cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of acute flaccid paralysis cases in Xinxiang City from 2005 to 2010

Objective:According to the analysis of the epidemiological characteristics and the monitoring results of the acute flaccid paralysis(AFP) cases in Xinxiang City,the paper aims to guide and maintain the polio-free methods of the city.Methods:The descriptive epidemiological analysis was conducted on the collected city reported AFP cases data and the related survey data in Xinxiang City from 2005 to 2010.Results:A total of 138 local children under the age of 15 AFP cases were reported during 2005 to 2010.The average annual reporting rate was 2.2/lakh,there were no reporting cases of polio strain detection and polio.The indicators of the monitoring system's sensitivity and integrity were significantly more than the Ministry of Health requirements,but the double pass rate of specimen collection did not meet the requirements of the Ministry of Health.Conclusion:Xinxiang city's AFP surveillance system was working well,but there were a certain immunity gaps and the threat of imported cases.The cases treatment,the timeliness of reporting,case study quality were expected to be improved,it was to strengthen the immunization and health education ant the training in investigation techniques.
Using a virtual environment to study the impact of sending traffic alerts to texting pedestrians

This paper presents an experiment conducted in a large-screen immersive virtual environment to evaluate how texting pedestrians respond to permissive traffic alerts delivered via their cell phone. We developed a cell phone app that delivered information to texting pedestrians about when traffic conditions permit safe crossing. We compared gap selection and movement timing in three groups of pedestrians: texting, texting with alerts, and no texting (control). Participants in the control and alert groups chose larger gaps and were more discriminating in their gap choices than participants in the texting group. Both the control and alert groups had more time to spare than the texting group when they exited the roadway even though the alert group timed their entry relative to the lead car less tightly than the control and texting groups. By choosing larger gaps, participants in the alert group were able to compensate for their poorer timing of entry, resulting in a margin of safety that did not differ from those who were not texting. However, they also relied heavily on the alert system and paid less attention to the roadway. The discussion focuses on the potential of assistive technologies based on Vehicle-to-Pedestrian (V2P) communications technology for mitigating pedestrian-motor vehicle crashes.
Properties of ClavibacterMichiganense Ssp. Nebraskense, C. M. ssp. Tessellarius and C. M. ssp. Michiganense Harboring pDG101

The plasmid pDG101 is indigenous to Corynebacterium flaccumfaciens ssp. oortii and mediates resistance to arsenite, arsenate, and antimony (III). When transferred to Clavibacter (= Corynebacterium) m. ssp. tessellarius, C. m. ssp. nebraskense and C. m. ssp. michiganense, it confers rough colony morphology upon transconjugants. C. m. ssp. transconjugants were less virulent than the smooth recipient strain when inoculated into wheat by partial vacuum infiltration. However, pDG101 did not affect the growth rate of C. m. ssp. tessellarius in the inoculated wheat, nor did it have an effect on in vitro growth rates of either C. m. spp. tessellarius or C. m. ssp. nebraskense. Spontaneous revertants to the smooth colony morphology were obtained from transconjugants both in vitro and in planta. These revertants were sensitive to arsenic and devoid of pDG101. Five d after inoculation of wheat plants with a rough transconjugant strain of C. m. ssp. tessellarius, 0.01% of the reisolated CFU were smooth. Reisolated cells with the rough colony morphology retained resistance to arsenic and harbored pDG101.
BRI: Cumulative Book Review Index: January 1961 through December 1965

The article presents a cumulative book review index of publications in the field of management from January 1961 through December 1965, including “Scientific Method” and “Progress in Operations Res...
Guardianship and Alternatives: Decision-Making Options

For young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), the transition to the age of majority presents many challenges. In our society, an 18 year old is presumed to be capable of making decisions for himself. However, an 18 year old with IDD may require support. Depending on the individual’s circumstances, the level of support can range widely. At one end of the spectrum, a guardianship is established over the individual and the guardian acts as a surrogate decision-maker for the individual; at the other end of the spectrum, the individual retains all decision-making authority, but delegates or shares the responsibility of making everyday decisions with trusted family, friends, or service providers, but there are many alternatives that exist within the continuum. There is no formula which will predict which option is appropriate for the individual. Each situation requires careful consideration and a solution that reflects the unique needs and desires of the individual.
Direct conversion of methane by an atmospheric-pressure dielectric barrier discharge microplasma

