cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase in experimental intrauterine growth retardation in rats.

Summary This study examines the role of impaired gluconeogenesis in the pathogenesis of neonatal hypoglycemia in intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR). IUGR was produced experimentally in eight pregnant rats by ligation of uterine arteries at the 17th day of gestation. Delivery occurred spontaneously at term. Sham operations were performed in five pregnant rats at the same gestational age and the fetuses delivered at term served as controls. The body weights of newborn rats with IUGR were significantly lower than the controls (5.32 ± 0.12 vs. 6.22 ± 0.06 g, mean ± SE, P < 0.001). The fetal liver weights were also significantly smaller in IUGR than in the control animals (0.224 ± 0.14 vs. 0.340 ± 0.12 g, P < 0.001). The activity of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) (the rate-limiting enzyme of gluconeogenes is) in liver cytosols was significantly lower in rats with IUGR (0.06 ± 0.01 vs. 0.11 ± 0.02 /iM phosphoenolpyruvate/g liver/min when compared with controls (P < 0.05). A direct relationship between this enzyme and the brith weight was observed, suggesting a close relationship between intrauterine nutrition and the status of gluconeogenes is. The blood glucose level was also lower in growth-retarded fetuses (36.6 ± 4.7 vs. 69.6 ± 4.3 mg/dl, p < 0.001) when compared with controls. The data suggest that gluconeogenesis is impaired in IUGR and is partly responsible for the increase in the incidence of neonatal hypoglycemia in this group of subjects. Speculation Neonatal hypoglycemia in IUGR is probably caused by a combination of rapid depletion of glycogen stores and impaired gluconeogenesis, the latter indicated by a decreased liver PEPCK activity. This may be related to a diminished enzyme synthesis on the basis of significant energy and oxygen deprivation.
Australian funnel-web spiders: master insecticide chemists

Arthropods are the most diverse animal group on the planet. Their ability to inhabit a vast array of ecological niches has inevitably brought them into conflict with humans. Although only a small minority are classified as pest species, they nevertheless destroy about a quarter of the world's annual crop production and transmit an impressive array of pathogens of human and veterinary public health importance. Arthropod pests have been controlled almost exclusively with chemical insecticides since the introduction of DDT in the 1940s. However, the evolution of resistance to many insecticides, coupled with increased awareness of the potential environmental and human and animal health impacts of these chemicals, has stimulated the search for new insecticidal compounds, novel molecular targets, and alternative control methods. Spider venoms are complex chemical cocktails that have evolved to kill or paralyze arthropod prey, and they represent a largely untapped reservoir of insecticidal compounds. This review focuses on several families of invertebrate-specific peptide neurotoxins that were isolated from the venom of Australian funnel-web spiders. These peptides are promising insecticide leads because of their selectivity for invertebrates and activity on previously unvalidated targets. These toxins should facilitate the development of novel target-based screens for new insecticide leads, while their mapped pharmacophores will provide templates for rational design of mimetics that act at these target sites. Furthermore, genes encoding these toxins can be used to improve the efficacy of insect-specific viruses.
Detached leaf inoculation of germplasm for rapid screening of resistance to citrus canker and citrus bacterial spot

A detached leaf protocol for rapid screening of germplasm for resistance to citrus canker (Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri, Xcc) and citrus bacterial spot (Xanthomonas alfalfae subsp. citrumelonis, Xac) was developed to evaluate limited quantities of leaf material. Bacterial inocula of Xcc or Xac at 104, 105, or 108 cfu ml−1 were injection-infiltrated into the abaxial surface of disinfested, immature leaves of susceptible and resistant genotypes. Inoculated detached leaves were placed on the surface of 0.5% water agar plates and incubated at 28°C under a 12 h photoperiod. Likewise, inocula were infiltrated into attached leaves of greenhouse plants. At high inoculum concentrations of Xcc or Xac (108 cfu ml−1), resistant cultivars of kumquat developed a hypersensitive-like reaction within 3 days post inoculation (dpi). At 105 cfu ml−1, populations 14 dpi were 105). The detached leaf assay is useful for the characterization and differentiation of lesion phenotype for each Xanthomonas pathogen permitting rapid screening of germplasm resistance based on the quantification of number of lesions and bacterial concentration.
Long-term management of CKD-mineral and bone disorder.

Chronic kidney disease–mineral and bone disorder (CKD-MBD) is the term used to describe the abnormalities of bone and mineral metabolism that occur in the setting of kidney disease. The spectrum of these abnormalities is wide, ranging from severe high-turnover bone disease on one end to marked low bone turnover bone disease on the other. Similarly, some patients have severe vascular calcifications while others do not, and the values for biochemistry determinations, including calcium, phosphorus, and parathyroid hormone, also may vary widely among patients. This variability may be influenced by such things as the chronicity of the particular kidney disease, effects of therapies such as corticosteroids on modifying the course of kidney disease, and comorbid conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, age, and osteoporosis. The heterogeneity of CKD-MBD makes strict protocol-driven therapeutic approaches difficult; accordingly, considerable individualized therapy is required. Using a case history, we explore several of the variables and difficulties involved in patient management.
Cardiovascular medicine update 2007: perioperative risk, carotid angioplasty, drug-eluting stents, stronger statins.

