cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Applying Excel Spreadsheet for Guide, Process Control, Documentation, and Labeling Assistance for HPCA Cryopreservation

Background & Aim HPCA plasma depletion and cryopreservation is one of the most common processes in a cell processing facility. The process steps are:(1)initial sampling, evaluation of the in-coming WBC concentration, volume, CD34/kg, (2)centrifugation, (3)plasma depletion, (4)aliquot the plasma depleted product into cryo freezing bags, (5)adding cryoprotectant(DMSO based),(6)post-process sampling, (7)controlled rate freezing. There are several critical values during the process:(a) the plasma depletion rate is the higher the better, to reduce the use of DMSO, while(b) keeping the WBC recovery rate as high as possible (minimum 75%, usually >90% in our facility), and (c)the final product WBC concentration not too high (should not exceed 560e6/ml in our facility); also considering (d) the filling volume of the cryo freezing bags per manufacturer's specification, which is 30-70mL/bag in our facility; (e)CD34/kg per bag requirement per "Processing Order", which is 2e6 in our facility. The process should be performed as quickly as possible to maximize cell viability. Since there are so many numbers to consider during the process, manual calculation could be slow and/or inaccurate, especially under time pressure. Therefore, our facility developed and validated an Excel spreadsheet with multiple automatic calculation functions to guide the critical steps of cryopreservation. also as a documentation and a labeling tool. Methods, Results & Conclusion An excel spreadsheet with "Initial, In-Process, Aliquot Suggestion, Actual, Final Product" sections, is developed, encompassing the above required data and limiting values. It used many "IF" functions in formula, conditional formatting, data validation (the entry cells will either "warm" or "stop" if non-logical data entered; certain cells will flag a red X if undesirable data achieved). It can suggest the operator to deplete how much plasma, and to suggest how many cryo bags to use. The operator can make decision and enter in the "actual" cells, the spreadsheet will calculate the actual volumes in each bag accordingly. An in-process control point where the TNC recovery rate is estimated, after the plasma depletion. The spreadsheet is trialed, modified, finally validated per our Worksheet Validation SOP. The spreadsheet is password protected. See below image of the spreadsheet and formula provided for downtime purpose. The spreadsheet has facilitated the quality, speed, and safety of the cryo process, also assisting the documentation and labeling process.
Pancreatic Endocrine Heterotopia Involving Meckel’s Diverticulum: A Potential Mimic of Neuroendocrine Tumor:

Pancreatic heterotopia most commonly occurs in the upper gastrointestinal tract, but can occur in other sites, including Meckel's diverticulum. When multiple histologic elements of the pancreatic tissue (acini, ducts, and endocrine cells) are present, the diagnosis is typically straightforward. In this article, we report a rare case of pure endocrine pancreatic heterotopia involving a Meckel's diverticulum, a potential mimic of a well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumor. Several features were useful in making the distinction, including lack of desmoplasia and mass forming lesion, and immunohistochemical staining in a physiological pattern similar to that of islets of Langerhans. It is important for pathologists to be aware of this entity and its features to avoid misdiagnosis of a neuroendocrine tumor.
Association of endocrine therapy with overall survival in women with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative, node-negative breast cancer of favorable histology.

Breast carcinomas are histologically diverse and have distinct prognostic significance. Early-stage breast cancers with favorable histopathologic features are managed comprehensively including adjuvant endocrine therapy at the discretion of clinicians. Using a de-identified large national cancer registry, we evaluated the overall survival benefit of endocrine therapy in patients diagnosed with HR-positive, HER2-negative, pT1-2N0 (tumor size < 3 cm), non-high-grade breast cancer with favorable histologies including tubular, mucinous, and cribriform types. On propensity score matching of 2482 matched pairs, the addition of adjuvant endocrine therapy was associated with improved OS (hazard ratio: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.67-0.98, P = .03). Our findings suggest a role for endocrine therapy in future risk mitigation for favorable histologies but should be balanced with the implications of prolonged utilization.
Continuous Weight Balancing.

We propose a simple method by which to choose sample weights for problems with highly imbalanced or skewed traits. Rather than naively discretizing regression labels to find binned weights, we take a more principled approach -- we derive sample weights from the transfer function between an estimated source and specified target distributions. Our method outperforms both unweighted and discretely-weighted models on both regression and classification tasks. We also open-source our implementation of this method (this https URL) to the scientific community.
Norepinephrine activates β1-adrenergic receptors localized to the inner nuclear membrane in cortical astrocytes

Studies in cardiomyocytes have established that adrenergic receptors, conventionally thought to initiate signaling events exclusively from the plasma membrane, can also localize to and signal from the nuclear membrane. Activation of these receptors by their endogenous cationic ligands requires transmembrane uptake mediated by organic cation transporter 3 (OCT3). We have demonstrated that OCT3 is densely localized to outer nuclear membranes in neurons and astrocytes, suggesting that nuclear adrenergic signaling is also present in the central nervous system. In this study, we examined the subcellular localization of {beta}1-adrenergic receptors, their G-protein signaling partners, and catecholamine transporters in mouse astrocytes. We identified a population of {beta}1-adrenergic receptors localized to astrocyte inner nuclear membranes. We demonstrated that key components of Gs-mediated signaling are localized to the nuclear compartment and identified OCT3 and other catecholamine transporters localized to plasma and nuclear membranes. Treatment of astrocytes with norepinephrine induced rapid increases in nuclear PKA activity which were blocked by pretreatment with inhibitors of catecholamine transport. These data indicate that nuclear {beta}1-adrenergic receptors are functionally coupled to Gs-coupled signaling mediators and that their activation by norepinephrine requires transporter-mediated uptake. These receptors represent a powerful mechanism by which norepinephrine may alter astrocyte gene expression and brain function.
Abstract P106: Development Of An Oral Drug Delivery System For The Cardio-protective Neuropeptide Alpha-calcitonin Gene Related Peptide

