cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Early changes in left ventricular size and function after correction of left ventricular volume overload

The ability to predict early postoperative left ventricular size and function in patients with isolated aortic or mitral regurgitation was determined utilizing multigated blood pool imaging before and 2 to 4 weeks after valve replacement (aortic valve, 20 patients; mitral valve, 20 patients). Early postoperatively, ejection fraction decreased significantly (p <0.001) in both patient groups (from 0.55 ± 12 to 0.40 ± 0.14 [mean ± 1 standard deviation] in patients with aortic regurgitation and from 0.66 ± 0.09 to 0.48 ± 0.11 in patients with mitral regurgitation). The decrease in ejection fraction was associated with a large decrease in stroke volume with minimal or no change in end-systolic volume; it was unrelated to the preoperative ejection fraction. Early postoperative ejection fraction correlated best with preoperative end-systolic volume and was normal in 14 (67 percent) of 21 patients with a preoperative ejection fraction above 0.60; 4 (27 percent) of 15 patients with a preoperative ejection fraction of 0.50 to 0.60; and in 0 of 4 patients with a preoperative ejection fraction below 0.50 (p <0.05). In addition, a repeated scan in 16 patients late (1 to 2 years) after operation showed a further reduction in endsystolic volume in patients with aortic regurgitation with an increase in ejection fraction toward preoperative values. There was no significant change in patients with mitral regurgitation. End-diastolic volume decreased significantly (p <0.001) early postoperatively (from 162 ± 60 to 102 ± 41 ml/m2 in patients with aortic regurgitation and from 131 ± 40 to 78 ± 30 ml/m2 in patients with mitral regurgitation). This decrease was closely related to a decrease in stroke volume and was unrelated to preoperative ejection fraction. Early postoperative end-diastolic volume correlated best with the preoperative end-systolic volume. The major part of the reduction in end-diastolic volume occurred within 2 weeks of valve replacement. Removal of chronic left ventricular volume overload due to aortic or mitral regurgitation produces a decrease in ejection fraction and end-diastolic volume. The early reduction is in part a result of altered loading conditions and may not necessarily imply alterations in myocardial contractile function. The reduction in ejection fraction appears to persist in patients with mitral regurgitation.
Ex Vivo Selection and Expansion of Cells Based on Expression of a Mutated Inosine Monophosphate Dehydrogenase 2 after HIV Vector Transduction: Effects on Lymphocytes, Monocytes, and CD34+ Stem Cells

Hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) represent an ideal target for gene therapy treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. However, gene delivery into quiescent HPCs by retroviral or lentiviral vectors remains relatively poor. We evaluated a selection scheme based on the expression of a variant of inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase 2 (IMPDH2), the rate-limiting enzyme in the de novo purine biosynthesis pathway. As lymphocytes depend more than other cell types on de novo synthesis of purines, IMPDH inhibitors such as mycophenolic acid (MPA) can selectively expand lymphocytes overexpressing the enzymes. We used HIV vectors to deliver an IMPDH variant into T cells and HPCs. We showed that the transduced T cells became resistant to MPA selection. By expressing a short hairpin RNA gene targeted to the HIV gag transcript, the MPA-selected T cells became resistant to HIV-1 infection. Monocyte/macrophages derived from the transduced HPCs differentiated normally and exhibited normal function as measured by B7 up-regulation and phagocytosis when stimulated. Our results suggest that this system may be applicable as a selection strategy to enrich transduced T lymphocytes and mononuclear cells in vivo for HIV gene therapy.
The Aurora Project: Optical Design For A Kilojoule Class KrF Laser

Aurora is a 248-nm,10-kilojoule laser system being built at Los Alamos National Laboratory to demonstrate the feasibility of large KrF laser systems for laser fusion. It was designed as a test bed to demonstrate: 1) efficient energy extraction at 248 nm; 2) an angularly multiplexed optical system that is scaleable to large system designs; 3) the control of parasitics and ASE (amplified spontaneous emission); 4) long path pulse propagation at uv wavelengths; 5) alignment systems for multibeam systems; and 6) new or novel approaches to optical hardware that can lead to cost reduction on large systems. In this paper only issues pertinent to the optical system are addressed.
Multiple soliton solutions for the integrable couplings of the KdV and the KP equations

In this work, we study the nonlinear integrable couplings of the KdV and the Kadomtsev-Petviashvili (KP) equations. The simplified Hirota’s method will be used for this study. We show that these couplings possess multiple soliton solutions the same as the multiple soliton solutions of the KdV and the KP equations, but differ only in the coefficients of the transformation used. This difference exhibits soliton solutions for some equations and anti-soliton solutions for others.
Coadsorption of arsenic(III) and arsenic(V) onto hydrous ferric oxide: effects on abiotic oxidation of arsenic(III), extraction efficiency, and model accuracy.