Some recent clinical trials have concluded the following: • Patients who need noncardiac surgery and who are at risk of major cardiac events should not undergo revascularization with the aim of achieving a better perioperative outcome. They should have an office evaluation only and be prescribed a beta-blocker, if indicated. • Except for unusual, high-risk cases, patients at risk of stroke due to atherosclerotic carotid artery stenosis should undergo carotid endarterectomy rather than carotid stenting. Because the technology is still developing, however, carotid stenting may still be appropriate as part of a clinical trial. • Although drug-eluting coronary stents reduce the risk of restenosis in the short term, they pose a small but significant risk of in-stent thrombosis. Clopidogrel (Plavix) should be prescribed for at least a year following drug-eluting stent placement, and perhaps indefinitely. • Patients with known coronary heart disease have better outcomes if they receive aggressive statin therapy (eg, atorvastatin [Lipitor] 80 mg/day) to lower their serum levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol to less than 70 mg/dL.
MANAGEMENT APPROACHES TO ADRENAL INCIDENTALOMAS: A View from Rochester, Minnesota

Two biproducts of the revolution in diagnostic imaging techniques are unintended discoveries, and uncertainty for the patient and the clinician. To address the uncertainty associated with adrenal incidentalomas, clinicians need to understand the definition, differential diagnosis, and options for assessment with respect to functional status and malignancy potential. This article presents an algorithmic approach that addresses these issues.
MORSA: A Multi-objective Resource Scheduling Algorithm for NFV Infrastructure

Capital expenditure (CAPEX) and operating expenses (OPEX) have been practical concerns for telecommunication companies, and Network Function Virtualization (NFV) has attracted significant attention in recent years. However, the NFV Infrastructure (NFVI) includes a wide variety of resource types and stakeholders. Hence, there is still a need for the existing resource scheduling approaches, but they are no longer sufficient. In this paper, we propose a Multi- objective Resource Scheduling Algorithm (MORSA) to optimize the NFVI resources. In the development of the MORSA, we designed a plug-in architecture to satisfy various requirements related to NFVI resources and stakeholder policies. The MORSA allows the NFVI Resource Scheduler to optimize simultaneously the combination of possibly conflicting objectives with multifaceted constraints in complex real world situations. Evaluation results show that the MORSA obtains approximate solutions among conflicting objectives in a reasonable computation time.
The pathophysiology and management of spine metastasis from lung cancer

Understanding the pathophysiology of seeding, microinvasion, and neovasculization of lung cancer metastatic to the bone is of tremendous basic science and clinical importance. At present, the clinical presentation of spine metastasis represents one of the most common and challenging problems in the management of lung cancer patients. For the patient presenting with lung carcinoma metastatic to the spine, the therapy team must take into account multiple factors including the natural history of the disease, interval between presentation and treatment of the primary lung cancer and the appearance of spine metastasis, extent of metastasis in other bony and soft tissue sites, and the patient's ability to tolerate the various treatment modalities currently available. Detailed attention to the individual patient's clinical presentation must be a primary concern of radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, neurosurgeons, and anesthesiologists specializing in pain management. The design of a treatment program best suited for the individual patient should focus on the goal of maintaining the best quality of life for the longest duration.
Associations between exercise capacity, physical activity, and psychosocial functioning in children with congenital heart disease: a systematic review.

BackgroundChildren and adolescents operated upon for congenital heart disease (ConHD) may show reduced exercise capacity and physical activity, possibly associated with lowered self-esteem and quality of life (QoL). The studies into associations between these parameters have not been reviewed before.ObjectiveReview of studies into associations between exercise capacity, physical activity, respectively exercise training, and psychosocial functioning of ConHD youngsters.Data sourcesPubMed, Embase and reference lists of related articles.Study selectionArticles published between January 2000 and December 2012 into exercise capacity and/or physical activity, and a measure of psychosocial functioning in children with ConHD.Data extractionTwo investigators independently reviewed the identified articles for eligibility, and one author extracted the data.ResultsAlthough exercise capacity was strongly related to physical domains of parent-reported and self-reported QoL, it was almost never associated with psychosoc...
Combining perspective and color visual cryptography for securing color image display

