cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract A21: Survivin-T34A enhances gemcitabine treatment in pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer fatality in American men and women, with a less than 5% survival rate. Currently, if diagnosed early, surgical resection remains the only viable cure. However, only 20% of pancreatic cancer patients meet these criteria. It is therefore necessary to discover new therapies or therapeutic combinations in order to impact significantly this deadly disease. The antimetabolite agent gemcitabine is currently being employed to treat pancreatic cancer. While gemcitabine has shown significant benefit in clinical applications, its ability to more than modestly impact pancreatic cancer is limited. It has been speculated that combinatory treatments using gemcitabine could improve survival rates. Survivin, a member of the inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) protein family, is expressed in virtually all cancer cells, but not detectable in most normal cells outside of development. Mutation of survivin’s threonine 34 to alanine (survivinT34A) abolishes a phosphorylation site for p34cdc2-cyclin B1 resulting in the initiation of the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway in cancer cells with little to no direct effects on normal cells. The possibility that targeting survivin in this manner may provide a novel approach for selective cancer gene therapy has yet to be fully evaluated. We have recently described that cells generated to express a stable form of the mutant protein, released this survivinT34A to the conditioned medium. When this conditioned medium was collected and deposited on naive tumor cells, conditioned medium containing survivin-T34A was as effective as chemotherapy in induction of tumor cell apoptosis. When combined with other forms of genotoxic stress, survivin-T34A potentiated their killing effects. We further determined that survivin-T34A is trafficked by microvesicles called exosomes which were released into the conditioned media. We showed strong evidence that exosomes containing survivin-T34A elicited cellular death and synergistically enhanced cellular death during combination with low doses of gemcitabine and we propose that these findings may lead to novel modalities for cancer therapies. Citation Format: Jonathan R. Aspe, Simone DeShields, Nathan R. Wall. Survivin-T34A enhances gemcitabine treatment in pancreatic cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Pancreatic Cancer: Progress and Challenges; Jun 18-21, 2012; Lake Tahoe, NV. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(12 Suppl):Abstract nr A21.
Quantum-Inspired Maximizer

A report discusses an algorithm for a new kind of dynamics based on a quantum- classical hybrid-quantum-inspired maximizer. The model is represented by a modified Madelung equation in which the quantum potential is replaced by different, specially chosen 'computational' potential. As a result, the dynamics attains both quantum and classical properties: it preserves superposition and entanglement of random solutions, while allowing one to measure its state variables, using classical methods. Such optimal combination of characteristics is a perfect match for quantum-inspired computing. As an application, an algorithm for global maximum of an arbitrary integrable function is proposed. The idea of the proposed algorithm is very simple: based upon the Quantum-inspired Maximizer (QIM), introduce a positive function to be maximized as the probability density to which the solution is attracted. Then the larger value of this function will have the higher probability to appear. Special attention is paid to simulation of integer programming and NP-complete problems. It is demonstrated that the problem of global maximum of an integrable function can be found in polynomial time by using the proposed quantum- classical hybrid. The result is extended to a constrained maximum with applications to integer programming and TSP (Traveling Salesman Problem).
Continuous Blood Gas Monitoring Using an In-Dwelling Optode Method: Comparison to Intermittent Arterial Blood Gas Sampling in ECMO Patients

Continuous Blood Gas Monitoring Using an In-Dwelling Optode Method: Comparison to Intermittent Arterial Blood Gas Sampling in ECMO Patients
Polarized fluorescence and estimated lifetimes of the DNA bases at room temperature

Abstract Polarized fluorescence spectra are presented for thymine, cytosine, adenine and guanine in neutral aqueous solution and in rigid neutral ethylene glycol-water (6:4) at ca. −125°C. For thymine and cytosine at 25°C the polarization is nearly as high as in rigid media. Analysis yields fluorescence lifetime (τf) estimates of ⩽2 ps. This limits the likelihood that emission is from a minor species or via a forbidden transition. The lower room temperature polarization for adenine and guanine indicates τf's of ≈ 10 ps which allows for emission from a fluorescent tautomer or via a slightly forbidden transition.
Designing memristors: Physics, materials science and engineering

Recently, memory and storage have taken a front seat in computer hardware as it experiences an explosive growth at a rate faster than Moore's law for the past 10 years. With the upcoming challenges for further FLASH scaling into the next generations, emerging technologies have appeared portraying perspectives with the potential to shift computer architecture concepts. Here we present a brief overview and progress in our quest to create a device with competitive attributes, with the ultimate goal of achieving a universal, non-volatile data storage solution.
Induction of cholinergic expression in developing spinal cord cultures.