Alpha-calcitonin gene related peptide (α-CGRP) is a promising neuropeptide for the treatment of cardiovascular disease. We have developed an alginate biomaterial-based delivery system which increas...
Aristoteles, de Interpretatione3. 16b19–25

Philip Merlan schenkt uns neben seinen grossen Untersuchungen immer wieder auch kurze Studien und kritische Hinweise, die sich mit Vorliebe auf solche Punkte beziehen, uber die wir eigentlich im reinen zu sein glauben, aber, wie er uns dann schnell belehrt, es in Wahrheit keineswegs sind und es auch nicht sein konnen, weil uns lediglich Vorurteil und Gewohnung mit Scheinlosungen zufrieden sein Hessen. Nicht selten trifft er dann schon beim ersten Schlag den Nagel auf den Kopf.
A phase 1 study of intermittently administered pazopanib in combination with continuous daily dosing of lapatinib in patients with solid tumors

Preclinically, pazopanib/lapatinib combination acted synergistically to suppress the activity of multiple tyrosine kinases, including VEGFR-1, 2, 3, PDGFR and c-kit (pazopanib), HER1/EGFR and HER2 (lapatinib), and several other tyrosine kinases including c-Met through, plausibly, network inhibition effects. Clinically, continuous dosing of pazopanib/lapatinib combination was associated with a higher response rate than with lapatinib monotherapy, with poor tolerance. We explored multiple intermittent dose levels of pazopanib combined with continuous daily dosing of lapatinib in patients with solid tumors. The present study used a phase 1, modified 3 + 3, dose-escalation design to evaluate the safety and tolerability of the combination of orally received pazopanib once every other day with continuous daily dosing of lapatinib for 28 days. In the expansion phase, tumor response was evaluated in patients with specific genetic alterations (HER2 amplification, HER2 mutation, c-Met amplification, c-Met mutation, and EGFR mutation). Twenty-four patients were treated. The most common drug-related adverse events were fatigue 7/24 (29 %), skin rash 5/21 (21 %), and diarrhea 3/24 (17 %), with 4/24 (16 %) patients experiencing grade ≥3 drug-related adverse events. Escalation to the FDA-approved dose (800 mg daily for pazopanib and 1500 mg every day for lapatinib) was not feasible due to toxicities. Pazopanib 200 mg every other day + lapatinib 500 mg daily was considered the maximum tolerated dose (MTD). No tumor response was observed, including in patients with the specific molecular genetic alterations tested. Every other day dosing of pazopanib combined with daily lapatinib was tolerated at the established MTD, but no complete or partial tumor responses were observed at these dose levels.
Structural biology: Protein crystal mimics reality.

Flagellin, a protein in the bacterial flagellar motor, has resisted attempts at three-dimensional crystallization — until now. The crystal structure offers hints as to how filaments are able to switch helical states.
Model for magnetically enhanced capacitively coupled plasma discharges

Summary form only given. Magnetically enhanced capacitively coupled plasma (MECCP) discharges are widely used in the microelectronics industry for etching dielectric materials. MECCP etch reactors allow careful control of plasma chemistry, which is essential for developing selective etch processes.. In addition, plasma density is moderately high in MECCP reactors, thus ensuring that etch rates are reasonably large. It is anticipated that MECCP etch reactors will become even more pervasive in the microelectronics industry in the coming years. A new 2-dimensional plasma reactor model, which is capable of simulating MECCP discharges, has been developed. The model can address most commercial MECCP etch reactors for the operating range of interest as well as the relevant fluorocarbon plasma chemistries. The computational model and its applications are the subject of this paper.
Wind Tunnel Design for Physical Modeling of Atmospheric Boundary Layer

Wind in the lower atmosphere has had direct adverse and beneficial impacts of the entirety of humanity throughout the ages. The evolution of wind tunnels for the physical modeling of natural wind in the lower 500 m-1,000 m of the atmosphere is reviewed. Following comments of essential features of the atmospheric boundary layer requirements for physical modeling of natural winds in this layer are reviewed. Details of a meteorological wind tunnel designed by the writer to meet the primary requirements are presented. After some comparisons of meteorological variables measured in the wind tunnel with data obtained from atmospheric measurements, applications of wind tunnels to the solution of wind-engineering problems of current concern in civil engineering practice are examined.
MicroRNA and Drug Delivery

