cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optimal Landing Site Selection Using Kinematic Weight Function During High Speed Approaches

An improvement to autonomous Safe Landing Area Determination (SLAD) algorithms is proposed which takes into account aircraft motion and agility. This kinematic weight function is calculated over all points of the landing area and is based on current position, minimum hover position, and minimum time to hover. This paper presents the mathematical basis behind the kinematic weight function, its implementation in the Multi-Layer Surface Map Safe Landing Area Determination (MLSM-SLAD) as an additional layer, and simulation results of tests using a virtual UH-60 helicopter with a scanning LADAR terrain sensor. It is found that using the kinematic weight function reduces landing approach duration by over 18 seconds by eliminating overshoot of the landing point chosen from data scanned during the approach.
Co-simulation Framework for Blockchain Based Market Designs and Grid Simulations

The increased penetration of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) on the distribution network creates local challenges in balancing consumption and generation. To coordinate the roll-out and the operation of DERs, distribution-level energy markets have been proposed, but there are currently few tools for simulating the operation of DERs in these proposed markets. We present a framework which utilizes a grid co- simulation platform (Mosaik) to simulation DER operation, while simulating market clearing operations with a blockchain network (Ethereum). The use of blockchains, an emerging technology for decentralized computing and data storage, allows us to model secure decentralized execution of market clearing functions and payment processes. By unifying simulation of market clearing rules and the physical grid, we are able to ensure that economic incentives are aligned with physical constraints, helping facilitate the development of more effective distributed energy markets. We demonstrate the use of this new simulation platform on a small feeder, for which a market mechanism to incentivize DER integration is explored.
Vitamin E, Immune Function, and Protection Against Infection

Aging is associated with significant changes in the immune system, a phenomenon called immunosenescence, which has been implicated in the increased morbidity of, and mortality from, infection in the elderly. While many immune functions are affected by aging, the defects in T cells are the most pronounced and best characterized. Nutritional intervention has been proposed to be helpful in delaying or reversing immunosenescence, which is well exemplified in the case of vitamin E. Studies in several species of animals show that vitamin E deficiency impairs immune function, which can be corrected by vitamin E repletion. Although vitamin E deficiency is rare in humans, increased intake above recommended levels has been shown to enhance T cell function, particularly in aged animals and humans. The mechanisms for this effect of vitamin E involve both a direct effect of enhancing T cell activation and effector function and a suppressing effect on production of prostaglandin E2, a T cell-suppressing lipid mediator known to increase with aging. Vitamin E-induced enhancement of immune functions has significant clinical implications as evidenced by the findings that vitamin E supplementation is associated with increased resistance to respiratory infections in both aged mice and older adults. In this chapter, we review age-related changes in the immune system, evidence for an immunomodulating effect of vitamin E, the underlying mechanisms, and its clinical application in protecting the host against infection in both animal models and humans.
On the Efficacy of Static Prices for Revenue Management in the Face of Strategic Customers

We consider a canonical revenue management (RM) problem wherein a monopolist seller posts prices for multiple products that are for sale over a fixed horizon so as to maximize expected revenues. Pr...
Distributed Motion Tomography for Reconstruction of Flow Fields

This paper considers a group of mobile sensing agents in a flow field and presents a distributed method for motion tomography (MT) that estimates the underlying flow field. MT formulates an underdetermined nonlinear system of equations as an inverse problem. Inspired by the Kaczmarz method which is an optimization approach for solving a linear system of equations, our previous work developed a nonlinear Kaczmarz method that solves the system of equations associated with MT. Considering distributed multi-agent systems for MT, this paper extends the nonlinear Kaczmarz method into a distributed framework. The distributed nonlinear Kaczmarz method is developed by formulating a constrained consensus problem that belongs to a class of projected consensus algorithms. To study the convergence and consensus for the method, its linear case is analyzed first and then its nonlinear case is discussed. The nonlinear case of the method is further validated through simulations by estimating a gyre flow field using mobile sensor networks with different numbers of neighboring agents. Resulting estimated flow fields are compared with a flow field estimated by its centralized counterpart.
NOMA-Aided Cell-Free Massive MIMO with Underlay Spectrum-Sharing

We investigate the feasibility of employing non-orthogonal multiple-access (NOMA) in cell-free massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) operating with underlay spectrum-sharing. In our proposed system model, multiple clusters of NOMA-enabled secondary users (SUs) are concurrently served by geographically distributed secondary access-points (S-APs) via conjugate beamforming. The uplink channels are estimated locally at each S-AP via pilots sent by SUs. A set of orthogonal pilots is shared among the secondary and primary clusters to strike a balance between the throughput and training overhead, while enabling massive connectivity in primary and secondary systems. We derive the achievable rates of the secondary system by capturing the adverse effects of inter/intra-cluster interference, primary/secondary pilot contamination, imperfect successive interference cancellation (SIC) and partial channel state information (CSI). We propose a transmit power allocation policy for the secondary system to mitigate the detrimental impact of near-far effects by virtue of max-min fairness criterion. Through an achievable rate analysis, we reveal that although the number of concurrently served users can be substantially boosted by employing the proposed system model, the achievable rates are adversely affected due to detection uncertainties with imperfect SIC and statistical CSI at NOMA-enabled SUs.
The Impact of an Endotracheal Tube Reposition Schedule Shared Between Respiratory Therapy and Nursing on Medical Device-Related Pressure Injuries

