping on an infaunal organism is altered as the percent cover of seagrass changes. While large-scale changes in the amount and spatial patterning of vegetation may affect habitat utilization patterns and foraging HGLoopbehavior, increased seagrass density and biomass with increased percent coverage of seagrass limit any conclusions concerning predator foraging behavior and feeding success in response to patch shapes and sizes. Instead, local changes in seagrass characteristics provide the most compelling explanation for the observed results.
Equilibration of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide with Sea Water: Possible Enzymatic Control of the Rate

Surface and subsurface ocean water differ in exchange characteristics with atmospheric carbon dioxide. The possibility of control by an enzyme like carbonic anhydrase has been experimentally explored.
Biomaterials for Nanoparticle Vaccine Delivery Systems

Subunit vaccination benefits from improved safety over attenuated or inactivated vaccines, but their limited capability to elicit long-lasting, concerted cellular and humoral immune responses is a major challenge. Recent studies have demonstrated that antigen delivery via nanoparticle formulations can significantly improve immunogenicity of vaccines due to either intrinsic immunostimulatory properties of the materials or by co-entrapment of molecular adjuvants such as Toll-like receptor agonists. These studies have collectively shown that nanoparticles designed to mimic biophysical and biochemical cues of pathogens offer new exciting opportunities to enhance activation of innate immunity and elicit potent cellular and humoral immune responses with minimal cytotoxicity. In this review, we present key research advances that were made within the last 5 years in the field of nanoparticle vaccine delivery systems. In particular, we focus on the impact of biomaterials composition, size, and surface charge of nanoparticles on modulation of particle biodistribution, delivery of antigens and immunostimulatory molecules, trafficking and targeting of antigen presenting cells, and overall immune responses in systemic and mucosal tissues. This review describes recent progresses in the design of nanoparticle vaccine delivery carriers, including liposomes, lipid-based particles, micelles and nanostructures composed of natural or synthetic polymers, and lipid-polymer hybrid nanoparticles.
Projective subsets of separable metric spaces

Abstract In this paper we will consider two possible definitions of projective subsets of a separable metric space X . A set A ⊆ X is Σ 1 1 ( X ) iff there exists a complete separable metric space Y and Borel set B ⊆ X × Y such that A = { x ϵ X : ∃ y ϵ Y ( x, y ) ϵ B }. Except for the fact that X may not be completely metrizable, this is the classical definition of analytic set and hence has many equivalent definitions, for example, A is Σ 1 1 (X) iff A is relatively analytic in X , i.e., A is the restriction to X of an analytic set in the completion of X . Another definition of projective we denote by Σ X 1 or abstract projective subset of X . A set of A ⊆ X is Σ X 1 iff there exists an n ϵ ω and a Borel set B ⊆ X × X n such that A = { x ϵ X :∃ y ϵ X n ( x, y ) ϵ B }. These sets ca n be far more pathological. While the family of sets Σ 1 1 ( X ) is closed under countable intersections and countable unions, there is a consistent example of a separable metric space X where Σ X 1 is not closed under countable intersections or countable unions. This takes place in the Cohen real model. Assuming CH, there exists a separable metric space X such that every Σ 1 1 ( X ) set is Borel in X but there exists a Σ 1 1 ( X 2 ) set which is not Borel in X 2 . The space X 2 has Borel subsets of arbitrarily large rank while X has bounded Borel rank. This space is a Luzin set and the technique used here is Steel forcing with tagged trees. We give examples of spaces X illustrating the relationship between Σ 1 1 ( X ) and Σ X 1 and give some consistent examples partially answering an abstract projective hierarchy problem of Ulam.