The conversion of methane to hydrogen and more valuable higher-order hydrocarbons is of great current importance due to the abundance of natural gas and its growing importance as an alternative fuel source. Non-oxidative coupling of methane is particularly attractive to avoid the generation of COx and potentially produce clean hydrogen. Plasma processes enable the direct dissociation of methane at much lower temperatures than a thermal process and avoid coking and deactivation of solid catalysts. Here, we present results for non-oxidative conversion of methane using an atmospheric-pressure, coaxial dielectric barrier discharge (DBD). Critically, we confined the DBD between two grounded electrodes inside the reactor to independently control the plasma volume and power (i.e. power density) and correlate these properties with methane conversion and product selectivity. One of the grounded electrodes could be moved by a micrometer-coupled feedthrough to make systematic changes to the volume. All experiments were performed with a pure feed of methane gas into the DBD operated at 20–40 kHz AC voltage. The gas effluent was continuously sampled by a gas chromatography system equipped with a thermal conductivity detector (TCD) and flame ionization detector (FID) to characterize the gas composition. Our results show that methane conversion increases nearly linearly with plasma volume from ∼1% at 4.0 mm3 to ∼8% at 32 mm3, independent of power which was kept constant at a power density of 32 mW/mm3. Interestingly, the product selectivity changed somewhat significantly as the volume was increased towards longer, saturated hydrocarbons such as ethane and propane. The selectivity was also found to change with power density with unsaturated hydrocarbons being favored at lower power densities. Microkinetic modeling, which takes into account the electron-induced reactions as well as chemical reactions of the plasma-induced intermediates, is carried out in support of these experimental observations.
UAV-Deployed Impulsive Source Localization with Sensor Network

The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is a light weight flight system that can carry sensors and cameras for data collection. Tremendous excitement surrounds the use of UAVs because they can be deployed easily and rapidly for data collection; they also can be programmed to execute missions with high degrees of autonomy. For these reasons, UAVs hold promise in accelerating the collection of data in geophysical explorations. In this study, a UAV platform is explored for the collection of data from geophones deployed to measure the vibrations of a concrete slab foundation. The UAV is designed to drop a weight as a controlled energy source. Both the energy and location of the impulsive load are adjustable by the flight parameters of the UAV. The study adopts a time-domain analysis for source localization using the dense array of geophones
Consistent linear tracker with position and range rate measurements

In active sonar and radar applications measurements consist of range, bearing and often range rate. When tracking using range and bearing measurements only, the performance of a Converted Measurement Kalman Filter (CMFK) exceeds that of a mixed coordinate Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) if an unbiased conversion from polar to Cartesian coordinates is used. Performance is further enhanced if estimation bias is eliminated by evaluating the converted measurement error covariance using the state prediction. The extension of the CMKF to use range rate as a linear measurement is possible, but limited to cases with small bearing errors. The use of range rate as a nonlinear measurement requires the use of an EKF. Due to the poor performance of the EKF in some situations, various modifications have been proposed, including use of a pseudo measurement, an alternative linearization of the measurement prediction function, and sequentially processing the converted position and range rate measurements (applied to the EKF and the Unscented Kalman Filter). Common to these approaches is that the measurement prediction function remains nonlinear. The goal of this work is to develop a measurement conversion from range, bearing and range rate to Cartesian position and velocity that is unbiased and consistent. The approach is then applied to a CMKF with appropriate elimination of conversion bias and estimation bias. Performance is compared to the conventional EKF and the EKF with alternative linearization (AEKF).
Role of FXR in Liver Inflammation during Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis.

About 15–25% of patients with simple steatosis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease progresses to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and the underlying mechanism for this progression has not been elucidated. NASH ultimately could progress to cirrhosis, an irreversible condition. Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) has been studied for its role in modulating inflammation, and the expression of FXR is down-regulated during NASH development. FXR deficiency has shown to progress and exacerbate NASH development, and FXR activation has been protective against liver inflammation associated with NASH. The expression of factors in both the adaptive and innate immune response in the liver are regulated in a FXR-dependent and -independent manner. Therefore, understanding key signaling pathways of liver inflammation in NASH is important to determine essential components that predispose, progress, or exacerbate NASH. FXR has been identified as a therapeutic target for NASH to prevent liver inflammation.
What is the Notion of a Complex Manifold with a Smooth Boundary

Publisher Summary This chapter show how there are two distinct notions of what constitutes a complex manifold with a smooth (C∞) boundary. A concrete boundary consists of prescribing an atlas of holomorphic coordinate charts. An abstract boundary consists of prescribing an integrable almost complex structure that is C∞ up to the boundary. For a complex manifold without boundary, these two prescriptions are equivalent, according to the well known Newlander-Nirenberg theorem. But when a boundary is present, the chapter shows by examples that the two concepts do not coincide; the abstract boundary is the more general concept. One could imagine that in dealing with a complex manifold with a smooth boundary, the classical complex analyst has at his disposal two maximal atlases: the atlas of all C∞ charts, and the atlas of all holomorphic charts. The abstract boundary is really the intrinsic notion; the concrete boundary has some extrinsic flavor. The chapter also discusses the influence of real analyticity and the influence of pseudoconvexity.
Data-driven distributionally robust control of energy storage to manage wind power fluctuations

