cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 4748: RICTOR signaling modulates the activity of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) inEGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

Background: Molecularly-targeted therapy has significantly improved the therapeutic efficiency and clinical outcome in a subgroup of NSCLC patients. However, drug resistance inevitably emerges, such as resistance to EGFR TKIs in EGFR-mutated NSCLC. RICTOR is a key component of the mTORC2 complex and plays important roles in cell survival, proliferation, migration and invasion. RICTOR has also been suggested to play a part in the regulation of drug resistance to HER2-targeted therapy in HER2-amplified breast cancer, a niche close to EGFR-targeted therapy. In our current study, we hypothesize that RICTOR modulates the activity of EGFR TKIs in EGFR-mutated NSCLC. Co-targeting RICTOR and EGFR signaling pathways could be a new therapeutic strategy for patients with EGFR-mutated lung cancer. Results: Genetically modified EGFR-mutated NSCLC cell lines with different RICTOR expression levels have been developed. RICTOR knockdown significantly increases the sensitivity to all three generations of TKI inhibitors (erlotinib, afatinib and osimertinib), whereas overexpression of RICTOR renders the cells more resistant to EGFR TKIs. In addition, RICTOR knockdown restores the sensitivity of erlotinib-resistant HCC827 cells due to AXL overexpression (IC50: 216µM vs. 0.256 µM with RICTOR knockdown, P Conclusion: Our study provides a new insight into the role of RICTOR signaling modulation in increasing efficacy of EGFR TKI therapy in EGFR-mutated NSCLC. The combination of mTOR1/2 inhibitor and EGFR inhibitor could be a potential novel strategy leading to better therapeutic efficacy. Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting. Citation Format: Ni Fan, Yiyu Zou, Balazs Halmos, Roman Perez-Soler, Haiying Cheng. RICTOR signaling modulates the activity of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) in EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4748.
CoSTCo: A Neural Tensor Completion Model for Sparse Tensors

Low-rank tensor factorization has been widely used for many real world tensor completion problems. While most existing factorization models assume a multilinearity relationship between tensor entries and their corresponding factors, real world tensors tend to have more complex interactions than multilinearity. In many recent works, it is observed that multilinear models perform worse than nonlinear models. We identify one potential reason for this inferior performance: the nonlinearity inside data obfuscates the underlying low-rank structure such that the tensor seems to be a high-rank tensor. Solving this problem requires a model to simultaneously capture the complex interactions and preserve the low-rank structure. In addition, the model should be scalable and robust to missing observations in order to learn from large yet sparse real world tensors. We propose a novel convolutional neural network (CNN) based model, named CoSTCo (Convolutional Sparse Tensor Completion). Our model leverages the expressive power of CNN to model the complex interactions inside tensors and its parameter sharing scheme to preserve the desired low-rank structure. CoSTCo is scalable as it does not involve computation- or memory- heavy tasks such as Kronecker product. We conduct extensive experiments on several real world large sparse tensors and the experimental results show that our model clearly outperforms both linear and nonlinear state-of-the-art tensor completion methods.
Store-Operated Calcium Entry via STIM1 Contributes to MRGPRX2 Induced Mast Cell Functions.

Mast cells are inflammatory immune cells that play an essential role in mediating allergic reactions in humans. It is well-known that mast cell activation is critically regulated by intracellular calcium ion (Ca2+) concentrations. MAS-related G-protein coupled receptor-X2 (MRGPRX2) is a G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) expressed on mast cells that is activated by various ligands, including several FDA approved drugs; consequently, this receptor has been implicated in causing pseudo-allergic reactions in humans. MRGPRX2 activation leads to an increase in intracellular Ca2+ levels; however, the Ca2+ mobilizing mechanisms utilized by this receptor are largely unknown. Previous reports showed that store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) via the calcium sensor, stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1), regulates mast cell response induced by the high-affinity IgE receptor (FceRI). In this study, using complementary pharmacologic and genetic ablation approaches we demonstrate that SOCE through STIM1 promotes MRGPRX2-induced human mast cell response in vitro. Importantly, SOCE also critically modulates MrgprB2 (mouse ortholog of human MRGPRX2) dependent inflammation in in vivo mouse models of pseudo-allergy. Collectively, our data suggests that MRGPRX2/MrgprB2 activation of mast cells is dependent on SOCE via STIM1, and further characterization of the MRGPRX2-SOCE-STIM1 pathway will lead to the identification of novel targets for the treatment of pseudo-allergic reactions in humans.
Internal Medicine Residents and the Practice of Defensive Medicine: A Pilot Study Across Three Internal Medicine Residency Programs.

