cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of alcohol, congeners, and acetaldehyde on aggressive behavior of the convict cichlid.

Ethanol and three beverage alcohols were examined for their effects on the aggressive responses of the convict cichlid. At an ethanol concentration that gave negligible effects on the basal level of these responses, rum was observed to depress aggression. As its concentration of acetaldehyde was significantly higher than that of the other beverage alcohols, we assessed the effects of acetyldehyde on the aggressive responses, as well as the locomotor activity of the fish. At 4mg/l, acetaldehyde completely inhibited aggressive responses, without affecting locomotor activity. It is likely, however, that acetaldehyde does not explain the entire inhibitory effect of rum on the aggressive responses of the cichlid.
Light-pipe optical joints made from silicone disks

Abstract A method of fabricating optical joints from a transparent silicone rubber compound is described. In an experiment lasting five years the disks were used successfully to join acrylic light pipes in a photomultiplier detector system. They proved to be highly reliable, resistant to aging and radiation damage, mechanically flexible, easy to make and convenient to use.
Police Field Mobile Computing: Applying the Theory of Task-Technology Fit

This research examines the effectiveness of field mobile computing in law enforcement through the theory of task-technology fit. Field mobile computing has been at the forefront of police technology implementations throughout the United States for the past several years. This study measures how well these systems match tasks the field officers must perform and measures the effectiveness of field mobile computing as implemented in a medium-sized Southwestern police department. The authors found statistical support indicating that inquiries to local, state, and national criminal information databases increased with the implementation of mobile computing. The authors also found that field officers recognize the potential benefits mobile computing affords them and that the amount of time required for completing reports increased with the implementation of field mobile computing. Last, administrators, detectives, and records personnel all experienced statistically significant improvements in the tasks they per...
Fluorescence and molecular dynamics study of the internal motion of the buried tryptophan in bacteriophage T4 lysozyme: Effects of temperature and alteration of nonbonded networks

Abstract Results from time-resolved polarization studies of tryptophan emission in bacteriophage T4 lysozyme variants are compared with results from molecular dynamics calculations. Wild-type bacteriophage T4 lysozyme has three tryptophans in environments differing in nonbonded contacts and solvent exposure. The emission spectra of these three tryptophan residues are identical but their internal dynamics are quite distinct. This difference in dynamics is in agreement with the reorientational correlation functions calculated from molecular dynamics trajectories. The most buried tryptophan (W 138) is immobile at 20 °C in the wild-type enzyme but undergoes internal libration at elevated temperatures. Amino acid substitutions at sequence positions 105 and 146 that alter the nonbonded contacts of this tryptophan result in large amplitude internal motion and redshifted fluorescence emission spectra. The magnitudes of the Stokes shifts for the emission of W138 are well correlated with the rates of trypsin proteolysis of these lysozymes. Addition of a disulfide bridge local to these substitution sites reverses the effects of the substitutions on the tryptophan dynamics and emission spectra. The data suggest that fluctuations responsible for “gating” the internal motion of this buried tryptophan in the native state of the protein also result in transient exposure to solvent. Analyses of molecular dynamics trajectories of lysozyme variants with amino acid substitutions show that perturbations of nonbonded networks found in the wild-type enzyme result in increased local fluctuations, reorientation and solvent exposure of buried residues.
1H–13C INEPT MAS NMR correlation experiments with 1H–1H mediated magnetization exchange to probe organization in lipid biomembranes

Abstract Two-dimensional 1H–13C INEPT MAS NMR experiments utilizing a 1H–1H magnetization exchange mixing period are presented for characterization of lipid systems. The introduction of the exchange period allows for structural information to be obtained via 1H–1H dipolar couplings but with 13C chemical shift resolution. It is shown that utilizing a RFDR recoupling sequence with short mixing times in place of the more standard NOE cross-relaxation for magnetization exchange during the mixing period allowed for the identification and separation of close 1H–1H dipolar contacts versus longer-range inter-molecular 1H–1H dipolar cross-relaxation. These 2D INEPT experiments were used to address both intra- and inter-molecular contacts in lipid and lipid/cholesterol mixtures.
Embryogenesis in Hymenolepis diminuta. V. Acetylcholinesterase in embryos.

Abstract Acetylcholinesterase activity in embryos of Hymenolepis diminuta was studied by the use of the acetylthiocholine iodide method. The enzyme appeared in the preoncosphere phase after the embryonic hooks were formed. Acetylcholinesterase activity remained in the embryos throughout the preoncosphere phase and the oncosphere phase. Some traces of nonspecific cholinesterase and nonspecific esterases were also found.
Differential actions of phosphodiesterase inhibitors on secretin- and vasoactive intestinal peptide-induced increases in chief cell cAMP.

