cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Correlates of spiritual well-being in terminally ill persons with AIDS and terminally ill persons with cancer

In an effort to determine if terminally ill patients with AIDS had greater religious and spiritual care needs than other terminally ill patient populations, particularly those with cancer, a study was conducted in a community-based hospice in the southeast. The purpose of the study was to compare the perceptions of spiritual well-being, loneliness, social support, health hardiness, pain, and functional status among terminally ill clients with cancer and terminally ill clients with AIDS in a hospice setting and to examine predictors of spiritual well-being in a hospice population. A sample of 55 hospice patients completed the Correlates of Spiritual Well-Being Scale (COSWEB), which includes a demographic data sheet and instruments to measure spiritual well-being, loneliness, health hardiness, social support, functional status, and pain. Patients with AIDS reported significantly lower spiritual well-being than did patients with cancer and other chronic, terminal illnesses. Patients with AIDS also reported significantly greater loneliness than other patient populations. The number of social supports for patients with AIDS was significantly lower than for cancer patients and other groups; moreover, patients with AIDS were significantly more dissatisfied with their supports than other patient groups. The best predictors of spiritual well-being in this study were social support and loneliness, which explained 47% of the variance in spiritual well-being. The results of this study suggest differences between specific groups of hospice patients. Patients with AIDS may be less spiritually well than other terminally ill patient populations due to decreased support systems, dissatisfaction with supports, greater feelings of lone-liness, younger ages on entry to hospice, fewer family supports, lack of recognized long-term relationships, and related issues such as homophobia, perceived rejection by religious denominations, unstable living environments, economic disadvantages, and less time to process life events/meaning. Findings in this study and similar future studies can better enable health care providers to allocate time and resources to various terminally ill patient populations to achieve higher quality care outcomes in general and greater spiritual well-being in particular.
Tobacco and cancer: An American Association for Cancer Research policy statement

Executive Summary The evidence against tobacco use is clear, incontrovertible, and convincing; so is the need for urgent and immediate action to stem the global tide of tobacco-related death and suffering and to improve public health. The American Association for Cancer Research makes an unequivocal call to all who are concerned about public health to take the following immediate steps: Increase the investment in tobacco-related research, commensurate with the enormous toll that tobacco use takes on human health, to provide the scientific evidence to drive the development of effective policies and treatments necessary to dramatically reduce tobacco use and attendant disease. Develop new evidence-based strategies to more effectively prevent the initiation of tobacco use, especially for youth and young adults. Promote the further development of evidence-based treatments for tobacco cessation, including individualized therapies, and ensure coverage of and access to evidence-based behavioral and pharmacological treatments. Develop evidence-based strategies for more effective public communication to prevent, reduce, and eliminate tobacco use and to guide health policies and clinical practice. Develop effective, evidence-based policies to reduce disparities across the tobacco continuum among social groups and developed and developing nations. Implement to the fullest extent existing evidence-based, systems-wide tobacco control programs to prevent initiation and foster cessation. Adapt and implement appropriate approaches to reduce the growing burden of tobacco use in the developing world. Enhance and coordinate surveillance efforts, both in the United States and globally, to monitor tobacco products, tobacco use, and tobacco-related disease, including tobacco use in oncology clinical trials. Establish a comprehensive, science-based regulatory framework to evaluate tobacco products and manufacturers9 claims. Promote research that addresses the following: the potential harms of current and new tobacco products; the impact of altering the levels of addictive components in tobacco products; the identification of risk and risk-reduction measures for current and former tobacco users; enhanced early detection methods for tobacco-related cancers; and effective treatments against tobacco-related cancers tailored to the unique effects of tobacco on cancer. Pursue domestic and international economic policies that support tobacco control. Urge the United States to ratify the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Foster global scientific efforts to support the Framework. Work together with stakeholders worldwide, including federal agencies, to develop and implement effective tobacco control strategies and to deter counter-tobacco control efforts by the tobacco industry. Only such concerted global actions by scientists, policymakers, and advocates together can prevent the invidious impact of tobacco, the use of which is cutting wide swathes of death and disease around the world. Cancer Res; 70(9); 3419–30. ©2010 AACR.
Some thoughts on the baker-nathan order☆☆☆

Abstract The present status of the Baker-Nathan order is discussed in terms of current interpretations. On the basis of the large amount of available experimental data, it is suggested that hyperconjugation of carbon-hydrogen bonds provides the most consistent and satisfactory explanation of this effect.
Aortic and right atrial systolic pressures during cardiopulmonary resuscitation: A potential indicator of the mechanism of blood flow