Background: Pressure injuries from medical devices have become a key quality initiative for patient care. Endotracheal tubes (ETT) are a lifesaving medical device yet the risk of a medical device-related pressure injury (MDRPI) associated with ETTs can be life threatening if not managed appropriately. From July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018, the Neuroscience Critical Care Unit (NCCU) fell in third place out of all other clinical units for MDRPIs with a leading cause due to ETT-related pressure injuries. An ETT Repositioning Schedule was created to reposition the medical device every two hours. This responsibility is shared between Nursing and Respiratory Therapy (RT) to enhance collaborative practice and increase awareness of skin breakdown. Methods: A trial was instituted in the NCCU for three months, July 1, 2018 to September 30, 2018, to evaluate a decrease in MDRPIs specific to ETTs by 50%. Current practice for ETT repositioning is completed by staff nurses every two hours. A laminated Endotracheal Tube Repositioning Schedule was created for both Nursing and RT. RTs reposition the ETT at 0800, 1200, 1600, 2000, 0000 and 0400. Nurses reposition the ETT at 0600, 1000, 1400, 1800, 2200 and 0200. The schedule was hung at the patient’s head of bed as a visual reminder. Education was provided to all nursing and RT staff. Results: Data collection occurred from July 1, 2018 to February 28, 2019. The initial three month trial was continued and established in the NCCU. From fiscal year 2018 (FY 2018) to fiscal year 2019 (FY 2019), all medical device-related hospital acquired pressure injuries (HAPI) in the NCCU decreased 10%, from 24 to 13. ETT-related HAPI in the NCCU decreased 50%, 11 to 6. In addition to respiratory device-related HAPI, all categories of medical device related HAPI have decreased in the current FY 2019 as compared to FY 2018. Conclusions: The overall goal of the trial was achieved and an unintended benefit resulted in an overall decrease in all categories of MDRPIs. This trial helped to establish a need for collaborative ETT repositioning and visualization of skin in all adult intensive care units in pursing best practice and further reduction in MDRPIs. The success of the intervention was shared throughout the institution and was recently implemented as a standard of care in all adult ICU’s of the hospital. This change has been identified as an opportunity to enhance collaboration between RT and nursing in providing quality care.
Healthy, Housed, and Well-Fed: Exploring Basic Needs Support Programming in the Context of University Student Success:

Meeting college students’ basic needs is the goal of a new set of student success initiatives that address students’ urgent food, housing, or financial hardships in an effort to help them remain an...
The New Climate Urbanism: Old Capitalism with Climate Characteristics

This chapter argues that emerging urban responses to climate change are not necessarily new or urban, but instead recapitulate capitalist processes reproducing spatial, social, and ecological inequality. Drawing on examples from US and Asian metropolises, this chapter shows that climate resilience is becoming a new arena where cities compete for economic development and extract resources from rural or other less powerful jurisdictions in aid of their own security under climate change. Climate urbanism’s competitive and extractive dynamics indicate not a transformative movement towards just and sustainable development, but a Freudian death-drive capitalism with climate characteristics. The chapter concludes with reflections on issues of scale and sources of inspiration that can reshape the growing industry behind global climate urbanism.
Responsibility and Restraint: James Turner Johnson and the Just War Tradition, edited by Eric Patterson and Marc LiVechhe: foreword by George Weigel. Middletown, Stone Tower Press, 2020, 316 pp., US $29.95 (soft cover), ISBN 978-1-7345859-6-4

A wide-ranging compendium of incisive essays, Responsibility and Restraint: James Turner Johnson and the Just War Tradition promises to be an important contribution to the just war dialogue. Writte...
Introduction: Intersectional Strategies in the Classroom

The classroom is a teacher’s domain. Traditionally, the classroom is the space where a teacher stands at the front, towering above their eager and innocent students, as the omniscient and omnipotent expert. In this space, whether a physically bounded location or a distributed collection of students in different locations, the teacher’s perceived role is to be the authority—in complete control of the one-way transmission of knowledge. The students, meanwhile, are empty vessels waiting for the teacher to fill them with knowledge (Hill, 2015). Philosopher and educator Paulo Freire referred to this as the banking model of education, in which students are like banks that teachers deposit knowledge into, and then withdraw knowledge from (hooks, 1994).
Perceptions of food healthiness among free-living women