Abstract The actions of three different phosphodiesterase inhibitors, theophylline, 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX) and Ro 20-1274 (Ro), on cellular cAMP and pepsinogen secretion from dispersed chief cells prepared from guinea pig stomach were examined. The relative order of potency for increasing cAMP and pepsinogen secretion was Ro > IBMX > theophylline. Ro, the most efficacious agent, caused a 17-fold increase in basal cAMP and a similar augmentation of the increase in cAMP caused by secretin or vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP). Differential actions of these agents on the dose-response curves for secretin- and VIP-induced increases in cAMP suggest that chief cell receptors for these peptides are coupled to pools of cAMP that are acted upon by heterogeneous phosphodiesterases with varying sensitivities to inhibitors. Moreover, Ro, a selective inhibitor of low Km cAMP-specific phosphodiesterases, is the most potent and efficacious agent tested in this cell system.
ADOLESCENCIA Y JUVENTUD: DE LAS NOCIONES A LOS ABORDAJES

En el texto se discuten las nociones de adolescencia y juventud, como los abordamientos disciplinarios que de manera contemporanea se han hecho sobre dichas nociones; donde ya no resulta una novedad, pero si una necesidad, el pluralizar: la necesidad de hablar y concebir diferentes «adolescencias» y «juventudes», en un amplio sentido de las heterogeneidades que se pueden presentar y visualizar entre adolescentes y jovenes. Aquello cobra vigencia y sentido, de momento que concebimos las categorias de adolescencia y juventud como una construccion sociohistorica, cultural y relacional en las sociedades contemporaneas, donde los esfuerzos en la investigacion social en general, y en los estudios de juventud en particular, han estado centrado en dar cuenta de la etapa que media entre la infancia y la adultez, las que a su vez, tambien se constituyen en categorias fruto de construcciones y significaciones sociales en contextos historicos y sociedades determinadas, en un proceso de permanente cambio y resignificaciones. Se rescatan los avances en el campo de la investigacion en tematicas de adolescencia y juventud a tiempos actuales, y se plantean algunas interrogantes sobre el paso de la adolescencia/juventud a la edad adulta, que ayuden en delimitar las dimensiones y variables que pueden aportar mayores claridades al analisis y sus eventuales impactos en el diseno y definicion de politicas hacia estos sujetos sociales.
The effect of aphidicolin on adenovirus DNA synthesis

Aphidicolin inhibits adenovirus DNA replication in HeLa cells and in a cell-free, infected, nuclear extract in which viral DNA is elongated. The compound inhibits alpha DNA polymerase, extensively purified from HeLa cells, but has little or no effect on the beta or gamma DNA polymerases similarly purified. Aphidicolin does not affect thymidine uptake by cells nor does synthesis as it also inhibits DNA replication in uninfected cells. The inhibition by aphidicolin is reversible if the drug is removed within 18 hrs after addition to HeLa or Chinese Hamster Ovary cells but the cells are irreversibly affected if the drug remains for 48 hours.
Time of exposure and risk of HIV infection in homosexual partners of men with AIDS

We interviewed, and tested for HIV antibody, 117 homosexual men who had been regular sexual partners of men who developed acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS); 85 tested seropositive. Receptive anal intercourse with the index AIDS case and number of different sexual partners with whom subjects were anally receptive were both risk factors. Controlling for the number of partners with whom subjects were anally receptive, we found that the odds ratio of receptive anal intercourse with the case was infinite (95% confidence intervals, 3.3-infinity) if sexual contact continued up to or beyond the time of diagnosis, while the odds ratio was 1.0 (95% CI 0.3-3.2) if contact ceased before the case's AIDS diagnosis. Risk was not associated with the duration or frequency of contact. Our data suggest that the potential for sexual transmission from an HIV-infected person may be greater close to or after the onset of disease.
Combined laparoscopic and transurethral neodymium: yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser treatment of invasive bladder cancer.

Objectives. The feasibility and efficacy of combined cystoscopic and laparoscopic neodymium: yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd:YAG) laser coagulation of invasive bladder cancer were investigated. Methods. Five patients with extensive Stage T2-T3a bladder cancer who were not candidates for radical cystectomy were treated by Nd:YAG laser irradiation. All patients also underwent transperitoneal laparoscopic mobilization of the intestine away from the bladder with continuous monitoring of the laser treatment. In 2 cases, laser therapy of the serosal surface of the bladder at the site of tumor was also administered. Results. The procedure was completed without complications in all 5 patients. A mean of 58,607 joules (J) of energy was delivered transurethrally with an additional 8000 to 10,000 J utilized via laparoscopy in 2 cases. Local disease recurrence was noted within 1 to 4 months in 4 of the 5 patients. Distant metastases were detected within 1 to 9 months postoperatively in 3 of 5 patients. No perioperative bowel or bladder perforation occurred. Conclusions. The use of laparoscopy allows for the safe delivery of large amounts of laser energy to the bladder. However, in this small group of patients with extensive bladder tumors, effective palliation of local disease could not be reliably achieved. Further study is necessary to determine whether treatment modifications or selection of patients with less extensive tumors will lead to better results with combined laparoscopic and cystoscopic laser therapy.
A New Approach to Estimating Life Tables with Covariates and Constructing Interval Estimates of Life Table Quantities