Abstract The absolute difference between aortic and right atrial systolic pressure (systolic pressure gradient) and the difference between the aortic diastollic and right atrial diastolic pressure (coronary perfusion pressure) were evaluated in a series of 63 adult mongrel dogs undergoing five different methods of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Fluid-filled pressure monitoring catheters were placed in the ascending aorta and right atrium in each of the animals after induction of anesthesia with morphine sulfate and 1% halothane and oxygen. The animals were then fibrillated with a transvenous electrode catheter that had been introduced into a ventricle. After a “down time” of 3 minutes during which no CPR was performed, the animal's lungs were ventilated, and one of five methods of CPR was initiated. The systolic pressure gradient and coronary perfusion pressure were measured in all animals 1 minute after CPR was begun, and in all but the group undergoing open-chest cardiac massage after 7 minutes and 17 minutes of CPR. The systollic pressure gradient and coronary perfusion pressure were greatest during open-chest cardiac massage (true cardiac compression), intermediate in external mechanical CPR (Thumper) and standard CPR (greater in small dogs than large dogs), and lowest in CPR performed with a combined thoracic and abdominal vest apparatus (predominantly thoracic pump). The observation that the systolic pressure gradient between intrathoracic chambers is largest in open-chest cardiac massage and smallest in vest CPR suggests that similar measurements recorded during the performance of human cardiac resuscitation may be useful in determining the mechanism of blood flow.
Oxidation of pesticides by purified cytochrome P-450 isozymes from mouse liver.

Abstract 5 cytochrome P-450 isozymes were purified from the livers of uninduced mice and reconstituted with purified NADPH cytochrome P-450 reductase and phospholipid. The pesticides parathion, fonofos, DEF, Mocap and profenofos were oxidized by the reconstituted monooxygenase system to form acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors. The bioactivation varied with the pesticide substrate and the cytochrome P-450 isozyme. Aldrin epoxidation occurred with all 5 isozymes, with cytochrome P-450 A1 being the most active. All fraction metabolized the pesticide Synergist piperonyl butoxide (PBO) to form an inhibitory cytochrome P-450-PBO-metabolite complex. The reduced complex produced a spectrum in the Soret region which was characteristic for each of the cytochrome P-450 isozymes. Inhibition of aldrin epoxidation by PBO was found to be unrelated to the nature of the Soret spectrum.
Structural and Electronic Characterization of Chemical and Conformational Defects in Conjugated Polymers

Quantum chemical analyses of poly(p-phenylenevinylene) (PPV)-based polymers with conformational and chemical defects are presented. It is shown that defects leading to tetrahedral kinks in the polymerization direction that were proposed previously to explain the optical anisotropy of polymer films (Hu et al. Nature 2000, 405, 1030) are indeed energetically stable. These defects are shown not to affect the primary electronic absorption band, but they may localize the electron−hole excitation in one segment of the polymer chain.
Fabrication of three-dimensional structures by micro stereolithography for electromagnetic absorber applications

In this paper, microstereolithography (MSL) is introduced to fabricate a sophisticated 3D objects in micro size such as hollow pyramidal and helical structures, which are used for electromagnetic absorber applications. The hollow helix can be constructed by staking a hundred layers of 2D annuluses, taking a slight angular increment for the each layer. It is expected that the helices that has ferromagnetic nanoparticle incursions show improve the performance of the electromagnetic absorbers consisting of helix arrays. The paper also presents a new approach to combine the MSL with conventional silicon micromachining process by demonstrating MEMS bridge structures.
High levels of MMP-1 expression in the absence of the 2G single nucleotide polymorphism is mediated by p38 and ERK1/2 mitogen-activated protein kinases in VMM5 melanoma cells.

Matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) is one of only a few enzymes with the ability to degrade the stromal collagens (types I and III) at neutral pH, and high expression of MMP-1 has been associated with aggressive and invasive cancers. We recently reported a single nucleotide insertion/deletion polymorphism (SNP) in the collagenase-1 (MMP-1) promoter (Rutter et al. [1998] Can. Res. 58:5321-5325), where the insertion of an extra guanine (G) at -1607 bp creates the sequence, 5'-GGAA-3 (2G allele), compared to the sequence 5'-GAA-3' (1G allele). The presence of 2G constitutes a binding site for the ETS family of transcription factors, and increases MMP-1 transcription in fibroblasts and A2058 melanoma cells cultured in vitro. In addition, the presence of the 2G allele has been linked to several aggressive malignancies as well as to enhanced expression of MMP-1. In this study, we describe a melanoma cell line, VMM5, that is 1G homozygous, but that is invasive and expresses high levels of MMP-1 constitutively. The high level of MMP-1 expression in VMM5 cells is due to the utilization of both the p38 and ERK1/2 transduction pathways. In contrast, in the A2058 cell line, which also expresses MMP-1 constitutively and which is 2G homozygous, only the ERK pathway is activated. Thus, our data suggest that in the absence of 2G allele and in the presence of the appropriate transcription factors, tumor cells may use alternative signal/transduction pathways and cis-acting sequences to achieve high levels of MMP-1 expression, which contribute to the ability of tumor cells to invade, regardless of their genotype.
The molar volume (density) of solid oxygen in equilibrium with vapor