Energy storage is an important resource that can balance fluctuations in energy generation from renewable energy sources, such as wind, to increase their penetration. Many existing storage control methods require perfect information about the probability distribution of uncertainties. In practice, however, the distribution of renewable energy production is difficult to reliably estimate. To resolve this challenge, we develop a new storage operation method, based on the theory of distributionally robust stochastic control, which has the following advantages. First, our controller is robust against errors in the distribution of uncertainties such as power generated from a wind farm. Second, the proposed method is effective even with a small number of data samples. Third, the construction of our controller is computationally tractable due to the proposed duality-based dynamic programming method that converts infinite-dimensional minimax optimization problems into semiinfinite programs. The performance of the proposed method is demonstrated using data about energy production levels at wind farms in the Pennsylvania-Jersey-Maryland interconnection (PJM) area.
Cloud-based resource allocation and cooperative transmission in large cellular networks

In a large cellular network where access points can transmit cooperatively, how to successfully identify cooperative opportunities and allocate physical resources are two challenging topics. This work considers cloud-based slow-timescale centralized resource and cooperation management for the downlink of large cellular networks. We propose several scalable convex optimization formulations. We then propose a cooperation and resource management scheme. In particular, the proposed scheme dynamically identifies pairs of access points to cooperate to optimize the overall network utility.
The Pólya Representation Theorem

The Polya Representation Theorem plays a central role in the theory of entire functions of exponential-type. We give a somewhat augmented version of this theorem.
WORKSHOP SUMMARY: XERODERMA PIGMENTOSUM

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses xeroderma Pigmentosum. This became the first human disease in which DNA repair processes were found to be defective. This autosomal recessive disease is characterized in all patients by accelerated chronic solar degeneration of sun-exposed skin and, in some patients, also by neurological abnormalities (NA). The chapter focuses on describing how defective human DNA repair processes are related to the premature death of neurons and to increased susceptibility of skin to UV-induced damage, including tumor formation. It further discusses the complex acute effects of UV in mammalian skin. These effects include the production of photochemical damage in DNA, inhibition of mitosis, and disruption of synthesis of DNA, RNA, and protein. Possible relationships between these acute effects and UV carcinogenesis are still obscure. One of the most important of the chronic effects of UV on mammalian skin is the formation of cutaneous malignancies.
Phytoplasma Infection Influences Gene Expression in American Cranberry

Cranberry false blossom disease (CFBD) is caused by a leafhopper-vectored phytoplasma infection. CFBD results in distinctive branching of the upright shoots (witches’ broom) and the formation of deformed flowers that fail to produce fruit. This disease is reemerging and poses a serious threat to the cranberry industry. To determine the impact of the disease on host gene expression, we compared the transcriptome profiles between plants with CFBD and uninfected cranberry plants. We found that phytoplasma infection induced the expression of 132 genes, while suppressing 225 genes, compared to uninfected cranberry plants. Differentially expressed genes between uninfected and infected plants were largely associated with primary and secondary metabolic, defensive, and developmental pathways. Phytoplasma infection increased the expression of genes associated with nutrient metabolism, while suppressing genes associated with defensive pathways. This expression profile change supports the “host manipulation hypothesis,” whereby CFBD enhances host quality for insect vectors, thus promoting phytoplasma transmission.
Prediction of delamination propagation in polymer composites

Abstract Delamination within composite laminates has been typically characterized by the critical strain energy release rate, or fracture toughness, by performing double cantilever beam (DCB) tests. However, significant variations of the fracture toughness can occur across the width of a DCB test article due to the anticlastic curvature of composite laminates in bending. To obtain more accurate fracture toughness values, this study demonstrates a Lagrangian cross-correlation method that uses strain measurements directly from the delamination front in a DCB test to estimate the internal fracture toughness. Unmodified optical fibers were embedded in DCB test articles fabricated from non-crimped carbon fabric using a VARTM process. The variation in the strain energy release rate along the delamination front is obtained using multiple optical fiber passes. Predicted crack lengths, fracture toughness, and flexural moduli are in excellent agreement with those from surface measurements.
A Hybrid Analytical and FE-based Method for Calculating AC Eddy Current Winding Losses Taking 3D Effects into Account

This paper proposes a new hybrid analytical and numerical FE-based method for calculating ac eddy current losses in wire windings and demonstrates its applicability for axial flux electric machines. The method takes into account 3D field effects in order to achieve accurate results and yet greatly reduce computational efforts. It is also shown that hybrid methods based on 2D FE models, which require semi-empirical correction factors, may over-estimate the eddy current losses. The new 3D FE-based method is advantageous as it employs minimum simplifications and considers the end turns in the eddy current path, the magnetic flux density variation along the effective length of coils, and the field fringing and leakage, which ultimately increases the accuracy of simulations. Case studies of axial flux PM motors: one with concentrated windings and open slots and another one with a coreless topology, are included.
Decadal trends and ecological shifts in backwater lakes of a large floodplain river: Upper Mississippi River