Background Defensive medicine is becoming increasingly prevalent in the United States and is estimated to cost billions of dollars in excess healthcare spending. There is evidence that the practice of defensive medicine starts early in the medical career. Defensive medicine has been investigated among residents in high medico-legal risk specialties, but there is a paucity of information on its prevalence among internal medicine residents. Objective To examine the prevalence and patterns of defensive medical practices among internal medicine residents. Methods We conducted an online survey among the residents of three internal medicine residency programs in the 2018-2019 academic cycle. We invited all internal medicine residents within the selected programs to participate through email and asked them to complete an electronic survey assessing defensive medical practices. Results A total of 49 out of 143 residents participated in the study (response rate: 34.3%); 55% (n = 27) of the residents who participated considered the risk of being sued during residency to be low, compared to 40.8% (n = 20) who considered it to be moderate and 4.1% (n = 2) who considered it to be high. Defensive medical practices were found to be widely prevalent (40.0-91.3%) among internal medicine residents across all three clinical training stages. Assurance defensive practices were more common than avoidance practices. Conclusion Defensive medical practices, especially of the assurance type, were widely prevalent among our sample of internal medicine residents.
Intrinsic Prey Preference and Selection of the Giant Gartersnake: A Threatened Predator in a Nonnative Prey-Dominated Community

The introduction of exotic species into an environment can introduce great change in the trophic dynamics of native species. This is of even greater concern if the native species is of conservation...
Fortetropin inhibits disuse muscle atrophy in dogs after tibial plateau leveling osteotomy.

Objective To determine if a commercial myostatin reducer (Fortetropin®) would inhibit disuse muscle atrophy in dogs after a tibial plateau leveling osteotomy. Design A prospective randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Animals One hundred client-owned dogs presenting for surgical correction of cranial cruciate ligament rupture by tibial plateau leveling osteotomy. Procedures Patients were randomly assigned into the Fortetropin® or placebo group and clients were instructed to add the assigned supplement to the dog’s normal diet once daily for twelve weeks. Enrolled patients had ultrasound measurements of muscle thickness, tape measure measurements of thigh circumference, serum myostatin level assays, and static stance analysis evaluated at weeks 0, 8, and 12. Results From week 0 to week 8, there was no change for thigh circumference in the Fortetropin® group for the affected limb (-0.54cm, P = 0.31), but a significant decrease in thigh circumference for the placebo group (-1.21cm, P = 0.03). There was no significant change in serum myostatin levels of dogs in the Fortetropin® group at any time point (P>0.05), while there was a significant rise of serum myostatin levels of dogs in placebo group during the period of forced exercise restriction (week 0 to week 8; +2,892 pg/ml, P = 0.02). The percent of body weight supported by the affected limb increased in dogs treated with Fortetropin® (+7.0%, P<0.01) and the placebo group (+4.9%, P<0.01) at the end of the period of forced exercise restriction. The difference in weight bearing between the Fortetropin® and placebo groups was not statistically significant (P = 0.10). Conclusion Dogs receiving Fortetropin® had a similar increase in stance force on the affected limb, no significant increase in serum myostatin levels, and no significant reduction in thigh circumference at the end of the period of forced exercise restriction compared to the placebo. These findings support the feeding of Fortetropin® to prevent disuse muscle atrophy in canine patients undergoing a tibial plateau leveling osteotomy.
The Analysis of Causes and Effects of Negative Body Image in Adolescent Girls in the U.S

This study focused on the factors that are responsible for causing negative body image in adolescent girls in the United States (U.S) and its effect on them. The qualitative methods of data collection with the help of constant comparison method and content analysis were adopted. A combination of social media platforms such as online blogs and articles were surveyed to facilitate the study. The theoretical framework of this study was built on the Dramaturgy theory with a focus on appearance management and identity related issues in adolescent girls. The findings of this study indicated that excessive exposure to and usage of social media, and the expectation to achieve unrealistic beauty standards set by the society has a negative effect on adolescent girls. It was also found that excessive social media usage can cause low self-image, low self-esteem, negative body image, depression and eating disorders in adolescent girls.
11.6 A 100Gb/s-8.3dBm-Sensitivity PAM-4 Optical Receiver with Integrated TIA, FFE and Direct-Feedback DFE in 28nm CMOS

Several 400G Ethernet standards (e.g. 400G-DR4/FR4) have been developed to address the rapid increase in interconnect BW demand created by data-centric computing [1]. Low-cost100Gb/s PAM-4 optical transceivers are critical to spur their adoption in high volume by data centers. While low-cost integrated silicon-photonic 100Gb/s PAM-4 transmitters have been demonstrated recently, the electronics in current receiver solutions is more disaggregated. They typically employ a standalone BiCMOS TIA 1C followed by a 100G PAM-4 (ADC+DSP)-based SerDes 1C (designed to equalize high-loss electrical channels), which results in higher power dissipation and package cost. To address these drawbacks, we present a 100Gb/s PAM-4 optical RX with a single-chip Solution integrating all 0f the RX electronics in a bulk CMOS process. While standalone l00Gb/s PAM-4 CMOS linear TIAs have been shown in prior work [2], [3], their integration with subsequent SerDes has not yet been demonstrated.
Characteristics of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors incidentally discovered during abdominal surgery.