: The induction of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) by cAMP derivatives was studied in dissociated spinal cord cultures. Dibutyryl cAMP (dbcAMP) and 8-bromo cAMP (1 mM) produced a 2–3-fold stimulation of ChAT activity in developing cultures whereas 8-bromo cGMP had no effect. A phosphodiesterase inhibitor, 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine, also increased (2-fold) ChAT activity in immature cultures. Significant elevations in ChAT were detected after 2 h incubation with dbcAMP. Maximum enzyme induction was observed 24 h after dbcAMP supplementation to the culture medium. Developmental studies revealed that ChAT could be induced on days 2–16 in culture. The largest induction of ChAT activity was observed on day 7 in culture. After day 19, when control enzyme activity attained levels of mature cultures, cAMP-mediated ChAT induction was no longer observed. Cycloheximide and actinomycin D blocked ChAT induction whereas basal enzyme activity remained unaffected. Culture protein content was not changed after 1-day exposure to dbcAMP. 125I-Tetanus toxin fixation after dbcAMP treatment revealed a 20% decrease from control in neuronal surface during days 7–9 in culture. These data indicated that cAMP derivatives produced a rapid increase in cholinergic expression during a specific period of development in spinal cord cultures. There appears to be specificity to this effect, as total neuronal surface does not respond in the same manner as ChAT activity. The ChAT induction mediated by dbcAMP appears to be regulated at the transcriptional level.
Investigation of bacterial transport in the large-block test, a thermally perturbed block of Topopah Spring Tuff

This study investigates the transport of bacteria in a large, thermally perturbed block of Topopah Spring tuff. The study was part of the Large-Block Test (LBT), thermochemical and physical studies conducted on a 10 ft x 10 ft x 14 ft block of volcanic tuff excavated on 5 of 6 sides out of Fran Ridge, Nevada. Two bacterial species, Bacillus subtilis and Arthrobacter oxydans, were isolated from the Yucca Mountain tuff. Natural mutants that can grow under the simultaneous presence of the two antibiotics, streptomycin and rifampicin, were selected from these species by laboratory procedures. The double-drug-resistant mutants, which could be thus distinguished from the indigenous species, were injected into the five heater boreholes of the large block hours before heating was initiated. The temperature, as measured 5 cm above one of the heater boreholes, rose slowly and steadily over a matter of months to a maximum of 142 C. Samples (cotton cloths inserted the length of the hole, glass fiber swabs, and filter papers) were collected from the boreholes that were approximately 5 ft below the injection points. Double-drug-resistant bacteria were found in the collection boreholes nine months after injection. Surprisingly, they also appeared in the heater boreholes where the temperature had been sustainably high throughout the test. These bacteria appear to be the species that were injected. The number of double-drug-resistant bacteria that were identified in the collection boreholes increased with time. An apparent homogeneous distribution among the observation boreholes and heater boreholes suggests that a random motion could be the pattern that the bacteria migrated in the block. These observations indicated the possibility of rapid bacterial transport in a thermally perturbed geologic setting.
Integrating public health into medical education: community health projects in a Primary Care Preceptorship.

ABSTRACT Physicians must integrate care of populations with the care of individual patients to function optimally in today's health care environment. With this understanding, medical school curricula are increasingly addressing the skills and knowledge of public health along with those of clinical medicine. The University of Uah School of Medicine in 1997 revised its four-year curriculum to increase the teaching of topics needed by future physicians, including public health. This report describes one course in the curriculum, the Primary Care Preceptorship (PCP), a fourth-year, six-week required rotation that assists students in learning about the health needs of a community along with providing primary care for its individual residents. Students in the PCP spend approximately 60% of their time in clinical primary care and 40% completing a community health project. In the first year of the PCP, 32 students completed projects on clinical problems, 27 on community health needs assessment, 26 on patient education, and 15 on epidemiology.
Salivary Gland Anticoagulants in Culicine and Anopheline Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae)

Female salivary gland extracts from 9 mosquito species representing the 2 hematophagous subfamilies delayed coagulation of human plasma. All extracts significantly delayed recalcification time, prothrombin time, and activated partial thromboplastin time, indicating an effect on the common coagulation pathway. Chromogenic assays to determine the coagulation inhibition site were performed for coagulation factor Xa (FXa) and thrombin, the major components of the common pathway. Although variation existed in the degree of inhibition, all anophelines have thrombin-directed anticoagulants, and culicine mosquitoes have FXa-directed anticoagulants. Differences in the site of action of the anticoagulants most likely reflected the long period of independent adaptation of the 2 subfamilies to the challenges presented by vertebrate hemostasis.
Regularization theory for the elliptic restricted three body problem

Elliptic restricted three body problem singularities dynamical meaning and character, presenting regularization transformations for equations of motion
Role of the placenta in fetal programming: underlying mechanisms and potential interventional approaches