The human genome was once thought to be a redundant sequence containing few functional regions coding for proteins. This teaching is being rewritten as we continue to understand the vast complexity of the noncoding regions of the genetic code. These regions we now understand are transcribed into small single-stranded segments or microRNAs (miRNAs) that participate in the regulation of gene expression. miRNAs interact across many pathways and thus have the potential as targets for oncologic therapies. Their efficacy is limited because methods to traverse the many biologic barriers are yet to be developed. In order to achieve effective therapeutic levels at the site of interest, the tumor, the miRNA must be shuttled to the site and simultaneously be protected from the body’s defensive mechanisms. To this end, scientists have developed many vehicles for delivery at both the micro- and nanoscale using both synthetic and biologically derived vectors. Viral vectors continue to be the most commonly used vehicles, but are plagued by complications related to the vector itself. These inadequacies led researchers to explore synthetic materials such aspolylactic co-glycolic-acid (PLGA), silicon, gold, and liposomes to overcome the biobarriers of our body. While these vehicles have shown promise, problems such as high clearance rates, poor tumor accumulation and targeting, and adverse reactions have limited their translation into the clinic. In order to overcome these problems, a multistage theory was developed. By decoupling the tasks required of the carrier system, the multistage delivery system is able to simultaneously protect the payload, target the site of interest, and deliver the payload in therapeutic concentrations. This presents a paradigm shift in the concept of drug delivery and may provide the solution to the limited translational gene therapy in oncology.
UMR mote-based demonstration of wireless sensor networking protocols using pneumatic testbed

In this paper, the demonstration focuses on presenting the capabilities of the UMR platform for development of network protocols and support of industrial applications, similar to the presented diagnostics of the pneumatic testbed. The network of 20 nodes will be presented with real and simulated data sources. The pneumatic testbed is equipped with a UMR mote that performs the diagnostics in real-time and provides observability through the network.
Complex of aminoacyl-transfer RNA synthetases.

Abstract A high molecular weight complex has been isolated from rat liver which contains all the aminoacyl-transfer RNA synthetases and and a large proportion of the tRNA present in the high-speed supernatant fraction. The complex could be partially purified by chromatography on Sephadex G200 and Sepharose 6B. The complex could be disrupted by excess homogenization and freezing and thawing with a concomitant decrease in the activities of the aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. The results suggest that some of the presumed “soluble” components of the protein synthetic apparatus may be present in highly organized structures within the cell.
Residence Times and Diel Passage Distributions of Radio-Tagged Juvenile Spring Chinook Salmon and Steelhead in a Gatewell and Fish Collection Channel of a Columbia River Dam

Abstract The amount of time radio-tagged juvenile spring chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha and juvenile steelhead O. mykiss spent within a gatewell and the juvenile collection channel at McNary Dam, Columbia River, USA, was measured to determine the diel passage behavior and residence times within these portions of the juvenile bypass system. The median gatewell residence times were 8.9 h for juvenile chinook salmon and 3.2 h for steelhead. Juvenile spring chinook salmon spent 83% of their time in the 18-m-deep gatewell at depths of 9 m or less, and juvenile steelhead spent 96% of their time in the upper 11 m. Fish released during midday and those released in the evening generally exited the gatewell in the evening, indicating that fish entering the gatewell during daylight will have prolonged residence times. Median collection-channel residence times of juvenile chinook salmon were much shorter (2.3 min) than those of steelhead (28.0 min), most likely because of the greater size of the steelhead an...
Geochemistry and petrology of selected coal samples from Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and Papua, Indonesia

Abstract Indonesia has become the world's largest exporter of thermal coal and is a major supplier to the Asian coal market, particularly as the People's Republic of China is now (2007) and perhaps may remain a net importer of coal. Indonesia has had a long history of coal production, mainly in Sumatra and Kalimantan, but only in the last two decades have government and commercial forces resulted in a remarkable coal boom. A recent assessment of Indonesian coal-bed methane (CBM) potential has motivated active CBM exploration. Most of the coal is Paleogene and Neogene, low to moderate rank and has low ash yield and sulfur (generally
IPY observations of ionospheric yearly variations from high- to middle-latitude incoherent scatter radars

[1] Upper atmospheric research during the 2007 International Polar Year features unprecedented yearlong observations by incoherent scatter radars. This valuable data set, collected under very low solar and magnetic activity conditions from a set of four radars spanning middle (Millstone Hill), auroral (Poker Flat), and higher latitudes (Sondrestrom and Svalbard), enables us to address a fundamental question of background climatology on ionospheric yearly variations. The main focus of this paper is on the noon-time baseline annual and semiannual variations, with an emphasis on the less-known height dependency, for those geophysically important areas. The radar measurements of ion drifts allow us to examine dynamic effects which have not been well addressed previously. High-latitude ionospheric climatology shows some interesting features, in particular, the two semiannual peaks of electron density Ne. The two peaks, neither of which is near summer solstice, are essentially of equinoctial symmetry at very high latitude sites, where downward ion drifts are strong in summer thus causing Ne reduction. The symmetry vanishes at the midlatitude site. Clear phase progression is seen from the topside to the F2 peak at the midlatitude site. Comparisons of Millstone Hill data from this period and prior solar minima indicate decreases in the ion temperature throughout the F2 peak and the topside ionosphere. These decreases do not seem to be associated with solar flux and magnetic activity effects.
Gas turbine combustor design methodology