In this work, we propose to extend the secure information display introduced by Yamamoto et al. [1] to full color images. Yamamoto's technique makes use of black and transparent mask as decoding shadow image of a visual cryptography scheme sharing 3 bits multi-color messages. By combining perspective setup together with a color visual cryptography (VC) scheme which does not use any mask, we can securely display color images. A satisfying color VC scheme is used which can be printed on a transparency film. When printed, colors act as filters [2] and allow a wider color gamut for the message which is not limited to saturated color as in [1] because of the black and transparent mask as decoding shadow image. In our implementation of the two-out-of-two visual cryptography scheme which shares a secret message into two color shadow images, the first one is projected onto a glass diffuser and the second one is printed on a transparency. A registration method is used in order to overcome the difficulty of shadow image alignment. As the two shadow images are superposed with an air layer, the message disappears when the angular position is not close to the ideal one. Examples with binary colored messages and with color images are provided to show the extension. By moving the detector (or the eyes) angularly around the right position, perspective effects can be perceived.
Laboratory Note. Obtaining Powders with the Aid of a Slow Speed Diamond Saw

Powder samples for diffraction studies of selected materials have been prepared in this laboratory during the past 15 years using a commercial, slow-speed, diamond saw. The materials powdered include a wide range of ferrous and transition metal alloys as well as geological substances. Before sectioning begins, fresh oil is poured into the oil tray of the saw and the diamond, rim-impregnated, copper blade thoroughly cleaned. A typical blade is 10 cm in diameter and 3 mm thick. Powder produced as the blade cuts through the sample collects in and settles to the bottom of the oil tray. The oil, which bathes the sample surface during cutting and surrounds the powder debris after discharge into the tray, serves to prevent oxidation of most materials.
Maximum of the weighted Kaplan–Meier tests for the two-sample censored data

In this paper, some versatile test procedures are considered, which are useful for the case where the association of survival functions is unclear. These procedures are based on a maximum of a class of the weighted Kaplan–Meier statistics. The weight functions used in the procedures account for both the censored and non-censored data points. Numerical simulations with these weight functions show that, under various levels of censoring, the proposed procedures perform well across a wide range of alternative configurations. Implementation of the proposed procedures is illustrated in a real data example.
Membrane proteins of MSV-MLV: their role in virion-virion interactions in vitro.

Abstract Lactoperoxidase surface iodination of Moloney sarcoma-leukemia virus (MSV-MLV) virions labels predominantly the two membrane glycoproteins (estimated molecular weight 73,000 and 75,000). Following extensive proteolytic surface digestion with α-chymotrpsin or trypsin, these iodinated surface glycoproteins are removed and no new virion polypeptides become exposed to surface labeling. Digested virions are intact as judged by electron microscopy and equilibrium sucrose gradient centrifugation, but lack particle-particle interactions seen in control preparations by velocity sedimentation analysis.
Management science and information technologies in U.S. local governments: A review of use and impact

Abstract As management science and information technologies increase in importance in local governments worldwide, it is necessary to assess their evolution and impact, and to draw conclusions relevant to their future use. A historical overview of these “management technologies” is presented, along with an assessment of their current contributions and problems. Suggestions are made for their improved use in local governments both within the United States and internationally.
Are single-phase flow numerical models sufficient to estimate pressure distribution in CO2 sequestration projects?

Abstract As CO 2 is injected into a deep saline aquifer, three regions develop: A “drying” region next to the well in which CO 2 injectate occupies 100% of the pore space, a brine region away from the injection well in which 100% of the pores are saturated with brine, and a two-phase region in which water and CO 2 coexist. Several papers describe the speeds at which those two fronts progress outward using the Buckley-Leverett fractional flow (BLFF) theory. Next to a CO 2 injection well and at early times, compositional flow theory must be implemented. It is also understood that far from the injection site, where only slight pressure elevation is felt, a single phase flow approach is sufficient because all the complexities of compositional flow could be neglected. However regulators may be wary of complex models and of the associated black box syndrome and rather may favor the simpler single-phase flow approach. This paper investigates using single-phase flow numerical models to describe compositional flow processes. Previous work already showed that results from the CMG-GEM and MODFLOW numerical codes are very similar away from the injection zone given some minor modifications in the input file of the single-phase flow code. We present a more thorough scoping analysis aiming at establishing the proposition that single-phase flow models (CMG-IMEX), given some simple treatment, can predict pressure increase as well as more complex compositional flow models (CMG-GEM).
An assessment of hydrothermal alteration in the Santiaguito lava dome complex, Guatemala: implications for dome collapse hazards