Abstract Background Improving our understanding of food-related healthiness perception may be beneficial to assist those with eating- and weight-related problems. Purpose This study replicates and extends prior work by examining normative and person-specific predictors of the perceived healthiness of foods in a sample of free-living women. Methods One hundred sixty-nine women from the community judged the healthiness of 104 foods that varied in fat, fiber, sugar, and protein content. Mixed-effects modeling estimated normative influences of food-specific and individual-specific characteristics on each participant's utilization of the nutrients when judging healthiness. Results When judging healthiness, free-living women relied substantially on fat and fiber independently of other nutrients. In contrast, reliance on fat and fiber was moderated by the presence of protein and sugar. Three bivariate interactions emerged between: 1) fiber and sugar; 2) fat and protein; and 3) fiber and protein. Binge-eating symptoms and frequency of healthy food consumption positively correlated with independent reliance on fat as a predictor of perceived healthiness. Conclusions Public health campaigns should continue to encourage free-living women to consume adequate amounts of protein. Additionally, free-living women should be reminded that the presence of sugar in foods without nourishing components (i.e., fiber, protein) is problematic, and consuming these foods in excess should be avoided. Healthy food consumption appears to enhance perceptions of food healthiness.
Accounting Income Concepts

Economic gain is and has been a significant motivating factor underlying activities of both individuals and business entities, although the nature of the specific activities varies across different cultures and over the centuries. Keywords: income concepts; recognition and measurement; earnings; income; capital maintenance
Glutamyl Transfer Ribonucleic Acid Synthetase of Escherichia coli: III. INFLUENCE OF THE 46K PROTEIN ON THE AFFINITY OF THE 56K GLUTAMYL TRANSFER RIBONUCLEIC ACID SYNTHETASE FOR ITS SUBSTRATES

Abstract Escherichia coli glutamyl transfer ribonucleic acid synthetase consists of a catalytically active subunit (56K) and an enzymatically inactive subunit (46K). In the aminoacylation reaction the 46K protein decreases the Km values of the 56K enzyme for glutamate and ATP 17- and 6-fold, respectively, and increases the Km for tRNAglu 2-fold.
Stable isotope-labeled peptides in study of protein aggregation.

Publisher Summary This chapter is inspired by studies carried out over several years on synthetic peptides aimed at elucidating aspects of the behavior of the prion protein (PrP) that causes fatal neurodegenerative diseases, often referred to as prion diseases or the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. These diseases are unique in that they can arise in sporadic, familial, and infectious forms, and the infectious agent is a modified form of a normal cellular protein. Such studies were necessitated by the difficulty of isolating and purifying sufficient PrP from natural sources and difficulties encountered in developing an effective expression and purification system for recombinant PrP to determine three-dimensional structures. Furthermore, it was anticipated that dissection of the entire sequence into shorter fragments might allow a detailed analysis of the structural characteristics of regions of PrP most likely to be involved in its different functions, including its pathogenic behavior. PrP occurs as two physically and biologically distinct isoforms: the normal cellular form, PrP c , and the protease-resistant infectious isoform, PrP Sc , which accumulates in amyloid plaques. An N-terminally truncated version of PrP Sc (PrP 27-30) was first isolated from scrapie-infected hamster brain, N-terminally sequenced, and cloned. Subsequently, both isoforms of the full-length protein were purified, and although they are dramatically different in their physical properties, they were found to have the same N-terminal sequence. Later studies showed that both isoforms have identical amino acid sequences and chemical posttranslational modifications.
A Game of Genders: Comparing Depictions of Empowered Women between A Game of Thrones Novel and Television Series

The main women in George R. R. Martin's novel Game of Thrones, first published in 1996, and the adapted television series in 2011, are empowered female figures in a world dominated by male characters. Analyzing shifts in the characters’ portrayals between the two mediums conveys certain valences of the cultures for which they are intended. While in the novel the characters adhere to a different set of standards for women, the television series portrays these women as more sympathetic, empowered, and realistic with respect to contemporary standards. Using literary archetypes of queen, hero, mother, child, maiden and warrior and applying them to Cersei Lannister, Catelyn Stark, Arya Stark, Sansa Stark, and Daenerys Targeryen, provides a measure for the differences in their presentations. Through the archetypical lens, the shifts in societal and cultural standards between the novel and series’ airing reveal changing pressures and expectations for women. By reading the novel and watching the series with the archetypes in mind, the changes in gender norms from 1996 to 2011 becomes clear. The resulting shift shows the story’s changes in the realm of fantasy in relation to the American society that consumes it.
Irrigation Scheduling with Neutron Probe

A simple accurate technique for scheduling irrigation has been developed using a modified neutron probe. The technique uses a graph to display soil moisture content on the dates measured. A best-fit line is drawn through the points and projected to intersect a horizontal refill line to show the date of the next irrigation. Only the correct refill point and the neutron probe measurements are required for correct irrigation scheduling on a field. If one consistent irrigation procedure is practiced on a field, only one neutron access tube is required. Neutron probe readings need to be made about twice each week during hot weather and about one each week during cool weather. Water use by plants, root distribution and extension, and soil drainage are useful byproducts of this irrigation scheduling technique.
The New Economics of Liquidity and Financial Frictions