Extant approaches to constructing life tables generally rely on the use of population data, and differences between groups defined by discrete characteristics are examined by disaggregating the data before estimation. When sample data are used, few researchers have attempted to include covariates directly in the process of estimation, and fewer still have attempted to construct interval estimates for state expectancies when covariates are used. In this paper, we present a Bayesian approach that is useful for producing interval estimates for single-decrement, multiple-decrement, and multistate life tables. The method involves (1) estimating a hazard or survival model using Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods to produce a sample from the posterior distribution for the parameters of the model; (2) generating distributions of transition probabilities for selected values of covariates using the sample of model parameters; (3) using these distributions of transition probabilities as inputs for life...
Elective Neck Dissection and Survival in Patients With Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity and Oropharynx

Objective/Hypothesis: The utility of elective neck dissection in the management of patients with oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer who present without neck metastases remains controversial. The study addressed the question of whether elective neck dissection improves regional control and survival in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity and oropharynx presenting with T1/T2 node-negative disease. Study Design: A nonrandomized, uncontrolled retrospective chart review. Methods: A nonrandomized, uncontrolled retrospective chart review was performed. Resection of the primary tumor was performed in all patients. The neck was observed in one group, and elective neck dissection was performed for patients in another group. Results: The study data indicated that elective neck dissection significantly improves regional control and regional recurrence-free survival. Elective neck dissection when compared with observation of the neck did not improve overall survival. Conclusion: Elective neck dissection reduces regional recurrence and may extend disease-free survival.
Solubility of limestone

The unique characteristics of the physiography and hydrology of limestone-areas are causally related to the solubility of the rocks. The evolution of topography, of rock-permeability, of ground-water circulation in limestones depends upon the solutional work in the limestone. Hence the nature of the solubility of limestone is an essential consideration in the understanding of the physiography and hydrology of karst terranes. A number of problems arise when limestone-solubility is studied. However, the one which this paper considers is related to the apparent supersaturation of ground-water with CaCO3.
Studies of the component chains of human IgM by citraconylation

Abstract Partial reduction and alkylation of a Waldenstrom IgM followed by reaction with citraconic anhydride resulted in modification of 92–95% of the free amino groups. The citraconylated μ and κ chains were obtained in pure form by chromatography on Sephadex G-200 in a nondenaturing solvent. The molecular weight determined from the sedimentation and diffusion coefficients for the citraconyl μ chain was 83 000 and that for the citraconyl κ chain was 23 000. Substraction of the weight contributed by the citraconyl groups gives estimated residual molecular weight for μ chain of 77 000 and for κ chain of 22 000. Deblocking of citraconyl μ and κ chains was achieved by incubation at pH 4 for 3 h. The deblocked chains showed a multiple banding pattern in acrylamide disc gel electrophoresis. Peptide maps of tryptic digests of deblocked citraconyl μ, maleyl μ and μ chains obtained by conventional methods showed considerable susceptibility to tryptic digestion.
Hydrophobic binding of hydrocarbons by proteins. II. Relationship of protein structure

Abstract 1. 1. The binding of hydrocarbon by solutions of proteins has been found to be markedly influenced by protein structure. Determinations were made of binding of n- hepane by solutions of protein (usually 1%) in equilibrium with a layer of pure hydrocarbon. Under these conditions, bovine serum albumin bound 410 mmoles of n- heptane per 10 000 g of protein at pH 6.8 while lysozyme bound only 2 mmole per 10 000 g. β-Lactoglobulin binding was equivalent to that of bovine serum albumin, while other proteins examined had the following binding values as compared to bovine serum albumin taken as 100%: turkey ovomucoid, 42; chicken ovotransferrin, 29; serum albumin taken as 100%: turkey ovomucoid, 42; chicken ovotranchicken ovomucoid, 24; ribonuclease, 17; insulin, 9.8 (at pH 2.8); α-chymotrypsin, 8.5; bovine γ-globulin, 7.3; chymotrypsinogen-A, 7.1; ovalbumin, 2.4; and lysozyme, 0.49. 2. 2. Reduction and S-alkylation of two proteins with very low affinity, γ-globulin and lysozyme, increased the binding by a factor of 15 and 100 times respectively. Reduction and S-alkylation of two proteins with high affinity, β-lactoglobulin and bovine serum albumin, lowered the binding only slightly. Dilute acid hydrolysis of lysozyme and γ-globulin for different periods of time first increased and then decreased the binding. No changes in binding occurred with the formation of the complex between ovotransferrin and iron or the complex between α-chymotrypsin and turkey ovomucoid. 3. 3. It is concluded that peptide structure, and possibly peptide chains with hydrophobic areas available for sequestering the hydrocarbon, are necessary for hydrocarbon binding. Hydrocarbon binding appears to offer another useful analytical method for determining changes in protein structure.
The interactive effects of cocaine and imipramine on self-stimulation train-duration thresholds.