Adverse influences during fetal life alter the structure and function of distinct cells, organ systems or homoeostatic pathways, thereby 'programming' the individual for an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes in adult life. Fetal programming can be caused by a number of different perturbations in the maternal compartment, such as altered maternal nutrition and reduced utero-placental blood flow; however, the underlying mechanisms remain to be fully established. Perturbations in the maternal environment must be transmitted across the placenta in order to affect the fetus. Here, we review recent insights into how the placenta responds to changes in the maternal environment and discuss possible mechanisms by which the placenta mediates fetal programming. In IUGR (intrauterine growth restriction) pregnancies, the increased placental vascular resistance subjects the fetal heart to increased work load, representing a possible direct link between altered placental structure and fetal programming of cardiovascular disease. A decreased activity of placental 11beta-HSD-2 (type 2 isoform of 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase) activity can increase fetal exposure to maternal cortisol, which programmes the fetus for later hypertension and metabolic disease. The placenta appears to function as a nutrient sensor regulating nutrient transport according to the ability of the maternal supply line to deliver nutrients. By directly regulating fetal nutrient supply and fetal growth, the placenta plays a central role in fetal programming. Furthermore, perturbations in the maternal compartment may affect the methylation status of placental genes and increase placental oxidative/nitrative stress, resulting in changes in placental function. Intervention strategies targeting the placenta in order to prevent or alleviate altered fetal growth and/or fetal programming include altering placental growth and nutrient transport by maternally administered IGFs (insulin-like growth factors) and altering maternal levels of methyl donors.
Role of plasmapheresis in thrombocytopenic purpura associated with Waldenström's macroglobulinemia

A 67-year-old man with Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia had a relapse of chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), which had been refractory to corticosteroids, splenectomy, vinca alkaloids, and high-dose intravenous gamma-globulin therapy. A biclonal gammopathy (IgM kappa and IgG lambda) was detected in his serum and was likely responsible for his refractory thrombocytopenia. He was treated with chlorambucil and prednisone. Plasmapheresis was effective in temporarily maintaining platelet counts and in decreasing morbidity until immunosuppression was completely effective against the production of the monoclonal protein. The previously reported experiences with use of plasmapheresis in patients with chronic ITP are discussed. Plasmapheresis may be of value in the treatment of selected patients with severe ITP and monoclonal gammopathy.
Computational Systems Analysis of Dopamine Metabolism

A prominent feature of Parkinson's disease (PD) is the loss of dopamine in the striatum, and many therapeutic interventions for the disease are aimed at restoring dopamine signaling. Dopamine signaling includes the synthesis, storage, release, and recycling of dopamine in the presynaptic terminal and activation of pre- and post-synaptic receptors and various downstream signaling cascades. As an aid that might facilitate our understanding of dopamine dynamics in the pathogenesis and treatment in PD, we have begun to merge currently available information and expert knowledge regarding presynaptic dopamine homeostasis into a computational model, following the guidelines of biochemical systems theory. After subjecting our model to mathematical diagnosis and analysis, we made direct comparisons between model predictions and experimental observations and found that the model exhibited a high degree of predictive capacity with respect to genetic and pharmacological changes in gene expression or function. Our results suggest potential approaches to restoring the dopamine imbalance and the associated generation of oxidative stress. While the proposed model of dopamine metabolism is preliminary, future extensions and refinements may eventually serve as an in silico platform for prescreening potential therapeutics, identifying immediate side effects, screening for biomarkers, and assessing the impact of risk factors of the disease.
Multicasting of 50 Gb/s RZ-DPSK signals using self-seeded FWM with phase modulated pumps for SBS suppression

We demonstrate a method enabling the use of phase modulated pumps for 9-fold multicasting of 50 Gb/s RZ-DPSK signals. Phase modulation of the input signal along with the pumps allows for self-seeded multicasting with ~1.8 dB average power penalty.
Doxycycline-Encapsulated Nanotube-Modified Dentin Adhesives:

This article presents details of fabrication, biological activity (i.e., anti-matrix metalloproteinase [anti-MMP] inhibition), cytocompatibility, and bonding characteristics to dentin of a unique doxycycline (DOX)-encapsulated halloysite nanotube (HNT)-modified adhesive. We tested the hypothesis that the release of DOX from the DOX-encapsulated nanotube-modified adhesive can effectively inhibit MMP activity. We incorporated nanotubes, encapsulated or not with DOX, into the adhesive resin of a commercially available bonding system (Scotchbond Multi-Purpose [SBMP]). The following groups were tested: unmodified SBMP (control), SBMP with nanotubes (HNT), and DOX-encapsulated nanotube-modified adhesive (HNT+DOX). Changes in degree of conversion (DC) and microtensile bond strength were evaluated. Cytotoxicity was examined on human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs). To prove the successful encapsulation of DOX within the adhesives-but, more important, to support the hypothesis that the HNT+DOX adhesive would release DOX at subantimicrobial levels-we tested the antimicrobial activity of synthesized adhesives and the DOX-containing eluates against Streptococcus mutans through agar diffusion assays. Anti-MMP properties were assessed via β-casein cleavage assays. Increasing curing times (10, 20, 40 sec) led to increased DC values. There were no statistically significant differences (p > .05) in DC within each increasing curing time between the modified adhesives compared to SBMP. No statistically significant differences in microtensile bond strength were noted. None of the adhesives eluates were cytotoxic to the human dental pulp stem cells. A significant growth inhibition of S. mutans by direct contact illustrates successful encapsulation of DOX into the experimental adhesive. More important, DOX-containing eluates promoted inhibition of MMP-1 activity when compared to the control. Collectively, our findings provide a solid background for further testing of encapsulated MMP inhibitors into the synthesis of therapeutic adhesives that may enhance the longevity of hybrid layers and the overall clinical performance of adhesively bonded resin composite restorations.
Body Force Model for the Aerodynamics of Inclined Perforated Surfaces