The New Economics of Liquidity and Financial Frictions is a book about a new branch of economics that is largely a synthesis of macro and finance. In many ways, it is a radical departure from the older, frictionless approach still prevalent in economic textbooks and most of academia. This book provides a new understanding and approach to asset pricing, risk measurement and management, central banking policy, and the overall working of today’s economy, including questions of financial stability.
Seasonal variation in undiagnosed HIV infection on the general medicine and trauma services of two urban hospitals.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the seroprevalence of undiagnosed HIV and variation by season among patients admitted to the general internal medicine (GIM) and trauma services of two urban hospitals.
Table of Integrals of Squared Jacobian Elliptic Functions and Reductions of Related Hypergeometric R-Functions

Any product of real powers of Jacobian elliptic functions can be written in the form cs m1 (u, k) ds m2 (u, k) ns m3 (u, k). If all three m's are even integers, the indefinite integral of this product with respect to u is a constant times a multivariate hypergeometric function R -a (b 1 , b 2 , b 3; x, y, z) with half-odd-integral b's and -a + b 1 + b 2 + b 3 = 1, showing it to be an incomplete elliptic integral of the second kind unless all three m's are 0. Permutations of c, d, and n in the integrand produce the same permutations of the variables {x, y, z} = {cs 2 ,ds 2 ,ns 2 }, allowing as many as six integrals to take a unified form. Thirty R-functions of the type specified, incorporating 136 integrals, are reduced to a new choice of standard elliptic integrals obtained by permuting x, y, and z in R D (x,y,z) = R -3/2 (1 2, 1 2, 3 2; x,y,z), which is symmetric in its first two variables and has an efficient algorithm for numerical computation.
On the refractive index of sodium iodide solutions for index matching in PIV

Refractive index matching has become a popular technique for facilitating applications of modern optical diagnostic techniques, such as particle image velocimetry, in complex systems. By matching the refractive index of solid boundaries with that of the liquid, unobstructed optical paths can be achieved for illumination and image acquisition. In this research note, we extend previously provided data for the refractive index of aqueous solutions of sodium iodide (NaI) for concentrations reaching the temperature-dependent solubility limit. Results are fitted onto a quadratic empirical expression relating the concentration to the refractive index. Temperature effects are also measured. The present range of indices, 1.333–1.51, covers that of typical transparent solids, from silicone elastomers to several recently introduced materials that could be manufactured using rapid prototyping. We also review briefly previous measurements of the refractive index, viscosity, and density of NaI solutions, as well as prior research that has utilized this fluid.
Stability and AC losses in HTSC/Ag multifilamentary strands

Large-scale applications of high-Tc superconductors (HTSCs) stem not only from their obviously high Tc values which offer the possibility of operation in liquid hydrogen, liquid helium as well as refrigerated gases, but also from their high Hc2 values when high operating temperature is not the primary consideration. The cryophysical properties central to dynamically and adiabatically stable conductor design are the temperature-dependent thermal conductivity and specific heat, respectively. Based on these data and the field and temperature dependence of Jc for melt-processed YBCO, calculations are presented of the limiting filament diameters for flux-jump-stable operation (at 4 and 77 K, and 0 and 5 T) of a hypothetical YBCO/Ag composite strand. A calculation is also presented of the field-amplitude dependence of 50 Hz hysteretic and eddy current losses of a model multifilamentary (MF) HTSC/Ag composite strand. It is demonstrated that the eddy current loss of a fully coupled MF strand is considerably larger than the hysteretic loss of the equivalent monocore. The roles of filamentarization and twisting in MF HTSC/Ag strands are discussed. The results of an experimental AC loss study of a series of MF Bi:2212/Ag strands are also presented. Various features of the AC loss are interpreted in terms of: (i) flux-creep enhanced field sweep rate dependence, (ii) bridging and “current-sausaging” enhanced effective filament diameter, deff; and (iii) bridging-induced sample-length dependence of the per-cycle AC loss and its modification by extreme current sausaging also referred to as ‘minor current loops’.
High-resolution diffusion-weighted imaging with interleaved variable-density spiral acquisitions

Purpose To develop a multishot magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) pulse sequence and reconstruction algorithm for diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in the brain with submillimeter in-plane resolution. Materials and Methods A self-navigated multishot acquisition technique based on variable-density spiral k-space trajectory design was implemented on clinical MRI scanners. The image reconstruction algorithm takes advantage of the oversampling of the center k-space and uses the densely sampled central portion of the k-space data for both imaging reconstruction and motion correction. The developed DWI technique was tested in an agar gel phantom and three healthy volunteers. Results Motions result in phase and k-space shifts in the DWI data acquired using multishot spiral acquisitions. With the two-dimensional self-navigator correction, diffusion-weighted images with a resolution of 0.9 × 0.9 × 3 mm3 were successfully obtained using different interleaves ranging from 8–32. The measured apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in the homogenous gel phantom was (1.66 ± 0.09) × 10−3 mm2/second, which was the same as measured with single-shot methods. The intersubject average ADC from the brain parenchyma of normal adults was (0.91 ± 0.01) × 10−3 mm2/second, which was in a good agreement with the reported literature values. Conclusion The self-navigated multishot variable-density spiral acquisition provides a time-efficient approach to acquire high-resolution diffusion-weighted images on a clinical scanner. The reconstruction algorithm based on motion correction in the k-space data is robust, and measured ADC values are accurate and reproducible. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2005;21:468–475. Published 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Glycemic and insulinemic responses of nondiabetic healthy adult subjects to an experimental acid-induced viscosity complex incorporated into a glucose beverage.