Abstract Background Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors (GISTs) are rare sarcomas with 5000 new cases arising in the United States each year. Despite their low incidence, general surgeons should be familiar with GISTs since a quarter of these neoplasms are encountered incidentally. Methods A retrospective medical records review was conducted to create a database of all GISTs resected from January 2005 to May 2019. We isolated patients who had incidental discovery of GISTs intraoperatively or within final pathology. Characteristics of patient (Age, gender), index procedure (malignant vs. benign, elective vs. emergent) and tumor (location, size and mitotic rate) were analyzed. Results A total 48 patients were incidentally discovered to have a GIST excised during index operation. The mean age of these patients was 62 years, with 27 females and 21 males. The primary location of tumors in descending frequency was stomach (30), small bowel (15), colon/rectum (2) and esophagus (1). The average size of all tumors was 1.2 cm, with the average size of the stomach, small bowel, colon/rectum and esophagus at 0.9 cm, 1.7 cm, 0.9 cm and 0.3 cm respectively. Mitotic rate was less than 5 mitosis per 50 HPF in 96% of patients. Incidental tumors were identified during both bariatric (13) and non-bariatric stomach surgery (8), colorectal surgery (14), hernia repair (4), ampullary/pancreatic surgery (5), esophageal surgery (2) liver surgery (1) and uterine surgery (1). Most incidental-GISTs were identified during elective surgery (81%, 39). Finally, 15 of the tumors were identified during surgery for other malignancies. Conclusions One quarter (25%) of the GISTs encountered at our academic community cancer center over a 15-year period were discovered incidentally. These tumors had less malignant characteristics overall and were likely cured with surgical resection.
Mechanical behavior of the airway wall in respiratory disease

The biomechanical behavior of the airways can be altered due to pathological remodeling, causing obstruction and limiting airflow. Airway damaging lung diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, are massive economic and societal burdens, yet a clear mechanistic understanding of the systemic and interdependent alterations in diseased airway behavior is still under development. In this brief review, the mechanical behavior of the airway wall corresponding to structural remodeling alterations are categorized at the tissue and microstructural levels, critically revisited through recent works from the past three years, and contextualized within the broader literature. The functional consequences of airway material adaptation and the impact on overall lung health is discussed. Lastly, unresolved questions and ideas for future pulmonary mechanics research directions aimed at the inauguration of diagnostic improvements and treatment of airway diseases are provided.
Unveiling the keratinolytic transcriptome of the black carpet beetle (Attagenus unicolor) for sustainable poultry feather recycling

The black carpet beetle (BCB) is a household pest unique in its ability to digest complex proteins such as keratin that makes up the majority of feather structure. Despite voluminous yield and high protein content ( > 85%), feathers are poorly digested by most known organisms and are thereby rendered an environmental hazard. Furthermore, keratinolytic microbial strains are typically thermophilic and therefore economically and environmentally unsustainable. Given the BCB's ability to digest wool, feathers, and other keratin-rich materials, we assembled a de novo transcriptome of larvae fed on either feathers or standard chow. All proteolytic enzymes were identified via homology to the MEROPS database and subsequently annotated for a complete overview of enzymatic activity and distribution of peptidase clans in the transcriptome. Both differential expression and sequence homology screening were then used to identify potentially keratinolytic candidates from the assembly to be used in future expression experiments. The BCB transcriptome showed a high proportion of serine (22.6%) and cysteine (18.9%) proteases as well as metallopeptidases (25.5%) compared with other insect species. Regarding differential expression, serine and metalloproteases represented a large proportion of upregulated genes in the feather-fed group, constituting 42.9% and 57.1% of upregulated proteases, respectively. Additionally, several candidate transcripts identified through homology screening showed significant sequence overlap to seven existing keratinases, indicating a strong likelihood of keratinolytic function in this organism. KEY POINTS: • A de novo transcriptome of black carpet beetle larvae was assembled. • The transcriptome consisted of 67% of serine, cysteine, and metalloproteases. • Differential transcriptomes of beetles fed feather and chow were compared.
Epilogue: Covid-19 Tales and Tolls

This epilogue looks back at how consciousness of the coronavirus pandemic swiftly developed in 2020, affecting the lives of everyone, including the contributors to this book. A set of ritualized rules on “lock-downs,” wearing masks, and social distancing gripped hold of everyday existence, turning it upside down. Taken for granted rituals of sociality, such as life cycle celebrations, were all halted, and university offices were closed. The chapter reflects on the fact that disasters of one kind or another are a recurrent part of history, and have sometimes entailed divination at oracles such as that of the god Apollo at Delphi. Humans have had to endure hardships, and in order to survive have had to “keep an even mind,,” as the Roman poet Horace advocated.
Quantitative Theory of Atmospheric Tides and Thermal Tides