Data from the literature on the molar volume of solid oxygen have been compiled and critically analyzed. A correlated and thermodynamically consistent set of molar volumes, including the volume changes at the various solid phase transitions, is presented. Evidence for the existence of a δ‐solid phase is reviewed. Uncertainties in the data and in the recommended set of values are discussed.
Brainstem auditory and visual evoked potentials in Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients

Brainstem auditory evoked potentials and pattern shift visual evoked potentials were measured in 34 Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients with long-standing disease and in 43 control subjects. Thirty-two percent of diabetic patients had abnormal brainstem auditory evoked potentials and 15% had abnormal visual evoked potentials. These abnormalities were not related to duration of diabetes, diabetic control or individual diabetic complications (retinopathy, nephropathy, peripheral or autonomic neuropathy). The aetiology of the abnormalities must remain a subject for speculation. The findings of this study are consistent with a central diabetic neuropathy involving the brainstem in long-standing diabetic patients.
Duplex scanning for the intraoperative assessment of infrainguinal arterial reconstruction: a useful tool?

Duplex scan, arteriography, and graft flow rates were used intraoperatively to assess 56 infrainguinal arterial reconstructions for technical error. Intraoperative duplex scan identified a technical defect or low graft flow velocity in 22 of 56 (39%) grafts. Eleven of the defects were judged to be clinically significant and were corrected. Four of these defects were missed by the completion arteriogram. One technical defect identified by completion arteriography was missed by duplex scan. Fifty percent (5/10) of grafts with an abnormal intraoperative duplex scan which were not corrected occluded within 30 days. Graft flow rates measured by the electromagnetic flowmeter were neither predictive of technical defect nor early graft outcome. Although the sensitivity of arteriography and duplex scan (88% sensitivity for both) were both high for predicting early graft occlusion, the combination of duplex scan and completion arteriography was significantly more accurate (p<.0001) in predicting early graft outcome than either study alone. Duplex scan identified significant graft defects which were not detected by completion arteriography or graft flow rate measurement. The duplex scan also provided hemodynamic information which was predictive of early graft outcome. The duplex scan can be an important adjunct to completion arteriography for the intraoperative assessment of infrainguinal arterial reconstruction.
On Plato's Political Philosophy

Abstract Mark Blitz’s Plato’s Political Philosophy is reviewed in this article with special attention to two recurring themes. The first is the relation of parts to wholes and, especially, how the knowledge of parts and wholes in general and of political parts and wholes in particular relate to the philosophic attempt to know the whole itself. The second theme is that of philosophy’s relation to piety and, in particular, how the attempt to know the whole, as understood by Blitz, relates to the fundamental opposition between piety and philosophy. Attention to these themes, the author argues, helps to explain peculiarities of Blitz’s approach, especially his greater emphasis on articulating the entire “realm of political philosophy” than on explicating individual dialogues and his tendency to connect and divide Platonic thoughts, themes, and problems rather than to bore into individual Socratic problems.
Effect of Pilocarpine in Treatment of Intraocular Pressure Elevation Following Neodymium:YAG Laser Posterior Capsulotomy

A prospective study was conducted in 30 eyes of 30 patients to determine if pilocarpine would prevent increased intraocular pressure following Q-switched neodymium (Nd):YAG laser posterior capsulotomy. Fifteen eyes were given pilocarpine 4%, immediately following laser therapy and every hour until bedtime. Fifteen eyes served as untreated controls. Our results show that without prophylactic therapy, 10 of 15 eyes (67%) had a post-laser intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation of greater than 10 mmHg, while only one of 15 (6.6%) of the pilocarpine-treated eyes had a rise of that magnitude. The facility of outflow was reduced by 42% in the untreated eyes in contrast to an increase of 3% in those eyes treated with pilocarpine. Thus, pilocarpine 4% is effective in reducing the incidence and magnitude of elevated IOP following Nd:YAG posterior capsulotomy.
Response of jointed arches to earthquake excitation

Methode de simulation precise des ouvertures et fermetures graduelles des joints de dalles bidimensionnelles et de voutes. Utilisation de cette methode au calcul de la reponse a un seisme d'une voute qui est la section transversale horizontale representative d'un barrage voute en beton. Comparaison des reponses de la voute avec et sans joints pour evaluer l'effet de l'ouverture des joints. Proposition de l'extension de la methode a un barrage voute tridimensionnel
Genetic variation and phylogenetic relationships of 22 porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) field strains based on sequence analysis of open reading frame 5

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) strains from 13 states in the United States, Guatemala and Canada were used to compare the envelope glycoprotein gene (ORF 5) nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences. The gene was the same size, 603 nt, for all the 22 field strains. These strains had 89-94% amino acid identity compared to reference strain VR 2332. A putative signal sequence and cleavage site between residues 31 and 32 was identified and three potential glycosylation sites were present on all but two strains. Hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity and surface probability analyses reveal a primary structure for the envelope glycoprotein (E protein) with six potential surface regions that could be antigenic sites. Similar E protein structural features are conserved for the prototype European PRRSV-Lelystad virus.
Prevalence of Asthma and Chronic Respiratory Symptoms Among Alaska Native Children