A combination of field mapping, geochemistry, and remote sensing methods has been employed to deter- mine the extent of hydrothermal alteration and assess the potential for failure at the Santiaguito lava dome complex, Guatemala. The 90-year-old complex of four lava domes has only experienced relatively small and infrequent dome collapses in the past, which were associated with lava ex- trusion. However, existing evidence of an active hydrother- mal system coupled with intense seasonal precipitation also presents ideal conditions for instability related to weakened clay-rich edifice rocks. Mapping of the Santiaguito dome complex identified structural features related to dome growth dynamics, potential areas of weakness related to erosion, and locations of fumarole fields. X-ray diffraction and backscat- tered electron images taken with scanning electron microsco- py of dacite and ash samples collected from around fumaroles revealed only minor clay films, and little evidence of alter- ation. Mineral mapping using ASTER and Hyperion satellite images, however, suggest low-temperature (<150 °C) silicic alteration on erosional surfaces of the domes, but not the type of pervasive acid-sulfate alteration implicated in collapses of other altered edifices. To evaluate the possibility of internal alteration, we re-examined existing aqueous geochemical data from dome-fed hot springs. The data indicate significant wa- ter-rock interaction, but the Na-Mg- Kg eoindicator suggests only a short water residence time, and δ 18 O/δ Dr atios show only minor shifts from the meteoric water line with little precipitation of secondary (alteration) minerals. Based on available data, hydrothermal alteration on the dome complex appears to be restricted to surficial deposits of hydrous silica, but the study has highlighted, importantly, that the 1902 eruption crater headwall of Santa Maria does show more advanced argillic alteration. We also cannot rule out the pos- sibility of advanced alteration within the dome complex inte- rior that is not accessible to the methods used here. It may therefore be prudent to employ geophysical methods to make further assessments in the future.
Anticipating the traumatic brain injury-related health care needs of women veterans after the Department of Defense change in combat assignment policy.

Abstract Background Female service members' presence in combat zones during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom is unprecedented both in terms of the number of women deployed and the nature of their involvement. In light of changing Department of Defense policy governing the deployment of women in combat zones, this article intends to set the groundwork for estimating future combat-related injuries and subsequent Veterans Health Administration (VHA) utilization while focusing on traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods The article summarizes and presents the results of a study that examines veterans who present to VHA for TBI evaluation. For a national sample of veterans, a dataset including information on post-screening utilization, diagnoses, and location of care was constructed. The dataset included self-reported health symptoms and other information obtained from a standardized national VHA post-screening clinical evaluation, the comprehensive TBI evaluation (CTBIE). Findings Both women and men utilize high levels of VHA health care after a CTBIE. However, there are gender differences in the volume and types of services used, with women utilizing different services than their male counterparts and incurring higher costs, including higher overall and outpatient costs. Conclusion As women veterans seek more of their health care from the VHA, there will be a need for more coordinated care to identify and manage deployment-related TBI and common comorbidities such as posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and chronic pain. Deployment-connected injuries are likely to rise because of the rescinding of the ban on women in combat. This in turn has critical implications for VHA strategic planning and budgeting.
Improving Activity of Salt-Lyophilized Enzymes in Organic Media

Lyophilization with salts has been identified as an important method of activating enzymes in organic media. Using salt-activated enzymes to transform molecules tethered to solid surfaces in organic phase requires solubilization of enzymes in the solvents. Methods of improving performance of salt-lyophilized enzymes, further, via chemical modification, and use of surfactants and surfactants to create fine emulsions prior to lyophilization are investigated. The reaction system used is transesterification of N-acetyl phenylalanine ethyl ester with methanol or propanol. Initial rate of formation of amino acid esters by subtilisin Carlsberg (SC) was studied and found to increase two to sevenfold by either chemical modification or addition of surfactants in certain solvents, relative to the salt (only)-lyophilized enzyme. The method to prepare highly dispersed enzymes in a salt-surfactant milieu also improved activity by two to threefold. To test the effect of chemical modification on derivatization of drug molecules, acylation of bergenin was investigated using chemically modified SC.
Semiparametric spatio-temporal covariance models with the ARMA temporal margin

Starting from a purely spatial variogram, this paper derives a class of semiparametric spatio-temporal covariance models that are stationary in time but not necessarily stationary in space. In particular, we obtain spatio-temporal covariance models with the continuous-time autoregressive and moving average (ARMA) temporal margin and long-range dependent spatial margin.
Research on Long-Span Suspension Clamp

The long-span suspension clamp is used to suspend conductor or ground wire on the long-span tangent tower [. Long-span suspension has impact on the operation safety and investment of long-span projects. This paper makes analysis and comparison of different models of suspension clamps and studies the long-span suspension clamp for transmission line over Han River in terms of model and material selection, design & calculation, manufacturing process and test, etc., in combination with features for crossing over Han River.
A stochastic model for a small-time-interval-intermittent hydrologic process

Abstract A methodology is developed for the generation of intermittent small-time-interval (15-min.) precipitation. This methodology consists of three components: a probabilistic wet-and-dry sequence component; a Markovian precipitation distribution component; and a regressive spatial-distribution component. The theory of stochastic hydrologic modeling is described and procedures by which this theory can be applied to a hydrologic time series are presented. In particular, the application of the procedures to small-time-interval-intermittent hydrologic processes is given. The methodology is demonstrated by application to an actual precipitation network, the Boneyard Creek raingage network in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, U.S.A. The trend in frequency of precipitation amounts from the 89-yr. Morrow plots data are produced by the model using 13-yr. of historical data.
Increased apoptosis during papilloma development in mice susceptible to tumor progression.