The present experiment examined the ability of the tricyclic antidepressant imipramine to influence cocaine's effect on intracranial self-stimulation. Following a predrug, saline injection period, cocaine hydrochloride (10, 20 or 30 mg/kg) was injected (IP) in 19 rats implanted with ventral tegmental area electrodes. Cocaine treatment uniformly decreased self-stimulation train-duration thresholds. In the next phase, the subjects were divided into two groups. One group received cocaine (as in the previous phase) and the other received cocaine plus imipramine (10 mg/kg, IP). Imipramine doubled cocaine's effect on self-stimulation train-duration thresholds. In addition, several other effects of cocaine (e.g., bradycardia, rear-limb dyskinesia) were potentiated by imipramine treatment. The results suggest that care must be exercised when treating cocaine abuse with tricyclic antidepressants since coadministration of these drugs intensifies cocaine's effects.
THE ENGINEERING DESIGN OF INTERPLANETARY BALLISTIC TRAJECTORIES

Heliocentric transfer orbit and launch hyperbolic excess velocity analyses are included in a study of interplanetary ballistic trajectories
Comments on Stabilization of a Satellite

An expression is derived for the cost resultingfrom the stabilization of a satellite using aspecific optimal control (SOC). An exampleis given in which the optimal and SOC yieldvirtually identical costs.
Sulfated Caffeic Acid Dehydropolymer Attenuates Elastase and Cigarette Smoke Extract–induced Emphysema in Rats: Sustained Activity and a Need of Pulmonary Delivery

Background Although emphysema destroys alveolar structures progressively and causes death eventually, no drug has been discovered to prevent, intervene, and/or resolve this life-threatening disease. We recently reported that sulfated caffeic acid dehydropolymer CDSO3 is a novel potent triple-action inhibitor of elastolysis, oxidation, and inflammation in vitro, and therefore, a potential anti-emphysema agent. However, the in vivo therapeutic potency, duration and mode of actions, and effective route remain to be demonstrated.
Feature selection for best mean square approximation of class densities

A criterion for linear feature selection is proposed which is based on mean square apporximation of class density functions. It is shown that for the widest possible class of approximants, the criterion reduces to Devijver's Bayesian distance. For linear approximants the criterion is equivalent to well known generalized Fisher criteria.
Relationships between liver element concentrations and age in perinatal lambs dying of natural causes in Michigan, USA

Abstract A study was designed to characterize potential relationships between liver concentration of nine specific elements and age in preweaned Michigan lambs. All lambs that died before weaning in 1986 from 33 Michigan sheep producers were submitted to the Michigan State University Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory for necropsy. Inductively coupled argon plasma emission spectroscopy was used to measure liver concentrations of Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Na, Na, P, and Zn in 888 lambs. Linear and non-linear regression techniques were employed to evaluate the relationship between liver element concentration and age. The potentially confounding variables farm of origin and cause of death were significant ( P P
Symmetry properties of nonlinear barrier coefficients

This paper concerns the properties of a symmetric barrier between two reservoirs. The barrier can passK conserved quantities. The current of theith quantity is assumed to satisfy the nonlinear relationJ i=A ijΔβj+BijklΔβjΔβkΔβl where the Δβi's are the affinity differences across the barrier andA ij andB ijkl are functions of the average affinities of the reserviors. It is shown thatB ijkl is symmetric in all indices.
IMMEDIATE MEMORY OF CONNECTED MEANINGFUL MATERIAL PRACTICED UNDER DELAYED AUDITORY FEEDBACK

Sixty Ss were run in two experimental and four control conditions. The task was the recall of a 221-word length story immediately following Ss' reading of the story. The experimental groups were subjected to a 0.2-sec. delayed auditory feedback for the middle section of the story. In addition to the expected decrease in reading rate, the accuracy of recall for the section of the story read under delayed auditory feedback was significantly poorer than the recall of the control groups.
Molecular Mechanism of the Bifunctional Role of Lipopolysaccharide in Osteoclastogenesis

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a common bacteria-derived product, has long been recognized as a key factor implicated in periodontal bone loss. However, the precise cellular and molecular mechanisms by which LPS induces bone loss still remains controversial. Here, we show that LPS inhibited osteoclastogenesis from freshly isolated osteoclast precursors but stimulated osteoclast formation from those pretreated with RANKL in vitro in tissue culture dishes, bone slices, and a co-culture system containing osteoblasts, indicating that RANKL-mediated lineage commitment is a prerequisite for LPS-induced osteoclastogenesis. Moreover, the RANKL-mediated lineage commitment is long term, irreversible, and TLR4-dependent. LPS exerts the dual function primarily by modulating the expression of NFATc1, a master regulator of osteoclastogenesis, in that it abolished RANKL-induced NFATc1 expression in freshly isolated osteoclast precursors but stimulated its expression in RANKL-pretreated cells. In addition, LPS prolonged osteoclast survival by activating the Akt, NF-κB, and ERK pathways. Our current work has not only unambiguously defined the role of LPS in osteoclastogenesis but also has elucidated the molecular mechanism underlying its complex functions in osteoclast formation and survival, thus laying a foundation for future delineation of the precise mechanism of periodontal bone loss.
Clinical Outcomes of Patients With Non-Fatal VTE After Total Knee Arthroplasty

Abstract Venous thromboembolism (VTE) continues to be one of the most important, and highly controversial, topics in orthopaedics. While many surgeons have discussed the incidence and treatment of this potentially life-threatening complication, little has been published about the clinical outcomes of patients who receive treatment and recover from these conditions. We evaluated the clinical outcomes of patients who suffered non-fatal VTE and compared them to a matched cohort with no complications after total knee arthroplasty using our institution’s joint arthroplasty registry. At two years, the patient-reported clinical outcomes were equivalent between the groups. While VTE remains an important consideration in total knee arthroplasty, it is helpful for surgeons to know that patient outcomes are not negatively affected after appropriate treatment of these complications.
What Are the Long-Term Effects of Learning About Racism?