The theory of atmospheric tides and thermal tides has two main parts: (a) The investigation of the sources of periodic excitation, and (b) The calculation of the atmospheric response to the excitation. The former could include a detailed consideration of atmospheric composition and chemistry, the solar spectrum, molecular absorption, radiative transfer, turbulent transfer, and other topics. A study of (b) could in principle concern all the problems involved in the general circulation of the entire atmosphere, including non-adiabatic, orographic, non-linear, hydromagnetic, and numerous other types of process. It is not possible to be so comprehensive in this review, and we here concern ourselves with such topics, as have previous reviewers (Wilkes, 1949; Chapman, 1951; Kertz, 1957; Siebert, 1961; Craig, 1965), only to the extent that they have been used in current investigations. We begin by describing the equations for the atmospheric response to arbitrary excitations invoking numerous assumptions and approximations. Some attention is given to methods of solution for the equations obtained. We then describe, rather simply, the sources of excitation included in various tidal calculations, and the specific responses inferred. Where possible, the effect of various approximations in these solutions is discussed.
Childhood and Adolescent Obesity: Implications for Reproductive Health and Function

Childhood and adolescent obesity has become a national epidemic. In the United States greater than one-third of children and adolescents are either overweight or obese. Current prediction models estimate that approximately 25 % of children less than 16 years old will be obese by 2050. This is a major health concern as childhood obesity predisposes individuals to adult obesity and the associated medical sequelae. One such sequela is reduced fertility potential. This chapter sets forth to review current literature on childhood and adolescent obesity and its impact on reproduction health in this unique population.
Pediatric sphenoidal Rathke’s cleft cyst

We report the case of a 13-year-old boy who underwent a head computed tomography for seizures revealing an incidental very large intrasphenoidal Rathke cleft cyst (RCC). The initial pre-operative differential diagnosis included meningocele and muco- cele. It is important to consider a benign entity such as RCC to avoid potential unnecessary aggressive intervention. This is only the second reportedcaseof an intrasphenoidal RCC and it is the first reported case of an intrasphenoidal RCC in the pediatric population.
The New Frontier

Pions, muons, positrons, neutrons, and strange particles were found without the use of accelerators. More recently, most developments in elementary particle physics depended upon these expensive artificial aids. Science changes quickly. A time may come when accelerators no longer dominate our field: not yet, but perhaps sooner than some may think.
4π Fragment Measurements at MSU and the Nuclear Equation of State

In the collision of two nuclei at intermediate energies (20 – 200 MeV/nucleon) a variety of phenomena can be studied including multifragmentation, the liquid-gas phase transition in nuclear matter, energy and momentum flow, the production of entropy, and the role of thermodynamics in these collisions.1’2 These phenomena involve correlations of many particles. In such experiments it is clear that the more complete the event characterization is, the more accurate will be the understanding of the underlying phenomena. Presented here are the results from the first set of experiments using the MSU 4π Array to study nuclear collisions at intermediate energies using the NSCL K500 Superconducting Cyclotron.
The structure of a compiler for explicit and implicit parallelism

We describe the structure of a compilation system that generates code for processor architectures supporting both explicit and implicit parallel threads. Such architectures are small extensions of recently proposed speculative processors. They can extract parallelism speculatively from a sequential instruction stream (implicit threading) and they can execute explicit parallel code sections as a multiprocessor (explicit threading). Although the feasibility of such mixed execution modes is often tacitly assumed in the discussion of speculative execution schemes, little experience exists about their performance and compilation issues. In prior work we have proposed the Multiplex architecture [1], supporting such a scheme. The present paper describes the compilation system of Multiplex. Our compilation system integrates the Polaris preprocessor with the Gnu C code generating compiler. We describe the major components that are involved in generating explicit and implicit threads. We describe in more detail two components that represent significant open issues. The first issue is the integration of the parallelizing preprocessor with the code generator. The second issue is the decision when to generate explicit and when to generate implicit threads. Our compilation process is fully automated.
Using Ready-Made Regional Input-Output Models to Estimate Backward-Linkage Effects of Exogenous Output Shocks

The Leontief input-output model provides the basis for quantifying backward linked multiplier effects of exogenous final demand shocks. In certain situations, however, policies or uncontrollable factors induce exogenous changes in gross industry output. Application of the usual Leontief multipliers in these cases will lead to biased calculations of backward linked economy-wide effects. To eliminate this bias, an output-based adjustment method is proposed that relates demand-driven Leontief multipliers to exogenous output shocks. It is demonstrated that this approach yields exactly the same results as the mixed exogenous/endogenous variables technique, a commonly employed adaptation procedure that accepts outputs as entries. The equivalence between these two approaches is important, because the output-based approach offers substantial computational savings through ease of implementation within ready-made regional input-output systems and provides practitioners with the ability to generate disaggregated estimates of indirect multiplier effects.
Vitamin B 12 production and depletion in a naturally occurring eutrophic lake.