This is a joint experimental and computational research effort on the aerodynamics of perforated surfaces inclined to a freestream. The goal is to characterize the key parameters affecting the flowfield in order to construct a macroscopic computational model that obviates resolution of the detailed perforations. The model simulates the effects of the perforated surfaces by locally applying a body force term in the momentum equation. The study considers wedge-shaped deflectors used for jet noise reduction in turbofan engine nozzles in the form of flaps with varying angles and perforation shapes. The experiments measured the mean velocity field inside and in the wake of theflapswhile the numerical analysis comprised direct computations of simplifiedperforatedflaps and computations using the body force model. It is found that the effective porosity of the surface is affected by flow separation within the perforations. Theflowblockage of the separation regions is primarily a function of the angle to the freestreamand the ratio of the thickness to hole diameter. Accordingly, a formulation for the body force model is proposed that incorporates this finding. The resulting velocity field is in good agreement with the experiments and with the direct computations.
Transoral laser microsurgery for laryngeal cancer: A primer and review of laser dosimetry

Transoral laser microsurgery (TLM) is an emerging technique for the management of laryngeal and other head and neck malignancies. It is increasingly being used in place of traditional open surgery because of lower morbidity and improved organ preservation. Since the surgery is performed from the inside working outward as opposed to working from the outside in, there is less damage to the supporting structures that lie external to the tumor. Coupling the laser to a micromanipulator and a microscope allows precise tissue cutting and hemostasis; thereby improving visualization and precise ablation. The basic approach and principles of performing TLM, the devices currently in use, and the associated dosimetry parameters will be discussed. The benefits of using TLM over conventional surgery, common complications and the different settings used depending on the location of the tumor will also be discussed. Although the CO2 laser is the most versatile and the best-suited laser for TLM applications, a variety of lasers and different parameters are used in the treatment of laryngeal cancer. Improved instrumentation has lead to an increased utilization of TLM by head and neck cancer surgeons and has resulted in improved outcomes. Laser energy levels and spot size are adjusted to vary the precision of cutting and amount of hemostasis obtained.
Changing Trends in Endosonography: Linear Imaging and Tissue are Increasingly the Issue

The indications and uses of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) are expanding. The role of EUS-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) is considered an essential aspect of EUS practice. A significant change in the indications and technology used for EUS has occurred. This study was designed to compare the use of radial, linear, and miniprobe endosonography equipment during a 10-year period in a single, large, EUS practice. A retrospective review of an EUS experience at a single high-volume center was performed. In this single-center experience, there has been an increase in the volume of EUS and EUS-FNA. For luminal cancer-staging cases, the radial echoendoscope is the predominant scope used for examination and has not changed significantly. In contrast, for pancreaticobiliary and mediastinal indications, the use of the linear array echoendoscope alone has increased and currently is the preferred scope for examination (33% vs. 76%, P < 0.001; 46% vs. 96%, P < 0.001). In these cases requiring EUS-FNA, the use of the linear array scope alone has increased from 17% to 73%. In this single-center experience, EUS has shifted from an imaging technology to an image-guided biopsy and therapeutic technology. The use of the linear array EUS alone has increased, especially in the evaluation of pancreatobiliary and mediastinal disease and when fine-needle aspiration is performed.
Ion fluxes in photoreception in Limulus polyphemus ventral eye. I. The response of potassium efflux to light.

Abstract 1. 1. Radioactive tracers were used to study the effect of light on the efflux of K + from Limulus polyphemus ventral eye. Eyes were labeled in artificial sea water containing 42 KCl and then perfused with non-radioactive artificial sea water. 2. 2. After the first 2 min of perfusion, 42 K in the eye decreased with time as the sum of two exponential terms of half-times 0.3 and 2 h. 3. 3. Illumination of an eye labeled with 42 K caused an abrupt increase in the rate of release of 42 K. The additional 42 K released in response to light comes from the photoreceptor cell bodies rather than from the axons. 4. 4. The proportional increase in efflux rate upon illumination did not vary with the length of time that an eye was perfused. This suggests that the two exponential terms above reflect two classes of photoreceptor cells rather than photoreceptor cells and glial cells. 5. 5. By collection of perfusate at intervals of less than one second, it was shown that the instantaneous rate of 42 K release increases up to 20-fold at the onset of illumination. With continuous illumination, the rate remains above the dark rate, but by less than a factor of 2. Thus, the response of potassium efflux to light has transient and steady phases like the receptor potential. The increased driving force on internal potassium resulting from the receptor potential is not sufficient to explain the flux changes, if one makes the constant field assumption for the photoreceptor membrane. 6. 6. A double label method with 42 K and 42 K was used to show that the average rate of influx over a 10-min period is not affected by illumination. 7. 7. In eyes cooled in the dark to 2–3 °C, light still elicited an increase in the rate of 42 K release and large, prolonged receptor potentials. Thus, the photoreception mechanism of the ventral eye is not, as has been previously suggested, inactive at low temperatures.
Propagation dynamics of optical vortices due to Gouy phase