Abstract OBJECTIVE: An acid-induced-viscosity (I-V) complex containing alginate, citrate, and insoluble calcium was incorporated into a glucose-based beverage. We hypothesized that the acid I-V beverage would become viscous in the stomach (due to the solubilization of calcium and its interaction with alginate and citrate) and would blunt glycemia. METHODS: Thirty subjects were used in a double-masked, placebo-controlled crossover study evaluating the acid I-V complex. The placebo was a glucose-based beverage that had a similar total dietary fiber level and initial viscosity (Control). After a 12-h overnight fast, serum glucose and insulin were monitored over a 3-h postprandial period. RESULTS: The postprandial mean peak incremental change from baseline in serum glucose tended (P 0.20) between products. CONCLUSIONS: Results of this study suggested that the acid I-V complex may attenuate the postprandial glycemic response to a glucose challenge in healthy subjects.
The evolutionary history of Ehrhartoideae, Oryzeae, and Oryza.

Rice is a member of the genus Oryza, which has a history extending back into the Miocene. Oryza is in turn a member of the tribe Oryzeae, which along with the tribe Ehrharteae is included in the subfamily Ehrhartoideae. This paper reviews current knowledge of the genus, tribe and subfamily, and places rice in the larger evolutionary context of the entire grass family. The morphological characteristics of rice are an amalgam of characters that have originated at different times in its long evolutionary history. Increasingly, genomic characteristics are also being placed in a broad evolutionary context and it is becoming possible see which are characteristic of all grasses and which are more restricted to the genus Oryza or even to rice itself.
Eimeria ornata N. Sp. (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from the Ornate Box Turtle, Terrapene ornata ornata (Reptilia: Testudines), in Texas

Eimeria ornata n. sp. is described from the feces of 6/16 (37.5%) ornate box turtles, Terrapene ornata ornata, in northcentral Texas. Endogenously sporulated oocysts are ellipsoid 17.9 × 15.7(16-21 × 14-18) μm, with a thin, single-layered wall; shape index 1.14 (1.0-1.3). A micropyle is absent but a polar granule was present in one third of the oocysts. An oocyst residuum was present, consisting of numerous small globules situated either in a distinct mass or scattered within the oocyst. The sporocysts are elongate, 11.1 × 5.4 (9-13 × 5-6) μm, with an indistinct Stieda body at 1 pole. A sporocyst residuum is present, consisting either as a compact mass or as scattered granules. The sporozoites are elongate, 9.5 × 2.0 (8-12 × 2) μm, in situ, with spherical anterior and posterior refractile bodies. The new species is distinguished from the similar Eimeria carri Ernst & Forrester, 1973, from eastern box turtles, T. Carolina, by slight differences in oocyst morphology and endogenous sporulation.
Origin and fate of kaluza-klein mechanisms

We discuss how, in multidimensional quantum gravity, generalized Kaluza-Klein mechanisms might originate and how they might disappear at extremely short distances.
Abstract B91: Predictors of worsened survival among medically underserved hepatocellular carcinoma patients

Introduction: We reported that hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients in the Harris County Hospital District (HCHD) have an overall survival (OS) of 3.4 months. This is the third largest public hospital district in the U.S. and a high percentage of HCC patients appear to survive less than 1 month (OS Methods: An IRB-approved review of the HCHD Tumor Registry was conducted. Insurance and payor status, race, treatment, clinicopathologic parameters were recorded, including liver function tests, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), international normalized ratio (INR), Child-Pugh score and model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score. Outcomes were compared using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and log-rank tests. Chi-square, Student9s t-test, univariate, multivariate logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards model statistical tests were also used (p Results: A total of 337 HCC patients (N= 272 men and N= 65 female) from 1998-2010 were identified. Only 4% of patients had medicare; whereas 96% relied upon county funding. OS 1 mo. In the OS 1 mo cohort, 38% were Stage I-II, 33% Stage III and 28% were stage IV. Only 6% (N=5) of OS 1 mo group received therapy (p=0.00). Both individual laboratory parameters associated with advanced liver disease (elevated bilirubin and decreased albumin) and composite score (Child-Pugh and MELD) were predictive of OS Conclusions: Median stage-adjusted survival of medically underserved HCC patients seen in a large urban hospital remains lower than the national average. Although advanced stage and advanced liver disease likely preclude treatment in many patients, there are still a large proportion of patients who receive no treatment. Additional studies are necessary to determine the reasons for lack of treatment and survival disparities in this patient population such as lack of early detection, non-referral to surgeons by primary care physicians, lack of availability of advanced treatments such as transplantation, or a combination of these factors. Furthermore, accurate prediction of those patients unlikely to survive beyond one month may prevent futile use of limited resources. Citation Information: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2010;19(10 Suppl):B91.
The negative functional and metabolic effects of muscarinic stimulation are enhanced by beta-adrenergic activation in control and hypertrophic dog hearts in vivo.