The distribution of vitamin B12 within Upper Klamath Lake was surveyed at approximately monthly intervals during a period from September 1968 to November 1969. High concentrations (up to 1.8 μg/g of dry sediment) characteristically occurred at the water-sediment interface, with a sharp decline below this area. A heavy bloom of Aphanizomenon flos-aquae occurred from the latter part of May through October 1969. B12 concentrations of the uppermost sediments, from all but one sampling site, increased gradually through the bloom, followed by a drastic increase during the die-off period. B12 is probably not a limiting factor for primary productivity, since sufficient levels of this vitamin were found to occur throughout the year. Of 42 cultures isolated from Upper Klamath Lake water and sediments, 20 were found capable of producing 50 pg or more of B12/ml of medium. Phytoplankton samples were found to contain up to 5 μg of B12/g of dry material. Degradation of B12 occurred in sterilized as well as fresh sediment samples.
Development of mobile robot system adaptive to sharp fluctuation of production volume

DENSO is developing manufacturing systems to meet the advanced and various needs of automation. The development is based on two axes. One axis is the rationalization axis, and we aimed to develop spot, line, area, cube and networked automation systems. Another axis is the flexibility axis, and we aimed to develop single-product, multi-product, multi-generation and fluctuation-adaptive automation systems. In the process of the automation development, the manufacturing system of DENSO has evolved from a mechanical automation system to a robot automation system, and then a fluctuation-adaptive automation system with a mobile robot. We describe DENSO's activity in automation system development.
Management of chronic deep infection following rotator cuff repair.

Background: Deep infection of the shoulder following rotator cuff repair is uncommon. There are few reports in the literature regarding the management of such infections. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the charts of thirteen patients and recorded the demographic data, clinical and laboratory findings, risk factors, bacteriological findings, and results of surgical management. Results: The average age of the patients was 63.7 years. The interval between the rotator cuff repair and the referral because of infection averaged 9.7 months. An average of 2.4 procedures were performed prior to referral because of infection, and an average of 2.1 procedures were performed at our institution. All patients had pain on presentation, and most had a restricted range of motion. Most patients were afebrile and did not have an elevated white blood-cell count but did have an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate. The most common organisms were Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Propionibacterium species. At an average of 3.1 years, all patients were free of infection. Using the Simple Shoulder Test, eight patients stated that the shoulder was comfortable with the arm at rest by the side, they could sleep comfortably, and they were able to perform activities below shoulder level. However, most patients had poor overhead function. Conclusions: Extensive soft-tissue loss or destruction is associated with a worse prognosis. Extensive debridement, often combined with a muscle transfer, and administration of the appropriate antibiotics controlled the infection, although most patients were left with a substantial deficit in overhead function of the shoulder.
Serum Antioxidant Capacity Is Increased by Consumption of Strawberries, Spinach, Red Wine or Vitamin C in Elderly Women

It is often assumed that antioxidant nutrients contribute to the protection afforded by fruits, vegetables, and red wine against diseases of aging. However, the effect of fruit, vegetable and red wine consumption on the overall antioxidant status in human is unclear. In this study we investigated the responses in serum total antioxidant capacity following comsumption of strawberries (240 g), spinach (294 g), red wine (300 ml) or vitamin C (1250 mg) in eight elderly women. Total antioxidant capacity was determined using different methods: oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay, Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) assay and ferric reducing ability (FRAP) assay. The results showed that the total antioxidant capacity of serum determined as ORAC, TEAC and FRAP, using the area under the curve, increased significantly by 7-25% during the 4-h period following consumption of red wine, strawberries, vitamin C or spinach. The total antioxidant capacity of urine determined as ORAC increased (P < 0.05) by 9.6, 27.5, and 44.9% for strawberries, spinach, and vitamin C, respectively, during the 24-h period following these treatments. The plasma vitamin C level after the strawberry drink, and the serum urate level after the strawberry and spinach treatments, also increased significantly. However, the increased vitamin C and urate levels could not fully account for the increased total antioxidant capacity in serum following the consumption of strawberries, spinach or red wine. We conclude that the consumption of strawberries, spinach or red wine, which are rich in antioxidant phenolic compounds, can increase the serum antioxidant capacity in humans. J. Nutr. 2383-2390, 1998
Effects of observability and complexity on farmers’ adoption of environmental practices

The ability of both regulators and farmers themselves to monitor the impact of environmental practices may be an issue with nonpoint source pollution. Effects that can be perceived via direct sensory evidence provide information at low cost. Results from a survey of livestock farmers suggest that a practice that has more obvious effects on water quality, manure application setbacks, is more likely to be adopted than a more complicated one with less visible effects, manure testing. Farmers’ perceptions of the profitability of the two practices were similar. The importance of observability and complexity has implications for educational programs.
Seasonal variation in heat shock proteins (hsp 70) in stream fish under natural conditions

1. 1.|Fish (Pimephales promelas, Salmo trutta, Ictalurus natalis and Ambloplites rupestris) respond to seasonal changes in their environment by synthesizing heat shock proteins with a molecular weight of approximately 70 Kd (hsc/hsp-70). 2. 2.|Lowest levels of hsc/hsp-70 measured with ELISA occurred in winter, followed by a high level in spring, a significant decrease in summer and another in fall. 3. 3.|Caution must be applied in developing heat shock proteins as biomarkers so that their presence in organisms under “normal” conditions is not misinterpreted as an indication that the organisms are stressed.
Anaesthesia and death.