Single solute adsorption and coadsorption of As(III) and As(V) onto hydrous ferric oxide (HFO), oxidation of As(III), and extraction efficiencies were measured in 0.2 atm O2. Oxidation was negligible for single-adsorbate experiments, but significant oxidation was observed in the presence of As(V) and HFO. Single-adsorbate As(III) or As(V) were incompletely extracted (0.5 M NaOH for 20 min), but all As was recovered in coadsorbate experiments. Single-adsorbate data were well-simulated using published surface complexation models, but those models (calibrated for single-adsorbate results) provided poor fits for coadsorbate experiments. An amended model accurately simulated single- and coadsorbate results. Model predictions of significant change in As(III) surface complex speciation in coadsorbate experiments was confirmed using zeta potential measurements. Our results demonstrate that mobility of arsenic in groundwater and removal in engineered treatment systems are more complicated when both As(III) and As(...
Mossbauer effect studies of magnetism in superconducting systems

The applications of Mossbauer spectroscopy to studies of superconductivity are reviewed. with an emphasis on magnetic properties. Important contributions utilizing this technique have included studies of spin-lattice relaxation rates for magnetic impurities as a measure of magnetic pair-breaking effects, studies of magnetic ordering and its relationship to superconductivity in ternary superconductors such as the Chevrel phase, Re-Rh4B4 and oxide superconducting compounds, evaluation of crystal field ground states for magnetic ions, and studies of substitutional sites and the role of impurities on superconductivity in the high temperature superconductors.
Prevalence of Periodontal Disease in Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (Juvenile Diabetes)

Because infections and inflammatory reactions often increase the insulin requirements of previously stable patients who have diabetes, this study of periodontal infections in young patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus was undertaken.
The workers’ camp versus Main Street: then and now in the Mexican-American neighborhoods of the non-metro Midwest

This qualitative study explores the physical landscapes associated with Mexican-Americans in small Midwestern cities, comparing landscapes of established communities with those of newly formed ones. The study primarily uses field observation to describe and categorize 11 cities in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio as five landscape types. Demographic and economic factors also are considered. The primary finding is that landscape types associated with established Mexican-American communities differ in consistent and predictable ways from those associated with newly arrived Mexican-American communities. These findings have implications for landscape and planning practice as well as the changing impact of immigrants on American cities.
Generalized Hermite interpolation and positive definite kernels on a Riemannian manifold

Abstract In this paper we introduce a class of positive definite kernels defined on a closed, compact, Riemannian manifold. These kernels provide a grid-free method for solving uniquely a generalized version of the Hermite interpolation problem, a version in which one fits a smooth surface to multi-dimensional scattered data-including data generated by derivatives, fluxes, or any other quantity one can obtain by integrating a function against a compactly supported distribution. The positive definite kernels introduced here include the C∞ members of the class of spherical positive definite functions introduced by Schoenberg [Duke Math, J. 9 (1942), 96-108] and shown to be strictly positive definite by Xu and Cheney [Proc. Amer. Math, Sec.116 (1992), 977-981]. Thus, as a consequence of our results, the generalized Hermite interpolation problem is well-poised-i.e., a solution exists and is unique-for the class of interpolants constructed out of C∞ spherical positive definite functions. We also provide similar results when the underlying manifold is the m-dimensional torus.
Extractable Soil Phosphorus Concentrations and Creeping Bentgrass Response on Sand Greens

Few studies have directly related turfgrass growth and quality responses to extractable soil P concentrations in sand greens. A 3-yr field experiment was conducted on a sand-based putting green to determine creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) growth and quality responses to extractable soil P. Extractable soil P concentrations were obtained by using the modified-Morgan, Mehlich-1, and Bray-1 extractants. Critical extractable P concentrations (above which there is a low probability of response to increasing soil P concentrations) for shoot counts, thatch thickness, relative clipping yields, quality ratings, P deficiency ratings, tissue P concentrations, and root weights were determined using Cate-Nelson (CN) and quadratic response and plateau (QRP) models. Both models fit the data relatively well in most cases (R 2 values from 0.12 to 0.89), and critical concentrations for the QRP models were always greater than the CN models. Critical extractable P concentrations were lowest for the modified-Morgan extractant (1.4 to 12.0 mg kg -1 ) and greatest for the Mehlich-1 extractant (14.1 to 63.6 mg kg -1 ). Application of estimated critical extractable P concentrations in this study could be used to substantiate observed responses or explain lack of responses in other previously reported creeping bentgrass P studies. We found better model fits with modified-Morgan extractable P for bentgrass quality ratings, deficiency ratings, and tissue P concentrations than with P extracted by the Mehlich or Bray methods. This suggests that the modified-Morgan extractant may have advantages over stronger-acid extractants when used on sand-based media. The results can be used to revise or update existing P fertilization recommendations for bentgrass grown on sand-based media.
PUBLIC ENTERPRISE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND THE IMPACT OF ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION: THE EXPERIENCE OF AMERICAN SEAPORTS ON THE PACIFIC RIM