Setting: The Yukon-Kuskokwim delta region of western Alaska. Participants: A total of 466 children in the sixth to ninth grades, 81% of whom are AN/AI (377 children). Interventions: No study intervention. Results: Among the 377 AN/AI children, 40% reported one of the following three categories of chronic respiratory disease: physician-diagnosed asthma, 7.4%; asthma-like symptoms (ALS) without an asthma diagnosis, 11.4%; and chronic productive cough (CPC) without asthma diagnosis or symptoms, 21.5%. Symptom prevalence differed substantially between the largest town in the region and rural villages. After an adjustment for demographic factors, exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, active tobacco smoking, and self-report of atopy, village residents were 63% less likely to have ALS (p 0.009), and had a twofold greater risk of CPC (p < 0.001) compared to children living in the town. Children with respiratory symptoms experienced sleep disturbances and accessed clinic visits for respiratory problems more often than did asymptomatic children. Conclusions: Chronic respiratory symptoms are very common among AN children. CPC is an important nonasthmatic respiratory condition in this population. The differing patterns of respiratory illness within this region may help to elucidate the specific risk factors for asthma and chronic bronchitis in children. (CHEST 2004; 125:1665–1673)
Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy before multimodality therapy in patients with esophageal cancer

Abstract Background Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) has not been widely used in esophageal cancer because of concerns about safety of dilatation, suitability of the stomach as an esophageal replacement, and potential for inoculation metastasis. Methods Experience with PEG in consecutive patients presenting with new esophageal cancer from March 1991 to March 2001 was reviewed retrospectively. PEG was planned in 119 of 179 (66%) of these patients excluding those presenting moribund and those for whom early resection was planned. The PEG was placed using an endoscopic method with wire-guided endoscopic bougienage or laser ablation or both as needed. Success of placement, requirement for dilatation and ablation, PEG-related complications, tolerance of enteral feeds, and impact on therapy were evaluated. Results PEG placement was possible in 87% of patients (103 of 119). Dilatation or laser ablation or both was required in 46% (47 of 103). There was no procedure-related mortality. Thirty-day mortality was 13.5%. Major PEG-related complications were observed in 4% (4 of 103) and minor PEG-related complications in 12% (12 of 103). PEG removal was required in 4 patients and interruption of enteral feeds required in 33 (32%). No instances of esophageal disruption or tumor inoculation metastasis were noted. PEG takedown and site closure at the time of operation was uncomplicated and use of the stomach as an esophageal substitute was possible in all 61 resected patients. Rates of anastomotic leak, stricture, and gastric emptying delay were similar to those for patients proceeding to resection without prior PEG (leak: PEG=8% [5 of 61] versus non-PEG = 10.5% [2 of 19]), (stricture: PEG=37% [22 of 61] versus non-PEG = 32.5% [6 of 19]), (delay: PEG=9.8% [6 of 61] versus non-PEG = 10.5% [2 of 19]). Analysis of variables showed PEG to be significantly related to attainment of target doses of chemoradiotherapy ( p = 0.034), and survival at 12 months ( p = 0.02). Conclusions PEG in esophageal cancer is safe and useful and does not compromise the stomach or esophagogastric anastomosis. Further study is required to define the efficacy of PEG as a means of nutritional support and its impact on survival.
THE SAFETY OF BRONCHOSCOPY IN A PULMONARY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

Study objective To determine the complication rate from supervised training bronchoscopy in a single pulmonary fellowship program, and to examine the effects of fellow and faculty experience on this complication rate. Design A retrospective review of preexisting quality improvement data from one center for the time period July 1, 1991, until June 30, 2005, was performed. The data were stratified based on the fellow year group and the staff experience level. The types of complications were recorded. Setting The study was performed at an accredited pulmonary and critical care fellowship program at a military medical center in the United States. Participants Fifty-one pulmonary and critical care medicine fellows and 20 staff supervising physicians performed the bronchoscopies that were included in this study. Results A total of 3,538 training bronchoscopies were performed during the study period with 73 complications for a complication rate of 2.06%. The most common complication was pneumothorax. The overall complication rates for first-year fellows (1stYFs), second-year fellows, and third-year fellows were not significantly different from the total complication rate. Training bronchoscopies supervised by junior staff had a complication rate not significantly different from that of senior staff. The cumulative complication rate for the first trimester for 1stYFs was 3.1%, whereas the cumulative complication rate for the second plus the third trimester for 1stYFs was 1.57% (p Conclusions Training bronchoscopy performed during a pulmonary fellowship is a safe procedure in a supervised setting. Patients undergoing bronchoscopy performed by novice bronchoscopists have an increased complication rate during the first trimester of bronchoscopist training.
Current status of equation of state of nuclear matter