A survey was made in an 800-bed general hospital of all deaths occurring within ten days of operation or delivery or at any time where mention was made of pulmonary complications or jaundice, during the seven years from 1958 to 1964 inclusive. Those in which it appeared that anaesthesia was wholly or partly responsible are described in detail. An attempt has been made to draw conclusions from these occurrences and to make suggestions for the avoidance of similar happenings in the future.
Accounting for measurement error in uncertainty modeling and decision-making using indicator kriging and p-field simulation: application to a dioxin contaminated site

In many environmental studies spatial variability is viewed as the only source of uncertainty while measurement errors tend to be ignored. This article presents an indicator kriging-based approach to account for measurement errors in the modeling of uncertainty prevailing at unsampled locations. Probability field simulation is then used to assess the probability that the average pollutant concentration within remediation units exceeds a regulatory threshold, and probability maps are used to identify hazardous units that need to be remediated. This approach is applied to two types of dioxin data (composite and single spoon samples) with different measurement errors which were collected at the Piazza Road dioxin site, an EPA Superfund site located in Missouri. A validation study shows that the proportion of contaminated soil cores provides a reasonable probability threshold to identify hazardous remediation units. When a lower probability threshold is chosen, the total remediation costs are unreasonably high while false negatives are unacceptably frequent for a higher probability threshold. The choice of this threshold becomes critical as the sampling density decreases.
Measuring Interphase Recession by Fiber Push-In Testing

A novel technique for measuring interphase recession in ceramic-matrix composites (CMCs) due to oxidation is described. The technique involves fiber push-in testing and analysis of the load‐ displacement curves. Fiber push-in tests were conducted on carbon-coated Hi-Nicalon SiC fibers in a CVI SiC matrix, where the carbon interphase had recessed due to oxidation. Estimates of interphase recession distances from analysis of fiber push-in tests are in reasonable agreement with measurements made by optical microscopy. Besides measuring the recession distance, the fiber push-in test can be used to investigate environmental effects on fiber bridging.
Expression of human adenosine deaminase after fusion of adenosine deaminase-deficient cells with mouse fibroblasts

Abstract Two human choriocarcinoma cell lines were shown to be deficient in adenosine deaminase (ADA; adenosine aminohydrolase, EC 3.5.4.4) such that they did not produce bands on starch gels after electrophoresis and histochemical staining. Radiometric assay indicated that their ADA specific activity was approximately 2% that of HeLa (human) cell controls. Subclone analysis of one of the lines indicated that this deficiency was representative of individual cells of the line. After fusion of these cells with mouse fibroblasts having high ADA activity, most independently isolated hybrid clones expressed one of two, or both, additional (to the mouse) bands of ADA activity after electrophoresis. The expression of these extra bands in hybrids was dependent upon actual fusion. The phenomenon was observed in 30 of 45 independently derived hybrid clones from four different fusion experiments involving two different parental lines from each species. The pattern of appearance of the extra bands in independent hybrid clones and the tendency of a hybrid clone to lose one of the extra bands through subsequent passages suggests that the bands were the products of human genetic material. The extra bands electrophoretically comigrated with human ADA 1 and 2 from human ADA-1-2 heterozygotes and the faster-migrating of the two extra bands comigrated with human ADA 1 from HeLa cells. Therefore, we suggest that the bands appearing in hybrids are the products of the 1 and 2 alleles of the human ADA locus. The human cells used for fusion were deficient in ADA activity but contained the genetic information for ADA 1 and 2. Fusion with mouse cells having ADA activity resulted in the activation of both human gene products coded for on separate homologous chromosomes. We conclude that the human ADA locus is under manipulatable genetic regulation.
State of the Art in Nuclear Medicine Dose Assessment

Basic calculational methods and models used in dose assessment for internal emitters in nuclear medicine are discussed in this overview. Methods for quantification of activity in clinical and preclinical studies also are discussed, and we show how to implement them in currently available dose calculational models. Current practice of the use of internal emitters in therapy also is briefly presented here. Some of the future challenges for dose assessment in nuclear medicine are discussed, including application of patient-specific dose calculational methods and the need for significant advances in radiation biology.
New therapeutic approaches to autoimmune disease.