Programmed cell death (apoptosis) is known to occur not only during normal development and tissue remodeling but also during neoplasia. Despite the suggested role of apoptosis in preventing the proliferation of malignant cells, a positive correlation between tumor progression and the presence of apoptotic cells has been found in different types of cancer, including epithelial tumors. In normal mouse skin, the role of apoptosis is not completely understood, and it has been suggested that terminal differentiation may be a special case of apoptosis. In the work reported here, we counted apoptotic cells in mouse skin tumors generated with a two-stage chemical carcinogenesis protocol. We analyzed papillomas from outbred SENCAR mice at different times during promotion, and to better determine the correlation between apoptosis and tumor progression, we compared papillomas generated from two inbred strains derived from the SENCAR stock that differ in their susceptibility to tumor progression. Our results showed that in mouse skin chemical carcinogenesis, the number of apoptotic cells was greater in papillomas that may have been in the process of progressing to squamous cell carcinomas. This conclusion is also supported by the fact that papillomas from SENCAR P/Bt. mice, a tumor progression–susceptible strain derived from outbred SENCAR mice, had more apoptotic cells than papillomas from progression-resistant SSIN mice. Mol. Carcinog. 20:137–142, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Hydrostatic pressure induced recovery of lattice parameter increases in neutron irradiated molybdenum

Abstract Neutron irradiation of high purity molybdenum to 6.2 × 1018n/cm2 (E > 1 MeV) at 40°C results in a 0.022% lattice parameter increase. Isochronal anneals at pressure below 1 bar disclose that the lattice expansion of the material recovers in three stages, 150°C, 400°C, and 750°C. Combination of this data with previously obtained electrical resistance measurements reveals that there are at least four recovery stages in Mo above room temperature. The designation of recovery stages has been modified: stage III (150°C), stage IV-A (400–425°C), stage IV-B (575°C), and stage V (750°C). The application of 20,000 bars of hydrostatic pressure during isochronal annealing lowers stage III to 90°C indicative of a negative activation volume of migration. The temperature for stage V recovery of the lattice parameter increase is lowered by pressure from 750°C to 350°C.
Synthesis and isolation of a glucagon antagonist.

The glucagon binding to hepatocytes results in an immediate increase in intracellular cyclic AMP [ 11, which is followed by an increase in glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis [2]. It has been suggested that glucagon may be involved in the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus [3]. A specific glucagon antagonist could prove useful in determining what relationship the hormone has with this disease state. Previous investigators [4] have provided evidence that ‘(desHis’ )-glucagon’, synthesized by the one-step Edman procedure is a competitive inhibitor of glucagon action on liver plasma membrane adenylate cyclase. A highly purified (des-His’ )-glucagon was synthesized by the solid state Edman procedure, which insures the integrity of the e-amino group, and was shown [5] to be a partial agonist. Therefore, the identity of the antagonist remains in doubt. In view of the potential usefulness of this inhibitor we decided to reinvestigate the reaction of phenylisothiocyanate with glucagon. Here we describe the purification and identity of the glucagon antagonist synthesized by the one-step Edman degradation and report on some of its properties which explain the previous differences.
Interactional harmony at 7 and 10 months of age predicts security of attachment as measured by Q‐sort ratings

Fifty-eight infants and their mothers were observed at home for 45 minutes at seven and ten months of age using a detailed behavioral checklist. During these observations, the degree of mutual interactional engagement was also rated on a 4-point scale every 20 seconds. The attachment security of 38 infants was assessed at 13 months using mothers' reports on the Attachment Q-set (AQS, Waters, 1987). Composite measures of mother-infant interaction derived from the behavioral observations were moderately stable over time. Measures of maternal interactive behaviors and ratings of mutual engagement were highly correlated. Mothers' and infants' behaviors were combined into an index of behavioral harmony that was sensitive to differences in the infants' attachment security three and six months later. Using a stepwise multiple regression, 43% of the variance in the AQS-scores was explained by behavioral harmony at seven months, mutual engagement at 10 months, and infant fuss/cry at seven months.
Plasma cholesterol is hyperresponsive to statin in ABCG5/ABCG8 transgenic mice

Interindividual variation exists in response to statin therapy. It has been hypothesized that subjects with higher baseline cholesterol synthesis rates are more sensitive to statins. To directly test this hypothesis, mice overexpressing the heterodimeric ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter G5/G8 (G5G8(Tg) mice) were treated with lovastatin because they have a compensatory increase in cholesterol biosynthesis as a result of increased cholesterol excretion into bile and feces. As expected, lovastatin treatment did not alter plasma and hepatic cholesterol levels in wild-type mice. Interestingly, this treatment significantly reduced plasma concentration and hepatic content of cholesterol by 42% and 17.3%, respectively, in the statin-treated versus untreated G5G8(Tg) mice despite a greater feedback upregulation of genes in the pathway of cholesterol biosynthesis in the lovastatin-treated G5G8(Tg) mice. The reduced plasma cholesterol concentration is unlikely to be attributed to LDL and HDL receptors because the protein levels of both receptors remained unchanged. Surprisingly, statin treatment resulted in an increase in biliary cholesterol concentration, which was associated with an upregulation in hepatic mRNA and protein levels of ABCG5 and ABCG8, and in hepatic mRNA levels of Niemann-Pick C1-Like 1 (NPC1L1), a gene that is required for intestinal cholesterol absorption. In conclusion, mice with higher endogenous cholesterol synthesis rates are more sensitive to statin. A synergistic hypocholesterolemic effect could be potentially achieved in humans by simultaneously inhibiting cholesterol biosynthesis and promoting ABCG5/ABCG8-mediated cholesterol excretion.
Simultaneous strain and temperature sensing using long-period gratings