The detailed representation of flow and combustion processes offered by multidimensional models and the predictive tool of the proven empirical correlations are combined to form a basis for a gas turbine combustor design method. Provisions are made to fully utilize the output of the analytical computations by evaluating the values of relevant parameters within subdivisions of liner sector. By this means, the impact of a systematic modification to the detail of dome swirlers and liner configuration is easily determined. A heat transfer calculation method that utilizes the variation in combustor parameters in the three dimensions and evaluates radiation flux components through a view factor is considered. In comparison with experimental data obtained for a typical production liner, the predictions of the developed method in regard to emission formation, combustion performance, and wall temperature are quite satisfactory.
Notes on Sensitivity and Stability of the Classifications of Returns to Scale in Data Envelopment Analysis: A Comment

Seiford and Zhu (1999) address the issue of sensitivity of returns to scale (RTS)classiﬁcations in data envelopment analysis (DEA). As noted in Jahanshahloo,Lotﬁ and Zohrehbandian (2004), a number of Theorems (e.g., Theorems 11, 12,16 and 17) in Seiford and Zhu (1999) may not be true for some decision makingunits (DMUs). They proposed a remedy for these Theorems. We point out that theissue can be addressed directly by the ﬁndings in Seiford and Zhu (1999).Note that such an issue is caused by DMUs located outside the set
Neurotoxic effects of the human immunodeficiency virus type-1 transcription factor Tat require function of a polyamine sensitive-site on the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor.

Abstract Human immunodeficiency virus type-I (HIV-1) infection is often associated with neuronal loss in cortical and subcortical regions that may manifest as motor dysfunction and dementia. The function of the HIV-1 transcription protein Tat and subsequent activation of N-methyl- d -aspartate receptors (NMDAr) have been implicated in this form of neurodegeneration. However, it is unclear if Tat interacts directly with the NMDAr and the role of specific NMDAr subunit composition in mediating effects of Tat is also unclear. The present studies examined the ability of HIV-1 Tat1-72 protein (10 pM–1.0 μM) to displace [3H]MK-801 binding and to attenuate spermidine-induced potentiation of this binding in rat brain homogenate comprised of cerebellum, hippocampus, and cerebral cortex. The role of NMDAr polyamine-site function in the neurotoxic effects of Tat was determined using organotypic hippocampal slice cultures. Binding of [3H]MK-801 in adult rat brain homogenate was not reduced by Tat at concentrations below 1 μM. Tat potently inhibited the potentiation of [3H]MK-801 binding produced by co-exposure of membranes to the NMDAr co-agonist spermidine (IC50=3.74 nM). In hippocampal explants, Tat produced neurotoxicity in the CA3 and CA1 pyramidal cell layers, as well as in the dentate gyrus, that was significantly reduced by co-exposure to MK-801 (20 μM) and the NMDAr polyamine-site antagonist arcaine (10 μM). Exposure to the HIV-1 Tat deletion mutant (TatΔ31-61) did not produce neurotoxicity in hippocampal explants. These data suggest that the neurotoxic effects of HIV-1 Tat are mediated, in part, by direct interactions with a polyamine-sensitive site on the NMDAr that positively modulates the function of this receptor.
Cationic Iridium−Perfluoroalkyl Complexes with NH3 and PH3 Ligands. Activation of Carbon−Fluorine Bonds by H2S To Give Bis(trifluoromethyl)dithiametallacyclobutane and Bis(trifluoromethyl)trithiametallacyclohexane Complexes

The cationic fluoroalkyl(aqua) complexes [Ir(η5-C5Me5)(PMe3)(RF)(H2O)][BF4] (RF = CF(CF3)2, CF2CF3) react with NH3 and PH3 to afford the corresponding ammonia and phosphine complexes [Ir(η5-C5Me5)(PMe3)(RF)L][BF4] (RF = CF(CF3)2, CF2CF3; L = NH3, PH3). No reaction of NH3 or PH3 with the fluoroalkyl ligand is observed. The molecular structure of [Ir(η5-C5Me5)(PMe3){CF(CF3)2}(NH3][BF4] has been determined and shows hydrogen-bonded interactions between the coordinated NH3 ligand and the BF4- counterion. The molecular structure of the phosphine complex [Ir(η5-C5Me5)(PMe3){CF(CF3)2}(PH3][B{C6H3(CF3)2}4] has also been determined. Close intramolecular contacts between the NH3 or PH3 ligands and the fluorocarbon ligand in these two complexes are interpreted as resulting from steric requirements rather than intramolecular hydrogen bonding. Dimethyl sulfide reacts similarly to afford [Ir(η5-C5Me5)(PMe3)(RF)(Me2S)][BF4] (RF = CF(CF3)2, CF2CF3). In contrast, H2S reacts with the secondary fluoroalkyl complex [Ir(η5-C5...
Chemical and biological mobilization of Fe(III) in marsh sediments

Iron reduction in marine sulfitic environments may occur via a mechanism involving direct bacterial reduction with the use of hydrogen as an electron donor, direct bacterial reduction involving carbon turnover, or by indirect reduction where sulfide acts to reduce iron. In the presented experiments, the relative importance of direct and indirect mechanisms of iron reduction, and the contribution of these two mechanisms to overall carbon turnover has been evaluated in two marsh environments. Sediments collected from two Northeastern US salt marshes each having different Fe (III) histories were incubated with the addition of reactive iron (as amorphous oxyhydroxide). These sediments were either incubated alone or in conjunction with sodium molybdate. Production of both inorganic and organic pore water constituents and a calculation of net carbon production were used as measures to compare the relative importance of direct bacterial reduction and indirect bacterial reduction. Results indicate that in the environments tested, the majority of the reduced iron found results from indirect reduction mediated by hydrogen sulfide, a result of dissolution and precipitation phenomena, or is a result of direct bacterial reduction using hydrogen as an electron donor. Direct iron reduction plays a minor role in carbon turnover in these environments.
Analytic models of high-temperature hohlraums.