We study the propagation of off-axis vortices in a paraxial beam formed by two collinear Laguerre-Gauss beams. We show that the vortices move about the beam axis as the light propagates resulting in a rotation of the beam's transverse profile. This rotation is explained by the Gouy phase acquired by the component beams. Experimental measurements of the angular position of the vortices are in good agreement with a two-mode theory.
LC-MS/MS assay for protein amino acids and metabolically related compounds for large-scale screening of metabolic phenotypes.

A modified LC−MS/MS method for large-scale screening of metabolic phenotypes was developed and validated. Twenty amino acids and 5 metabolically related compounds are measured within 4 min using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) transitions selective for each compound. Separation with a short C18 column and rapid gradient using the ion-pairing reagent perfluoroheptanoic acid allows chromatographic resolution of the isomers Ile and Leu and improved chromatographic peak shapes for Lys, Arg, and His. MRM transitions were established with capability to distinguish isomers Leu from Ile and Thr from homoserine even when chromatographic resolution is incomplete. The reproducibility of the assay was tested by adding eight stable isotope-labeled amino acid standards (AA*) to extracts of Arabidopsis thaliana seeds. In intra- and interday assay comparisons, mean coefficients of variation of the peak area ratios of AA/AA* were less than 5% for all but Gly/Gly-D2-15N1. Recoveries of these eight amino acids ranged fro...
The stomach energy content governs meal patterning in the rat.

Abstract The feeding behavior of 38 male rats was continuously monitored for 14 days. The meal sizes and intermeal intervals were then used in conjunction with a mathematical model of stomach emptying to predict the energy content of the stomach at the times of meal initiation and termination. A correlational analysis was then performed to determine what if any role the stomach energy content played in the determination of the size of meals or the intermeal interval (IMI). Significant correlations between the meal size and the following IMI (postprandial correlation) were obtained. The energy content of the stomach before the meal was found to be as good a predictor of the following IMI as the meal size and the energy content of the stomach after the meal was found to be even a better predictor, equalling the variance accounted for by the combined influence of the premeal stomach energy content and the meal size. Additionally, the postprandial correlation was found to be negatively correlated to the variance of the premeal stomach energy content, suggesting that the weakness of the postprandial correlation in the past was due to a lack of consideration of the energy present in the stomach at the time of meal initiation. The results indicate that satiety is a strong influence on the meal pattern under ad lib conditions and that satiety is governed by a factor associated with the energy content of the stomach.
Using commodity-indexed financing to fund OPEC/Alaska's development projects

Analyse des possibilites de financer des projets de diversification, de l'activite petroliere, en amont ou en aval ou en ouvrant sur d'autres industries minieres, par le biais d'obligations indexees sur les ressources naturelles. Ces projets de diversification peuvent etre menes a bien pour l'Alaska ou les pays de l'OPEP, separement ou associes en joint ventures
TESTOSTERONE-INDUCED N-RETENTION IN CASTRATED RATS ON DIETS CONTAINING INCOMPLETE PROTEINS

SEVERAL important investigations have been published recently on the mechanism of the biological synthesis of proteins, but very little has been contributed to our knowledge of the intrinsic factors which initiate and determine the extent of tissue protein synthesis. It is usually assumed that both nervous and hormonal factors govern protein anabolism i.e. the protein synthesis for growth and repair. Based on the fundamental discovery by Kochakian and Murlin (1) that testosterone increases nitrogen retention, androgens are presently regarded by many authors as particularly potent anabolic agents. In connection with our investigations on protein anabolism, we studied, therefore, the mechanism of androgeninduced nitrogen retention. Earlier we found that the speed and degree of protein depletion and of subsequent repletion in normal rats is not influenced by testosterone treatment (2). In further investigations (3) on normal young men on restricted sodium intake, it was found that the net weight gain and wat...
Indian Displacement from the Loess Hills

Indian nations have been thoroughly removed from the Loess Hills of the Missouri River valley. That removal, however, does not conform to the typical story of Indian displacement from the forested ...
An Application of the Logistic Distribution to the Analysis of a Measles Epidemic

The relationship between the development of measles and age at immunization and time since immunization is examined using a trichotomous logistic distribution with maximum likelihood estimation of the parameters. The first and second partial derivatives used in the estimation scheme are presented.
Pursuing Protection from Disease : The Making of Smallpox Prophylactic Practice in Colonial Punjab

Summary: Focusing on colonial Punjab, this article explores how agrarian lower-class families' pursuit of safe and effective protection from smallpox shaped the region's prophylactic practices during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Specifically, the article explains shifts from variolation in conjunction with Sitala (smallpox goddess) worship to vaccination in conjunction with Sitala worship; from vaccination with crusts to vaccination with human and animal lymph; and from vaccination with fresh lymph to vaccination with tubed lymph. The article also illustrates how, regardless of the particular technologies employed at any given point in time, the demand for, and efficacy of, vaccination varied with seasonal fluctuations in labor and disease. More broadly, this article challenges the assumptions of elite agency and linear cultural change that animate national and global histories of vaccination by demonstrating the importance of regional socio-environmental factors and the creative, productive agency of the agrarian lower classes.
Newly created animal model of human postoperative junctional ectopic tachycardia.