The equation of state (EOS) of symmetric nuclear matter (SNM) is a very important ingredient in the study of various phenomena of interest in nuclear physics and astrophysics. Accurate assessment of the value of the SNM incompressibility coefficient, K, which is directly related to the curvature of the EOS, is needed to extend our knowledge of the EOS in the vicinity of the saturation point. We review the current status of K as determined from experimental data on compression modes in nuclei using the mean-field-based random-phase approximation.
Improving Compliance with Screening of Diabetic Patients for Microalbuminuria in Primary Care Practice

Studies showed suboptimal compliance rate of primary care physicians with microalbuminuria screening. This study evaluated impact of electronic medical records (EMR) and computerized physicians reminders on compliance rate and showed small to modest improvement. Combining EMR with quality control monitoring has significantly improved compliance [OR 1.556, 95% CI 1.251–1.935, ].
Genome sequence of Synechococcus CC9311: Insights into adaptation to a coastal environment

Coastal aquatic environments are typically more highly productive and dynamic than open ocean ones. Despite these differences, cyanobacteria from the genus Synechococcus are important primary producers in both types of ecosystems. We have found that the genome of a coastal cyanobacterium, Synechococcus sp. strain CC9311, has significant differences from an open ocean strain, Synechococcus sp. strain WH8102, and these are consistent with the differences between their respective environments. CC9311 has a greater capacity to sense and respond to changes in its (coastal) environment. It has a much larger capacity to transport, store, use, or export metals, especially iron and copper. In contrast, phosphate acquisition seems less important, consistent with the higher concentration of phosphate in coastal environments. CC9311 is predicted to have differences in its outer membrane lipopolysaccharide, and this may be characteristic of the speciation of some cyanobacterial groups. In addition, the types of potentially horizontally transferred genes are markedly different between the coastal and open ocean genomes and suggest a more prominent role for phages in horizontal gene transfer in oligotrophic environments.
Diffusion approximations for nonlinear phase locked loop-type systems with wide band inputs

Abstract Communication systems often involve differential equation models whose inputs are noises and signals with wide bandwidths. It is frequently of interest to approximate them by some Markov-diffusion process, since then many analytical and numerical methods can be used. Here, recent results on getting diffusion approximations to systems with such inputs are applied to three classes of detection systems which are very important in applications: (1) A phase locked loop with a limiter; (2) a quadricorrelator with and without a limiter (the function is to track changes in phase and frequency); (3) a “squaring” loop whose purpose is the tracking of the carrier frequency despite the carrier modulation. In (3), a type of pulse phase modulation is used. The method is natural, systematic and relatively straightforward. Under natural scaling of the signals and noises, the appropriate diffusion approximations (for band-pass, but wide-band noise) are obtained. The approximation is in the sense of weak convergence. The first two problems have been hard to analyze owing to the nature of the non-linearity, and the results clearly indicate the advantage and disadvantages of the use of the limiter. The third problem has been difficult to analyze, partly due to the periodicities which occur naturally in such problems. All three classes represent widely used and important systems, and much information can be obtained from the limit process. For example, the results show that the use of a limiter can actually improve the tracking ability of the systems, when the noise is small. The system signal and noise models to which the methods can be applied are much broader than those used here. But the results, together with the results in H. J. Kushner, IEEE Trans. Inform. Theory IT-26 (1980), 715–725, for different classes of problems, illustrate the great potential of the approximation methods for problems in control and communication theory. In certain cases, the limit processes are of the type which have been obtained via more formal arguments.
Uptake and cellular localization of exogenous lipids by Giardia lamblia, a primitive eukaryote

Giardia lamblia trophozoites are unable to carry out de novo lipid synthesis. It is therefore likely that lipids are acquired from the small intestine of the host, in which the trophozoites are exposed to free and conjugated fatty acids, various sterols, phospholipids, bile acids, and bile-lipid mixed micelles. Here we show that G. lamblia is capable of taking up exogenous phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylinositol (PI), sphingomyelin (SM), cholesterol, ceramide (Cer), and fatty acids. Results from epifluorescence and high-resolution confocal microscopy suggest that fluorescent analogs of SM and PC were accumulated in the plasma membranes, whereas palmitic acid and Cer were localized intracellularly. Interestingly, many of these analogs were also concentrated in perinuclear regions. Similar labeling patterns were observed when the fluorescent analogs were delivered to the parasite via liposomes. To test whether G. lamblia was capable of esterifying exogenous fatty acids into membrane or cellular phospholipids, trophozoites were pulse-labeled with 3H-labeled palmitic or myristic acids and the phospholipids analyzed by thin-layer chromatography. Results document that G. lamblia was able to incorporate exogenous fatty acids into various phospholipids, i.e., PI, PC, PE, and PG. Interestingly, a major portion of radiolabeled fatty acids was incorporated into PG, a phospholipid characteristic of prokaryotic membranes.
Large absorption efficiency in ultralow loss, composite plasmonic nanoparticles