The aim of the current study was to determine if the effects of muscarinic stimulation on left ventricular function and metabolism are greater during β-adrenergic activation, whether a cyclic GMP-mediated mechanism is responsible, and if this is altered by left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) induced by aortic valve stenosis. Acetylcholine (Ach) (5 μg/kg/min) and/or isoproterenol (Iso) (0.1 μg/kg/min) was infused into a branch of the left anterior descending (LAD) artery in 8 control and 8 LVH open-chest anesthetized dogs. LVH increased heart weight, heart-to-body weight ratio and systolic left ventricular pressure. LVH reduced muscarinic receptor density (fmol/mg protein) (control: 149.2±18.6; LVH: 77.8±8.6), but not affinity. Alone, Ach had no effect on regional force, work or metabolism. Iso increased peak force (g) (control: baseline-7.4±0.4; Iso-12.4±2.2; LVH: baseline-6.7±0.8; Iso-16.3±2.7, regional work (g mm/min)) (control: baseline-1250±186; Iso-1813±409; LVH: baseline-927±235; Iso-1244±222), and O2 consumption (ml O2/min/100 g) (control: baseline-3.3±0.2; Iso-8.1±2.0; LVH: baseline-4.8±1.0; Iso-8.3±1.1). During Iso, Ach reduced segment shortening (control: Iso-14.5±1.2; Iso+Ach-10.5±1.8; LVH: Iso-10.4±1.5; Iso+Ach-7.6±1.3) and peak force (control: Iso+Ach-7.7±1.0; LVH: Iso+Ach-10.5±1.4). Ach also reduced work (control: Iso+Ach-875±217; LVH: Iso+Ach-776±180) and O2 consumption (control: Iso+Ach-3.4±0.7; LVH: Iso+Ach-3.6±0.6) in the presence of Iso. Cyclic GMP was higher in the LVH animals during all treatments and was elevated from baseline by Ach in both groups. Neither Iso nor Iso+Ach had a significant effect on cyclic GMP. Thus, the negative functional and metabolic effects of muscarinic stimulation are enhanced during β-adrenergic activation. This does not, however, appear to be dependent on a cyclic GMP-mediated mechanism. Despite reduced number of muscarinic receptors, this response was not altered by pressure-induced cardiac hypertrophy.
Affinity purification of secreted alkaline phosphatase produced by baculovirus expression vector system.

Human secreted alkaline phosphatase (SEAP) was produced in a stablytransformed Spodoptera frugiperda Sf-9 insect cell line (Sfb4GalT) following infection with a recombinant Autographa californica multiple nuclear polyhedrovirus containing the SEAP gene under control of the polyhedrin promoter. An affinity chromatographic column prepared by linking 4-aminobenzylphosphonic acid to histidyl-expoxy-Sepharose was used to isolate SEAP from the cell supernatant following removal of cells and virus and 10-fold concentration through ultrafiltration. We found that the binding of SEAP on the affinity matrix follows the Langmuir isotherm model. In addition, either recycling SEAP sample through the column for 24 h or loading high SEAP concentrations resulted in a high-purity product. Some nonspecific binding of protein on the matrix occurred when low concentrations of SEAP sample were loaded. Finally, we found that SEAP binding occurs rapidly, i.e., within 30 min of adding the SEAP sample to the affinity matrix.
The assessment of herbaceous plant cover in wetlands as an indicator of function

Abstract In the United States, wetlands are often created (as compared with restored) as mitigation for damage done to natural wetlands by development or other activities. There is increasing concern that these created sites do not function as do natural wetlands, even after a period of years. Monitoring of these created wetlands often consists of an assessment of the percent herbaceous plant cover as some indicator of the functional success of the wetland. However, it is not at all clear that assessment of herbaceous cover translates into an accurate indicator of wetland function. In this paper I review several functions commonly ascribed to wetlands and assess the reported relationship of percent herbaceous cover to those functions (if any). Of six functions reviewed, only one has a probable (though indirect) positive relationship with the percent herbaceous plant cover on a site. More useful assessments of wetland function might be made with other structural indicators, such as basin morphometry, tree density, or basal area.
Cost Conscious? The Neural and Behavioral Impact of Price Primacy on Decision Making