Shallow lakes are typically found in one of two stable states, a macrophyte-dominated clear water state or a turbid state due to excessive phytoplankton and suspended sediment. Whether shallow backwater lakes in large river floodplains exhibit similar alternate stable states is less understood. This study considers mechanisms, interactions and feedbacks associated with a shift in environmental conditions and biotic community structure in backwater lakes of a hydrologically dynamic floodplain river system. We use long-term data from backwater lakes to show an increase in submersed aquatic vegetation, improved water quality, and resulting shifts in the community structure of aquatic vegetation and fish following a 4 year period of summer low water discharge on the Upper Mississippi River. Backwater lakes in our study span a gradient of environmental conditions. Backwater lakes located in the upper reach of our study area were chronically turbid and support only sparse aquatic macrophytes, whereas those downriver exhibited clearer water and abundant vegetation. An increase in submersed aquatic vegetation in the lower backwater lakes resulted in a fish community shift to more vegetation-associated species. A lesser response in submersed aquatic vegetation abundance and fish community shift was observed in the upper, more turbid backwater lakes. The combination of vegetative cover and turbidity were key environmental variables associated with fish community structure in lower backwater lakes. Turbidity was the key environmental variable associated with submersed aquatic vegetation in both upper and lower backwaters. Providing further insight into the physical, chemical and biological interactions associated with ecological shifts will help guide management and restoration decisions towards more resilient, macrophyte-rich floodplain backwaters.
DNA double-strand breaks induce H2Ax phosphorylation domains in a contact-dependent manner

Efficient repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) requires a coordinated DNA Damage Response (DDR), which includes phosphorylation of histone H2Ax, forming γH2Ax. This histone modification spreads beyond the DSB into neighboring chromatin, generating a DDR platform that protects against end disassociation and degradation, minimizing chromosomal rearrangements. However, mechanisms that determine the breadth and intensity of γH2Ax domains remain unclear. Here, we show that chromosomal contacts of a DSB site are the primary determinants for γH2Ax landscapes. DSBs that disrupt a topological border permit extension of γH2Ax domains into both adjacent compartments. In contrast, DSBs near a border produce highly asymmetric DDR platforms, with γH2Ax nearly absent from one broken end. Collectively, our findings lend insights into a basic DNA repair mechanism and how the precise location of a DSB may influence genome integrity. Formation of γH2Ax serves as a checkpoint for double-strand break (DSB) repair pathways. Here the authors reveal via integrated chromatin analysis that γH2Ax domains are established by chromosomal contacts with the DSB site.
Thermally Induced Defects on WSe2

The 2D nature of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) makes their electronic and optical performance highly susceptible to the presence of defects. At elevated temperatures, which can be reached...
The epidemiology, surgical management, and impact of margins in skull and mandibular osseous-site tumors.

Objective The aim of the study was to characterize the epidemiology and treatment outcomes of head and neck (HN) osseous-site tumors. Methods Descriptive analyses and multivariate Cox regressions were performed to analyze the effect of surgery on overall survival (OS) utilizing the National Cancer Database (2004-2016). Results Of 2449 tumors, surgery was utilized in 84.5% of cases. OS was worse in osteosarcoma (5-year OS: 53.4% [SE: 2.5%]) compared with cartilage tumors (5-year OS: 84.6% [SE: 1.8%]) (log-rank P Conclusion Treatment that included surgery was associated with an increased OS within our cohort of HN osseous-site tumors, although the rates of positive margins were >40%. These findings may be limited by inherent selection bias in the database.
Judging an Expander by Its Cover: A Propensity-Matched Analysis of the Impact of Tissue Expander Surface Texture on First-Stage Breast Reconstruction Outcomes.

Background There is increased scrutiny of texturing on implants and a paucity of data looking at texturing on expanders. Because of the difficulty in controlling potential confounders with these comparative studies, the authors performed propensity matching between smooth and textured tissue expander cohorts to provide definitive insight into the impact of expander texture on breast reconstruction outcomes. Methods A single-surgeon experience with immediate two-stage breast reconstruction was reviewed for 90-day postoperative complications after mastectomy and expander placement. Variables extracted included demographics, comorbidities, tissue expander texturing, mastectomy type, infection, seroma, skin flap necrosis, dehiscence, explantation, and overall complication rates. Subjects were 1:1 propensity matched using the nearest neighbor matching algorithm with caliper (maximum propensity score difference) of 0.2, and chi-square test was performed for statistical analysis. Results After 1:1 propensity matching, 282 reconstructed breasts were analyzed (141 textured versus 141 smooth expanders). Textured expanders had higher minor infection rates than smooth expanders (5.0 percent versus 0 percent; p = 0.024). Smooth expanders had higher seroma rates than textured expanders (5.0 percent versus 0.7 percent; p = 0.031). Smooth expanders also had longer drain retention (20.4 days versus 16.8 days; p = 0.001). There was no difference in other complications, including major infection, explantation, or any complication, between textured and smooth expanders. Conclusions Textured expanders are associated with increased minor infection risk, whereas smooth expanders are associated with increased seroma formation. However, these differing complication profiles coalesce to equal explantation rates. Clinical question/level of evidence Therapeutic, III.
Assessing laser powder bed fusion system geometric errors through artifact-based methods