A unified set of high-temperature-hohlraum models has been developed. For a simple hohlraum, ${P}_{S}=[{A}_{S}+(1\ensuremath{-}{\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{W}{)A}_{W}{+A}_{H}]\ensuremath{\sigma}{T}_{R}^{4}+(4V\ensuremath{\sigma}{/c)(dT}_{R}^{4}/dt),$ where ${P}_{S}$ is the total power radiated by the source, ${A}_{S}$ is the source area, ${A}_{W}$ is the area of the cavity wall excluding the source and holes in the wall, ${A}_{H}$ is the area of the holes, \ensuremath{\sigma} is the Stefan-Boltzmann constant, ${T}_{R}$ is the radiation brightness temperature, $V$ is the hohlraum volume, and c is the speed of light. The wall albedo ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{W}\ensuremath{\equiv}{(T}_{W}{/T}_{R}{)}^{4}$ where ${T}_{W}$ is the brightness temperature of area ${A}_{W}.$ The net power radiated by the source ${P}_{N}{=P}_{S}\ensuremath{-}{A}_{S}\ensuremath{\sigma}{T}_{R}^{4},$ which suggests that for laser-driven hohlraums the conversion efficiency ${\ensuremath{\eta}}_{\mathrm{CE}}$ be defined as ${P}_{N}{/P}_{\mathrm{Laser}}.$ The characteristic time required to change ${T}_{R}^{4}$ in response to a change in ${P}_{N}$ is $4V/c[(1\ensuremath{-}{\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{W}{)A}_{W}{+A}_{H}].$ Using this model, ${T}_{R},$ ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{W},$ and ${\ensuremath{\eta}}_{\mathrm{CE}}$ can be expressed in terms of quantities directly measurable in a hohlraum experiment. For a steady-state hohlraum that encloses a convex capsule, ${P}_{N}={(1\ensuremath{-}{\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{W}{)A}_{W}{+A}_{H}+[(1\ensuremath{-}{\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{C}{)A}_{C}{(A}_{S}+{\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{W}{A}_{W}{)/A}_{T}]}\ensuremath{\sigma}{T}_{\mathrm{RC}}^{4},$ where ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{C}$ is the capsule albedo, ${A}_{C}$ is the capsule area, ${A}_{T}\ensuremath{\equiv}{(A}_{S}{+A}_{W}{+A}_{H}),$ and ${T}_{\mathrm{RC}}$ is the brightness temperature of the radiation that drives the capsule. According to this relation, the capsule-coupling efficiency of the baseline National Ignition Facility hohlraum is 15--23 % higher than predicted by previous analytic expressions. A model of a hohlraum that encloses a z pinch is also presented.
Association of breast fluid coloration with age, ethnicity, and cigarette smoking.

Nipple aspirates of breast fluid (NAF) occur with different colorations (colorless, white, pale yellow, dark yellow, brown, green, and black). Increasing concentrations of cholesterol, cholesterol 5,6-epoxides, estrogens, and fluorescent products of lipid peroxidation have been positively associated with the dark colorations (dark yellow, brown, green, and black). Because of the absence of data on these variations in breast fluid coloration, we made an exploratory study of their possible associations with age, ethnicity, clinical breast status, and breast cancer risk factors. Dark NAF colorations increased with age among white women from 22.5% at 20–29 years to 49.2% at 50–59 years. Among Chinese and Japanese women, the overall proportion of dark breast fluids was significantly lower (highest proportion 23.5%).
Differences in oxygen-18 content of throughfall and rainfall in hardwood and coniferous forests

The differences between δ 18 O in throughfall and open rainfall were studied for 16 selected spring and summer storms in deciduous, pine and spruce forests in central Pennsylvania, USA. Throughfall δ 18 O averaged 0.17, 0.32 and 0.24‰ greater than δ 18 O of open rainfall for all storms at the deciduous, pine and spruce sites, respectively. Throughfall 18 O enrichment was greater in low intensity spring rainfall events than higher intensity growing season storms and greater in the coniferous stands than the deciduous hardwood stand. Maximum throughfall 18 O enrichment of 1.61‰ occurred in the spruce forest during one spring event. The differences between rainfall and throughfall 18 O observed in this study for individual storm events may have important implications for isotope flow separation studies
Src regulates Tyr(20) phosphorylation of transferrin receptor-1 and potentiates breast cancer cell survival.

Transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1) is a ubiquitous type II membrane receptor with 61 amino acids in the N-terminal cytoplasmic region. TfR1 is highly expressed in cancer cells, particularly under iron deficient conditions. Overexpression of TfR1 is thought to meet the increased requirement of iron uptake necessary for cell growth. In the present study, we used transferrin (Tf), a known ligand of TfR1, and gambogic acid (GA), an apoptosis-inducing agent and newly identified TfR1 ligand to investigate the signaling role of TfR1 in breast cancer cells. We found that GA but not Tf induced apoptosis in a TfR1-dependent manner in breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells. Estrogen receptor-positive MCF-7 cells lack caspase-3 and were not responsive to GA treatment. GA activated the three major signaling pathways of the MAPK family, as well as caspase-3, -8, and Poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase apoptotic pathway. Interestingly, only Src inhibitor PP2 greatly sensitized the cells to GA-mediated apoptosis. Further investigations by confocal fluorescence microscopy and immunoprecipitation revealed that Src and TfR1 are constitutively bound. Using TfR1-deficient CHO TRVB cells, point mutation studies showed that Tyr20 within the 20YTRF23 motif of the cytoplasmic region of TfR1 is the phosphorylation site by Src. TfR1 Tyr20 phosphomutants were more sensitive to GA-mediated apoptosis. Our results indicate that, albeit its iron uptake function, TfR1 is a signaling molecule and tyrosine phosphorylation at position 20 by Src enhances anti-apoptosis and potentiates breast cancer cell survival.
A coupled RISM/MD or MC simulation methodology for solvation free energies

We propose a new computational methodology that couples reference interaction site model (RISM) and molecular dynamics (MD) or Monte Carlo (MC) simulation methods for determination of solvation free energies. We employ the RISM formulation of solvation free energy. The correlation functions entering this expression are derived from radial distribution functions supplied by MD or MC simulations, instead of coming from simultaneous solution of the RISM and hyper-netted chain equations. We apply this approach to determining free energies of solvation for several small molecules. Our results are in good agreement with experimental values, demonstrating the potential of this method for applications to larger systems.
The Viking missions to Mars.

The Viking Project will launch two unmanned spacecraft to Mars in 1975 for scientific exploration with special emphasis on the search for life. Each spacecraft will consist of an orbiter and a lander. The landing site will be selected after the spacecraft is in orbit. Twelve investigations will be performed: three mapping experiments from the orbiter, one atmospheric experiment during the lander entry phase, seven analytical experiments on the surface of the planet, and one using the spacecraft radio and radar systems. The experiments on the surface will deal principally with biology, geology, and meteorology. Sixty-three scientists have been selected for the twelve teams.
Ethanol's Effect on Human Vigilance during a Simple Task in the Presence of an Auditory Stressor

This study concerns the effect of ethanol on vigilance during a simple task. A “complete-the-picture” test was administered to 128 male college students. Subjects ingested either a placebo or a moderate dose of alcohol, and half were assigned to complete the task with a stressor, static noise, included in the test environment. The time spent on the task and the number of details sketched by each subject were measured. Moderate doses of alcohol appear to dampen peripheral stressors and allow attention toward a central, simple task to be maintained or increased.
Photocatalytic oxidation of methanol using titania-based fluidized beds

Abstract Experiments determined methanol removal and catalyst elutriation rates during photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) of fluidized and packed beds of various titania-based catalysts. The study developed elutriation-resistant catalysts in which TiO 2 was precipitated from solution (p-TiO 2 ), or was coated on an Al 2 O 3 support (TiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 ) and compared them to Degussa P-25 TiO 2 . Although Degussa P-25 TiO 2 oxidized methanol effectively, it elutriated at a rate that was two orders of magnitude greater than those of p-TiO 2 and TiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 . In addition, TiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 removed methanol at a significantly greater rate than did P-25, with p-TiO 2 being the least active. Fluidized beds produced greater PCO rates than did packed beds of P-25 and TiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 . Fluidization enhancers, such as vibration and incorporation of a static mixer, improved the performance of the P-25 fluidized bed, but did not change the effectiveness of TiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 or p-TiO 2 . The activity of TiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 decreased with increasing calcination temperature (over the temperature range 673–873 K). The optimum TiO 2 loading for TiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 was 30 wt.%.
Efficient Assessment of Social Problem-Solving Abilities in Medical and Rehabilitation Settings: A Rasch Analysis of the Social Problem-Solving Inventory-Revised

The Social Problem Solving Inventory-Revised Scale (SPSI-R) has been shown to be a reliable and valid self-report measure of social problem-solving abilities. In busy medical and rehabilitation settings, a brief and efficient screening version with psychometric properties similar to the SPSI-R would have numerous benefits including decreased patient and caregiver assessment burden and administration/scoring time. Thus, the aim of the current study was to identify items from the SPSI-R that would provide for a more efficient assessment of global social problem-solving abilities. This study consisted of three independent samples: 121 persons in low-vision rehabilitation (M age=71 years old, SD=15.53), 301 persons living with diabetes mellitus (M age=58, and SD=14.85), and 131 family caregivers of persons with severe disabilities (M age=56 years old, SD=12.15). All persons completed a version of the SPSI-R, Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). Using Rasch scaling of the SPSI-R short-form, we identified a subset of 10 items that reflected the five-component model of social problem solving. The 10 items were separately validated on the sample of persons living with diabetes mellitus and the sample of family caregivers of persons with severe disabilities. Results indicate that the efficient 10-item version, analyzed separately for all three samples, demonstrated good reliability and validity characteristics similar to the established SPSI-R short form. The 10-item version of the SPSI-R represents a brief, effective way in which clinicians and researchers in busy health care settings can quickly assess global problem-solving abilities and identify those persons at-risk for complicated adjustment. Implications for the assessment of social problem-solving abilities are discussed.
Relationship between health utility and psychometric health status measures.