Port authorities perceive their ideas as broadly supportive of regional economic development and are strongly associated with chambers of commerce, economic development agencies and growth oriented citizens groups. However, shifts in American foreign trade and the use of new technologies atid environmental regulation have dramatically changed the seaport industry over the last 15 years. As public enterprises, many ports responded to the new competitive markets by developing efficient but capital intensive container technologies. Environmental regulation also had a role in stimulating more efficient use of port lands. Although frequently viewed as a road block to all development plans, the intergovernmental review processes may have helped turn ports away from their traditional patterns of land expansion development and toward redevelopment of existing facilities. With the constraint of greatly reduced expansion opportunities. the enterprising ports figured out they could greatly increase cargo handling capacity without enacting the wrath of environmental quality interests. This paper examines this contention with both economic logic and inferential data.
Learning More About How They Think: Information Literacy Instruction in a Campus-Wide Critical Thinking Project

ABSTRACT Critical thinking and information literacy are strongly connected. At Washington State University, librarians have been involved with first-year experience programs and with a grant-funded critical thinking project that enhanced the library instruction and outreach efforts and has led to increased involvement with new initiatives on campus.
Yield and Quality of Banana Irrigated with Fractions of Class A Pan Evaporation on an Oxisol

There is a scarcity of information regarding the optimum water requirement for banana (Musa acuminata Colla, AAA group) grown with supplemental drip irrigation on an Oxisol. A 3-yr study was conducted on a very-fine, kaolinitic, isohyperthermic Typic Hapludox to determine water requirement, yield, and fruit-quality traits of the plant crop (PC) and two ratoon crops (R2 and R3) of Grande Naine' and Johnson' banana subjected to five levels of irrigation. The irrigation treatments were based on Class A pan factors that ranged from 0.25 to 1.25 in increments of 0.25. Drip irrigation was supplied three times a week on alternate days. Results showed significant (P < 0.001) irrigation treatment and crop effects for all yield components, fruit length and diameter, number of leaves at flowering and harvest, and number of hands per bunch. Cultivar and the treatment by cultivar interaction were not significant (P < 0.05). The highest marketable yield (70.7 Mg ha -1 ) was obtained from the R2 crop with water application according to a pan factor of 1.25. Plant crop and R3 plants irrigated using the same pan factor yielded 48 and 65 Mg ha -1 , respectively. Increasing the pan factors from 0.25 to 1.25 resulted in weight gains of the third-upper hand of 594 g in PC, 1284 g in R2, and 1429 g in R3. It was concluded that banana grown on an Oxisol should be drip irrigated with a pan factor of 1.0 or more three times a week.
A systematic review of proactive health management and empowerment for senior citizens

As a society, the developments that have been made in technology truly have revolutionized the way we go about our livelihood. For the older generation, the implementation of technology in regards to their health can play a major role. Telehealth technology has the ability to increase the quality of care by managing chronic diseases and preventing hospitalization. The personal attention keeps patients engaged as they are educated on their daily health, and more importantly reducing healthcare costs with evidence based interventions. This research has the ability to assist those with large disparities in income; after all, the patients come from various socioeconomic backgrounds. This research study has aimed to implement a cost-effective delivery method personalized to individual needs in their own living setting. The system developed is user-friendly and according to data, has increased the quality of living. This is a system which monitors and identifies a number of participants having a leading chronic disease, or an ongoing health condition. During the timeframe of 6 months, the pilot was designed to collect each patient's data, specifically blood pressure, oxygen levels and weight. We then set up a parameter which consisted of their current health conditions, According to the 2010 census, seniors are the fastest growing population in the world and the need for telehealth is greater than ever. The quality of care through telehealth studies revealed that 88 % of participants found that there was a benefit to having a remote nurse. Bi-weekly assessments through Vital Care involved taking vitals which included measuring blood oxygen levels, taking blood pressure and weight. Of the bi-weekly assessments done by trained technicians, 92 % of the participants looked forward to their appointment, and 96 % of them would like the program to continue. The bi-weekly assessments also led to 80 % of participants learning more about their health conditions and overall 71 % of participants had an increased awareness of their individual diet and nutrition. The end result of self-awareness by receiving bi-weekly updates became that 63 % of participants had self-reported health improvements and it helped 55 % of them cut back on hospitalizations. The data demonstrated statistically that a bi-weekly assessment of general health can lead to improved awareness on the current state of well-being. The results suggest that by educating seniors on their general health it can lead to improvements through cutbacks on hospitalizations by improving things within their control (ex: nutrition and diet).
Safety of code motion