What happens when a diversity class is over? How does awareness change during the course of the subsequent year? Only a handful of studies have addressed this question, and none has done so by examining the same participants before the class starts, when it is finished, and 1 year later. Our findings showed that although students' awareness and attitudes shifted during a diversity course in psychology (as has been previously shown), some of the changes appear to plateau or even wane in the intervening year. Encouragingly, this is balanced by increased feelings of comfort with racial issues and an apparent increase in interaction with those of other races.
Parallel multigrid methods for transport equations: the anisotropic case

Abstract An efficient parallel multilevel algorithm is developed for solving the transport equations on parallel computers for one-dimensional anisotropic scattering. The parallel algorithm is developed by using a multigrid in angle scheme that is known to attenuate both rapidly and slowly varying errors in angle. The spatial discretization scheme used is the modified linear discontinuous finite element method, which represents a lumped version of the standard linear discontinuous scheme. The angular discretization is accomplished by expanding the angular dependence in Legendre polynomials and is known as the SN approximation when the first N Legendre polynomials are used. Legendre transforms of complexity O(N) and a anisotropic parallel algorithm of complexity O(N log2 m log2 N) are developed.
Taylor-Couette Instability With a Continuous Spectrum

Nonlinear evolution of a continuous spectrum of unstable waves near the first bifurcation point in circular Couette flow has been investigated. The disturbance is represented by a Fourier integral over all possible axial wave numbers, and an integrodifferential equation for the amplitude-density function of a continuous spectrum is derived. The equations describing the evolution of monochromatic waves and slowly varying wave packets of classical weakly nonlinear instability theories are shown to be special limiting cases. Numerical integration of the integrodifferential equation shows that the final equilibrium state depends on the initial disturbance, as observed experimentally, and it is not unique. In all cases, the final equilibrium state consists of a single dominant mode and its harmonics of smaller amplitudes. The predicted range of wave numbers for stable supercritical Taylor vortices is found to be narrower than the span of the neutral curve from linear theory. Taylor-vortex flows with wave numbers outside this range are found to be unstable and to decay, but to excite another wave inside the narrow band. This result is in agreement with the Eckhaus and Benjamin-Feir sideband instability.
Charge exchange between low energy alkali ions and cerium oxide surfaces

Abstract The fraction of low energy Na + ions neutralized during single scattering from CeO 2 (1 0 0) surfaces was measured with time-of-flight spectroscopy. The projectile ionization level is resonant with the surface electronic states, so that the neutralization results from a non-adiabatic charge exchange process that depends on the exit velocity and the local electrostatic potential (LEP) along the exit trajectory at a point close to the surface. Variations of the measured neutral fraction with ion energy and exit angle differ from the results obtained from clean metals due to the inhomogeneity of the LEP on an oxide surface. The results suggest that neutral fraction data collected as a function of emission angle and ion energy could be used to quantitatively map the shape of an inhomogeneous LEP.
Surgical vs Medical Treatments for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance Many questions remain unanswered about the role of bariatric surgery for people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Objective To determine feasibility of a randomized clinical trial (RCT) and compare initial outcomes of bariatric surgery and a structured weight loss program for treating T2DM in participants with grades I and II obesity. Design, Setting, and Participants A 12-month, 3-arm RCT at a single center including 69 participants aged 25 to 55 years with a body mass index (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) of 30 to 40 and T2DM. Interventions Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB), and an intensive lifestyle weight loss intervention (LWLI). Main Outcomes and Measures Primary outcomes in the intention-to-treat cohort were feasibility and effectiveness measured by weight loss and improvements in glycemic control. Results Of 667 potential participants who underwent screening, 69 (10.3%) were randomized. Among the randomized participants, 30 (43%) had grade I obesity, and 56 (81%) were women. Mean (SD) age was 47.3 (6.4) years and hemoglobin A 1c level, 7.9% (2.0%). After randomization, 7 participants (10%) refused to undergo their allocated intervention (3 RYGB, 1 LAGB, and 3 LWLI), and 1 RYGB participant was excluded for current smoking. Twenty participants underwent RYGB; 21, LAGB; and 20, LWLI, with 12-month retention rates of 90%, 86%, and 70%, respectively. In the intention-to-treat cohort with multiple imputation for missing data, RYGB participants had the greatest mean weight loss from baseline (27.0%; 95% CI, 30.8-23.3) compared with LAGB (17.3%; 95% CI, 21.1-13.5) and LWLI (10.2%; 95% CI, 14.8-5.61) ( P P P = .047 between groups for partial and complete remission), with no remission in the LWLI group. Significant reductions in use of antidiabetics occurred in both surgical groups. No deaths were noted. The 3 serious adverse events included 1 ulcer treated medically in the RYGB group and 2 rehospitalizations for dehydration in the LAGB group. Conclusions and Relevance This study highlights several potential challenges to successful completion of a larger RCT for treatment of T2DM and obesity in patients with a body mass index of 30 to 40, including the difficulties associated with recruiting and randomizing patients to surgical vs nonsurgical interventions. Preliminary results show that RYGB was the most effective treatment, followed by LAGB for weight loss and T2DM outcomes at 1 year. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier:NCT01047735
Effect of ocular implants of different materials on the dosimetry of external beam radiation therapy.