Autoimmune diseases represent robust and inappropriate immune reactions arising out of a background of immunodefectiveness and immune dysregulation. For too many years our only approach to therapy has been generalized and nonspecific immunosuppression with powerful and highly toxic drugs.
Development of an imaging based virus aggregation assay for vaccine development

Background Vaccination strategies capable of eliciting neutralizing antibody responses to HIV remain elusive despite extensive efforts. Alternative antibody functions offer opportunities for protection without necessarily achieving broad neutralization breadth. Viral immune exclusion through aggregation has been proposed as an alternative protection pathway, but mechanisms for studying this phenomenon at the scale necessary for clinical trials have not been explored.
WIND-INDUCED VIBRATION CHARACTERISTICS OF NANJING TV TOWER

The stochastic dynamic response of the 310 m tall Nanjing TV tower in Nanjing, China under turbulent wind is analysed. The turbulent wind speed consists of mean and fluctuating components. The spatial variation of the mean wind speed follows a power law. The fluctuating component is idealized as a stochastic process which is non-white in time and space. Hence, the spatial variation of the fluctuating component along the height of the tower is taken into consideration. The interaction between wind and structure is also accounted for in the analysis. Assuming that the wind direction is slightly off the direction normal to one side of the TV tower (the x-direction), the vibration in the x-direction is induced primarily by the drag force due to the x-component turbulent wind speed, while the y-direction vibration perpendicular to the x-direction is generated primarily by the lift force exerted by vortex shedding resulting from the turbulent wind as well as by the drag force due to the y-component of turbulent wind speed. With the aid of the spectral representation method for numerical simulation of the fluctuating component of wind speed, the static and random vibration response of the TV tower is found for each simulated turbulent wind input. The response trajectories of the TV tower at specific heights are also derived. These results provide fundamentally important input information for the vibration control analysis of the TV tower with passive and/or active mass dampers.
Engineering paradise: Inspiring the next generation to build a smarter planet

Imagine the next generation of engineers. What will they be like? Will there be enough of them worldwide? What will motivate them to join us in the profession we love? This talk will take a look at engineering enrollment trends worldwide and try to make sense of the numbers. We'll explore what kids know...or think they know about engineering professions. We'll then discuss how growing awareness of the world's environmental and energy challenges presents us with a wonderful opportunity to change the conversation about engineering. More importantly, we'll talk about what we as engineers can do to seize that opportunity by passing on our own passion for engineering. Specifi cally, we'll cover outreach activities ranging from simply reading to your kids all the way to appearing on reality TV shows. We'll even include a few 'shocking' demonstrations to drive these points home. Please come and begin helping us shape a better world by helping build the next generation of engineers. It's an important job…and folks who attend meetings like ITC have a very important role to play!
Phase Effects on the Polymerization of a Styrloxy Cholesteric Liquid Crystalline Monomer

A styryloxy liquid crystalline monomer was synthesized and photopolymerized via free radical and cationic initiators with continuous and pulsed light sources. A phase description of monomer/polymer mixtures was used to help assist in the interpretation of the polymerization data. The monomer (a cholesteryl ester) exhibits isotropic, cholesteric nematic, and crystalline phases. For conversions of up to about 20% polymer, the polymerization media appear to exhibit the same cholesteric phase as the monomer, allowing polymerization rates to be measured in a purely cholesteric nematic phase. Free-radical polymerization exotherms show rate accelerations at conversions corresponding to compositions where changes are observed in the medium opacity. No accelerations are observed for cationic polymerization: Differences are attributed to the types of termination processes in free-radical and cationic polymerization. While polymerization rate changes differ for the free-radical and cationic polymerizations, real-ti...
Tuning the wall thickness and pore orientation in mesoporous titania films prepared with low-temperature aging

Porous titania thin films with well-ordered mesostructures are prepared by using Pluronic surfactant P123 as the pore template and aging the films in a high-humidity environment at −6 °C. These structures are stable enough to undergo calcination at 400 °C to generate nanocrystalline TiO2 walls with retention of mesoporosity. Under the aging conditions used, the films have well-ordered mesostructures even with a molar ratio of P123 to titanium (R) as small as 0.006. Because the P123 micelle diameter remains constant across a range of compositions, the pore diameter also remains fixed but the wall thickness of the titania thin films increases as the P123 concentration decreases without decreasing the long-range order of the products. Furthermore, mesoporous titania thin films with hexagonal close-packed channels oriented perpendicular to the substrate can be obtained R values of 0.008–0.012 by sandwiching the as-prepared films between glass slides modified with crosslinked P123. Analysis of the mesophases obtained here indicates that a transition from films containing significant 2D hexagonal channels to 3D hexagonal structure occurs below P123/Ti = 0.008. This does not match the expected volume fraction for this transition based on the mesophases behavior of aqueous P123 at room temperature, suggesting that a more detailed model would be needed to predict mesostructure in titania films aged below the freezing point of water.
Local resection of the head of the pancreas combined with longitudinal pancreaticojejunostomy in the management of patients with chronic pancreatitis