Objective Junctional ectopic tachycardia complicates the postoperative recovery from open heart surgery in children. The reported risk factors include younger age, prolonged cardiopulmonary bypass times, and administration of inotropic agents. Junctional ectopic tachycardia occurs early after open heart surgery, in the setting of relative postoperative sinus node dysfunction, and exhibits QRS morphology consistent with an origin from the atrioventricular node or proximal conduction system. Our goal was to develop a reproducible animal model for postoperative junctional ectopic tachycardia. Methods Eleven pigs, aged 2 to 4 months, underwent open heart surgery after induction of general anesthesia. Electrodes were sewn to the left atrium and right ventricle. Results Sinus node dysfunction was created using clamp crushing without or with radiofrequency ablation (successful in 1 of 5 pigs) or sinus node removal (successful in 4 of 4). After prolonged cardiopulmonary bypass (>120 minutes) alone and with isoproterenol infusion, no spontaneous junctional ectopic tachycardia developed. Junctional ectopic tachycardia or fascicular tachycardia could be initiated after either slow atrioventricular nodal pathway ablation and/or digoxin administration. Junctional ectopic tachycardia occurred in 8 of 9 pigs (mean ventricular rate, 171 ± 32 bpm), and fascicular tachycardia occurred in 9 of 9 pigs (mean ventricular rate, 187 ± 39 bpm). His and right bundle recordings confirmed the conduction system origin. Conclusions Experimental junctional ectopic tachycardia or fascicular tachycardia can occur in the intraoperative setting of sinus node dysfunction, prolonged cardiopulmonary bypass, and enhanced conduction system automaticity. Conduction system automaticity occurred after either physical injury (ablation or tricuspid valve stretch) or measures to augment the transient inward current of the conduction system (isoproterenol and digoxin). This animal model can serve as the basis to assess new treatments of postoperative junctional ectopic tachycardia.
Acute and long-term effects of modified hemoglobin (HBOC-201) in a rat model of hypertension and chronic kidney disease.

BACKGROUND: The goal was to determine whether administration of the oxygen-therapeutic blood substitute HBOC-201 had any deleterious effect on renal function and/or structure in a rat model of chronic kidney disease (CKD). STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Longitudinal studies were conducted in the conscious chronically catheterized male Sprague-Dawley rat with rapidly progressing CKD produced by ablation-infarction of 5/6th of the functional renal mass. Experimental rats received a loading dose (after acute removal of 10% blood volume) and six subsequent daily maintenance doses of HBOC-201 at Weeks 4 to 5 after induction of CKD and were studied again at 6 weeks. Controls received isoosmotic human serum albumin (HSA, 13%) over the same period. Blood pressure (BP) and renal function were measured in acute experiments at Weeks 4, 5, and 6. Proteinuria and 24-hour creatinine clearance was measured longitudinally and renal pathology was assessed at killing. RESULTS: There were differences in the acute response to the infusions, with rats given HBOC-201 exhibiting an increase in BP and renal vascular resistance, whereas rats given HSA showed a decrease in BP. These changes did not persist, however, because mean BP, glomerular filtration rate, level of proteinuria, and glomerular pathology were all similar at the end of the study (6 weeks after induction of CKD) in rats given HBOC-201 and HSA. CONCLUSION: In this model of CKD, daily doses of HBOC-201 had no long-term damaging effects on renal function or structure, compared to rats given the osmotic control agent, 13 percent HSA.
The Major in vivo Modifications of the Human Water-insoluble Lens Crystallins are Disulfide Bonds, Deamidation, Methionine Oxidation and Backbone Cleavage

This investigation of the water-insoluble crystallins from human lenses has used multiple chromatographic separations to obtain proteins of sufficient purity for mass spectrometric analysis. Each fraction was analysed to determine the molecular masses of the constituent proteins as well as peptides in tryptic digests of these proteins. The major components of the water-insoluble crystallins were identified as alphaA- and alphaB-crystallins. In addition, gammaS-, betaB1-, gammaD-, betaA3/A1- and betaB2-crystallins were found, in order of decreasing abundance. Although there was evidence of some backbone cleavage, the predominant forms of alphaA-, alphaB, betaB2-, gammaS- and gammaD-crystallins were the intact polypeptide chains. The major modifications distinguishing the water-soluble crystallins were increased disulfide bonding, oxidation of Met, deamidation of Gln and Asn and backbone cleavage. Of the many reactions hypothesized to lead to crystallin insolubility and cataract, these results most strongly support metal-catalysed oxidation, deamidation and truncation as initiators of conformational changes that favor aggregation.
Design for an all-reflection Michelson interferometer.