Price is a key factor in most purchases, but it can be presented at different stages of decision making. The authors examine the sequence-dependent effects of price and product information on the decision-making process at both neural and behavioral levels. During functional magnetic resonance imaging, the price of a product was shown to participants either before or after the product itself was presented. Early exposure to price, or “price primacy,” altered the process of valuation, as observed in altered patterns of activity in the medial prefrontal cortex immediately before making a purchase decision. Specifically, whereas viewing products first resulted in evaluations strongly related to products' attractiveness or desirability, viewing prices first appeared to promote overall evaluations related to products' monetary worth. Consistent with this framework, the authors show that price primacy can increase purchase of bargain-priced products when their worth is easily recognized. Together, these results...
Enzymatic deglycation with amadoriase enzymes from Aspergillus sp. as a potential strategy against the complications of diabetes and aging

The Amadori compound is the major single modification of the extracellular matrix by the Maillard reaction in vivo. It is also a source of biologically active glycoxidation products and the formation of glucosepane, the major protein cross-link found in biological tissues so far. For this reason, introduction of deglycating enzymes as anti-aging strategy would be desirable. This article provides an update on amadoriase enzymes from fungi which, one day, will hopefully help prevent the in vivo consequences of glycation.
On the validity of nonlinear shear deformation theories for laminated plates and shells

Abstract This paper addresses the validity of the recently introduced so-called nonlinear shear deformation theories for laminated composite plates and shells. The finite element method is used to determine the maximum stresses for a wide range of statically loaded plate and shell panels. Various thickness ratios are included. This paper concludes that for the vast majority of composite materials and for moderately thick plates and shells. stresses normally reach the maximum allowable stress before nonlinear terms can become important. This has been demonstrated by showing that for the limiting case of shear deformation theories (in which the minimum span length (or radius) to thickness ratio is 20), the material usually fails before the maximum deflection reaches the magnitude of the thickness (where nonlinear terms start to become significant). Therefore, the nonlinear shear deformation theories, which are considerably more complicated than linear ones, have limited applications.
Single Center Experience of Abiomed BVS 5000 Ventricular Assist Device

Since 1987 the Abiomed BVS 5000 biventricular support system has been used successfully for circulatory support in a variety of settings. From June 1994 through December 1996, 20 of these devices were implanted in 17 patients at the Allegheny University Hospitals for ventricular support in these circumstances: following coronary artery bypass-grafting; after left ventricular aneurysm repair; after repair of a postinfarction ventricular septal defect; following double valve replacement; as a bridge to transplantation; and for right ventricular support following transplantation in patients with marked pulmonary hypertension. Fourteen devices were placed at the time of the initial cardiac surgery. Three devices were placed postoperatively after the initial cardiotomy. Of the 14 patients with early insertion, 9 (64%) were weaned off support, 8 (57%) died, and 6 (43%) were discharged. The 3 patients who underwent postoperative implantation could not be weaned from the device. This experience indicates that the...
Axial Mesoderm and Patterning of the Zebrafish Embryo

SYNOPSIS. It has long been recognized that the notochord, a derivative of the gastrula organizer, is important for patterning the vertebrate embryo. Experimental manipulations of amphibian and chick embryos demonstrate the notochord's influence on neural tube and somite differentiation. Recent studies implicate the notochord-derived signal Sonic hedgehog. In zebrafish, genetic strategies have enabled the recovery of mutations that disrupt notochord development. Embryos mutant for floating head or no tail lack differentiated notochord and, consistent with encoding transcription factors, both genes behave cell autonomously in genetic mosaics: wild-type cells develop into notochord in mutant embryos, whereas mutant cells fail to contribute to wild-type notochord. In floating head mutants, axial mesoderm fated to form notochord respecines to paraxial mesoderm, differentiating into muscle instead. As a result, fused somites develop across the trunk midline. In no tail mutants, mesenchymal cells related by lineage to notochord are found in the midline, and although trunk somites are bilaterally paired, they lack Engrailed-expressing muscle pioneer cells. In the presence of wild-type notochord, however, no tail mutant cells can differentiate muscle pioneers, suggesting that induction of muscle pioneers is a normal function of notochord. Notochord is also involved in induction of floor plate at the ventral midline of the vertebrate neural tube; yet in floating head and no tail mutants, floor plate cells develop in the absence of differentiating notochord. Expression of sonic hedgehog by newly-forming axial mesoderm at gastrulation may account for floor plate induction prior to notochord differentiation. Thus, analyses of zebrafish notochordless mutants suggest a role for both early and late signaling by cells of the notochord lineage during embryogenesis.
Abstract 4874: CXCR2 signaling axis- a helping hand to KRAS(G12D) mutation in pancreatic cancer initiation