We present experimental results to demonstrate the simultaneous strain and temperature measurement capability of long-period gratings. It is shown that the distinct spectral shifts of the multiple resonance bands in a single grating can be employed to separate the concurrent perturbations of axial strain and temperature. Static and quasi-static tests are performed to illustrate the effectiveness of a grating written in a standard optical fiber. It is demonstrated that cross-sensitivities and non- linearities in the temperature- and strain-induced shifts result in a tradeoff between the simplicity and the dynamic range of the sensing system. The advantages and limitations of the long-period grating simultaneous sensing configurations are also discussed.
TU-E-BRC-04: High-Statistics Breathing Motion-Corrected Positron Emission Tomography by Deforming and Stacking Gated PET Images Using 4DCT-Derived Motion Vectors

Purpose: Positron emission tomography(PET) of lungtumors suffers due to breathing‐motion induced blurring. Gated PET ameliorates motion blurring, but the concomitant reduction in coincidence‐event statistics per gated image leads to increased imagenoise, decreasing the utility of the images. In this work we demonstrate a method of reducing motion‐induced blurring from PETimages without decreasing coincidence‐event statistics. Methods: The method works by deforming and stacking gated PETimages using lungtissue motion vectors derived from deformable image registration performed between the phases of respiratory‐correlated computed tomography (4DCT) images. A duration of 12 minutes of respiratory‐correlated FDG‐PET data in list‐mode format and two 4DCT scans were acquired from 3 patients with a total of 4 small (4–18cc) lungtumors. A motion‐corrected image was produced using the first 2 minutes of list‐mode data. The motion‐corrected image was compared to a high‐statistics gated end‐exhale PETimage created from the remaining 10 minutes of PET list‐mode data, which was used as a gold‐standard approximating a truly motion‐free image. The images were also compared against an un‐gated PETimage produced using the first two minutes of list‐mode data, to quantify the improvement provided by the motion‐correction process. Results: Tumor SUVmax was on average 44% higher for motion‐reduced images relative to un‐gated images, but still on average 14% lower than the gold‐standard high‐statistics gated images. Volumes of tumors segmented at 40% of SUVmax were on average 32% lower relative to un‐gated images, but still 22% higher than the high‐statistics gated images. Conclusions: A process for reducing motion blurring in PETimages without increasing imagenoise was demonstrated. The motion‐corrected images are quantitatively and qualitatively improved relative to un‐gated images, however further improvement is needed in order to match the quality of high‐statistics gated images.
Interpolation of multicomponent vapour—liquid equilibrium data

Abstract Based on thermodynamic relationships and geometric concepts, a simple method is developed to interpolate isobaric or isothermal vapour—liquid equilibrium data of multicomponent systems. It is useful in reducing the amount of experimental work. Tests on five isobaric ternary systems indicate good agreement between experimental and computed results.
Organometallic salts as phase transfer catalysts

Abstract Six organometallic compounds were tested to see if they could behave as phase transfer catalysts. All of the compounds appeared to catalyze the base hydrolysis of p-nitrophenylacetate in a 2 layer aqueous-organic system.
Risk Aversion and Optimal Trade Restrictions

If the representative consumer of a country is risk averse then the choice of trade controls must take account of their effects on the fluctuations of domestic real income. If the world price of the importable is uncertain and risk aversion is high then the optimal policy for achieving a ceiling on expected imports involves a reduction in imports and a rise in the domestic price as the world price falls. Moreover, a quota is superior to a tariff in achieving the ceiling. Under domestic uncertainty, a tariff is superior to a quota but it could be optimal to reduce the domestic price as imports increase. Economists have long recognized the equivalence of price and quantity controls under certainty. The comparison of these control modes and the characterization of the optimal form of control under uncertainty has been undertaken by two groups of authors. Weitzman (1974, 1978) considered a planning authority which faces uncertainty about the costs and benefits of producing a good. He showed that the ranking of price and quantity controls depends on the curvature of the cost and benefit functions and that an optimal policy can be considered as a mixture of price and quantity controls. His work was developed by Laffont (1977), Ireland (1977), Malcomson (1978) and Yohe (1978). In the context of international trade, the comparison of tariffs and quotas under uncertainty has been undertaken by Fishelson and Flatters (1975), Pelcovits (1976), Dasgupta and Stiglitz (1977), Young (1979, 1980a,b) and Helpman and Razin (1980).' Recently, Young and Anderson (1980) showed that the policy maximizing expected consumer's surplus given a constraint on expected imports (expected import expenditure) is a specific tariff (an ad valorem tariff). In contrast to Weitzman's planning model, the price instrument is superior to the quantity instrument-whatever the curvature of the benefits function.2 The conclusion of Young and Anderson appears to provide a strong argument against using quantity instruments to restrict trade. However, the expected surplus criterion is a valid welfare measure only if the marginal utility of income is constant. In this paper we characterize the optimal form of trade restriction if the representative consumer of the importing country exhibits risk aversion toward income fluctuations. The optimal policy can have surprising properties-properties which, with high risk aversion, are better approximated by a quota rather than a tariff. Hence the "second best" justification for using quantity controls to restrict trade turns out to depend on
Final results from a meta-analysis of remedial interventions with drink/drive offenders.