This paper discusses some of the constraints which should be placed on compiler optimization. First, the optimized program should produce the same output as the original program and second, the optimizer should not introduce new error side effects, such as a divide-check interrupt. The latter restriction might be called the safety constraint. Once these constraints are defined, the remainder of the paper is devoted to an algorithm which determines when it is“safe”to move expressions out of loops.
Biological therapy for ulcerative colitis

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a major form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) worldwide. Better understanding of the pathogenesis of UC has led to the development of novel therapeutic agents that target specific mediators of the inflammatory cascade. A number of biological agents have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of UC and several more are currently in various phases of drug development. The commonly used agents include TNFα antagonists (e.g. infliximab, adalimumab, and golimumab) and anti-integrin agents (vedolizumab). These biological agents have profoundly influenced the management of UC patients, especially those with refractory disease. This paper reviews the currently available knowledge and evidence for the use of various biological agents in the treatment of UC.
Computing exact path delay-fault coverage using OBDDs

Symbolic representation of path delay-faults can achieve high degree of compaction relative to more explicit forms. Large numbers of path delay-faults exist in common digital circuits. Ordered binary decision diagrams (OBDDs) provide a convenient data structure to represent these large number of path delay faults during the process of fault simulation computing the path delay-fault coverage for a given delay test-set. We present some experimental results from applying these algorithms to common benchmark examples that demonstrate the viability of our approach.
Diagnostic Immunohistochemistry of Canine and Feline Intracalvarial Tumors in the Age of Brain Biopsies

The focus of immunohistochemistry as applied to nervous system tumors is in identifying the neoplasm present and evaluating margins between normal and neoplastic tissue. Although not always utilized by specialists in neuropathology, immunohistochemistry remains useful to resolve concerns about the differentiation and rate of tumor growth. The aims of this review are to discuss the utility of immunohistochemical reagents currently used in diagnosis of canine and feline intracalvarial tumors, to indicate the applicability of some tests currently used in human nervous system tumors for domestic species, and to evaluate a few less commonly used reagents. A panel of biomarkers is usually needed to confirm a diagnosis, with groups of reagents for leptomeningeal, intraparenchymal, and ventricular neoplasms. In the future, signature genetic alterations found among feline and canine brain tumors—as correlated prospectively with diagnosis, rate of enlargement, or response to treatment—may result in new immunohistochemical reagents to simplify the task of diagnosis. Prospective studies determining the type and proportion of stem cell marker expression on patient longevity are likely to be fruitful and suggest new therapies. Due to increased frequency of biopsy or partial resection of tumors from the living patient, biomarkers are needed to serve as accurate prognostic indicators and assist in determining the efficacy of developing therapeutic options in nervous system tumors of dogs and cats.
Replication of lengthened Moloney murine leukemia virus genomes is impaired at multiple stages

It has been assumed that RNA packaging constraints limit the size of retroviral genomes. This notion of a retroviral “headful” was tested by examining the ability of Moloney murine leukemia virus genomes lengthened by 4, 8, or 11 kb to participate in a single replication cycle. Overall, replication of these lengthened genomes was 5- to 10-fold less efficient than that of native-length genomes. When RNA expression and virion formation, RNA packaging, and early stages of replication were compared, long genomes were found to complete each step less efficiently than did normal-length genomes. To test whether short RNAs might facilitate the packaging of lengthy RNAs by heterodimerization, some experiments involved coexpression of a short packageable RNA. However, enhancement of neither long vector RNA packaging nor long vector DNA synthesis was observed in the presence of the short RNA. Most of the proviruses templated by 12 and 16 kb vectors appeared to be full length. Most products of a 19.2-kb vector contained deletions, but some integrated proviruses were around twice the native genome length. These results demonstrate that lengthy retroviral genomes can be packaged and that genome length is not strictly limited at any individual replication step. These observations also suggest that the lengthy read-through RNAs postulated to be intermediates in retroviral transduction can be packaged directly without further processing.
17β-estradiol induced Ca2+ influx via L-type calcium channels activates the Src/ERK/cyclic-AMP response element binding protein signal pathway and BCL-2 expression in rat hippocampal neurons: A potential initiation mechanism for estrogen-induced neuroprotection