We analyze the scattering problem of two conjoined subwavelength hemi-cylinders with different dielectric properties. After obtaining a general closed-form solution for the quasi-static potential, we focus on the anomalous resonances arising when one of the two particles is plasmonic. We show that large absorption may be obtained over a moderately broad frequency range, even in the limit of negligible material losses, and we highlight the physical reasons behind this apparent paradox. This counterintuitive response is discussed for relevant applications in energy-harvesting, sensing and nonlinear optical devices.
Interactions of Escherichia coli Primary Replicative Helicase DnaB Protein with Single-Stranded DNA. The Nucleic Acid Does Not Wrap around the Protein Hexamer

The interactions of the Escherichia coli primary replicative helicase DnaB protein with single-stranded (ss) DNA have been studied using the thermodynamically rigorous fluorescence titration technique, which allowed us to obtain absolute stoichiometries of the formed complexes and interaction parameters without any assumptions about the relationship between the observed signal change and the degree of binding. Binding of the DnaB protein to the ssDNA fluorescent derivative poly(d epsilon A) is accompanied by a strong increase of the nucleic acid fluorescence. We show that, in the presence of the ATP nonhydrolyzable analog AMP-PNP, the DnaB helicase binds polymer ssDNA with the site-size of 20 +/- 3 nucleotides per protein hexamer. This stoichiometry has been fully confirmed in the binding experiments with ssDNA oligomers of 40 and 20 residues in length. Two DnaB hexamers bind to 40-mer, and one DnaB hexamer binds to 20-mer. Thermodynamic studies of the 20-mer binding to the DnaB hexamer show that the hexamer has a single, strong binding site for ssDNA. Moreover, photo-cross-linking experiments indicate that only a single subunit is primarily in contact with ssDNA. This surprisingly very low site-size of the large hexameric helicase--ssDNA complex, the existence of only a single, strong ssDNA binding site on the hexamer, and the results of photo-cross-linking experiments preclude the possibility of extensive wrapping of the ssDNA around the hexamer and formation of the complex in which all six protomers are simultaneously bound to ss nucleic acid.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Root foraging for patchy resources in eight herbaceous plant species

The root foraging strategy of a plant species can be characterized by measuring foraging scale, precision, and rate. Trade-offs among these traits have been predicted to contribute to coexistence of competitors. We tested for trade-offs among root foraging scale (total root mass and length of structural roots), precision (ln-ratio of root lengths in resource-rich and resource-poor patches), and rate (days required for roots to reach a resource-rich patch, or growth rate of roots within a resource-rich patch) in eight co-occurring species. We found that root foraging scale and precision were positively correlated, as were foraging scale and the rate of reaching patches. High relative growth rate of a species did not contribute to greater scale, precision, or rate of root foraging. Introduced species had greater foraging scale, precision, and rate than native species. The positive correlations between foraging scale and foraging precision and rate may give larger species a disproportionate advantage in competition for patchy soil resources, leading to size asymmetric competition below ground.
Increasing returns, urban unemployment, and international capital mobility: A trade policy analysis

Abstract This paper compares the effects of tariffs, quotas and VER, both with and without international capital mobility, for a small open economy facing urban unemployment of unskilled labor and external increasing returns in the manufacturing sector. Expressions for the shadow price of foreign exchange and capital are derived under each type of trade restriction. It is shown that international capital mobility in such an economy unambiguously lowers the welfare cost of all forms of trade restriction, in contrast to the existing literature on full employment CRS economy, where international capital mobility unambiguously raises the welfare cost of tariff protection.
A semi-automated micro-assay for H2O2 release by human blood monocytes and mouse peritoneal macrophages

H2O2 secreted by mononuclear phagocytes can be detected by monitoring the horseradish peroxidase-catalyzed oxidation of fluorescent scopoletin. This technique has been adapted to a semi-automated micro-scale with the aid of automatic fluorescence and absorbance micro-culture plate readers to measure H2O2 and protein, respectively, in the same culture wells. With these adaptations the assay can accurately and precisely detect as little as 0.1 nmol H2O2 or 1 microgram cell protein, permitting the calculation of specific secretion (nmol H2O2/mg cell protein) from as few as 2 X 10(4) human blood monocytes or mouse peritoneal macrophages. Cumulative H2O2 secretion in individual wells may be recorded non-destructively at frequent intervals for time course measurements. Less than 1 min is required to record the fluorescence in all 96 wells of a micro-culture plate. The assay is highly reproducible, with standard deviations for triplicates typically less than 5-10% of the mean, and gives values in close agreement with those obtained in 10-fold larger samples by previous methods. Using this assay it is feasible to process 1000 samples per day, with order of magnitude savings in labor, cells, sera, media, cytokines, and reagents compared to earlier forms of the assay. The assay is useful in evaluating the cellular effects of cytokines and for assaying their activity in chromatographic fractions and hybridoma cultures. We are currently using the assay to monitor the administration of interferon-gamma to patients with neoplasia.
Nonlinear poisson-boltzmann theory for polyelectrolyte solutions: The counterion condensate around a line charge as a δ -function