A meta-analysis of the efficacy of remediation with drinking/driving offenders included 215 independent evaluations identified through a comprehensive literature search. Study characteristics, including dimensions of methodological quality were coded using scales and protocols developed by expert panels. Better methodological quality (as indicated by group equivalence) was associated with smaller effect size and less variation in effect size. Among studies with adequate methods (as determined empirically through examination of effect size variation with quality), the average effect of remediation on drinking/driving recidivism was an 8-9% reduction over no remediation. A similar effect size was found for alcohol involved crashes. However, licensing actions tended to be associated with reduction in occurrence of non-alcohol events (e.g. non-alcohol crashes). Exploratory regression analysis and confirmatory within study analysis suggested that combinations of modalities--in particular those including education, psychotherapy/counseling and follow-up contact/probation--were more effective than other evaluated modes for reducing drinking/driving recidivism. Treatment effects are probably underestimated in the literature due to overemphasis on education as a treatment for all offenders and drinking/driving recidivism as the most frequent measure of outcome. Limitations of the primary literature and future research needs are discussed. Language: en
Scaling of the metrics of visually-guided arm movements during motor learning in primates.

Hand trajectory, tangential velocity and acceleration, time and distance until peak velocity and reaction time were analyzed during the process of learning a skilled, visually-guided arm movement. Primates were trained to move a cursor with a manipulandum from a start box to target boxes displayed on a horizontal video screen during control conditions and when the relationship (gain) between the cursor and manipulandum was altered. The animals adapted to the altered feedback over 100–200 trials. A subsequent testing phase with randomly interspersed trials using the control gain demonstrated that the animals had modified their movements appropriately for the novel gain. Examination of the kinematics revealed that in adapting to a novel gain, primates scaled movement amplitude, tangential velocity, acceleration, and duration appropriately for the distance the hand needed to travel. Yet time to peak velocity was kept constant. Reaction time also remained unchanged for three of the four animals. Movements were performed in two phases, the first from movement onset to peak velocity and the second from peak velocity until the end of the movement. During the first phase the shape of the trajectory and velocity profile were stereotypic and without evidence of any corrections, consistent with this phase being essentially open loop. However, corrections occurred in the second phase and we propose visual feedback was used to correct for the difference in hand/cursor position. Learning appeared to involve utilizing the errors from previous trials to modify the early feedforward phase of subsequent trials. Peak tangential velocity, total movement duration and distance reached at peak tangential velocity all scaled linearly with the total movement distance required at each gain. Based on regression analyses, for none of these variables were the changes in learning completely adequate to compensate for total distance required. However, distance to peak velocity scaled with peak velocity in relation to the control gain. The results show that non-human primates adopt a consistent strategy when learning to scale a multi-joint movement. The metrics of the movement scaled yet the time to peak velocity remained constant, suggesting independent control of time and amplitude. Keeping time to peak velocity constant as well as the scaling of peak velocity with distance to peak velocity are viewed as ways to simplify the learning process.
Fate of oil dispersants in aquatic environment

Abstract Chemical oil dispersants have been used throughout most of the world to combat oil spills. However, their fate in aquatic environment remains uncertain. This study was conducted to investigate the persistence of five oil dispersants in the aquatic environment. The results indicate that petroleum utilizing bacteria possess high potential for the biodegradation of oil dispersants. The order of biodegradability for the five oil dispersants was as follows: Magnus 101 > BP1100X>BP1100>Linco No. 4>Corexit 8666. From the results of this study and a review of the literature data, it can be concluded that treatment of oil spills with chemical dispersants is unlikely to cause any build-up of organic contaminants in the aquatic environment.
Hormonal regulation of RNA synthesis and membrane ultrastructure in mouse mammary gland