Purpose : To study the attenuation and scattering effects of ocular implants, made from different materials, on the dose distributions of a 6 MV photon beam, and 6, 9, and 12 MeV electron beams used in orbital radiotherapy. Methods and Materials : Central axis depth-dose measurements were performed in a polystyrene phantom with embedded spherical ocular implants using film dosimetry of a 6 MV photon beam and electron beams of 6, 9, and 12 MeV energy. The isodose distributions were also calculated by a computerized treatment planning system using computerized tomography (CT) scans of a polystyrene phantom that had silicone, acrylic, and hydroxyapatite ocular implants placed into it. Results : Electron beam dose distributions display distortions both on the measured and calculated data. This effect is most accentuated for the hydroxyapatite implants, for which the transmissions through ocular implants are on the order of 93% for the 6 MV photon beam, and range from 60% for 6 MeV electrons to 90% for 12 MeV electrons. Conclusion : We studied the effect of ocular implants of various materials, embedded in a polystyrene phantom, on the dose distributions of a 6 MV photon beam, and 6, 9, and 12 MeV electron beams. Our investigations show that while 6 MV photons experience only a few percent attenuation, lower energy electron beam with 60% transmission is not a suitable choice of treating tumors behind the ocular implants.
Activity of Bacillus polymyxa protease on components of the plasmin system in milk

Abstract The activity of a metalloprotease produced by Bacillus polymyxa toward the plasmin system was studied in both buffer and milk. Chromogenic assays were carried out to monitor effects of the protease on plasmin activity in a buffer system. Among the plasmin system components, plasminogen was most affected by the protease. Hydrolysis of plasminogen was identified and visualized using sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS–PAGE) and casein–SDS–PAGE, respectively. Results confirmed that B. polymyxa protease cleaved bovine plasminogen, generating a plasmin-like activity. Kinetic parameters of the protease showed that its activity on plasminogen can be physiologically relevant where significant impact on plasminogen activation in milk can occur. This finding was further confirmed when, during refrigerated storage, a significant increase ( P 0.01 ) in plasmin-like activity was observed in protease-treated pasteurized milk. Results of this study confirmed the interaction of the B. polymyxa protease with the plasmin system by acting as a plasminogen activator.
Cartsian diver studies on respiration of rat bone marrow cells in the presence of erythropoietin and anti-erythropoientin

L'etude de la respiration des cellules de la moelle des os du rat fut faite avec un plongeur Cartesien. Ces cellules, avec ou sans glucose, repirent a raison de 0,73±0,15 et 0,97±0,17×10−6 μl O2/cellule/h. Comparee aux mesures de controle, la respiration des cellules medullaires de rats plethoriques est plus fabile en presence de ESF (0,45 contre 0,99×10−6 μl, O2/cellule/h). Cette inhibition fut supprimee par la presence d'anti-ESF (0,98 contre 0,99×10−6 μl O2/cellule/h).
New directions at NSF

The mission and scope of the National Science Foundation (NSF) and lightwave technology will be very briefly discussed. The focus of the presentation will be directed toward changes in research support that are taking place and the opportunities we have for aiming our research to meet the challenges and needs that face the nation. In the USA it is very clear that defense oriented research is downsizing and is being redirected into economy driven aresas, such as manufacturing, business, and industry. For those researchers who are willing to move into these areas and find a niche, the rewards may be very great. Industrial research partners should also seize these opportunities to enhance their resources in an otherwise bleak future for industrial support of basic research in lightwave technology and many other reserach disciplines. These activities of bringing together industry and academia will have the value added benefit of providing increased job opportunities for students. An outline of some of these opportunities and incentives will be presented. On the international front, there has never been a better time for the encouragement of joint research and collaboration across borders. The economic potential for involvement in Eastern Europe and Asia are enormous. Agencies like ourselves are open to help support of visiting scientist/engineer exchange, international conferences and forums and support of innovative ideas to help further enhance economic developemnt of the world and hence the quality of life. The presence of the Russian delegation here at these SPIE meetings in in part the result of NSF support. Concomitant with these changes is a growing interest in education. Academia is gradually realizing that education includes training for students to acquire jobs and hence we complete the cycle of the importance of interacting with industry. At the NSF a major new initiative is being introduced in Optical Science and Engineering (OSE). This effort has been created as an outgrowth of the NRC study being conducted in parallel under the same name. OSE is based on the fact that optics is a very interdisciplinary area and special emphasis on the interface between the relevant areas is where the action is. Lightwave technology and the implementation of organic materials to optoelectronic applications is clearly an area which has tremendous potential for economic impact and it fits the criteria for the OSE initiative. It is also exciting, challenging, and personally rewarding. But organic materials have been promising for quite some time and some are getting impatient. To provide credibility to those who support this research (governement, idustry, etc.), we must turn our attention to ways in which we can accelerate the transition from the laboratory discovery to the consumer. In this way everyone will become a winner.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Research on the Optimized Configuration of Water Resource in Shendong Mining Area