Abstract Counterion condensation around a charged cylinder is studied via an absolute upper bound on the radial potential distribution derived from nonlinear Poisson -Boltzmann theory. As the cylinder radius goes to zero, the condensate collapses into a δ-function encapsulating the charged line.
Jet Propulsion Model of Cell Motility in Confined Spaces

Recent experiment showed that cells without integrin can still migrate in confined environments, but they are immobile on a flat surface. However, the mechanism of cell migration in confined spaces is still unclear. Here we propose a jet propulsion model of the cell motility when cells migrate through heterogeneous structures in tissues, such as lymphatic vessels, vasculature and nerves. We show that as long as the cell is polarized so that an ion concentration gradient along the elongated cell body can be maintained, water molecules can be ingested into the cell at the leading end and emitted at the trailing end of the cell. Therefore, cells can migrate forward at a high speed. Our model also predicts that an osmotic shock can reverse the direction of cell migration in microchannels. These predictions were verified by our microfluidic experiments. The effects of actin, mysoin, microtubules and ion transporters were studied theoretically and experimentally.
Hemochromatosis and male infertility

Abstract Background: The clinical association of hemochromatosis and infertility is rare. Hemochromatosis may affect fertility through a variety of mechanisms. Case: A 44-year-old man and his 36-year-old wife presented with primary infertility of 7 years’ duration. The husband was diagnosed as having idiopathic hemochromatosis, abnormal glucose tolerance, and hypogonadism accompanied by impotence, retrograde ejaculation, and azoospermia. Treatment consisted of phlebotomies followed by gonadotropins, which corrected retrograde ejaculation and improved semen characteristics. Concomitant pelvic factors in the woman were corrected endoscopically. After failure of pregnancy with ovulation stimulation and intrauterine inseminations, a singleton pregnancy was achieved by in vitro fertilization, augmented with intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Conclusion: This case underscores the need to consider advanced reproductive technologies after the failure of specific, first-line therapeutic options in infertile couples.
Phase Field Approach to Microstructural Modeling and Life Prediction of High Temperature Coatings

A mechanism-based methodologies to model microstructural evolution and predict lifetime of oxidation resistance coatings and TBCs using phase-field simulation is presented wherein only fundamental properties of materials such as free energy, atomic mobility and elastic constants are employed. Phase field approach to simulate critical phenomena associated with TBC failure, namely sintering of ytrria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) topcoat, (t’→f+m) phase transformations in YSZ topcoat, high temperature oxidation (i.e., growth of thermally grown oxide, TGO) of bond coats, multicomponent-multiphase interdiffusion between bond coats and superalloy substrate, and fracture at the YSZ/TGO and TGO/bond coat interfaces are presented based on available literature. Results from simulation of microstructure evolution due to multiphase-multicomponent interdiffusion between bond coat and superalloy substrates are highlighted with an emphasis on composition-dependent interdiffusion. Specifically, a phase field model has been utilized to simulate and predict interdiffusion behavior and evolution of microstructure in multi-phase diffusion couples of binary and ternary systems, e.g. Ni-Al and Ni-Cr-Al. The model was capable of predicting composition profiles, diffusion paths and dissolution kinetics of the second phase, which were in good agreement with the experimental results reported in the literature.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Mining genome sequencing data to identify the genomic features linked to breast cancer histopathology

Background: Genetics and genomics have radically altered our understanding of breast cancer progression. However, the genomic basis of various histopathologic features of breast cancer is not yet well-defined. Materials and Methods: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) is an international database containing a large collection of human cancer genome sequencing data. cBioPortal is a web tool developed for mining these sequencing data. We performed mining of TCGA sequencing data in an attempt to characterize the genomic features correlated with breast cancer histopathology. We first assessed the quality of the TCGA data using a group of genes with known alterations in various cancers. Both genome-wide gene mutation and copy number changes as well as a group of genes with a high frequency of genetic changes were then correlated with various histopathologic features of invasive breast cancer. Results: Validation of TCGA data using a group of genes with known alterations in breast cancer suggests that the TCGA has accurately documented the genomic abnormalities of multiple malignancies. Further analysis of TCGA breast cancer sequencing data shows that accumulation of specific genomic defects is associated with higher tumor grade, larger tumor size and receptor negativity. Distinct groups of genomic changes were found to be associated with the different grades of invasive ductal carcinoma. The mutator role of the TP53 gene was validated by genomic sequencing data of invasive breast cancer and TP53 mutation was found to play a critical role in defining high tumor grade. Conclusions: Data mining of the TCGA genome sequencing data is an innovative and reliable method to help characterize the genomic abnormalities associated with histopathologic features of invasive breast cancer.
Bronchial circulation angiogenesis in the rat quantified with SPECT and micro-CT.