Abstract Effect of adrenalectomy and cortisol treatment on RNA synthesis and membrane ultrastructure in mouse mammary gland cells was studied by autoradiography and electron microscopy. As measured by 3 H-uridine uptake, adrenalectomy caused a sharp decline of RNA synthesis in lactating gland, whereas synthesis was only moderately affected in prelactating tissues. A single injection of cortisol in adrenalectomized mice stimulated a sharp increase of RNA synthesis both in early and late lactating glands. With the onset of lactation, there was a selective activation of nucleolar RNA synthesis in lactating glands and chromatin radioactivity in lactating and prelactating cells was essentially similar. Adrenalectomy reduced 3 H-uridine uptake selectively in the nucleoli of lactating cells and a preferential activation of nucleolar RNA synthesis only hours after the injection of cortisol was evident in lactating cells of adrenalectomized mice. Occurrence of rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) with well-developed cisternae was more extensive in lactating than prelactating cells. Adrenalectomy led to a marked reduction of RER in the lactating glands. Since nucleolus is the cellular site of ribosomal RNA synthesis, it has been suggested that one of the mechanisms of action of the glucocorticoid hormone in lactogenesis may be mediated by its control on ribosomal precursor synthesis.
Homogenized Penetration Calculations.

Abstract A model was developed which describes the penetration of a target composed of multiple discrete elements in terms of the penetration of an equivalent single-element target of identical thickness. To achieve this aim, the effective density and target resistance terms for the equivalent target have been homogenized from the densities and target resistances of the individual discrete elements composing the original target. Though the current model may be employed to treat a target's internal air gaps in the homogenization process, the current model does nothing special to address target considerations, such as obliquity, confinement, length-to-diameter (L/D) effects, etc. Rather, the model was intentionally restricted to flat-plate-type target elements being impacted at normal incidence, to focus upon the homogenization technique itself. To avoid the need to transform the shape or velocities of the bodies in question, only techniques which strictly preserved length and time dimensions were considered. Several homogenization schemes were examined and compared to the corresponding multi-element penetration calculation. It was determined that a straightforward volume averaging of target properties is usually not sufficient to effectively simulate a multi-element target. Other techniques presented here seem to do a better job at predicting residual penetrator length and velocity, respectively.
A Novel Procedure for Pyroelectric Energy Harvesting Using Heat Conduction and the Olsen Cycle

Waste heat can be directly converted into electrical energy by performing the Olsen cycle on pyroelectric materials. The Olsen cycle consists of two isothermal and two iso-electric field processes in the displacement versus electric field diagram. This paper reports, for the first time, a procedure to implement the Olsen cycle by alternatively placing a pyroelectric material in thermal contact with a cold and a hot source. Poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluroethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE)] copolymer thin films with 60/40 VDF/TrFE mole fraction were used. A maximum energy density of 155 J/L per cycle was achieved at 0.066 Hz between 25 and 110°C and electric fields cycled between 200 and 350 kV/cm. This energy density was larger than that achieved by our previous prototypical device using oscillatory laminar convective heat transfer. However, it was lower than the energy density obtained in previous “dipping experiments” consisting of alternatively dipping the samples in cold and hot silicone oil baths. This was attributed to (1) the lower operating temperatures due to the slow thermal response achieved using heat conduction and (2) the smaller electric field spans imposed which was limited by the smaller dielectric strength of air. However, the proposed procedure can readily be implemented into devices.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Quantum depinning of flux lines from columnar defects.

The depinning of a flux line from a columnar defect is studied within the path-integral approach. Instantons of the quantum field theory in 1+1 dimensions are computed for the flux line whose dynamics is dominated by the Magnus force. The universal temperature dependence of the decay rate in the proximity of the critical current is obtained. This problem provides an example of macroscopic quantum tunneling, which is accessible to the direct comparison between theory and experiment.
Extranodal Rosai-Dorfman disease presenting as an isolated glenoid lesion in a high school athlete

Rosai-Dorfman disease (RDD), also known as sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy (SHML), was first described as a clinical entity by Rosai and Dorfman in 1969. The first description of the disease reported a rare nonneoplastic disorder involving the proliferation of histiocytes predominantly involving the lymph nodes. ‘‘Sinus histiocytosis’’refers to histiocytosis that occurs in thedistended sinuses of lymph nodes, but since its initial description, RDD has been reported to involve a wide variety of organ systems and has been found in numerous locations throughout the body. RDD most commonly presents in young patients in the second or third decade of life, with an increased prevalence in men. RDD generally presents as bilateral, nontender, painless adenopathy in the neck, which may be accompanied by fever, elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, weight loss, and immunologic abnormalities such as leukocytosis and polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia. Less frequently involved nodal sites are mediastinal, hilar, retroperitoneal, axillary, and inguinal. Extranodal RDDoccurs in 42% of patients, with 23% having isolated extranodal disease. Of the nearly 1000 patients with documented RDD, less than 3% have presented with isolated osseous involvement. In the 423 RDD cases presented by Foucar et al, 7.8% had osseous involvement, 2% had osseous involvement without lymphadenopathy, and 0.5% had isolated osseous