In order to improve water resource utilization and protect ecological environment in Shendong mining area, make the coal and water resource developed healthy. The multi-objective nonlinear programming model of water resources in mining area was established based on LINGO platform, the optimized configuration of water resource was researched. According to the result of model calculation, based on the optimized configuration of water resource and coal mining in 2012, 2015 and 2020, there are different levels of water shortage. The total water deficit is-526.56、-1189.37 and-1642.30 104m3. According to the actual situation and calculation result, the proposal is put forward in improving the utilization ratio of mining water, water diversion from external and flood utilization. The optimized configuration of water resource in Shendong mining area based on multi-objective nonlinear programming is scientifically, rationally, and plays a guiding role in harmonious development between coal resource exploitation and utilization of water resource.
On the anomalous properties of dielectrics

Abstract The causes of energy losses in dielectrics subjected to alternating stress are not completely understood. One of the most satisfactory methods of treating these problems, due to von Schweidler, attributes the dielectric loss entirely to dielectric absorption.Some agreement between the methods of von Schweidler and experimental data has been found by F. Tank, J. B. Whitehead and R. R. Benedict. However there does not exist a satisfactory test of the accuracy of the analysis of von Schweidler. The present paper gives: 1. (1) a method of separating the losses due to hysteresis from the losses due to absorption in dielectrics, 2. (2) a method for determining analytically the absorption curve of a dielectric in which hysteresis is absent, 3. (3) a graphical method of checking the accuracy of von Schweidler's analysis.
High-dose cisplatin with diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC) rescue therapy: preliminary pharmacologic observations.

Diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC), a chelating agent that is a major metabolite of disulfuram, has been proposed as a potential rescue agent to reduce toxicity following high-dose cisplatin (HDCP) therapy. In the present study, we examined the pharmcologic interaction of HDCP and DDTC given as rescue therapy. Total plasma platinum and ultrafiltrate platinum pharmacokinetics and DDTC levels were determined in six patients with advanced malignancies who received a total of 11 cycles of HDCP with DDTC rescue. HDCP therapy (200 mg/m2 per cycle) consisted of 100 mg/m2 reconstituted in 250 cc 3% saline and infused over 3 h on days 1 and 8 of each 28-day cycle. DDTC rescue at a dose of 4 gm/m2 was given by an i.v. infusion (duration 1.5–3.5 h), beginning 45 min after the completion fo cisplatin infusion. Peak total and ultrafiltrate levels and cisplatin pharmacokinetics in this study were indistinguishable from those of previous studies using the same HDCP regimen without DDTC rescue. Ultrafiltrate or unbound plasma platinum was 400 μM) were achieved with the dose and schedule used in this study. These data demonstrate that DDTC can be targeted to protective plasma concentrations without significantly altering plasma cisplatin pharmacokinetics and support the potential usefulness of DDTC as a rescue agent following HDCP therapy.
Adaptive Bilateral Filter for Video and Image Upsampling

Upsampling is a post-processing method for increasing the spatial resolution of an image or video. Most video players and image viewers support upsampling functionality. Sometimes upsampling can introduce blurring, ringing, and jaggedness artifacts in the upsampled video or image thereby lowering its visual quality. In this paper, we present an adaptive bilateral interpolation filter for upsampling a video or image by an arbitrary upsampling factor, and show that it mitigates most of the artifacts produced by conventional upsampling methods.
Analysis of Composite Hydrogen Storage Cylinders Subjected to Localized Flame Impingements

A comprehensive non-linear finite element model is developed for predicting the behavior of composite hydrogen storage cylinders subjected to high pressure and localized flame impingements. The model is formulated in an axi-symmetric coordinate system and incorporates with various sub-models to describe the behavior of the composite cylinder under extreme thermo-mechanical loadings. A heat transfer sub-model is employed to predict the temperature evolution of the composite cylinder wall and accounts for heat transport due to decomposition and mass loss. A composite decomposition sub-model described by Arrhenius's law is implemented to predict the residual resin content of thermal damaged area. A sub-model for material degradation is implemented to account for the loss of mechanical properties. A progressive failure model is adopted to detect various types of mechanical failure. These sub-models are implemented in ABAQUS commercial finite element code using user subroutines. Numerical results are presented for thermal damage, residual properties and profile of resin content in the cylinder. The developed model provides a useful tool for safe design and structural assessment of high pressure composite hydrogen storage cylinders.
Evidence for Interlayer Coupling and Moire Periodic Potentials in Twisted Bilayer Graphene

We report a study of the valence band dispersion of twisted bilayer graphene using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and ab initio calculations. We observe two noninteracting cones near the Dirac crossing energy and the emergence of van Hove singularities where the cones overlap for large twist angles (>5°). Besides the expected interaction between the Dirac cones, minigaps appeared at the Brillouin zone boundaries of the moire superlattice formed by the misorientation of the two graphene layers. We attribute the emergence of these minigaps to a periodic potential induced by the moire. These anticrossing features point to coupling between the two graphene sheets, mediated by moire periodic potentials.
Endothelial cell polarization and chemotaxis in a microfluidic device.