Abstract Our group and others have demonstrated that 17β-estradiol (E2) induces neurotrophic and neuroprotective responses in hippocampal and cortical neurons which are dependent upon the Src/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathways. The purpose of this study was to determine the upstream mechanism(s) that initiates the signaling cascade leading to E2-inducible neuroprotection. We tested the hypothesis that E2 activates rapid Ca2+ influx in hippocampal neurons, which would lead to activation of the Src/ERK signaling cascade and up-regulation of Bcl-2 protein expression. Using fura-2 ratiometric Ca2+ imaging, we demonstrated that E2 induced a rapid rise of intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) within minutes of exposure which was blocked by an L-type Ca2+ channel antagonist. Inhibition of L-type Ca2+ channels resulted in a loss of E2 activation of the Src/ERK cascade, activation of cyclic-AMP response element binding protein (CREB) and subsequent increase in Bcl-2. Real-time intracellular Ca2+ imaging combined with pERK immunofluorescence, demonstrated that E2 induced [Ca2+]i was coincident with ERK activation in the same neuron. Small interfering RNA knockdown of CREB resulted in a loss of E2 activation of CREB and subsequent E2-induced increase of Bcl-2 expression. We further demonstrated the presence of specific membrane E2 binding sites in hippocampal neurons. Together, these data indicate that E2-induced Ca2+ influx via the L-type Ca2+ channel is required for E2 activation of the Src/ERK/CREB/Bcl-2 signaling. Implications of these data for understanding estrogen action in brain and use of estrogen therapy for prevention of neurodegenerative disease are discussed.
Dabigatran and Kidney Disease: A Bad Combination

Dabigatran is an oral direct thrombin inhibitor widely used to prevent and treat various thromboembolic complications. An advantage of this agent over other anticoagulants is that routine laboratory monitoring and related dose adjustments are considered unnecessary. A major disadvantage is the absence of a reliable means of reversing its anticoagulant effect. After U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval, recently emerged data suggest a higher bleeding risk with dabigatran, especially in the elderly. Clinicians are thus faced with caring for patients with serious bleeding events without readily available tests to measure drug levels or the anticoagulant effects of dabigatran and without effective antidotes to rapidly reverse the anticoagulant effect. On the basis of dabigatran's pharmacokinetic profile, hemodialysis and continuous renal replacement therapy have been used to remove dabigatran with the hope, still unproven, that this would rapidly reverse the anticoagulant effect and reduce bleeding in patients with normal and those with reduced kidney function. However, the best clinical approach to the patient with serious bleeding is not known, and the risks of placing a hemodialysis catheter in an anticoagulated patient can be substantial. This article reviews this issue, addressing clinical indications, drug pharmacokinetics, clinical and laboratory monitoring tests, and dialytic and nondialytic approaches to reduce bleeding in dabigatran-treated patients.
Encounter rates of cetaceans in the Mediterranean Sea and contiguous Atlantic area

A series of visual-acoustic surveys were carried out in the Mediterranean Sea between 2003 and 2007 from RV 'Song of the Whale'. Almost 21,000 km of trackline were surveyed between the longitudes of 14°W and 3 6°E with an emphasis on regions with low survey effort. Survey tracklines were designed to provide even coverage probability with random start points. Ten cetacean species were positively identified (sperm whale, fin whale, Cuvier's beaked whale, false killer whale, long-finned pilot whale, Risso's dolphin, common bottlenose dolphin, rough-toothed dolphin, striped dolphin and short-beaked common dolphin). Several of these species, plus sei whale and harbour porpoise, were also encountered in the Atlantic contiguous area (the entrance waters of the Mediterranean between the Iberian Peninsula and north-west Morocco). These surveys expand and clarify the known distributions of cetaceans within the Mediterranean basin. New species documented from Libyan waters include sperm whale, striped dolphin and rough-toothed dolphin. False killer whales and rough-toothed dolphins were documented for the first time off Cyprus. Live harbour porpoises were seen for the first time on Morocco's Atlantic seaboard. It is suggested that the status of rough-toothed dolphins in the Mediterranean be revised from visitor to regular species. Substantial new information on encounter rates is now available for the planning of a basin-wide systematic survey of cetaceans within the Mediterranean Sea and contiguous Atlantic waters.
Additives and Contaminants

This chapter presents data on a few selected compounds that are added directly to foods, as well as processing aids and some compounds that may migrate into foods in small amounts during packaging.
Peptide inhibition of human cytomegalovirus infection

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the most prevalent congenital viral infection in the United States and Europe causing significant morbidity and mortality to both mother and child. HCMV is also an opportunistic pathogen in immunocompromised individuals, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)- infected patients with AIDS, and solid organ and allogeneic stem cell transplantation recipients. Current treatments for HCMV-associated diseases are insufficient due to the emergence of drug-induced resistance and cytotoxicity, necessitating novel approaches to limit HCMV infection. The aim of this study was to develop therapeutic peptides targeting glycoprotein B (gB), a major glycoprotein of HCMV that is highly conserved across the Herpesviridae family, that specifically inhibit fusion of the viral envelope with the host cell membrane preventing HCMV entry and infection. Using the Wimley-White Interfacial Hydrophobicity Scale (WWIHS), several regions within gB were identified that display a high potential to interact with lipid bilayers of cell membranes and hydrophobic surfaces within proteins. The ability of synthetic peptides analogous to WWIHS-positive sequences of HCMV gB to inhibit viral infectivity was evaluated. Human foreskin fibroblasts (HFF) were infected with the Towne-GFP strain of HCMV (0.5 MOI), preincubated with peptides at a range of concentrations (78 nm to 100 μM), and GFP-positive cells were visualized 48 hours post-infection by fluorescence microscopy and analyzed quantitatively by flow cytometry. Peptides that inhibited HCMV infection demonstrated different inhibitory concentration curves indicating that each peptide possesses distinct biophysical properties. Peptide 174-200 showed 80% inhibition of viral infection at a concentration of 100 μM, and 51% and 62% inhibition at concentrations of 5 μM and 2.5 μM, respectively. Peptide 233-263 inhibited infection by 97% and 92% at concentrations of 100 μM and 50 μM, respectively, and 60% at a concentration of 2.5 μM. While peptides 264-291 and 297-315, individually failed to inhibit viral infection, when combined, they showed 67% inhibition of HCMV infection at a concentration of 0.125 μM each. Peptides designed to target putative fusogenic domains of gB provide a basis for the development of novel therapeutics that prevent HCMV infection.
The long and winding road for the development of tasquinimod as an oral second-generation quinoline-3-carboxamide antiangiogenic drug for the treatment of prostate cancer.