Local resection of the head of the pancreas combined with longitudinal pancreaticojejunostomy (LR-LPJ) was performed in 50 patients, and the results were reported at the American Surgical Association meeting in San Antonio, Texas, on April 8, 1994. The operation was not performed in patients whose ducts were less than 4.5 mm in diameter. There were no operative deaths. Forty-seven patients were followed for an average of 37 months. Forty-three of the 50 patients were alcoholics. Pseudocysts were present in 50% of the patients. Thirty-five intraabdominal operations had previously been performed on 23 patients. Preoperatively, all patients underwent computed tomography. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography was performed in 82% of patients and angiography in 64%. Preoperatively, all patients had pain. Common bile duct obstruction was present in 8% of patients. The average length of hospital stay was 18.7 days. Postoperative complications occurred in 22% of patients. Pain relief was judged excellent in 74.5%, improved in 12.75%, and unimproved in 12.75%. The pain assessment included use of a pain scale and the monitoring of narcotic usage. Progression of diabetes occurred in 2 patients in the immediate postoperative period and in 3 patients at 3, 16, and 22 months, respectively. Exocrine function, based on the presence of steatorrhea, improved in 10 patients (22%) and deteriorated in 5 (11%). Weight gain was noted in 25 patients and weight loss in 13. Few patients not working preoperatively returned to work postoperatively (15.9%). Aside from pain relief, the operation is also useful in the management of patients with stricture of the intrapancreatic portion of the common duct, pseudocysts, pancreatic ascites, and pancreatic fistulas. LR-LPJ is not indicated in patients in whom there is a suspicion of pancreatic cancer, nor in patients with splenic vein thrombosis and left-sided portal hypertension or pseudoaneurysm of the peripancreatic vessels in the absence of some additional procedure to correct these problems. Patients with a small main pancreatic duct, <4.5 mm, having common duct and duodenal obstruction are best treated by pancreaticoduodenectomy. Patients with a small main pancreatic duct whose disease is limited to the body and tail of the pancreas are best treated by distal pancreatectomy.
Complexins: Cytosolic proteins that regulate SNAP receptor function

A family of proteins called complexins was discovered that compete with alpha-SNAP, but not synaptotagmin, for SNAP receptor binding. Complexins I and II are highly homologous hydrophilic proteins that are tightly conserved, with 100% identity among mouse, rat, and human complexin II. They are enriched in neurons where they colocalize with syntaxin and SNAP-25; in addition, complexin II is expressed ubiquitously at low levels. Complexins bind weakly to syntaxin alone and not at all to synaptobrevin and SNAP-25, but strongly to the SNAP receptor-core complex composed of these three molecules. They compete with alpha-SNAP for binding to the core complex but not with other interacting molecules, including synaptotagmin I, suggesting that the complexins regulate the sequential interactions of alpha-SNAP and synaptotagmins with the SNAP receptor during exocytosis.
Solar Polar Sail mission: report of a study to put a scientific spacecraft in a circular polar orbit about the sun

The Solar Polar Sail Mission uses solar-sail propulsion to place a spacecraft in a circular orbit 0.48 Au from the Sun with an inclination of 90 degrees. The spacecraft's orbit around the Sun is in 3:1 resonance with Earth phased such that the Earth-Sun-spacecraft angle range from 30 degrees to 150 degrees. The polar view will further our understanding of: (1) the global structure and evolution of the corona, (2) the initiation, evolution, and propagation of coronal mass ejections; (3) the acceleration of the solar wind; (4) the interactions of rotation, magnetic fields, and convection within the Sun; (5) the acceleration and propagation of energetic particles; and (6) the rate of angular momentum loss by the Sun. Candidate imaging instruments are a coronagraph, an all-sky imager for following mass ejections and interaction regions from the Sun to 1 AU, and a disk imager. A lightweight package of fields and particle instruments is included. A mission using a 158 m square sail with an effective areal density of 6 g/m^2 would cost approximately $250-300M (FY97) for all mission phases, including the launch vehicle. This mission depends on the successful development and demonstration of solar-sail propulsion.
The relation of social status to the career decision-making process

Abstract The relation of social status to individuals’ career decision self-efficacy (CDSE) and choice certainty was explored using a new, multifaceted measure of social status, the differential status identity scale (DSIS;, Brown, M. T., D’Agruma, H. D., Brown, A., Sia, A., Yamini-Diouf, Y., Porter, S., et al. (2002). Differential status identity: Construct, measurement, and initial validation. In Symposium presented during the annual convention of the American Psychological Association, Chicago, Illinois.). CDSE was also examined as a potential mediator between social class and career choice certainty. Pilot data and exploratory analyses supported the psychometric properties of the DSIS and the incremental utility of the DSIS over traditional, sociological indices of social class. Results for our college student sample indicated that greater access to economic resources, social prestige, and social power each related to higher levels of CDSE, but that the three facets did not contribute incrementally to CDSE. In addition, social status was related to career choice certainty, but this relation was fully mediated by CDSE.