We present a new design for an all-reflection Michelson interferometer that uses a concave spherical grating in an off-plane Rowland circle configuration.
A semi-empirical model for electric defrosting of a cylindrical coil cooler

Frost growth on cooling surfaces held at subfreezing temperatures has been shown to cause degradation of the heat transfer performance of the cooler. Despite the initial increase in the heat transfer rate due to the temporary increase in the heat transfer area, periodic frost removal is necessary. This paper presents a model for defrosting a cylindrical coil cooler employing the electric defrosting method. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
How Teaching Group Work Can Be Guided by Foundational Documents: Best Practice Guidelines, Diversity Principles, Training Standards

The Association for Specialists in Group Work (ASGW) Best Practice Guidelines, ASGW Principles for Diversity-Competent Group Workers, and ASGW Professional Standards for the Training of Group Workers are foundational documents commissioned by ASGW to clarify our professional niche, articulate our common values, and enhance the professionalism of group work training and practice. This article describes the contents of the foundational documents, describes their value, and discusses how they can be used in training group workers.
Satellite laser ranging and geological constraints on plate motion

Satellite laser ranging (SLR) observed baseline rates of change were measured and compared with rates determined from sea floor spreading rates and directions, and earth-quake solutions. With the number of years of observation now over six for many of the baselines, the inaccuracy of determining baseline rates of change has diminished so that in some cases it is less than a few mm per year. Thus, a direct comparison between baseline rates of change and rates of change established using geophysical information (called geological rates) is now feasible. In most cases, there is good agreement between the rates determined from SLR and geological rates, but in some cases there appear to be discrepancies. These discrepancies involve many of the data for which one end of the baseline is either Quincy (California), Huahine (French Polynesia), or Simosato (Japan). A method for looking at the discrepancies for these SLR observatories has been devised which makes it possible to calculate the motion not modeled by the geologic information.
Memorable Experiences of a Science Field Trip

Potential immediate outcomes of a science field trip are the retention of knowledge associated with the program and an improved attitude toward the site visited during the trip. The length of associated memories regarding this experience are less clear. In an attempt to begin learning more about memorable experiences associated with a science field trip, a 1-month and an 18-month evaluation was conducted of elementary school students who had participated in an environmental science program at a community park in a midwestern city. Results of the evaluation found that students' memories were nonspecific and disassociated from information given by the field teacher. On the other hand, results from both tests yielded positive responses toward wanting to learn more about the subject matter and an interest in returning to the field trip site. This would indicate that, while not retaining specific objective-oriented content, students did gain a positive reaction to returning that continued over the long-term. Research related to memorable experiences is outlined, using a theory of long-term memory developed by Tulving (1972) as a basic paradigm of correlation for the subsequent investigation.
Urban Population Density Patterns: An Alternate Explanation

was fit with consistently good results to density distance data for a wide range of cities from different parts of the world and for different time period^.^ In this paper it is shown that the exponential decline of residential densities can be explained in terms of two competing locational preferences:
New compounds: N-arylglyoxylohydroxamyl derivatives of nitrogen mustard

The synthesis and physical properties of some N,N - bis (2 - chloroethyl)arylglyoxylohy-droxamamides are described.
Absorption of electromagnetic radiation in an advanced propulsion system

The concept of beamed energy propulsion is studied in detail with emphasis on the strong interaction between a laser beam and a flowing gas. The problem is modeled in a one-dimensional sense using a * 'pseudoconvergent" optical beam. The beam convergence enables the mass flow to be dictated by the nozzle throat rather than by the eigensolution for the laser supported plasma. The results show that the mass flux and thrust achieved through a fixed nozzle is nearly independent of the incoming intensity, a result which is in sharp contrast to calculations based on laser supported plasma eigenvalues. The range of laser intensities which can be used with a given nozzle is also limited, but the results indicate that the location of the plasma inside the absorber can be controlled by the nozzle and incident beam. The effect of laser wavelength on the laser supported plasma wave is also shown and the effects of frozen flow on the propulsive performance are estimated. Nomenclature
Duct tape and WD-40: The information worlds of female investors

Using an everyday life information-seeking (ELIS) perspective, this ethnographic study describes the information-seeking behaviors of women's investment club members. It identifies three general motivations for interest in investing and club membership, and ties those motivations to distinct variations in information behavior. Study findings identify gaps between information needs and use, and highlight potential areas for improving the abilities of female investors to locate, evaluate, and use information for investment decision-making.
Metabolic differences between multiple sclerosis subtypes measured by quantitative MR spectroscopy