Abstract Additive manufacturing (AM) machines have developed more rapidly than standardized frameworks needed for the qualification of their geometric capabilities. While some manufacturer-specific methods exist to test capabilities and perform some calibration tasks, standardization efforts have only recently been undertaken in the form of ISO/ASTM 52902. In this study, the recommended methodology prescribed by the standard was implemented by building geometric artifacts with a laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) system and performing dimensional inspection with a coordinate measurement machine (CMM), amongst other methods. Typical dimensional capabilities of the LPBF system are identified and commentary is made on applying metrology methods, detecting geometric error, and diagnosing base causes in the LPBF system. In doing so, favored metrology practices and measurement analysis methods auxiliary to the standard are proposed. Artifact measurements were used to characterize beam positioning error and beam offset error. Methods for decoupling the effects of error sources are proposed. Difficulties in the inspection of AM components are identified, and the effects of various CMM measurement strategies are evaluated. Insights on the application of the new standard are presented, along with commentary as to its fitness for the LPBF process.
Extracranial Angioplasty and Stenting

This chapter discusses angioplasty and stenting technique and patient management for extracranial stenosis of the carotid bifurcation well as less common indications including common carotid and subclavian artery origin stenosis and extracranial vertebral stenosis. Complication avoidance and management are covered.
Structure of the Uranian Rings: II. Ring orbits and widths

A square-well model was used to calculate the midtimes, widths and optical depths at visible and IR wavelengths of the nine Uranian rings based on 13 occultation measurements from 1977-1983. Many of the measurement campaigns contained data from repeated crossings. An improved kinematical model is developed for the ring system, noting that the gamma and delta rings were confirmed to depart from Keplerian ellipses. Upper limits are calculated for the sizes of shepherd satellites of various potential densities. The ring width determinations demonstrate the existence of significant width perturbations in the rings, which all displayed particle shadowing.
Quantum Mechanics of Atoms

Thus far, we have applied the Schrodinger theory to an ideal, one-dimensional case. One of the main features of the theory is that the quantization of the energy does not come in as a postulate but instead it comes naturally from the solution of the Schrodinger equation and the physically justified requirements that the wavefunction be well-behaved. The great success of the Schrodinger theory, which is a postulate, but a fundamental one, is that one is able to derive from mathematical principles the postulates that had originally been presented to explain the classically unexplainable experimental results. Thus, if one solves the Schrodinger equation for a particle acted on by a linear restoring force F = −kx,that is, for a classical harmonic oscillator with potential energy E p =1/2 kx 2 ,such as a mass attached to a spring, the only physically acceptable solutions are those for which the energy E has values given by $${{E}_{n}}=\left( n+\tfrac{1}{2} \right) hv where n = 0,1,2,3,$$ This result leads to the same conclusion as that of Planck concerning the energy of the electromagnetic spectrum produced by such oscillators, namely, Ewaves = nhv, and therefore the Schrodinger theory explains the spectrum of a blackbody without the need for a postulate. Note that the solution of the spectrum given here has a factor of 1/2 in it. This means that in the lowest energy state n = 0 a system still has vibrational energy. Therefore, even at a temperature of absolute zero, electrons, atoms, and such, will still vibrate.
Management of congenital dacryocele

Congenital dacryocele is a distension of the naso-lacrimal sac usually present at birth or in the first three months of life. It occurs commonly in females and may present with dacryocystitis. Treatment includes probing and antibiotics if infection is present.
EGCG inhibits growth of human pancreatic tumors orthotopically implanted in Balb C nude mice through modulation of FKHRL1/FOXO3a and neuropilin

Human pancreatic cancer is currently one of the fourth leading causes of cancer-related mortality with a 5-year survival rate of less than 5 %. Since pancreatic carcinoma is largely refractory to conventional therapies, there is a strong medical need for the development of novel and innovative cancer preventive strategies. The forkhead transcription factors of the O class (FOXO) play a major role in cell proliferation, angiogenesis, metastasis, and tumorigenesis. The objectives of this study were to examine whether FKHRL1/FOXO3a modulates antitumor activity of (−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), an active ingredient in green tea, in pancreatic cancer model in vivo. PANC-1 cells were orthotopically implanted into Balb c nude mice and gavaged with EGCG after tumor formation. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were measured by Ki67 and TUNEL staining, respectively. The expression of PI3K, AKT, ERK, and FOXO3a/FKHRL1 and its target genes were measured by the western blot analysis and/or q-RT-PCR. FOXO-DNA binding was measured by gel shift assay. EGCG-treated mice showed significant inhibition in tumor growth which was associated with reduced phosphorylation of ERK, PI3K, AKT, and FKHRL1/FOXO3a, and modulation of FOXO target genes. EGCG induced apoptosis by upregulating Bim and activating caspase-3. EGCG modulated markers of cell cycle (p27/KIP1), angiogenesis (CD31, VEGF, IL-6, IL-8, SEMA3F, and HIF1α), and metastasis (MMP2 and MMP7). The inhibition of VEGF by EGCG was associated with suppression of neuropilin. EGCG inhibited epithelial-mesenchymal transition by upregulating the expression of E-cadherin and inhibiting the expression of N-cadherin and Zeb1. These data suggest that EGCG inhibits pancreatic cancer orthotopic tumor growth, angiogenesis, and metastasis which are associated with inhibition of PI3K/AKT and ERK pathways and activation of FKHRL1/FOXO3a. As a conclusion, EGCG can be used for the prevention and/or treatment of pancreatic cancer.
Downsizing: What do we know? What have we learned?