The directed migration of endothelial cells is an early and critical step in angiogenesis, or new blood vessel formation. In this study, the polarization and chemotaxis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) in response to quantified gradients of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were examined. To accomplish this, a microfluidic device was designed and fabricated to generate stable concentration gradients of biomolecules in a cell culture chamber while minimizing the fluid shear stress experienced by the cells. Finite element simulation of the device geometry produced excellent agreement with the observed VEGF concentration distribution, which was found to be stable across multiple hours. This device is expected to have wide applicability in the study of shear-sensitive cells such as HUVEC and non-adherent cell types as well as in the study of migration through three-dimensional matrices. HUVEC were observed to chemotax towards higher VEGF concentrations across the entire range of concentrations studied (18–32 ng mL−1) when the concentration gradient was 14 ng mL−1 mm−1. In contrast, shallow gradients (2 ng mL−1 mm−1) across the same concentration range were unable to induce HUVEC chemotaxis. Furthermore, while all HUVEC exposed to elevated VEGF levels (both in steep and shallow gradients) displayed an increased number of filopodia, only chemotaxing HUVEC displayed an asymmetric distribution of filopodia, with enhanced numbers of protrusions present along the leading edge. These results suggest a two-part requirement to induce VEGF chemotaxis: the VEGF absolute concentration enhances the total number of filopodia extended while the VEGF gradient steepness induces filopodia localization, cell polarization, and subsequent directed migration.
The parathyroid hormone-related protein.

The parathyroid hormone–related protein (PTHrP) was identified in 1987 as the second member of the parathyroid hormone (PTH) family and has proved to be the most common cause of hypercalcemia in malignancy. There are many excellent reviews 76,99 of this subject. This article focuses on more recent work that has added several new types of cancer to the range of tumors that have PTHrP as part of their repertoire. Topics include a new modus operandi for PTHrP as a mediator of local osteolysis around bone metastases and tentative conclusions on the approach to using assays for PTHrP to aid in the differential diagnosis of hypercalcemia. PTHrP is vital to the normal functioning of mammals. Its role in adults and as a remarkably versatile regulator of development is apparently more ancient than the role of PTH and certainly more protean in action.
Monitoring, field experiments, and geochemical modeling of Fe(II) oxidation kinetics in a stream dominated by net-alkaline coal-mine drainage, Pennsylvania, USA

Abstract Watershed-scale monitoring, field aeration experiments, and geochemical equilibrium and kinetic modeling were conducted to evaluate interdependent changes in pH, dissolved CO2, O2, and Fe(II) concentrations that typically take place downstream of net-alkaline, circumneutral coal-mine drainage (CMD) outfalls and during aerobic treatment of such CMD. The kinetic modeling approach, using PHREEQC, accurately simulates observed variations in pH, Fe(II) oxidation, alkalinity consumption, and associated dissolved gas concentrations during transport downstream of the CMD outfalls (natural attenuation) and during 6-h batch aeration tests on the CMD using bubble diffusers (enhanced attenuation). The batch aeration experiments demonstrated that aeration promoted CO2 outgassing, thereby increasing pH and the rate of Fe(II) oxidation. The rate of Fe(II) oxidation was accurately estimated by the abiotic homogeneous oxidation rate law −d[Fe(II)]/dt = k1·[O2]·[H+]−2·[Fe(II)] that indicates an increase in pH by 1 unit at pH 5–8 and at constant dissolved O2 (DO) concentration results in a 100-fold increase in the rate of Fe(II) oxidation. Adjusting for sample temperature, a narrow range of values for the apparent homogeneous Fe(II) oxidation rate constant (k1′) of 0.5–1.7 times the reference value of k1 = 3 × 10−12 mol/L/min (for pH 5–8 and 20 °C), reported by Stumm and Morgan (1996), was indicated by the calibrated models for the 5-km stream reach below the CMD outfalls and the aerated CMD. The rates of CO2 outgassing and O2 ingassing in the model were estimated with first-order asymptotic functions, whereby the driving force is the gradient of the dissolved gas concentration relative to equilibrium with the ambient atmosphere. Although the progressive increase in DO concentration to saturation could be accurately modeled as a kinetic function for the conditions evaluated, the simulation of DO as an instantaneous equilibrium process did not affect the model results for Fe(II) or pH. In contrast, the model results for pH and Fe(II) were sensitive to the CO2 mass transfer rate constant (kL,CO2a). The value of kL,CO2a estimated for the stream (0.010 min−1) was within the range for the batch aeration experiments (0–0.033 min−1). These results indicate that the abiotic homogeneous Fe(II) oxidation rate law, with adjustments for variations in temperature and CO2 outgassing rate, may be applied to predict changes in aqueous iron and pH for net-alkaline, ferruginous waters within a stream (natural conditions) or a CMD treatment system (engineered conditions).