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. The high mortality can be accredited to late clinical presentation and early metastasis. Somatic mutations in oncogene KRAS(G12D) are the most common and earliest events during development of PC, suggesting their crucial role in tumor initiation; however, the precise functional molecular mechanism(s) of action remains unclear. CXCR2, a CXC chemokine receptor, and its ligands have also been found to be important in regulating inflammation, angiogenesis, and metastasis in various cancers. The purpose of the current study was to test the functional role of CXCR2 signaling in KRAS(G12D)-induced PC development. Immunohistochemical analysis of tumors derived from PDX-cre-LSL-kras(G12D) mice demonstrated significantly higher expression of Cxcr2 and its ligands Cxcl1 and -3. Expression of Cxcr2 and its ligands Cxcl1 and -3 was observed as early as 10 weeks and increased consistently as the lesions advanced. We demonstrated the direct link between KRAS(G12D) mutation and CXCR2 signaling using cell line models hTERT-HPNE and hTERT-HPNE -E6-E7-st with or without exogenously expressed KRAS(G12D). Real time PCR, ELISA and western blot analysis of these cells revealed that KRAS (G12D) up-regulates the expression of CXCR2 and its ligands at both the transcriptional and protein levels. In order to delineate the significance of CXCR2 in KRAS(G12D) induced autocrine growth, we treated the cell line models with various concentrations of SCH-527123 (CXCR2 antagonist) or CXCR2 neutralizing antibody. Our data shows that KRAS(G12D) bearing cells show significantly (P ≤ 0.05) greater percent inhibition in cell growth in comparison to their control counterparts. Next to evaluate the role of CXCR2 autocrine signaling in KRAS(G12D) induced cell migration, we performed a scratch assay by treating the hTERT-HPNE -E6/E7-st- KRAS(G12D) cells with SCH-527123 for 24 hours. Our data demonstrated a significant inhibition of cell migration in CXCR2 antagonist treated cultures. Together, our data demonstrate that KRAS(G12D) mutation up regulates CXCR2 and its ligands, which, in turn, play key roles in the autocrine regulation of cellular growth and migration in PC. Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting. Citation Format: Abhilasha Purohit, Michelle Varney, Satya Rachagani, Michel Ouellette, Surinder K. Batra, Rakesh K. Singh. CXCR2 signaling axis- a helping hand to KRAS(G12D) mutation in pancreatic cancer initiation. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 4874. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-4874
A flow cytometric assay for quantitation of rare antigen-specific T cells: using cell-tracking dyes to calculate precursor frequencies for proliferation.

Cell-tracking dyes stain cells with bright fluorescence which is partitioned between daughter cells after each cell division, so that the daughter cells have closely half the intensity of the paren...
The Teacher as Decision Maker Program: An Alternative for Career-Change Preservice Teachers

This paper describes research and program development of a graduate teacher education program that provides middle/secondary school certification as well as a master's degree. The program's theoretical framework integrates pedagogical schemata, professional knowledge, the matic teacher education, and teaching perspectives. Autobiographical interviews, concept map ping, reflective journals, videotaped classroom observations, and stimulated recall interviews are used as tools for research and instruction. A theoretical sample of six students is selected from each cohort for in-depth study and follow-up during their first 3 years of novice teaching. Re search on the first two cohorts indicates that students' initial conceptions of teaching were associ ated with teaching behaviors during the first year of novice teaching. Four stages of development in students' pedagogical knowledge schemata were identified as students move through the 12- month program, and a major cognitive restructuring occurred during the...
Hyperhomocyst(e)inemia.

Hyperhomocyst(e)inemia is under scrutiny as a novel risk factor for atherosclerotic disease in the coronary, cerebral, and peripheral arterial circulations. It also appears to be a risk factor for venous thromboembolism. Low dietary intake of vitamins B6 and folic acid is the most prevalent cause of hyperhomocyst(e)inemia. A critical unresolved question is whether hyperhomocyst(e)inemia itself, or alternatively some other effect of low vitamin levels, is the true determinant of excess cardiovascular risk. This issue is currently being addressed by prospective epidemiologic studies. There is also an urgent need for prospective randomized studies to determine whether vitamin supplementation is beneficial in the primary or secondary prophylaxis of atherosclerotic disease. In the meantime, lifestyle modifications and vitamin supplementation to reduce plasma homocysteine levels can be recommended, because these are innocuous interventions that may well prove to be beneficial. Until there is definitive evidence that treatment of hyperhomocyst(e)inemia does in fact alter clinical outcomes, however, other therapies that possess the potential for greater toxicity cannot be justified.
Fiber-optic current sensors based on polarization coherence and power scattering in magneto-optical films

Fiber-optic sensors for sensing electrical current are attractive due to their inherent immunity to electromagnetic interference. Several groups have shown the use of Faraday rotation in magneto-optical materials as a function of current-induced magnetic field. In this work, fiber-optic sensors based on different mechanisms such as magnetic-fielddependent polarization coherence and power scattering effects in magneto-optical materials are demonstrated. These novel sensor configurations can have advantages in that they exhibit power-independent or polarization-independent operation which can ultimately lead to fewer components and relaxed light source requirements compared to fiber-optic current sensor systems based on Faraday rotation.