Executive Overview Downsizing, the planned elimination of positions or jobs, is a phenomenon that has affected hundreds of companies and millions of workers since the late 1980s. While there is no shortage of articles on “How To” or “How Not To” downsize, the current article attempts to synthesize what is known in terms of the economic and organizational consequences of downsizing. We argue that in many firms anticipated economic benefits fail to materialize, for example, lower expense ratios, higher profits, increased return-on-investment, and boosted stock prices. Likewise, many anticipated organizational benefits do not develop, such as lower overhead, smoother communications, greater entrepreneurship, and increases in productivity. To a large extent, this is a result of a failure to break out of the traditional approach to organization design and management—an approach founded on the principles of command, control, and compartmentalization. For long-term. sustained improvements in efficiency, reductio...
Interactions of porphyrins with nucleotides and nucleic acids

Abstract A number of features of porphyrin and metalloporphyrin interactions with nucleic acids are discussed. The role of base pair opening in porphyrin intercalation, the influence of ionic strength on base specificity and the basis for zinc porphyrin/DNA relaxation effects are explored. In addition, preliminary results dealing with the interactions of porphyrins and metalloporphyrins with mononucleotides are presented. For porphyrin derivatives having no axial ligands a stacking type interaction seems likely, but a second type of interaction, perhaps involving hydrogen bonding, may be important with iron(III) and cobalt(III) porphyrin derivatives.
rosetta: a computer program for estimating soil hydraulic parameters with hierarchical pedotransfer functions

Abstract Soil hydraulic properties are necessary for many studies of water and solute transport but often cannot be measured because of practical and/or financial constraints. We describe a computer program, rosetta , which implements five hierarchical pedotransfer functions (PTFs) for the estimation of water retention, and the saturated and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity. The hierarchy in PTFs allows the estimation of van Genuchten water retention parameters and the saturated hydraulic conductivity using limited (textural classes only) to more extended (texture, bulk density, and one or two water retention points) input data. rosetta is based on neural network analyses combined with the bootstrap method, thus allowing the program to provide uncertainty estimates of the predicted hydraulic parameters. The general performance of rosetta was characterized with coefficients of determination, and root mean square errors (RMSEs). The RMSE values decreased from 0.078 to 0.044 cm 3 cm −3 for water retention when more predictors were used. The RMSE for the saturated conductivity similarly decreased from 0.739 to 0.647 (dimensionless log 10 units). The RMSE values for unsaturated conductivity ranged between 0.79 and 1.06, depending on whether measured or estimated retention parameters were used as predictors. Calculated mean errors showed that the PTFs underestimated water retention and the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity at relatively high suctions. rosetta 's uncertainty estimates can be used as an indication of model reliability when no hydraulic data are available. The rosetta program comes with a graphical user interface that allows user-friendly access to the PTFs, and can be downloaded from the US Salinity Laboratory website: http://www.ussl.ars.usda.gov/.
Effect of Method of Freezing on Survival of Microorganisms on Turkey

Abstract LIQUID immersion freezing of poultry has been recognized as producing carcasses having lighter color than that of poultry frozen by conventional air freezing (Esselen, Levine and Pflug, 1955; Klose and Pool, 1956; Lentz and van den Berg, 1957; Marion and Stadelman, 1958). Also, liquid freezing may be used to advantage with turkeys, which otherwise tend to darken on exposure to air after scalding at 59 to 60°C. At a given temperature, freezing in brine or other solution is accomplished at a more rapid rate than in air. The faster freezing process is responsible for increased opacity and light color of the skin. Borgstrom (1955) reviewed work showing that microorganisms are destroyed more rapidly at temperatures in the range − 1° to − 5°C. than at much lower temperatures, such as − 15° or −24°C. The injurious effect of temperatures slightly below freezing has been attributed by Haines (1938) to rapid flocculation of protein; …
An overview of the comprehensive proton therapy machine quality assurance procedures implemented at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center Proton Therapy Center-Houston