We used quantitative magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopic imaging with T1-based image segmentation to evaluate the subtypes of multiple sclerosis (MS) (eight patients each group of relapsing-remitting [RR], secondary progressive [SP] and primary progressive [PP]). There was no significant difference in age between the PP group with the RR, SP or control group. We found that the metabolite ratio of choline/NA from the periventricular white matter region was not significantly different between the RR and SP groups. Using an ANOVA, the ratios of periventricular choline/NA or creatine/NA of these combined groups were significantly higher than the PP and control groups. Quantification of these data suggest that the major cause of the elevation of these parameters is due to an increase in choline and creatine in the RR group while NA is decreased in the SP group. Thus, early PP disease appears to be relatively intact with respect to neuronal loss.
State court fraud decision influenced by economics of US peanut industry

This paper describes the economics of the peanut industry in the Southeast and Georgia to understand the 1993 trial Golden v. Hunt where the jury awarded a Georgia peanut farmer, Hunt, $260,000 in damages for fraudulent behavior by the largest peanut buyer in the market, Golden Peanut Company, in the sale of his 1990 peanut crop. While this case was not a federal or state antitrust case, the issue of market power was relevant to determine the potential to practice frauds and tortious interference successfully. It would appear that the viability of contract markets for agricultural products depends on the ability to enforce those contracts at the level where this case was adjudicated. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The hydroid and early medusa stages of Mitrocoma cellularia (Hydrozoa, Mitrocomidae)

The leptomedusa, Mitrocoma cellularia, ranges from the Bering Sea to southern California and may be found year-round in the surface waters of Monterey Bay, California. These jellies are relatively long-lived, making them ideal hydromedusae for display at public aquaria. While M. cellularia are commonly found in Monterey Bay, it is not always possible to collect them due to foul weather and patchy distribution. To maintain a constant and reliable source of these medusae, a laboratory cultivation protocol was developed and implemented. The described life cycle of M. cellularia remained incomplete, lacking information regarding the benthic hydroid colony and early medusa. This paper reports descriptions for the hydroid colony and early medusa stages of M. cellularia based on specimens grown at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, California, and provides a brief description of the rearing methods used.
2-NBDG Fluorescence Imaging of Hypermetabolic Circulating Tumor Cells in Mouse Xenograft model of Breast Cancer

Objectives To determine use of 2-[N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl)amino]-2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-NBDG) as a tracer for detection of hypermetabolic circulating tumor cells (CTC) by fluorescence imaging.
Monte Carlo assessment of computed tomography dose to tissue adjacent to the scanned volume.

The assessment of the radiationdose to internal organs or to an embryo or fetus is required on occasion for risk assessment or for comparing imaging studies. Limited resources hinder the ability to accurately assess the radiationdose received to locations outside the tissue volume actually scanned during computed tomography(CT). The purpose of this study was to assess peripheral doses and provide tabular data for dose evaluation. Validated Monte Carlo simulation techniques were used to compute the dose distribution along the length of water-equivalent cylindrical phantoms, 16 and 32 cm in diameter. For further validation, comparisons between physically measured and Monte Carlo-derived air kerma profiles were performed and showed excellent (1% to 2%) agreement. Polyenergetic x-ray spectra at 80, 100, 120, and 140 kVp with beam shaping filters were studied. Using 10 8 simulated photons input to the cylinders perpendicular to their long axis, line spread functions (LSF) of the dose distribution were determined at three depths in the cylinders (center, mid-depth, and surface). The LSF data were then used with appropriate mathematics to compute dose distributions along the long axis of the cylinder. The dose distributions resulting from helical ( pitch =1.0) scans and axial scans were approximately equivalent. Beyond about 3 cm from the edge of the CT scanned tissue volume, the fall-off of radiationdose was exponential. A series of tables normalized at 100 milliampere seconds (mAs) were produced which allow the straightforward assessment of dose within and peripheral to the CT scanned volume. The tables should be useful for medical physicists and radiologists in the estimation of dose to sites beyond the edge of the CT scanned volume.
Surfactant enhanced electro-osmotic separation of iron oxide ultrafines

Abstract Electro-osmotic and vacuum separation techniques were applied to the study or naturally occurring iron oxide (Fe2O3·H2O) ultrafine (≈ 2 μm) slurries. The absence of a significant particle zeta potential for electro-osmosis was overcome by increasing the concentration of potential-determining ions, through the addition of sodium hydroxide. The resulting electrostatic dispersion of the particles significantly reduced the rate and extent of hydraulic separation. Subsequent addition of small amounts of cetyl trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB; 5 · 10−+−5 · 10−3 M) reflocculates the particles through electrostatic adsorption of CTA+ ions, while maintaining sufficient zeta potential to utilize electro-osmotic separation techniques. In the case of NaOH and CTAB-treated samples, the final moisture content of an electro-osmotic filtered sample is over 40% lower than for an untreated vacuum separated sample. From electrophoretic measurements, the correlation between NaOH concentration and the extent of separation, the mechanism of adsorption, flocculation and subsequent dewatering is presented.