Importance of the field: Prostate cancer is the mostly commonly diagnosed non-skin cancer in males. The culmination of the last 70 years of clinical drug development has documented that androgen ablation plus taxane-based systemic chemotherapy enhances survival, but is not curative, in metastatic prostate cancer. To effect curative therapy, additional drugs must be developed that enhance the response when combined with androgen ablation/taxane therapy.Areas covered in this review: The history of the discovery and development of tasquinimod as a second-generation oral quinoline-3-carboxamide analogue for prostate cancer will be presented.What the reader will gain: The mechanism for such anticancer efficacy is via tasquinimod's ability to inhibit the ‘angiogenic switch’ within cancer sites required for their continuous lethal growth.Take home message: Tasquinimod is a novel inhibitor of tumor angiogenesis that enhances the therapeutic anticancer response when combined with other standard-of-care modalities ...
Lack of a major role of Staphylococcus aureus Panton-Valentine leukocidin in lower respiratory tract infection in nonhuman primates

Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) is a two-component cytolytic toxin epidemiologically linked to community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) infections, including serious invasive infections caused by the epidemic clone referred to as strain USA300. Although PVL has long been known to be a S. aureus virulence molecule in vitro, the relative contribution of this leukotoxin to invasive CA-MRSA infections such as pneumonia remains controversial. We developed a nonhuman primate model of CA-MRSA pneumonia and used it to test the hypothesis that PVL contributes to lower respiratory tract infections caused by S. aureus strain USA300. The lower respiratory tract disease observed in this monkey model mimicked the clinical and pathological features of early mild to moderate S. aureus pneumonia in humans, including fine-structure histopathology. In this experiment using a large sample of monkeys and multiple time points of examination, no involvement of PVL in virulence could be detected. Compared with the wild-type parental USA300 strain, the isogenic PVL deletion-mutant strain caused equivalent lower respiratory tract pathology. We conclude that PVL does not contribute to lower respiratory tract infection in this nonhuman primate model of human CA-MRSA pneumonia.
Toxicogenomic analysis of chlorine vapor-induced porcine skin injury

Chlorine is an industrial chemical that can cause cutaneous burns. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of tissue damage and wound healing is important for the selection and development of an effective post-exposure treatment. This study investigated the effect of cutaneous chlorine vapor exposure using a weanling swine burn model and microarray analysis. Ventral abdominal sites were exposed to a mean calculated chlorine vapor concentration of 2.9 g/L for 30 min. Skin samples were harvested at 1.5 h, 3 h, 6 h, and 24 h post-exposure and stored in RNAlater® until processing. Total RNA was isolated, processed, and hybridized to Affymetrix GeneChip® Porcine Genome Arrays. Differences in gene expression were observed with respect to sampling time. Ingenuity Pathways Analysis revealed seven common biological functions among the top ten functions of each time point, while canonical pathway analysis revealed 3 genes (IL-6, IL1A, and IL1B) were commonly shared among three significantly altered signaling pathway...
Maximum power throughput in the multiphase BLDC generator

This paper presents an advanced control technique for maximum power throughput of the multiphase Brushless DC (BLDC) generator of given design. In a generator of given rating, the weight and size of the system affect the fuel consumption directly. Therefore, maximum power density is one of the most important issues in a stand-alone generator. BLDC generator has high power density in the machine point of view and additional increases by control means can be expected. Conventional rectification methods cannot achieve the maximum power possible because of non-optimal current waveforms. The optimal control scheme to maximize power density and minimize machine size and weight in a multiphase, nonsinusoidal power supply system has been derived, incorporated in a control system, and verified by simulation and experimental work.
Crop residue and tillage effects on carbon sequestration in a Luvisol in central Ohio