The number of proton and carbon ion therapy centers is increasing; however, since the publication of the International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements report, there has been no dedicated report dealing with proton therapy quality assurance. The purpose of this article is to describe the quality assurance procedures performed on the passively scattered proton therapy beams at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center Proton Therapy Center in Houston. The majorities of these procedures are either adopted from procedures outlined in the American Association of Physicists in Medical Task Group (TG) 40 report or are a modified version of the TG 40 procedures. In addition, new procedures, which were designed specifically to be applicable to the synchrotron at the author's center, have been implemented. The authors' procedures were developed and customized to ensure patient safety and accurate operation of synchrotron to within explicit limits. This article describes these procedures and can be used by others as a guideline for developing QA procedures based on particle accelerator specific parameters and local regulations pertinent to any new facility.
A case of severe congenital kyphoscoliosis secondary to multiple bilateral thoracic pedicle aplasia

A 9-month-old boy with congenital kyphoscoliosis secondary to multiple bilateral thoracic pedicle aplasias is presented. This anomaly has rarely been described in the literature. Plain films showed absence of thoracic pedicles bilaterally from T2 to T9, which was better demonstrated on CT multiplanar and 3-D reformatted images. There were no neurological symptoms even though the deformity progressed rapidly. Congenital kyphosis or kyphoscoliosis is often related to spinal anomalies that are located on the anterior aspect of the vertebrae. However, posterior anomalies may also be responsible and should be recognized before neurological complications occur.
Surface chemistry and mechanical behavior of silicon carbide and silicon nitride implanted with titanium to high fluences and high temperatures

Abstract Ti + ions have been implanted to high fluences (4 × 10 17 cm -2 at 190 keV) into commercial SiC and Si 3 N 4 substrates heated up to 900 °C. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy depth profiles showed expected gaussian-like profiles at room temperature (approximately 45 at.% peak concentration). At the highest temperatures, solutes redistributed and phases formed consistent with the corresponding ternary phase diagrams. Implantation at room temperature softened the surfaces and reduced the indentation fracture toughness values of Si 3 N 4 by about 20% but also closed cracks and pores on the surface and considerably reduced microstructural control of propagating cracks. Hot implantation produced no loss in surface hardness but some loss (10% – 25%) in indentation toughness. Heating in vacuum, however, produced oxygen depletion from both the implanted and the non-implanted surfaces of several substrates and resulted in catastrophic embrittlement of the Si 3 N 4 surface.
Neonatal outcomes in the setting of preterm premature rupture of membranes complicated by chorioamnionitis

Objective. To examine the outcomes of neonates born to women with chorioamnionitis in the setting of preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM).Methods. A retrospective cohort study was conducted of deliveries with diagnosis of PPROM between 24 and 34 weeks of gestation at an academic medical center. Patients who delivered with the diagnosis of clinical chorioamnionitis were compared with patients who delivered without this diagnosis. Neonatal outcomes including Apgar scores, intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), sepsis, pneumonia, respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) were assessed. Dichotomous outcomes were compared using chi-square test. Multivariable regression analyses were performed to control for potential confounding variables.Results. Of the 1153 patients diagnosed with PPROM, 29.0% were diagnosed with chorioamnionitis prior to delivery. Neonates born to mothers with a diagnosis of chorioamnionitis in the setting of PPROM had higher incidences (34.8%) of low 5-min ...
Abstract 352: hnRNP A2/B1 regulates S1PR3 expression in lung cancer

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL Several clinical trials have shown that elevated expression of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A2/B1 (hnRNP A2/B1) in exfoliated bronchial epithelial cells correlates with eventual development of lung cancer. Cells with high levels of hnRNP A2/B1 expression have also been reported to manifest multiple molecular features of genetic injury. The hnRNPs are a complex group of RNA-binding proteins which play a key role in mRNA processing: stability, splicing, export and subcellular localization and participate also in telomere biogenesis. To elucidate the mechanism that links hnRNP A2/B1 overexpression with lung cancer progression we have knocked down hnRNPA2/B1 mRNA in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell line A549 with a stable siRNA vector-based system. Silencing hnRNP A2/B1 increased proliferation and decreased migration in A549 and H1703 cell lines. These changes in migration and proliferation in A549 and H1703 hnRNPA2/B1-silenced cell lines correlated with an increase of E-Cadherin expression in both cell lines at mRNA and protein level. This increase in E-Cadherin expression was accompanied with a down-regulation of E-Cadherin inhibitors Twist1 and Snai1. We have proposed that hnRNP A2/B1 modulates epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in lung cancer cell lines that present a mesenchymal or intermediate phenotype such as H1703 and A549. It has been proposed that EMT may induce metastasis of cells with a mesenchymal phenotype. After metastatic seeding, EMT would be reversed trough mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) allowing tumor growth. However, mechanisms that regulate reversion of EMT are still poorly characterized. Interestingly, sphingosine 1-phospate (S1P) is an important angiogenic factor and regulator of vascular permeability. Microarray expression analysis revealed that silencing hnRNP A2/B1 decreases expression of the sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 3 (S1PR3), a pro-migration RhoGTPAse activating S1P receptor, in A549 cells. Therefore, Moreover, S1P also stimulates motility of cancer cells through S1P receptors. It has been described that S1PR3 regulates migration and invasion in breast, prostate and gastric cancer. In A549 cells, S1PR3 is the most abundant receptor for S1P. Here we report that down regulation of hnRNP A2/B1, in lung cancer cells, decreases S1PR3 expression at the mRNA and protein level. We propose that further study of the mechanistic link between hnRNP A2/B1, S1P function and S1P receptors may allow a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in invasion, metastasis. It may also provide new insights regarding the interaction between endothelial and epithelial cells and the regulation of EMT during tumor progression. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 352. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-352
STUDIES ON THE EFFECT OF THE CARRIER MOLECULE ON ANTIHAPTEN ANTIBODY SYNTHESIS : I. EFFECT OF CARRIER ON THE NATURE OF THE ANTIBODY SYNTHESIZED