This study examined the relationship between health utility and psychometric health status measures. Utility scores derived by standard gamble and categorical rating methods were also compared to determine if they produce equivalent preference scales. Health status and utility was assessed in 73 chr
Chiral drugs: The FDA perspective on manufacturing and control

On 27 May 1992, the FDA announced the availability of a policy statement on the development of stereoisomeric drugs. This statement has significant implications for the chemist who is working on the development and validation of analytical controls for chiral drug substances and products. The testing of the bulk drug, the manufacturing of the finished product, the design of stability testing protocols, and the labelling of the drug must all take the chirality of the active ingredient into consideration.
Electrical conductivity, strength and microstructure of carbon nanotube multi-yarns

Abstract Since the inception of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), there has been a great deal of effort in developing CNT applications. One possible application is to utilize CNT yarn(s) in structural and electrical devices. This study investigated 13 different variations of CNT multi-yarns. The multi-yarns were evaluated and compared in terms of tensile load behavior and electrical conductivity as well as interrelationship and interdependence of these two properties with physical parameters and micro-structural features. The electrical conductivity of the CNT multi-yarn is not affected by the apparent diameter, number of yarns, tex or density, but instead by its interior compactness and acid treatment. The construction of single CNT yarn or multi-yarn can be tailored to achieve stress–strain behavior ranging from a stiff to ductile or highly non-linear behavior. CNT single-yarn is stronger and stiffer than a multi-yarn. The decrease in strength and stiffness of a multi-yarn does not depend directly upon the number of yarns. Thus, larger diameter CNT multi-yarn can be developed with less or no reduction in tensile properties in comparison to that of CNT array. Finally, this study’s observations provide useful information for further improvement of the tensile and electrical conductivity performance of CNT yarn(s).
Link Adaptation Control in LTE Uplink

Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology aims at addressing the increasing demand for mobile multimedia services in high user density areas. Channel aware scheduling across wide system bandwidth is one of the key techniques enabling this goal. To this end, the LTE scheduler heavily relies on an accurate and robust Link Adaptation (LA) function for predicting the best modulation and coding scheme (MCS) of a user. In this paper, we complement the popular block error rate (BLER) based LA with a scheme maximizing the throughput without BLER constraint and show that it indeed optimizes the spectral efficiency performance. We also describe a sub-optimal UL scheduler providing a good performance/complexity trade-off between a low-complexity basic scheduler and the optimal, but impractical complexity-wise.
Alzheimer’s disease: What is it, how many people have it, and why do we need to know?

In 1907, when Alois Alzheimer first described the clinical and pathologic findings in the case of 54-year-old Auguste D., her severe and progressive dementia had been grossly obvious, and the pathologic findings were clearly evident.1 Because the condition occurred in a relatively young woman, it was con-sidered a “presenile” disorder, and “Alzheimer’s disease” (named by Kraepelin for his pupil) was considered a rare condition for many decades. Almost 70 years later, when it was pointed out that the dementia affecting the majority of cognitively impaired elderly people was virtually identical both clinically and pathologically to Alzheimer’s description,2 what had been a rarity was recognized as an important public health problem. Soon, physicians began to look for the cause(s) and treatments for AD, and epidemiologists began to assess the frequency of AD in populations throughout the world. Unfortunately, there was no single, simple test for AD, and it was clear that research into the etiology and treatment of AD needed more reliable diagnostic criteria than those in use at that time. To address this issue, a Work Group hammered out criteria for possible, probable, and definite AD in 1984.3 These criteria (the National Institute for Neurological and Communicative Diseases and Stroke–AD and Related Disorders Association [NINCDS-ADRDA] criteria) were designed to be conservative and accurate, using adequate severity of AD and careful exclusion of other potential causes of dementia. Their goal was to identify carefully examined patients with AD for therapeutic trials of drugs, for genetic studies, and for case–control analyses of etiologic factors. The NINCDS-ADRDA criteria have proven to be highly reliable for identifying patients with AD in research clinics, where 85 to 90% of diagnoses have typically been confirmed at autopsy. A large number of epidemiologic studies have since examined the prevalence of AD by age group. …
The evolution of plastic resistance in large strain plastic flow of single phase subgrain forming metals

Abstract A detailed dislocation model is developed for the evolution of plastic resistance to large strain monotonie deformation of polycrystalline single phase, subgrain forming cubic metals. The model is based on a cellular dislocation structure with different but interactive evolutionary laws existing for the cell interiors and the cell walls, under conditions of continued similitude, holding separately for the two components. Strain hardening processes are considered to be statistical and diffuse, while recovery is assumed to be of a dynamic nature inside the cells and static nature in the cell walls. Comparison of the model with the experimental results of Lloyd et al . on aluminum alloys gives very satisfactory agreement and can be taken as demonstration of the utility of the development as a set of scaling laws.
The histological localization of heparin in the northern quahog clam, Mercenaria mercenaria.