Abstract Soils play a key role in the global carbon cycle. They can be a source or a sink of carbon and influence CO 2 concentrations in the atmosphere. In order to calculate the carbon budget of a region, the effect of soil management practices on carbon sequestration in soils needs to be quantified. Objectives of this experiment were to determine: (i) the effects of ridge till, plow till and no-till on the soil organic carbon (SOC) pool; (ii) the SOC loss or sequestration for mulch rates of 0–16 Mg ha −1 year −1 wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) straw applied in combination with each tillage method, and (iii) impacts of tillage and crop residue treatments on soil physical quality, including aggregation and porosity. The experiment was initiated in 1989 on a Crosby silt loam (Stagnic Luvisol) in Central Ohio. Seven years after initiation of the experiment, there was a positive, linear effect of residue application rate on SOC contents in all tillage treatments. In the eighth year of the experiment these trends were confirmed for plow and no-till, but not for ridge till. Linear-regression equations, relating SOC content for the 0–10 cm soil depth to mulch rate, were: for no-till: SOC (Mg ha −1 ) = 15.21 + 0.32 [Residue (Mg ha −1 year −1 )] ( r = 0.68) and for plow till: SOC = 11.95 + 0.27 [Residue] ( p = 0.72). The carbon conversion efficiencies were 8% per year for plow till and 10% per year for no-till. Detailed sampling at different depths revealed that increases in SOC content were only significant for the 0–5 cm depths of plow and no-till treatments. Effects of crop residue application on water stable aggregation in the 0–10 cm layer were most pronounced with plow till and ridge till but not with no-till. Water retention characteristics, a measure of pore size distribution, was not influenced by tillage system, but crop residue application had a significant effect on water retention in the 0–10 cm layer at matric suctions of 30–300 kPa. This means that residue application increased macropores of diameters 1–10 μm. It is concluded that, depending on the amount of crop residue returned to the soil, the large numbers of farmers converting from plow to no-till cultivation in the Corn Belt may create an important sink for atmospheric CO 2 .
Blastocyst embryo transfer is associated with a sex-ratio imbalance in favor of male offspring

Objective To evaluate the sex ratio of offspring born after blastocyst transfers. Design Retrospective data analysis. Setting A large assisted reproductive technology center. Patient(s) We included 1,284 offspring from 937 deliveries during the period August 2003–August 2005. Intervention(s) Tabulation and statistical analysis of all births resulting from fresh IVF cycles. The sex of resulting offspring was compared in both day 3 and blastocyst transfers for all births and for singleton deliveries. In addition, the sex of children conceived with the use of autologous oocytes and donor oocytes was evaluated. Main Outcome Measure Sex ratio of offspring born following embryo transfers (ETs) after day 3 of culture and sequential blastocycst culture. Result(s) The overall sex ratio was significantly shifted toward males when blastocyst transfers were performed. Blastocyst transfers with only the use of autologous oocytes resulted again in a significantly higher proportion of male offspring. An even greater proportional difference was encountered in singleton offspring from donor oocytes. However, significance was not reached because of the limited number of offspring in the subgroup. Conclusion(s) This is the first individual-center report of a significant sex-ratio imbalance after the sequential media culture of blastocysts. The large imbalance in singleton births associated with the use of donor oocytes, although not significant, is cautionary in regard to the use of elective single ETs. Observation and publication of phenomena such as the effects of extended culture on the sex ratio of live-borns will allow us a better understanding of early differences in sexual dimorphism of the embryo, and will allow us to counsel our patients more appropriately.
The interplay of biology and technology

Technologies for biological research arise in multiple ways—through serendipity, through inspired insights, and through incremental advances—and they are tightly coupled to progress in engineering. Underlying the complex dynamics of technology and biology are the different motivations of those who work in the two realms. Consideration of how methodologies emerge has implications for the planning of interdisciplinary centers and the training of the next generation of scientists.
On building distributed soft real-time systems

When building a distributed real-time system, one can either build the whole system from scratch, or from pre-existing standard components. Although the former allows better scheduling design, it may not be economical in terms of the cost and time of development. This paper studies the performance of distributed soft real-time systems that use standard components with various scheduling algorithms and suggests ways to improve them. >
Sensitivity of Second-Mode Linear Stability to Constitutive Models within Hypersonic Flow

The goal of this investigation is to evaluate the sensitivity of second-mode growth to changes (within accepted uncertainties) in thermodynamic, reaction-rate, and transport models. The geometry considered in this investigation is a 0.5-mm radius spherically blunted right-circular cone, with a half-angle of 21 ‐ . The free-stream conditions are representative of ∞ight through the upper atmosphere at Mach 13.5. Accordingly, the thermodynamics and transport properties are considered using a chemical non-equilibrium framework. Five cases are run: a baseline case, a case using difierent models for the species’ speciflc-heats, a case using a difierent transport model, and two cases with adjusted reaction-rates for the dissociation of oxygen. Following second-mode theory, particular attention is paid to the thermal boundarylayer proflles for the basic state. The largest change in these thermal proflles is noted for the case where a difierent transport model is used. Consistent with theory, the magnitude of change in the second-mode stability results correlates strongly with changes in the basic-state thermal boundary-layer proflle. The largest change in the stability behavior is observed for the case where the transport model is changed.
Algorithmic transformations for neural computing and performance of supervised learning on a dataflow machine