1. Fluorescence quenching has been calibrated, by comparison with equilibrium dialysis, for measurement of antibody-hapten association constants with guinea pig antibody to the 2,4-dinitrophenyl (DNP) determinant. The maximum quenching with all sites occupied which gave best agreement with equilibrium dialysis was found to be 100%. 2. The carrier to which the DNP-hapten is coupled influences significantly the amount, class (gamma(1) or gamma(2)), and affinity of the antibody of DNP specificity made by individual guinea pigs. 3. The affinities of gamma(1)- and gamma(2)-antibodies from individual guinea pigs are generally very similar. 4. Precipitin curves with gamma(1)-antibodies show more marked inhibition of precipitation in antigen excess than do precipitin curves with the less charged gamma(2)-antibodies, indicating the importance of nonspecific forces in the precipitation reactions.
Broadband adoption and firm productivity: evaluating the benefits of general purpose technology

We examine the relationship between the deployment of broadband, which we classify as a general purpose technology, and the productivity of the deploying firms using panel data that comprises information on all the major local exchange carriers in the United States telecommunications industry from 1995 to 2000. This relationship is an important indicator of the economic impact of new technology adoption. We provide a comprehensive analysis of the literature on general purpose technologies as well as on the economic consequences of information and communications technology diffusion and develop a framework to empirically assess the impact of broadband deployment on the productivity. Our results find a positive relationship between broadband deployment and the carriers' productivity and suggest that encouraging the deployment of broadband technologies, in addition to the benefits to consumers and firms at the receiving end of the new technology, create the potential for better technological efficiencies and increased productivity for the deploying firms. The benefits can be enhanced as the firms studied operate in two-sided markets where the network effects brought about by the multitude of interconnections can be substantial because of possible second-order spillovers of productivity. Copyright 2010 The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Associazione ICC. All rights reserved., Oxford University Press.
Detection of centripetal heat-island circulations from tower data in St. Louis

Hourly averaged meteorological data gathered by a 25-tower network about St. Louis during 1976 are used in a search for centripetal circulations generated by the urban heat island. Considering data collected when the network resultant speed was less than 1.5 m s-1, two data classes of several hundred hours each are formed. One class is associated with weak heat islands, daytime hours, and convective instability, while the other class is associated with strong heat islands, nighttime hours, and extreme rural stability. Mean centripetal flows are clearly discernible from data of both classes, but the convergence is stronger for the flows associated with the weaker heat islands. This unexpected result is explained in terms of the ease with which sustained vertical motions can be generated over the city by the available forcing under different stability regimes. The detectability of the heat-island influence diminishes very rapidly with increasing speed of the large-scale flow.
Lesbian and Gay Families

A pervasive stereotype about lesI bians and gay men is that they do not take part in family life. From this perspective, they are thought to live their lives outside the reach of family pleasures and obligations, and the concept of gay and lesbian families is viewed as an oxymoron. Despite widespread prejudice and discrimi nation, however, lesbians and gay men do belong to, participate in, and create families. As research in the social sciences begins to address issues posed by sexual orientation, a more inclusive understanding of families is beginning to take shape.1 In the United States alone, many millions of people belong to families that include gay or lesbian mem bers. One well-known estimate holds that about 10% of the approx imately 260 million people who live in the United States may be consid ered predominantly gay or lesbian. Starting from this estimate, we can consider the likelihood that each of these 26 million gay men and lesbi ans has two parents plus siblings and other relatives, such as aunts, un cles, cousins, and grandparents. These figures suggest that well over 100 million Americans either iden tify themselves as gay or lesbian or have a relative who does. Inasmuch as recent research suggests that the 10% figure may be high and that al lowance should be made for the possibility of aggregation due to ge netic factors, these numbers may be too large. Even if the estimates are reduced by half, though, it is clear that substantial numbers of Ameri