Introduction As pulmonary artery obstruction results in proliferation of the bronchial circulation in a variety of species, we investigated this angiogenic response using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and micro-CT.
Skin cancer in liver transplant recipients

Skin cancer is the most common malignancy arising in the posttransplantation setting. Multiple factors contribute to the high risk for cutaneous carcinoma in immunosuppressed organ-transplant recipients. We review the phenomenon of skin cancer in solid-organ transplant recipients and further delineate the problem in the context of liver transplantation. Skin cancer is a significant medical and surgical problem for organ-transplant recipients. With prolonged allograft function and patient survival, the majority of solid-organ transplant recipients will eventually develop skin cancer. Although squamous cell carcinoma is the most common cutaneous malignancy in this population, basal cell carcinoma, melanoma, and Kaposi's sarcoma, as well as uncommon skin malignancies, may occur. Highly susceptible patients may develop hundreds of squamous cell carcinomas, which may be life threatening. Management strategies focus on regular full-skin and nodal examination, aggressive treatment of established malignancies, and prophylactic measures to reduce the risk for additional photodamage and malignant transformation. Skin cancer is a substantial cause of morbidity and even mortality among solid-organ transplant recipients. As a byproduct of immunosuppression, liver transplant recipients experience a high incidence of skin cancer and should be educated and managed accordingly.
OPTICAL FIBER MEASUREMENTS OF PARTICLE VELOCITY USING LASER-INDUCED PHOSPHORESCENCE

An optical fiber anemometer that uses laser-induced phosphorescence to measure particle time of flight in dense gas-solid suspensions is described. The anemometer is tested using a spinning disk coated with a phosphor having a persistent afterglow. The diagnostic technique is illustrated by measuring the velocity of free-falling particles coated with the same phosphor. Monte Carlo simulations are employed to determine the optical characteristics of the probe, including its measurement volume.
Fast converging CMA-aided maximum a-posteriori algorithm with a conjugate symmetric constraint for adaptive blind beamforming

This paper investigates constant modulus algorithm-aided maximum a-posteriori algorithm (CMA+MAP) for adaptive blind beamforming based on the uniformly linear array structure. Under the assumption of the blind beamformer outputs geometrically near the optimal samples, we first contribute to deriving a closed-form optimal solution of the blind MAP algorithm. A conjugate symmetric property is further acquired for the optimal expression of the blind MAP. The additional information on conjugate symmetry is then incorporated into the CMA+MAP algorithm to develop a novel adaptive blind beamforming. Compared to the classical and state-of-the-art blind methods, this novel blind beamformer has shown in simulations to be more robust to the ambiguous decision, error propagation and real-time scenarios where only few snapshots for adapting are allowed.
Context-Based Event Ontology Extension in Multimedia Applications

An approach focused on inferring the finest possible sub event witnessed by individual photographs in a personal photo stream of an event is presented in this work using image metadata (timestamp, location, and camera parameters), information about the user, ontological event model, mobile device connectivity, web services, and external data sources. We introduce Event Ontology Augmentation that is a new technique to obtain, refine, and validate expressive event tags in the context of personal photo annotation. In this technique, an ontological event model is used to describe the vocabulary for a general domain event such as trip. The event-ontology is extended with context-information from heterogeneous data sources. We introduce plausibility measure for ranking and selecting the best possible sub event category related to a group of photos in a photo stream.
Two Viewpoints of k-Tuple Pattern Recognition

This paper presents two viewpoints of the k-tuple pattern recognition scheme proposed by Browning and Bledsoe. The first shows that k-tuple pattern recognition is a statistical approximation technique. In effect, the recognition is accomplished by approximating a higher order probability distribution by use of the first-order distributions. Using this viewpoint, and Lewis' measure of characteristic selection, several alternative approximations are offered. The second viewpoint is that recognition is a special case, or subclass, of a ? learning machine. It can be shown that if the input pattern vector X is first processed by a ?-processor (in this case a kth order polynomial) and then certain terms discarded, the resulting learning machine is identical to a k-tuple pattern recognition machine.
Many-body optimization using an ab initio Monte Carlo method

Advances in computing power have made it possible to study solvated molecules using ab initio quantum chemistry. Inclusion of discrete solvent molecules is required to determine geometric information about solute/solvent clusters. Monte Carlo methods are well suited to finding minima in many-body systems, and ab initio methods are applicable to the widest range of systems. A first principles Monte Carlo (FPMC) method was developed to find minima in many-body systems, and emphasis was placed on implementing moves that increase the likelihood of finding minimum energy structures. Partial optimization and molecular interchange moves aid in finding minima and overcome the incomplete sampling that is unavoidable when using ab initio methods. FPMC was validated by studying the boron trifluoride-water system, and then the method was used to examine the methyl carbenium ion in water to demonstrate its application to solvation problems.