The cellular location of heparin in Mercenaria mercenaria, the northern quahog clam, was identified histologically by azure II and alcian blue/safranin staining. A survey of various organs indicates that heparin was found in several morphological cell subpopulations of the labial palp, ctenidia, intestine, siphon, and pallium. Cells containing these compounds were restricted to areas proximal to epithelial surfaces and granules were observed in all of the cell types except those of the intestine. The "mast-like" cells that we report here may play a role analogous to that of mammalian mast cells in inflammatory responses, using heparin proteoglycan as a supportive defense molecule.
Preliminary findings on searcher performance and perceptions of performance in a hypertext bibliographic retrieval system

Hypertext is a relatively new mechanism by which bibliographic searching may be performed. Searcher confidence in using the system and in retrieving relevant items may depend on several factors, such as the time they have taken or the number of record pages they have visited in the database. Confidence in their performance versus their actual performance may serve as an indicator or reality check of the system's utility. This article presents an initial exploration of the relationship between searcher perceptions of their performance and actual searcher perceptions of their performance and actual search performance using two variants of a hypertext-based bibliographic retrieval system
Preparation of the senior medical student for integrated surgery training: Significant impact of a competency-based course

Introduction As initiatives to broadly implement integrated training programs for surgery proceed, senior medical students (SMS) will need to be better prepared. Consequently, it is imperative that we prepare students to more effectively care for patients upon residency matriculation. Using cardiothoracic training as a model for integrated programs, we developed a course with a focus on cardiothoracic topics and examined its efficacy in preparing SMS for the management of cardiothoracic patients. Methods 22 SMS matched into surgical residencies completed a 4-week, competency-based, preparatory course incorporating didactics, simulation, skills labs, and covering areas essential for care of cardiothoracic surgical patients. Knowledge base, skill acquisition, and readiness were measured through written tests, performance examinations, and confidence self-assessments (5-point Likert scale). T-tests were used for pre- and post-course comparisons (alpha=0.05). Results Pre-course, students possessed significant measured anxiety related to both cognitive and technical skills needed for management of cardiothoracic patients. Cardiothoracic topics were ranked most important by the students, yet were the curricular areas of most substantial weakness. Measured confidence rose significantly (Table). Students demonstrated significant gains in knowledge base on the written test[mean pre-test score, 54.9%; post-test 86.4% (p ⁎ 4.18Emergent post-op events4.911.553.64 ⁎ 4.36Chest tubes, CVCs, art lines4.182.094.09 ⁎ 4.18Post-op cardiothoracic pts4.411.733.14 ⁎ 3.90Surgical critical care4.412.093.45 ⁎ 3.59Ventilators/ABGs4.252.463.89 ⁎ 3.80Post-op fluid mgmt4.272.363.95 ⁎ 3.95Post-op transplants4.321.592.82 ⁎ 3.50Bronchoscopy/endoscopy3.811.822.55 ⁎ 2.77⁎P Conclusions SMS have significant baseline deficits in skills necessary for seamless matriculation into integrated cardiothoracic surgery residencies. This study demonstrates the efficacy of a competency-based, preparatory course in significantly improving task-specific confidence, knowledge base, and technical proficiency. Further, these findings have broader implications for how we effectively prepare SMS for the transition to integrated surgical training programs.
A posteriori error analysis for finite element solutions of a frictional contact problem

In this paper, we derive and analyze a residual type a posteriori error estimator for finite element approximations of a frictional contact problem for linearized elastic materials. The reliability of the estimator is rigorously shown. The efficiency of the estimator is also studied. Results from several numerical examples are reported, illustrating the good performance of the estimator in adaptive solution of the frictional contact problem.
ANTHOCYANINS OF BEAUTY SEEDLESS GRAPES

Beauty Seedless grape pigments were isolated and identified by chromatographic, spectral and chemical properties. The pigments were identified as delphinidin-3-glucoside, petunidin-3-glucoside, malvidin-3-glucoside, peonidin-3-glucoside, malvidin-3-glucoside acylated with caffeic acid and malvidin-3-glucoside acylated with p-coumaric acid. Beauty Seedless grapes contained 62 mg anthocyanins per 100g fresh grapes and malvidin derivatives accounted for 73% of the total anthocyanins.
Study of T-cell signaling by somatic cell mutagenesis and complementation cloning

Somatic cell mutagenesis is a powerful genetic approach used in dissection of signal transduction pathways in mammalian cells. Here we describe a method that has been successfully used to identify and analyze components of the NF-kappaB signaling pathway in Jurkat T cells using the combination of somatic cell mutagenesis and a complementation cloning strategy. By treating Jurkat T cells with the chemical mutagen ICR191, mutant T-cell lines can be selected that have a deficiency in a given biological response or in the expression of a particular selectable marker. Mutant phenotypes can be rescued by retroviral-mediated delivery of cDNA libraries and subsequent selection of rescued cell clones by flow cytometric cell sorting. Cell lines reverting back to the wild-type phenotype due to the ectopic expression of the exogenous gene can then be evaluated by functional assays. The gene rendering the reversion of the mutant phenotype may be isolated by PCR using library vector-specific primers. Clearly, creation of a somatic cell genetic system can yield exciting new advances in deciphering signal transduction events by discovery of novel pathway participants.
Who said what when?: capturing the important moments of a meeting

Meeting information capturing paradigms such as pen and paper has been found to be tedious and distractive. This paper presents Meeting Essence II, a mobile phone based, one screen meeting information capture system to address these issues. We also introduce a new social interaction centric recording paradigm, where events in the meeting are identified by meeting participants and are recorded, classified by time and person with a single screen touch. Results from our pilot experiment shows that our system positively contributes to the quality of meeting reconstruction, while being minimally distractive to the meeting participants.