Reprogrammable dataflow neural classifiers are proposed as an alternative to traditional implementations. In general, these classifiers are based on functional languages, neural-dataflow transformations, dataflow algorithmic transformations, and dataflow multiprocessors. An experimental approach is used to investigate the performance of a large-scale fine-grained dataflow classifier architecture. In this study, the functional descriptions of high level data dependency of a supervised learning algorithm are transformed into a machine executable low-level dataflow graph. The tagged token dataflow algorithmic transformation is applied to exploit the parallelism. Dataflow neural classifiers are used to implement the learning algorithm. No attempt is made to optimize the granularity of the high-level language programming blocks to balance the computation and communication. The proposed classifier architecture is more versatile than other existing architectures. Performance results show the effectiveness of dataflow neural classifiers. >
Comparison of tissue-selective proinflammatory gene induction in mice infected with wild-type, DNA adenine methylase-deficient, and flagellin-deficient Salmonella enterica.

Mutants of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium deficient in DNA adenine methylase (Dam) are attenuated for virulence in mice and confer heightened immunity in vaccinated animals. In contrast, infection of mice with wild-type (WT) strains or flagellin-deficient mutants of Salmonella causes typhoid fever. Here we examined the bacterial load and spatiotemporal kinetics of expression of several classes of host genes in Peyer's patches, the liver, and the spleen following oral infection of mice with WT, dam mutant, or flagellin-deficient (flhC) Salmonella. The genes evaluated included inflammatory (interleukin-1β [IL-1β], tumor necrosis factor alpha), chemokine (macrophage inflammatory protein 2), Th1/Th2 indicator (IL-12p40, IL-4), and interferon system (beta interferon [IFN-β], IFN-γ, protein Mx1 GTPase, RNA-dependent protein kinase, inducible nitric oxide synthase, suppressor of cytokine signaling 1) beacons. We showed that maximal interferon system and proinflammatory gene induction occurred by 5 days after infection and that the levels were comparable for the WT and flhC strains but were significantly lower for the dam mutant. Additionally, host gene expression in systemic tissues of individual animals was dependent on the bacterial load in the Peyer's patches for mice infected with WT, dam mutant, or flhC mutant Salmonella as early as 8 h after infection. Moreover, a bacterial load threshold in the Peyer's patches was necessary to stimulate the host gene induction in the liver and spleen. Taken together, these results suggest that bacterial load and the accompanying strain-specific cytokine signature are important determinants of the host innate immune response and associated disease manifestations observed in dam mutant Salmonella-infected animals compared to the immune response and disease manifestations observed in WT and flhC mutant Salmonella-infected animals.
Design of integrated crystallization systems

A systematic procedure is developed for designing an integrated crystallization system by considering the interaction between crystallization and downstream processing. Potential problems related to unit operations such as filtration, washing, dewatering, recrystallization, and drying are anticipated and resolved by determining an operating policy and configuration for the crystallizer as well as the downstream units. The approach can be applied to both batch and continuous crystallizers. First, the possible impacts of particle-size distribution (PSD) on the downstream processing units are identified. This forms the basis for determining a target PSD in the second step. Third, possible means by which the desired PSD can be achieved are selected. Fourth, the alternatives thus generated are evaluated and compared to identify the best design. Heuristics are provided along the way to guide the decision making. Shortcut equipment models are used to compare the performance of the alternatives. The procedure is illustrated with two industrial examples, including the production of adipic acid.
Fetal sonographic findings: Analysis of the most frequent patterns and their specificity of association

A major goal of obstetric sonography is the detection of patterns of anomalies in order to make a diagnosis, or to determine which pregnant women should be offered invasive testing. Previous studies have analyzed patterns from the perspective of a specific anomaly and its associations, e.g., increased nuchal translucency measurement and structural heart disease. In this study we applied the technique of cluster analysis to a population data set that consisted of fetuses with at least two sonographically detectable anomalies. The specificity of association of the most frequent patterns found in our population was evaluated by means of the ratio of the observed number of fetuses with the findings (O) over the expected number of such fetuses (E). The observation that different patterns aggregate in a relatively small number of clusters was then evaluated by means of cluster analysis for binary data. Results show that several patterns can be considered in nonrandom associations, based on the O/E ratio. Most of these patterns are well known to clinicians but validate this new approach. As cluster analysis is applied to antenatal sonographic data sets, new patterns of associations of anomalies may be detected.